Page 41 of Holly, Jolly, and Oh So Naughty

Emma bounces at my side the closer we get to the rink, and she starts to swing our joined hands back and forth before she screeches, “Santa!”

Someone dressed as Santa is going around handing out safety pamphlets to the parents and candy to the children, so of course, Emma wants to go there first. I can’t resist her excited pull, and together, laughing, we approach the burly Santa Claus.

“Santa!” Emma squeals. “Why are you here?”

“Ho-ho-ho,” Santa chuckles. “Ice safety is important, plus, I wanted to see you.”

“Really?” Emma gasps widely and gazes up in wonder. “Did you get my list?”

“I did.” Santa chuckles deeply, handing me one of the safety pamphlets, which details quick first aid in the event of an ice skate going awry. “I needed to give your Mommy this and you, this!” He pulls a red and white candy cane from his sack and hands it to Emma. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” Emma squeals, and she turns to me as Santa heads on through the crowd. “Look, Mommy, look!”

“I know!” I beam down at her. “That’s amazing. How nice of Santa to come and see you.”

“Yay!” She hands me the candy cane for safekeeping and we walk toward the wooden picnic tables set up near the food and drink stands.

There I spot James standing with his hands in his pockets looking all kinds of handsome and adorable. A pair of skates hangs from his arm, and I eye them curiously as we approach.

“Hey.” I smile up at him as Emma dances into him.

“Hi!” she yells.

“Hey, you two. Ready to hit the ice?” James asks with a warm smile.

“I’m not sure,” I muse, pointing at his skates. “Am I about to be shown up by a professional?”

“I might know a thing or two,” James says with a light smirk. “I promise I won’t show you up too much.”

“Mmmhmm, we’ll see.” I chuckle. “Emma and I need to rent skates, so I’ll go do that, and then we’ll meet you at the rink?”

“I’ll be there,” James says with a quick wink, and then we split.

“Mommy, why are your cheeks so red?” Emma asks loudly as we walk away from James.

I duck my head and try to hush her as my cheeks flare from hot to molten. A single wink and James has me hot and bothered, even though there’s so much between us that’s unresolved. I don’t have the energy to think about that today, though. Today, the focus is on Emma and relaxing.

I hire us each a pair of skates at the stall and then find James among the crowd near the entrance to the rink.

“All sorted?” he asks, showing no hint that he heard Emma’s loud and embarrassing declaration of my blushing.

“Yup. Can you hold this while I put the skates on her?”

James is happy to hold my bag while I crouch and help Emma into her skates. Mine follow, and then when I take my bag back and secure it across my body, James slips into his skates.

For a man who owns his own skates, he’s rather unsteady on the rubber floor. Approaching the ice, my heart leaps into my throat as Emma takes her first step onto the ice.

We come here every year, but this is Emma’s only skating experience, and each year, I get the same fear that she will fall flat onto the ice.

This year, she takes to it like a duck to water and after a few wobbles, she’s skating easily in small circles.

“How do you feel?” I call to her as she spins with her arms in the air.

“I’m a fairy!” she calls back to me.

Laughing, I step onto the ice and swiftly balance myself. Then I turn to James and watch as he takes his first step.

He boldly strides out onto the ice and then immediately loses all balance and falls smack down onto his back with a grunt. I can’t hold in my laughter as it overwhelms me and Emma breaks into loud giggles.

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