Page 99 of Getting Wrapped Up

Kate climbed onto the sled and gripped the edges. “No way to steer, right?”

“Don’t think so. Just straight down,” Levi said, his knee pressing on the back of the sled and keeping it in place.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

He let go.

And the sled did nothing.

“I think you need to give it a pu—”

Levi nudged the back of the sled and it, along with Kate, dipped and then plunged.

She let out a delighted squeal and Levi felt a huge grin stretch his mouth as he watched the bright-blue plastic carry her to the bottom of the hill. About halfway down, she tipped a little to the right and the tub turned and then somehow spun until she was going down backward. At the bottom it spun again and then ran into the bank of snow that Levi now realized Joe had built up.

The front of the sled went up the bank a little ways, tipped and spilled Kate out onto the snow.

He could hear her laughing from the top of the hill.

She got up, brushed her clothes off and let out a loud “whoo hoo!”

By the time she’d climbed back up the hill with the sled, her cheeks and nose were pink and her breaths were coming in little puffs of white.

“Your turn,” she said, handing over the sled.

With her pink cheeks and her bright eyes, big grin and the snow on her hat that she hadn’t shaken off, she looked so young. And happy.

Levi wrapped an arm around her waist before she could step back and hauled her close, sealing his mouth over hers.

Her lips were cold under his, but everything quickly heated. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to him.

With the bulk of their winter wear, he couldn’t get nearly as close as he wanted to and he finally let her go with a frustrated growl.

“Later,” she promised, reading his mind and patting his cheek.

He had to be warmer than she was, having bought his winter coat and gloves here in Sapphire Falls, but he had every intention of using the excuse of needing to be warmed up the minute they got home.

Home.

Dammit, he had to stop thinking about the house here that way.

“Okay, hot shot, let’s go. Together this time.”

He put her in front of him and nudged her onto the sled. When she was settled, he sat down behind her and then pushed them off the crest of the hill with his hands.

They shot down the hill, the air even colder when moving past them quickly. But Levi felt the thrill of it and his heart flipped at Kate’s laughter.

He would do anything to keep that sound happening. Forever.

Sledding.

Who knew sliding down a hill of snow could be so fun?

They did it again and again over the next half hour until their toes and fingers and noses were completely numb. On the way back up to the top on their last trip, Levi wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close.

“Ready to go get warmed up?”

She snuggled against him. “Definitely.” Her stomach growled. But shereallyneeded some food. “I’m also…” She trailed off. She was about to essentially insult one of his favorite places in his new beloved hometown. She couldn’t do that.

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