Page 33 of Not In The Christmas Plan
We’re both laughing as I help him up.
“Look, I appreciate what you’re doing here, but I want you to have fun too. We can walk around some more and get lunch. I saw a vendor with chicken and waffle kabobs. There’s also roasted chestnuts if you’re feeling more festive.”
“How about you go skate while I work on getting the hang of this,” he suggests.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
Grant nods and makes a shooing motion before grabbing onto the railing again.
I hesitate, but the ice is calling to me. “Okay. I’ll only be gone for a little while. And oh, here’s a tip: keep your legs slightly bent as you move forward. If it feels like you’re going to fall, lean forward and you fall on your hands. The last thing we need is for you to end up in the hospital with a broken tailbone.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
And I’m off.
My intent is to only skate around the rink three times then help Grant off.
On the first loop, I revel in the cool air against my face and the way my blades slice through the ice.
“Lookinggoodt!” Grant calls when I pass him by.
I go around again, easily navigating around groups and couples, picking up speed and remembering how it feels to fly. I used to spend whole afternoons doing this. Maybe I should again.
When I loop back, Grant is being escorted around by two little girls. He bends his knees, hunches his back to match their height, letting them lead him across the rink with all the patience and amusement in the world.
The sight steals my breath. I picture him with his nephew, knowing he’d be a fun uncle with his jokes and penchant for games. With kids of his own, gently leading and pushing them to achieve their dreams.
I picture him with…me. Waking me up to gentle caresses and sweet kisses. Inviting Braxton and Ivy to game nights at our house. Coming up with more silly victory dances after demolishing them in Pictionary.
“My Lord,” I whisper, heart beating wildly.
It’s too much, too fast. Three weeks ago, I was actively avoiding the guy, now I'm daydreaming of morning caresses?
I force my mind to slow down and stay here, in the present where I've got ice in front of me.
I lift a leg to test my balance. For a few seconds, I skate on one foot without so much as a wobble and smile. I’ve still got it.
I spot Grant back by himself across the skating rink. He leans against the railing, watching me with a soft smile that makes all my insides warm. I show him my skills, switching to the other leg, doing a little spin, then a curtsey. He claps in the bestshow of encouragement before promptly sliding down the wall and landing on his butt. Poor guy.
When I reach him, he holds out a hand. “Just how good were you back in the day?”
“You’re looking at the two-time Winter Wonderland Invitational champion,” I say, slipping my hand in his.
We skate side by side, painfully slow but together.
“You know,” he says softly. “This place is like that snow globe you drew. Different setting, but same feeling. Cozy but still full of life. I see why you love it here.”
“I used to spend whole days here. Shopping, eating, skating. There’s nothing like it.” I bump his arm and immediately grab him when he wobbles. “Sorry. So, tell me how Christmas was growing up with the Simmons family.”
“Let’s see. There was always too much food. My mom and sis loved baking. We were one of those families that opened one gift on Christmas Eve. Destiny and Braxton always tore into the biggest boxes, but me—” He changes the position of our hands so that are fingers are interlocked. “I always picked something small. Saving the best for later gave me something to look forward to. And it was always worth the wait.”
There’s a look in his eyes that makes my breath catch. It doesn't feel like he's just talking about Christmas presents. He's looking at me likeI’mworth waiting for.
“And on Christmas day,” he continues, like he hasn’t just undone me with a look, “we’d get together and play board games once the excitement of the day wore off. We still do that now.”
“What kind of games do y’all play?”
“The same ones we’d play during game nights. Spades, Uno, Charades. Last year, we got out and went to an escape room. We didn’t escape in time, unfortunately.” He laughs. “But it was fun. My mom was talking about doing one with you and Ivy this year.”
