Page 41 of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
“Maybe I need to give these free cookies back and take some of the pressure off her.”
“If you’ve got free Lebkuchen in that bag, hold on for dear life—except for the one you’re going to give me.” He takes a bite and talks with his mouth full. “Because no one says no to Sid and Alex’s Lebkuchen.”
Aiden gives directions, and soon Holly drives down a short dead-end road leading to an opening in the trees where the river is visible. They step out of the car into complete wintry stillness. The evergreens are heavy with snow; the birches are pale, stately and shining with ice. The frozen water of the river curves out of Holly’s view like an undone ribbon on a present. “Gorgeous,” she breathes. “I love the way everything feels so silent, so peaceful, after a good snowfall. Like the world is extra insulated. Safe.”
“When I’m here in winter, sometimes I wonder if there’s anywhere in the world that could be more peaceful,” he agrees.
They sling their skates over their shoulders by their laces, and Holly follows Aiden to a fallen tree log a few feet from the riverbank. He clears it of snow so they can sit down and put on their skates, and as the Bumble the Yeti socks make another appearance, Aiden catches her eye and smiles.
Skates on and tied, Holly tentatively steps down onto the ice and glides for a moment. The pleasant sound her blades make on the ice reminds her of childhood, when her nana would take her skating at Rockefeller Center during everyChristmas holiday. Aiden skates ahead a bit, adding the sound of his skates to hers. As he does a figure eight, Holly laughingly calls out, “Show-off!” But she increases her pace, too, and soon they’re racing down the ice together. As she chases after him, overtakes him, and then he chases after her, Holly is reminded of how he used to make her feel in high school. The way she always wanted to keep up with him. But maybe it wasn’t a bad thing, she suddenly thinks. Maybe Aiden always brought out the best in her.
They slow at a bend in the river and begin to skate along beside each other in companionable silence. Holly takes in the towering pines, the white-clad hills and mountains visible in the distance through breaks in the trees, the riverbanks covered in snow that glitters in the sunshine. They glide under a quaint stone bridge, then around another bend. “It’s perfect here,” Holly finds herself saying.
“Isn’t it?” Aiden says. “This is one of my favorite things to do, and I rarely make the time—so thanks for saying yes to going skating with me.”
“I’m so glad you asked.”
Around another bend, the river narrows, and leaf-bare maple trees crowd in close, their limbs frosted with snow and ice that shines blue-white in the sun filtering through the forest canopy. There are more evergreens, too, and every one of them is perfectly shaped, like the vintage ceramic ones in the window display of the antique store inKrimbo. Up ahead, bright color catches Holly’s eye: one of the evergreens has been decorated with red and gold balls, hung with tree lights. She gasps. “Who did that?”
“People in Krimboreallylove Christmas,” Aiden says. “You never know when you’re going to happen upon a fully decorated tree—even in the middle of nowhere.”
“I love that,” Holly says happily, marveling at how easy it is to love Christmas in a magical place like this.
At a section of the river covered in blown snow, they’re forced to slow down, then turn back. Holly hits a small crack in the ice, wobbles, and nearly falls, but Aiden grabs her mittened hand with his gloved one. He holds her steady as they skate back the way they came. He doesn’t let go, and neither does she.
“Aiden?” she finally says as the log where they first put on their skates comes into view. He releases her hand, and she wishes he hadn’t.
“Yes, Holly?”
“I’m having such a good time out here.” They slow to a stop at the edge of the river and turn to face each other. His eyes are an even brighter blue than usual, his cheeks vibrant from the cold.
“Me, too,” he says. “I’m so gladyouturned out to be Ivy Casey.”
She wants to say something more, wants to tell him that every moment with him so far has been one she doesn’twant to end. But she’s too nervous, too uncertain of herself. They take off their skates and get back in her car, but she still has the same sensation, one she doesn’t know what to do with.
As she starts the engine, his phone sounds a text message notification, then another. He pulls it out of his pocket to check. He looks up at her. “It’s Sid. She says she’s really embarassed about how Alex acted earlier. She wants me to apologize to you—and tell you Alexa is great. It’s just—”
“A process,” Holly says, waving a hand. “It’s fine.”
But Aiden’s expression is now clouded with concern. Holly turns up the car’s heat and waits for him to say what’s clearly on his mind. “Don’t get me wrong, Alex is…she’s a lot at the best of times. But she seems to be veering toward a burnout again, when this move to Krimbo was supposed to take away stress. And Sidra is her person, you know? But lately Alex seems all about pushing her away.” He bites his lip and looks down at his phone before putting it away again—while Holly feels touched by how much he clearly cares for his sibling and sister-in-law. “My parents make it look so easy. My grandparents, too. But marriage, long-term releationships, they aren’t all that easy.” He shakes his head. “Sorry. You’re not my therapist. I’ll save this for my next session.”
“Aiden, you can talk to me. And I agree with you. Relationships are complex. Marriage or a long-term commitment…that’s a a big step.” The word “marriage” feels like it raspsagainst her throat on the way out like stone against stone. She fiddles with the car’s heat again, even though it’s the right temperature, and thinks about what it might be like to tell Aiden everything. About Matt, and how she thought she was going to get married and live happily ever after, but was so very wrong. About how even just a few days away from Matt has made her realize how firmly she put on blinders in her quest to reach her life goals. Tears suddenly threaten, and she finds herself blinking them back with force. She’s having a really nice day, and she wants to keep it that way. So she bites back the emotion she’s feeling, looks up at him, and smiles. “But Sidra seems so great. I’m sure they’ll work it out.”
He’s looking at her, thoughtful again. “Yeah,” he says. “Thanks, Holly.” But he holds her gaze, clears his throat. “So, uh, you know how part of the reason Sidra and Alexa are so busy today is because of the Snowflake Dance, right?”
“Yes, they mentioned that.”
“It’s at the high school and is pretty much what it sounds like, a holiday-themed dance, but for the whole town, not just teens.” He tilts his head. “Do you want to come?”
“Aiden, you don’t have to take me all over the place and invite me to everything just because I’m on my own during the holiday season. I’m fine, really. You don’t have to feel sorry for me.”
“I don’t feel sorry for you. That’s not why I asked you.”
She couldn’t look away from him if she tried. The lureof his gaze feels magnetic, and being near him makes her body buzz with the kind of excitement she hasn’t felt in ages—maybe ever. Is this what a rebound feels like? Should she be doing this?
She wants to, she realizes. It feels good. So she says with a smile, “How fancy is this dance? I only brought yoga pants and cozy sweaters.”
“You’d look great in anything,” Aiden says, and his cheeks flush as he finally looks away. “People do tend to dress up, though. But truly, yoga pants and a sweater will be fine.”
