Page 60 of The Santa Swap

Olivia smiled and reached for his arm. “If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise.”

She led him out of her apartment and down the stairs, retracing the steps of their first date. When they turned down the alley, Luke’s eyes grew wide.

“Is this the part where you take me to your lab and dissect my brain?”

Olivia smacked him on the arm. “I did not ask you that.”

“Well, not exactly, but you were certainly a little worried.”

It was true. Olivia couldn’t believe that such a random first meeting led her to the love of her life. If she ever found the person who knocked her over, she was going to thank them.

“I’m glad I gave you that chance,” she said.

When they got to the end of the buildings, Luke stopped. “You brought me here to see cars?”

Olivia smacked his arm. “Are you going to make fun of everything I said on our first date?”

He kissed the top of her head. “I thought you were adorable. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be walking around with you.”

“I felt the same way.” She walked with Luke across the parking lot, looking for the break in the bushes. “I still visit here when I want to clear my mind. Yesterday, I saw something that made me smile.”

Olivia found the hidden path she was looking for and pulled Luke to the other side of the bushes. Their ice skating pond had thawed weeks ago, but the edge of the pond was bursting with bright yellow blooms.

“The daffodils are up,” Luke said. “They’re beautiful.”

Olivia pulled out a picnic basket that she had hidden in the bushes. It was filled with takeout food from The Frisky Cow Cafe, as well as some of her favorite desserts from one of the shops they had discovered on Valentine’s Day. She spread the blanket out and sat down, patting the ground beside her.

“When I saw the daffodils, I realized that the winter isn’t going to last forever. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to stay in Utah for more than a few months. Now I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

She reached for Luke’s hand. “Thanks for stopping to help me that day, and for sticking by my side. You were truly the best gift I could have asked for.”

This time, Olivia didn’t need slippery ice to help her fall into Luke’s arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and got lost in his kiss. She couldn’t wait to see what adventures their next season together would bring.

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