Page 14 of The Christmas List

She nods, giving one more tight hug to Rudy, then bends and sets him on his feet, where he plops down lazily.

Once arriving at Town Square, it’s packed with excited towngoers. Thankfully, the weather couldn’t be any more perfectfor today’s task. The snow beneath our boots is thick, soft, and fluffy from last night’s storm.

Winters in Strawberry Hollow aren’t for the faint of heart. We always have heavy snowfall, and there are some days when I can’t even get to school because the roads are so bad, and the plows can’t make it up that high on the mountain until it lets up.

“Alright, ladies, what kind of snowman are we making today?” Wyatt asks, his brow lifted in question.

Lucy and I both look at each other, and her shoulder dips in a shrug.

I honestly haven’t thought about much of anything outside the conversation with Wyatt at his house the other night.

“What about… Dolly Parton?” I throw in. She’s another beloved Christmas queen, so she’s the first name that pops into my head.

Wyatt tosses his head back and laughs. “Seriously, Jos? Are you trying to make a…Snowlene?”

Even as I’m rolling my eyes and attempting a scowl, I can’t help but laugh. “Okay, I didn’t even think of that, but that actually fits perfectly.”

Lucy offers another shrug. I don’t think she’s as interested as much in the who but more in the actual building part.

“Is this your first snowman?” I ask.

“Yeah.” She bends and scoops up a handful of snow into her gloved palm, then attempts to fashion it into a small ball. “It didn’t ever snow in Sacramento.”

There’s a warm feeling spreading beneath my breastbone, knowing that I’m getting to help Lucy experience some of the best holiday experiences for the first time.

Though it hasn’t been long since I’ve known her, I already care about her immensely, and even more so now that I know she’s Wyatt’s daughter. It seemed like there was this unspoken connection that I couldn’t quite understand when I first met her,but now it makes sense. She’s an extension of someone who I loved with every ounce of my being.

“Well, we’re going to have to make this the best Snowlene to ever exist, then, huh?” I say as I reach for the small tote bag of supplies I packed earlier this morning.

I’m prepared if nothing else, and I can’t show up to a Christmas competition as thequeenand not be wholly ready for today’s task…

Lucy’s grin is infectious as she nods. “Yes! We’ll put my daddy to work, Miss Josie, c’mon.”

I laugh, gaze moving to Wyatt, admiring the tilt to his sensual mouth.

God, he looks like a sexy lumberjack mixed with a ranch… hand? Orsomething.

I honestly don’t even know the right way to describe him. He’s a mixture of conundrums, but it’s ridiculous how incredible he looks wearing nothing but a pair of worn, faded Wranglers, a flannel shirt, and a pair of old work boots.

He’s deliciously rugged and still refined.

My eyes linger on his broad shoulders as he starts working on the base, the thick muscles of his biceps flexing as he packs the snow together.

I’m a little worried about just how turned on I am watching a man make a snowman.

Snowlene, I mean.

“You going to stand there, or are you going to help us, woman?” he teases, shooting me a wink while his brow lifts.

I spring into action, stuttering slightly. “Y-yes. Sorry. Okay, uh, I can work on the… hair?”

Crap. I did not bring… hair for a snowman. Pretty sure even if I did, well, it wouldn’t be nearly enough to make it as high as Dolly’s iconic blonde hair.

Oh! I have ribbon.

When I pull it out of the bag, Wyatt chuckles, shaking his head. “Ah. Good thinking, Jos.”

Just as Mayor Davis announces the five-minute warning, we’re putting the finishing touches on our Snowlene, and I have to admit that she’s pretty incredible for something we threw together in just under an hour with not a ton of options.

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