Page 9 of Her Rugged Lumberjack

“Easy,” he says. “I got you.”

His arm is strong around my waist, and I lean into him, my heart pounding in my ears. We’re so close. I can feel his body heat warming me, setting my skin on fire, and it’s getting harder to breathe. Warmth blooms between my thighs, desire throbbing…but I need to focus. I need to find my balance.

“Take it slow.” He starts to move, gently pulling me with him. “Bend your knees a little. Shoulders back.”

I do as he says, stumbling forward a couple more times. Each time I think I’m ready to let go of him, I almost face plant the ice and he has to grab me again, his powerful arms looping protectively around me.

“Sorry,” I say, unable to suppress a giggle. “I have about as much grace as a hippo.”

“You’re getting the hang of it.” Declan smiles slightly, his eyes dancing with light as he slowly guides me to the center of the lake. It takes several more stumbles, but eventually I take a few steps by myself, waddling forward like a penguin.

“Nice,” Declan says. “You’re a natural.”

I can’t help laughing. “And you’re a liar.” He’s even taller in skates, hulking over me like a mountain as I say, “Will you show me how it’s done?”

With a nod, he starts to skate around in circles, dancing across the ice like a professional hockey player. He makes it look so easy, so sexy, and I watch in awe as he glides around a few more times before stopping effortlessly at my side.

“Okay, now I’m impressed,” I say. “You’re crazy good at this.”

“Just comes from practice. I’ve been skating on this lake my whole life.”

He reaches out his arm for me to take once more, and I grab it, letting him pull me along a little faster than before. It’s exhilarating, the cool air whipping against my cheeks, the lake like marble beneath my feet. Declan holds me tight, and I follow his lead, letting out a whoop of delight. I feel like I’m soaring through the air, like an eagle, wings outstretched. When he stops, I stumble against him, laughing.

“You were right,” I say. “This is pretty fun.”

It feels heady and dreamlike, skating with Declan as the sky burns pink and orange, the sun sinking in the distance. All my worries have dissolved, temporarily forgotten, and it’s intoxicating. I could stay out here forever, letting this handsome lumberjack pull me across the ice.

“You okay?” Declan asks, noticing my spaced-out expression.

I smile at him. “Yeah. I just…really needed this.”

Declan takes my arm and pulls me around slowly this time, our skates scraping softly as he says, “It can’t be easy for you, working so much. Anybody would be burned out.”

“Yeah, it sucks. My landlord put my rent up, so I don’t have much of a choice right now. I need the extra money.”

There’s a moment of silence. It’s the most I’ve ever said to Declan about my life, and he’s probably as surprised as I am. I never intended to open up about my circumstances, but something about being out here on the lake is loosening my lips.

“I’m sorry you’re struggling, Margot.” His arm tightens around me. “I’ll figure something out. Pay you more.”

The tenderness in his voice makes my eyes sting, and all at once I think I might cry. “You’re already paying me to skate around doing nothing,” I say, smiling to hide the emotion that’s welling inside me.

Declan makes a noise in his throat. “Your parents can’t help you?”

With a deep sigh, I let the words flow out in a rush. “They’re going through a messy and expensive divorce right now. I thought about moving back home, but I can’t deal with being in the middle of it all.” I shake my head, and Declan stops skating. “It’s all my fault, anyway. My best friend, Freya…well, she moved out to live with her boyfriend, and I should have tried to find another roommate right away, but I was so busy with work…and now it’s nearly Christmas, so nobody is looking for roommates, especially not in a small town like Cherry Hollow. But I don’t want to move away because I love this place, and I just feel like I…I should have all this crap figured out by now.”

I turn away from Declan and bury my face in my hands, taking a few deep breaths.

“Margot—”

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, shaking my head. “That was dumb. I didn’t mean to dump my stupid problems on you.”

Why did I say all that? God, he must think I’m nuts.

“Margot, it’s okay. You don’t need to be sorry.” His deep voice booms from behind me, solemn and assured, but I can’t bring myself to face him right now. I start to skate back toward the bank, wobbling awkwardly forward a couple of feet at a time. Declan follows, his feet scratching on the ice just behind me.

As I approach the edge of the lake, where our shoes are sitting on the snow, I feel my feet shift. A crack rips through the air. It echoes around the lake like a gunshot, and my breath freezes in my chest. I glance down to see a spiderweb of fractures spreading out around me. The ice groans. I stumble forward.

“MARGOT!”

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