Page 83 of Loyally, Luke
Luke turned back to her. “You’d better get bundled up, Princess, ’cause we’ve got some sledding to do.”
He might as well have asked her out for a romantic dinner from the way the look in his eyes sent a thrilling shock to her pulse. With a crooked grin, he dashed off toward the hallway with as much enthusiasm as those teen boys.
Ellie stared at his retreating form and then looked over at Pete for clarification.
“He’s been carrying around sleds in the back of the car for weeks now.” Pete shrugged a shoulder and started in pursuit. “He mustreallylike sledding.”
For weeks?
Ellie’s palm pressed to her chest as awareness dawned. He’d not only purchased some sleds but had kept them nearby just in case it snowed... forher. He had nothing to gain from this act. In fact, they’d both already agreed to part ways once the work on the orphanage was completed, yet still he cared enough to turn this item from her little wish list into a reality?
Warmth spilled through her like a hug.
And he seemed so excited to give her this gift, for which she could offer him nothing in return but her gratitude. Her fingers balled into a fist against her chest and she squeezed her eyes closed for a moment, embracing a feeling she’d never experienced.
Not like this. So vast and amazing and filled with all sorts of hopes and wonders meant for fairy tales and happily ever afters.
She refused to name it. If she did, the pain at having to give it up would be excruciating, but she’d appreciate it while she could.
Here and now.
“Don’t dally, Ellie,” came Gordon’s gruff reprimand, his eyes agleam. “Bundle yerself up and get out in the snow.”
***
Ellie’s body ached all over.
She’d pulled the sled up the hill behind Cambric Hall at least twenty times, each time ready to glide back down it again, usually with a child or two in tow. She couldn’t remember ever having so much fun.
After carefully showing her how to settle the sled, steer, and then push off, Luke left her to her own fun, sharing his own sleds, as well as pulling from the ones Cambric Hall kept on hand “somewhere in the basement,” as Mrs.Kershaw announced.
Lights from the hall glowed into the fading afternoon, glinting off a wintry world. The snow had stopped at least an hour ago, but multitudes of children and adults still clamored across the hillsides, taking in the wonder and fun.
Up ahead, some of the boys engaged in sled races down one of the steeper edges of the hillside, teasing each other, tumbling (or being pushed) off sleds midride, Luke and Pete in the midst of them, playing just as hard.
Ellie tugged her sled closer to where the most aggressive raceswere happening, with Luke directly in the middle of them. “So who’s winning the races so far?”
Luke shot her a grin. “Well, if we don’t count cheating, I am.”
“Now, now, Edge.” Jamie tsked, shaking his head in mock consolation. “You can’t help bein’ older and slower.”
“Slower? I think you boys have a tendency to sled in the way of the little children, and then I have to hop off and rescue them.”
“Och.” Cade shook his head. “Excuses is what I hear. What about you, Jamie?”
“It’s five for five, MissEllie.” Jamie looked over at Cade, and something unspoken passed between the boys. “I don’t think Edge has got it in him to win one more.”
“Don’t I?” Luke shot back, tossing his sled on the snowy ground and narrowing his eyes at the boys. “I’ve got as much as either of you.”
“Well, now, sounds pretty serious to me,” came Cade’s thick Scottish accent as he stepped closer to Luke. “But you can’t win if you don’t have a sled.”
And with that, Cade hopped on Luke’s sled before he could move.
“Sorry, boss.” Jamie laughed as he took the next sled and called behind him, “Smart and fast.”
Luke released a burst of foggy air and then looked from the boys back to Ellie. His gaze settled on her sled.
“Get on the sled,” he called, stepping over to her.
