Page 48 of One Chance to Stay
“You’re going to ask either way.”
“True.”
I waited until he spit out a muffled, “What?”
“Why live where you do? Why not a house closer to town?”
“I like my privacy.”
“You mean you like keeping people at arm’s length.”
“That, too.”
We continued until I spotted the snowmen lining the walkway. All day, the people of Firefly had been prepping for Walter’s wedding. Every family got together, shovels in hand, as they constructed four-foot-tall snowmen. I thought it silly when Evelyn first told me, but I could see the hint of magic. Walter andAudrey would walk down a path filled with snowmen made by friends and family before reaching the gazebo.
“We’re going to make a snowman.”
“Why?”
“For Walter’s wedding. He wanted everybody in town to make a snowman filled with personality.” When he didn’t speak, I took it as needing more convincing. “Whether or not you admit it, you’re part of this community.”
Harrumph.
We had reached an impasse requiring extreme measures. I could have given him a lecture, but Seamus preferred action. Downing the last of my hot chocolate, I crumpled the paper mug, tucking it in the pocket of my hoodie. I stepped off the path, my foot sinking up to the knee in a snow bank. Scooping up a handful of powder snow, I rolled it into a sphere.
“You’re either participating, or you see why the bar softball team picked me as MVP.”
As the grumble left his lips, I chucked the snowball. He didn’t have time to flinch as it struck his chest, exploding in a flurry of white. Snow covered his beard and face, a white circle imprinting in the center of his flannel. His eyes fluttered before looking down.
“Are we doing this?” His tone remained dry, and I couldn’t tell if he found it as amusing as I did. When he shook his head, snow falling from his graying beard, I lost it. I laughed loud enough that the whole town knew.
Seamus walked to the far side of the path, dipping down as he picked up a handful of snow. He turned around, patting it into a ball. His face remained slack, impossible to tell if his revenge came from good-natured ribbing or if he wanted me to suffer. I prepared to run— my foot didn’t pull from the bank.
“Trapped.” He approached.
“Not fair!” I tugged, twisted, and pulled, but my shoe remained encased. Seamus took his time, stalking his victim—me. I’m the victim. “Help!”
“You know what they say about revenge?”Nowhe smiled! I didn’t like this one bit.
“It’s rude, and all sins should be forgiven?”
I flailed as he stepped behind me. My shoulders bunched up as I prepared for a snowball to come crashing down on my head. He moved swiftly, tugging at the waistband of my pants, dropping snow down the crack of my ass.
“Best. Served. Cold.”
I howled, my cheeks clenching as cold water dripped down my backside. It was enough to leave me frostier than the snowmen. Seamus gave my ass a good gripping, ensuring the cold reached every nook and cranny.
“You are so dead.”
Without thinking, I scooped up a handful of snow and tossed it over my shoulder. He came around, his face covered in white, two dark circles appearing as he blinked. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me from the bank, my shoe coming off in the process.
“White wash!” he yelled. Before I could protest, he stumbled on a patch of ice. Tumbling, we hit the bank, flipping on the other side in the soft, undisturbed powder. If the bruise on my backside wasn’t enough, Seamus toppled on top of me, the loose snow from his beard peppering my face.
“Wrestling’s a young man’s game,” he groaned.
The cold making my ass pucker and the snow creeping in around my neck hardly mattered as he hovered over me. Different location, but it was the same expression on his face as the other night. Even with layers of cotton between us, I’m sure he felt my excitement.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “You seem to do okay for an old guy.”
