Page 20 of Merry Mix-Up

NEWT

December 12th

When I slid out of bed, I felt the ache in my thighs from a night of exertion. Amber and I really gave each other a workout, and I'd never loved bad weather more. I wondered if she'd have made me go home if Jade had come back.

After tugging on my clothing quietly, I headed to the kitchen and rifled through the fridge. She had a few eggs and some ham, but no bacon. I knew I could make a decent sandwich, so I set out the ingredients and neatly folded up all of Jade's wedding dress mess and set it aside before getting out a skillet.

By the time I had the fried egg, ham, and grilled cheese sandwich done, Amber came shuffling out of the bedroom. She wore an old, oversized T-shirt of a nineties rock band and her eyes were still puffy with sleep. She yawned and leaned on the doorway in the kitchen while she wrangled her messy hair into a knot.

"Good morning. I made you breakfast." I plated the sandwich and turned with it in hand to see her reaching for it.

"God, I'm so hungry. You are amazing." She didn't waste time with a kiss or a good morning hug. The sandwich went straight to her mouth, and I chuckled.

"I was thinking of going sledding. The snowpack has to be perfect for it." I got my own sandwich and a plate and joined her at the table. Nothing much was going on at work, and I deserved a snow day.

Amber winced then smiled while chewing. I started eating while she procrastinated answering. Based on the stories Naomi told the group the other night while waiting on her to arrive at my parents' house for cake testing, it sounded like Amber loved being outdoors in winter. But looking at her pained expression, maybe I got her wrong.

"I, uh… have a lot of studying to do today." I knew how rigorous her classes were, but all work and no play makes people stodgy.

"Come on, Amber…" Another wince crossed her face, and I realized my slip. "I mean, Mav. Go sledding with me, and I'll help you study later tonight." I winked for good measure, and she sighed.

"Fine, but just a few times. I really do need time today."

One hour later, after finishing breakfast and having a steamy shower with her, we were on the back side of the old Elk Lodge where Naomi and Jared would wed with brand-new sleds in hand. The bright red plastic reflected the morning sunlight, making Amber squint, and she looked adorable. Her pink puffer coat and matching sock hat made her dark locks stand out, though I'd have chosen something more than just jeans for pants.

"Ready?" I asked her, leading her to the top of the hill. It was early enough that no one else had been on the hill yet, and even though schools were canceled for the day, children weren't cluttering the slope now, either.

"Remind me why people do this?" she asked comically, and I chuckled.

"Because it's fun!" I dropped my sled and put a boot on it to hold it in place, and she glowered at me. Her facial expression told me she wasn't impressed, and I got the distinct impression that she'd been faking enjoyment of winter weather with my sister for a long time.

"Let's get this over with and then you owe me a hot cocoa." Amber dropped her sled on the ground next to mine, but instead of holding it with a boot, she stood there staring at it as it started to slide down the hill.

"Oh, catch it!" I coached, and she dived after it, face planting on the thing. The sled went sailing down the hill to the sound of her screams as she rode it on her belly with her feet in the air behind her. Snow puffed up in front of her as the sled's nose dipped and bounced, and I could only imagine the way she'd land at the end.

I laughed and dropped to my knees on the sled and rode it down in her wake. The air against my face was brisk and refreshing. I watched Amber's sled twist and turn sideways, rolling to a stop as mine hurtled across the fresh powder, and when she came to a stop, she pounded the snow with her fists and I continued to laugh until my sled skidded to a halt next to her.

"Wow, that was an awkward way to ride a sled," I joked, and she glared at me.

"Wow, you're a jerk," she said and grabbed a handful of snow and launched it at me. Then she burst out laughing and jumped to her feet. "Last one to the top's a rotten egg!" She raced over and grabbed her sled and took off up the hill, and I chased behind.

For the next fifteen minutes, we zipped down the hill and climbed back up. We were huffing and panting, cheeks rosy with chill and hearts full of joy. Amber lined her sled up for another run and put a boot on it to hold it in place as she swept someof her hair away from her face. I noticed another vehicle pulling up and figured some kids had gotten the news that school was out and the hill was perfect for sledding, but the momentary distraction was long enough for me to miss Amber slipping.

I heard a thud and turned to see her on her ass, holding her ankle. "Ow… oh, ouch!" She winced and rocked back and forth, and her sled was sailing down the hillside.

"You okay?" I asked, dropping to my knees. I let my sled go too, not caring at this point for the five-dollar plastic sleds.

"It hurts… Ouch, Newt. It hurts really bad." Amber tore her hat and gloves off and started to unlace her boot, but I laid a soggy-gloved hand on top of hers.

"Don't," I cautioned. "If it's sprained, undoing your shoe will let it swell up and you won’t get it back on. Better to go home first where it's warm." I frowned. We were having so much fun and this had to happen. "What happened?" I asked, as if it would change anything.

"I was just trying to get on the sled and it moved when I put pressure on it. I slipped and…" Amber shrugged and sighed. "It hurts." Her bottom lip pouted out, and I knew our snow time was over.

"Let me get you to the car." I stood and held out a hand, but even with my support, she couldn’t stand, so I scooped her up and carried her cradle style to the car. Her arms wrapped around me with confidence as I walked, and a couple of kids raced out of the other car in the parking lot toward the hill. "You can keep the red sleds!" I called after them, and I heard cheering.

"That was nice of you," Amber said and pecked me on the cheek.

"Hey, I'm a nice guy, you know?"

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