Page 14 of Sharing Noelle

“If you want to take that one back to the truck, be my guest.”

Sawyer groans. I tune out their raised voices, gazing up at the pale-gray sky through the canopy. I’m used to my dad getting into petty arguments with his flavor of the month all the time, especially during the holidays.

But that’s not the sort of Christmas I signed up for.

Crouching, I take advantage of their distraction to gather a snowball, packing it tightly. Neither Sawyer, nor Colton notices as I lift my arm and throw.

The snowball splats against Sawyer’s backside. He turns to gape at me. I shrug.

“What’re you going to do about it?” I ask with a grin.

Mischief colors his features. He springs into action, packing his own snowball and tossing it in my direction. It misses me by an inch. I run behind a tree and collect more snow, but just as I peer out to aim, he nails me. I shriek, then dissolve into laughter.

Colton watches the exchange with crossed arms and a glint of amusement.

“On your six, son,” Colton yells.

I nail Sawyer’s back just as he’s turning around.

“Hey,” Sawyer says. “That’s interference.”

“What’s the saying?” Colton asks. “If you can’t handle the fire, stay out of the kitchen?”

“You wouldn’t last ten seconds in my kitchen, old man.”

Colton’s gaze narrows. “Oldman?”

While Colton’s distracted, I pack another snowball and chuck it at the center of his chest.

Bullseye.

His eyes lock on mine, and the intensity there makes me shiver.

“Now you’re gonna get it,” Colton growls.

He rushes toward me. I sprint away, my pulse racing with excitement and something else. Anticipation? The secret hope that he’ll actually catch me? I feel a lump of snow hit my shoulder, and turn to see Colton grinning. His smile is short-lived however, as Sawyer nails him from the other side with a burst of powder.

It’s officially game on.

We wage war in the forest, our breath fogging up the air as we talk shit and lose our voices laughing.

“Okay,” I rasp, kneeling in the snow. “I need a minute.”

Just when I think I’m safe, Sawyer sneaks up behind me, pulls back my hood, and smacks a handful of snow to the back of my neck.

I shriek through a smile as he dances away from me. Icy water drips down my spine, making my nipples harden and sending goosebumps down my arms. I crumple into the snow.

“All right,” I call out. “I surrender.”

Sawyer collapses onto my legs, pinning me in place. He’s so warm. I try not to think about how much I like the feel of his weight on top of me. Colton drops to the snow at my side, panting.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh that much,” Sawyer says to his dad. The implication that I initiated a game that made a grizzly bear like Colton laugh has me smiling to myself.

“That’s because you’re always trying my patience,” Colton says.

“Maybe we should keep Noelle around after Christmas,” Sawyer says, grasping my boot. “She can break up all our fights with snowballs.”

Colton looks at me, and my chest constricts at the naked longing I see there. This man is into me. I’m sure of it. But so is his son.

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