Page 45 of The Christmas Tree Farm
‘Look at you!’ Iris cheered as she skated by, spun on her skates and turned to face Kira. ‘You’re a natural.’
Kira cleared her throat, emerging from the trance of Bennett’s proximity. ‘That is definitely not true. But if I stay off my ass, I’ll consider it a success.’
Iris smiled at Bennett as she leisurely skated backwards, somehow avoiding other skaters and the wall. ‘I’m sure Bennett will keep track of your ass.’
Bennett choked on nothing, a startled cough escaping his lips.
Iris laughed. ‘To keep it off the ground, I mean.’
‘Keep what off the ground?’ Jeanie asked, skating up beside them.
‘Me,’ Kira said, out of the corner of her eye catching the blush that had worked its way up Bennett’s cheeks.
Jeanie smiled. ‘I’m sure he will.’ She skated off with Iris, the two of them giggling and Kira started to wonder if there was something in the water in this town.
‘Those two are weird,’ she said.
‘Very.’
‘I will obviously keep track of my own ass.’
‘Obviously.’
She snuck another glance, and saw he was looking at her like he had other ideas in mind. Again, his thumb was tracing circles over her wrist, and she wondered if he knew he was doing it. If he was driving her crazy on purpose.
How had she ever thought he was wholesome when he was looking at her likethat? Like he was thinking about her ass. Like he wanted her. Which was insane considering she was currently wearing the world’s bulkiest parka and was creeping around the rink like an elderly turtle.
But he was. That heat was back in Bennett’s eyes and Kira was getting dangerously close to stoking the flames. Would it be so bad to give in to that look? To see what this good guy had to offer?
He was still looking at her when the pee-wee hockey player nailed them from behind and they both went crashing to the ice.
* * *
‘Shit, shit, shit.’ Bennett hit the ice hard, his legs tangled up with Kira’s. She let out a scared little squeal as they went down that would probably haunt his dreams forever.
‘You okay?’ he asked, quickly sitting up. He looked down at where Kira was sprawled on the ice. ‘Can you get up?’
Kira winced. ‘If you mean, am I too injured to get up, the answer is no. If you’re asking if I am physically capable of getting up, the answer is also no.’
He huffed a laugh, relieved that she was okay enough to crack jokes.
‘Here.’ He took her by the arm and eased her up to a seat. The kid that crashed into them had already skated off, unscathed by the collision.
‘A hit and run,’ Kira said with a scowl. ‘I don’t even know which one it was. They all look the same with those helmets.’
‘What would you do if you knew who did it? Seek retribution?’
‘Something like that. Get their mom to yell at them at the very least.’
Bennett shook his head with a laugh. ‘All right, let’s get up before we get run over.’ He managed to get himself back on his feet but Kira was slipping and sliding all over the place, her flailing threatening to knock them both over again.
‘Maybe I should just crawl,’ she said with a groan as she fell back on her butt.
‘You’re not crawling.’ He leaned down, put his hands on her waist and hoisted her up to a stand. Her eyes went wide when he then scooped her into his arms.
‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘I’m carrying you.’
