Page 82 of Someone to Have
Her eyes go soft around the edges.
“I used to love snow globes.” She looks up to the sky, and I want to nip at the column of her throat, but I’m trying to respect boundaries here.
It’s not easy, but I’m trying.
“We’re in a snow globe,” she repeats then lowers her chin and grins at me. “You know, one of the many lists Skylark has made over the past couple of years is ‘Most Like a Real-Life Hallmark Movie Town.’”
I blink. “Is that like a Hallmark card?”
Her jaw goes slack. “You’ve never watched a Hallmark movie? We’re adding that to the snow day to-do list.” Her eyes widen a fraction. “I mean, unless you have plans, or?—”
I kiss her forehead. Innocent enough, right?
“I’d love to spend the snow day with you,” I tell her. “How do you feel about sledding?”
“At Widener Hill?” Her grin widens. “I haven’t been since I was a kid.”
“I told Rhett I’d drive him and Mike there, but there’s no age limit for sledding. The youngsters might not appreciate our presence, but what do we care?”
She laughs. “I’m willing to live on the wild side with you, Coach.”
I keep my smile in place, but my heart rears up at that nickname. I want her to think of me as more than just Coach.
I might not know what a Hallmark movie is, but if it has anything to do with sentimental clichés, I’m living in my own version.
She glances back at the apartment building. “It’s going to be hours until Rhett wakes up, don’t you think?”
I nod.
“Maybe you’d want to get warm with me?”
She sounds unsure, like I’m not freaking putty in her hands. It’s better that she doesn’t know, but damn, this woman has me wrapped around her fuzzy mitten.
I don’t know what happens next, but I think it’s going to take a whole search and rescue team to save me when it all comes crashing down.
26
TAYLOR
I can’t remembera day when I’ve had more fun. To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about that. Or the increasingly undeniable fact that Eric seems to be the center of my happiness.
It’s not just the physical chemistry between us, although inviting him into my bed this morning certainly started things right. He knows exactly what my body needs, which probably has less to do with our connection and more with his experience.
It’s easier to tell myself that than to believe the two of us together make it so special.
When Rhett eventually woke up, I made pancakes for all of us. Yes, they were from a box mix, but I still made them and only burned the first few. Neither of my guys seemed to mind. And double yes, I consider both of them my guys.
After breakfast, we bundled up again and headed to the popular sledding hill outside of town, picking up Rhett’s hockey buddy on the way. Being a Colorado native, it’s easy to take the beauty surrounding you for granted.
Skylark is only an hour from some great ski mountains with groomed sledding hills and mechanized runs.
But Widener Hill is special. It’s a place only locals go. It’s notjust one hill, but a series of them. There are a few steep slopes, while the gentler runs are popular with families. It’s not odd to see packs of toddlers waddling around in their snowsuits, colorful versions of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
Today, some enterprising middle schoolers set up a hot chocolate booth, and the local crepe truck even made an appearance. Mike’s mom sent us with enough sleds for everyone, and my throat and belly hurt from laughing and screaming down the runs.
I didn’t like the cold when I was younger. That’s the excuse I often gave for why I didn’t spend hours in the rink with my parents and siblings. Sometimes, I felt like Kevin fromHome Alone. My family never forgot me. I just didn’t belong, so it was easier to leave me behind.
Today with Eric was different. I never made it down a full run without losing my balance and tumbling into the snow. But while Toby and Elise would have given me grief for my lack of coordination, Eric dusted me off, cheered me on, and high-fived me at the bottom, assuring me that I did great. He really is an amazing coach, but it’s so much more than that.
