Page 42 of Isabelle and the Beast

She raises a brow at me, mimicking my challenging stare. “I think we both know you’re desperate.”

Desperate, yes.

But also…

Maybe I’m hoping to spend more time with her, even once we’re free to leave the castle.

I shrug a shoulder, nonchalant. “We’ll see. Now that I know it’s back on the table, I have some things to consider.”

“Oh, whatever.” She pushes my shoulder playfully, then her mouth drops open. “Dang. You really do work out.”

I open my mouth, just to shut it again. This woman knows how to steal the words from my mouth.

She holds my gaze, waiting for me to speak, but nothing comes to mind. She clears her throat and looks back inside my office. “Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to it. I was going to build a Snow Hulk with Theo this morning.”

I don’t want to be finished spending time with her, which is the only explanation for the words I speak next. “Do you need some help?”

“Building a…Snow Hulk?” she asks, her brow furrowed.

Stupid, Adam. I seem like an overeager child. “Yes, well, I’ve had plenty of experience making snow animals here. I figured you could use some help.”

She parts her lips, blinking a few times. It’s odd, I know, but I can’t help myself.

Finally, a smile lights her face, and the warmth in my chest is all the reward I need. “Yes. I’d love your help.”

Twenty minutes later,our unlikely trio—Theodore, Isabelle, and myself—trudge through the snow. The weather is beautiful: clear skies with crisp, cool air. The signs show the snow melting, but it’s still not clear enough for Isabelle to drive. I’ve never been more grateful that we don’t have a snow plow up here. This storm is one of the worst we’ve seen in years, though.

“This is a good place for a snowman,” I say, heading over to a clearing on the right, just in front of the rose garden. Hopefully soon the weather will warm up enough and my mother’s favorite flower will bloom again.

“SnowHulk,” Theo corrects me.

“What exactly is the difference between a snowman and a Snow Hulk?” Isabelle asks.

“A Snow Hulk looks like this.” Theo stands, legs apart in a squat and arms flexed down toward his stomach. He adds a loud growl for effect.

“Ah. Of course.” I nod in understanding. “Why don’t you start gathering a pile of snow for his legs?”

“Okay!” Theo scampers off into the snow.

Isabelle looks over at me in surprise.

“What?” I ask.

“I haven’t really seen you interact much with Theo,” she says. “I thought…I don’t know what I thought.”

“You thought I’d be annoyed by his presence and want nothing to do with him?”

She presses her lips together. “More or less.”

I watch Theo in the distance, considering how much to share with her. Isabelle did just apologize for coming into the office, a gesture I wasn’t anticipating. Maybe I can give her a piece of myself.

“I don’t mind small children.”

There. That’s something.

She stands and stares, waiting for me to elaborate, andwhen I don’t, she shakes her head with a small smile and walks over to Theo. I follow, stopping a few feet behind her.

“Do you live close to here?” Isabelle asks Theo.

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