Page 46 of Christmas on Ice
Hand in hand, we walked back to the reception. The sun was beginning to set, and the twinkle lights lit up the palms and greenery, setting a scene right out of a fairy tale.
“Your sisters knocked it out of the park,” I whispered. Ryleigh sat with Mylee at the edge of the floor, and we stood behind Marsha and Chad as the song wrapped up. Kami was right—everyone gathered around the dance floor was either crying or looked like they were about to.
The song transitioned into Rascal Flatts’s “My Wish,” and Brian led his mother around the floor. Kami leaned into my side, and I put my arm around her. I wondered if she was thinking about her wedding to Sutton and what she’d looked like dressed up in white. Watching Brooklyn and Brian today, it wouldn’t even cross my mind that in just a few years they could be divorced and battling for custody over kids they didn’t even have yet.
The song began to fade out, and Brian’s mother waved to Brooklyn to join them for the last few notes. Applause rippled, and the DJ came on the mic to make a few announcements.
“We’re gonna get this party started with some favorites to get you moving! Do not go back to your seats—I repeat, do not go back to your seats! And pay attention—we’re mixing it up with some cool tunes!”
“Let me see your dance moves,” Kami said, tugging me onto the floor for an all-too-familiar line dance tune.
“How ’bout I get you a drink?” I teased, purposely wanting her to react.
“Trask!” She laughed, poking my bicep and challenging me with her expression.
I laughed. “Kidding!” I unbuttoned my sleeves and rolled them up my arms. “Let’s do this!”
I think she was surprised by how well I could keep up, and when the DJ finally slowed it down with a country ballad, I nearly whooped for joy. Not because the dancing had been a workout—I’d barely broken a sweat—but because I wanted to hold her so badly.
“Every time I hear this song, I’m going to think of you, and us, right here.” I hugged her close as we swayed to the music.
“Butterflies.” She leaned into me. I loved how we fit together. “One of my favorite songs.”
I let go of her waist and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear so I could see her face. “And now it’s one of mine.”
24
Kami
The skin around my ear tingled with Trask’s touch. I was having trouble breathing under the weight of his stare. It was so intense, I couldn’t speak, either.
“Kami?” Trask whispered, lowering his head.
“Yeah?”
“Can I … Can I kiss you? Here?”
“On the dance floor?”
His eyes shone with such sincerity, it only took me a second to decide. This was the moment I wanted to get caught up in. The way he looked at me … Sutton had never looked at me likethat. Holy Jesus. Secret-ish dating be damned. I was going to let Trask kiss me and didn’t care who knew about it.
He stared at me like I mattered, like I was theonlything that mattered. I’d only seen this look once before, which is how I knew what it was.
It was the way my parents looked at each other. Still, after almost thirty years of marriage, my daddy looked at my mama the way Trask was looking at me now.
I nodded my consent and swallowed as I tilted my chin up. I felt safe in his arms. His lips crashed down on mine. Warm and soft, he pressed gently and tightened his arms around my waist. The weight of his body against mine caused a surge of desire I wasn’t prepared for and inspired me to deepen the kiss.
He responded, and we dueled for control of the kiss. This was far more intense than our make-out session by the Christmas tree. More intentional. I felt like we were setting a new standard in kissing. I’d never been kissed so deliberately, with such tenderness. I was awed, overwhelmed, and unaware that we were making a spectacle.
“Mr. Tiggerman! Why are you kissing my Mommy?”
I snickered into the kiss and ended it with a final smooch so he could answer to Ryleigh. She looked up at him, hands on her hips. Mylee was next to her, biting her bottom lip and glaring at him through slitted eyes.
He shrugged. “I thought she needed to be kissed.”
“Why?”
“Because…”
