Page 4 of The Santa Swap

Laughter shook Luke’s shoulders. “I figured you might like to take some home for leftovers. If you’re anything like me, moving always works up an appetite.”

Olivia nudged his side. “You’re right again. Now, tell me where to start.”

* * *

Dinner passed in a blur.The conversation with Olivia flowed naturally, except for the awkward bit where she kept calling him Jake. Luke had to pinch his arms a few times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. They kept the conversation light, avoiding topics like work and family. Luke was really curious about Olivia’s background, but questions were never one sided. If he asked about her family, he’d have to answer about his own. That was a topic he’d rather avoid.

The sun had set while they were eating, giving way to a full moon and bright street lamps that cast a soft glow on the city. The blizzard had also abated, leaving behind a few flakes that swirled lazily through beams of light. Watching Olivia’s face when she walked outside was delightful. Her mouth rounded into a perfect circle and her eyes lit up. She ran to one of the trees and brushed her hand across a low branch. “I’ve seen snow covered trees years ago, but I can’t get over how beautiful they look. I love how the snow lines each branch.”

Her eyes sparkled as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the next tree. “Have you ever seen anything more perfect?” she asked. She pointed to the branches. “It looks like someone came and sprinkled fine glitter over the top.”

Olivia turned to face Luke and his voice caught in his throat. The cold flushed her cheeks, bringing highlights to her wavy red hair. Luke needed to guard his heart a little better before he fell for her. He leaned down and scooped up a handful of snow, carefully rounding it into a ball.

“How good are those boots for running?” he asked, straightening up.

It took just a second for the comprehension to dawn on Olivia’s face. “You wouldn’t,” she yelled, running to duck behind a tree.

Luke lobbed the snowball in her direction, laughing as it splatted to the ground near her feet. “I don’t want you to miss any of the best parts of a snow storm,” he said. “That includes snowball fights.”

He leaned down to grab another handful of snow and straightened up just in time to see a clump of snow flying towards his face. A quick dodge to the left saved his cheek from getting hit, but Olivia’s snowball still managed to splatter across his shoulder.

“Hey, not bad for a newbie.” Luke ran to the side, trying to get a clear shot at Oliva but the tree was forming a pretty good shield.

“This may come as a shock to you, but I have actually visited snow before.”

“Oh really? When?”

“When I was a kid. My dad took us skiing one winter. What about you, Jake? Do you like to ski?”

Luke winced. He was really regretting telling her the fake name, but there wasn’t exactly an easy way to fix it.Did you call me Jake? My name is actually Luke. It’s a common mix up.The names sounded close enough that he could probably get away with it, but that would just embarrass Olivia. That didn’t seem fair when it was his lie to begin with.

He pushed down his guilt to answer her question. “I know I live in Utah, but not everyone here likes to ski.”

“Do you snowboard?” She was walking closer to him, with one hand held suspiciously behind her back.

“No snowboarding either.” Luke sidestepped to put a small tree between himself and Olivia. It wasn’t much of a shield but it had the desired effect. Olivia ran around the tree and tossed her snowball at him, but now she was completely exposed. Luke reached down for a fresh handful of snow and lobbed it before he straightened up, hitting her squarely on the leg.

Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “Nice hit,” she said, before running into the street to duck behind a car. It was a better shield than a tree because Luke wasn’t going to be caught throwing snowballs at someone’s car. That was the sort of thing that would draw attention.

He raised his hands in surrender. “Truce?” he asked. He stepped onto the street, both hands still raised.

Olivia’s eyes danced with mirth. “Fine. As long as I win.”

Luke stepped closer, lowering his arms. “You win.” He held his arm out. “Can I show you one more thing before I take you home?”

Olivia nodded and hooked her arm through his. “Where to next?”

Luke led the way down the street, turning onto a small side path. The lights were dimmer here, barely illuminating the street, but the moon cast enough of a glow that the path was clear.

Olivia’s steps slowed to a stop. “Is this the part where you take me to your crazy scientist lab and use my brain for experiments?” Her words were light but there was a quiver in her voice that hadn’t been there before.

“What kind of a person do you think I am?” Luke pulled her gently forward. “I know we’ve barely met, but I wouldn’t hurt you. The surprise is at the end of the street.”

Olivia’s grasp on his arm tightened, sending a flutter of warmth to his chest. He was falling hard for the woman, and she didn’t even know who he was. It was probably time to come clean before he ruined everything.

He cleared his throat, ready to speak, but before he could utter a word, they walked around the corner and came to a stop in a large parking lot.

“Wow. You wanted to show me cars? That’s pretty, um, cool?” Olivia’s upturned face wasn’t helping his resolve to come clean with her. Her lips were right there, kissing distance away. It would be so easy to lean in and change the trajectory of their date.

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