“But that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?” I brushed the snow from my pants. “My magic just does whatever it wants, whenever it wants.”
“But there aren’t any snow monsters coming after us.” Kip rubbed his hands together. “Let’s take things up a notch with sled races.”
He grabbed a wooden sled and positioned it at the top of the largest snow mound, which sloped into a curve. “Fastest one wins. Loser has to…” He rubbed his chin.
“Build a snowman naked?” I suggested with faux innocence.
Cole choked on air while Kip’s eyes widened with delight. “I was going to say the loser has to make hot chocolate for everyone, but your stakes are much better.”
Cole cleared his throat and conjured a stopwatch. “Let’s stick with hot chocolate for now.”
I shrugged, climbing onto the sled. “Your loss.”
My first run ended with me face-planting into a snowdrift after misjudging the curve. Cole’s turn ended with him sliding off course and nearly taking out a small pine tree. By the time Kip went, I was laughing so hard my sides hurt, especially when he hit a hidden bump and went airborne, landing with a theatrical yelp and a flurry of snow.
“Cheater!” Kip accused when I went for my third run. “You used magic to smooth your path.”
I held up my hands. “I did not! And even if I did, it would be a sign of progress, so you should congratulate me.”
Cole nodded toward my hands. “Speaking of progress...”
I followed his gaze to find tiny silver-blue sparks dancing between my fingers, like miniature stars orbiting my palms. “Oh!”
The sparks faded as soon as I noticed them, but the warm hum of power still flowed through me.
Kip ran his fingers through his hair, knocking snow free. “See? Fun equals magic. Now for the real fun: a snowman decorating competition!”
I groaned. “I don’t know how to make a snowman.”
“We’ll build them together first.” Cole started to pack snow into a mound.
Thirty minutes and ten frozen fingers later, three snowmen sat lined up next to each other.
Cole gestured to the area around us, including the trees. “I’ve placed objects to decorate the snowmen within shouting distance. You each get two buttons for eyes, half a carrot for the nose, and you need at least six rocks or pebbles for the mouth.There’s one scarf that can only be retrieved when everything else is in place on your snowman.”
I narrowed my eyes. “But you put all the items out there, so how is that fair?”
Cole rubbed the back of his neck, seeming not to have considered that issue. “You two can have a two-minute head start, and I can only walk.”
I looked at his legs. “You have like nine inches on me. I think it’s only fair that you can only hop like a bunny.”
Kip doubled over with laughter. “Oh, this is great.”
“You too.” I walked backward toward the trees Cole had emerged from earlier. “And I get a one-minute head start on you.”
Before they could argue, I turned and ran, my eyes scanning the snow for objects. The first thing I spotted was a red scarf hanging from the branch of a tree, and it killed me not to grab it, but rules were rules.
Thankfully, most of the objects needed were easy to spot, and soon I was filling my pockets with the required items.
Cole hopped like a deranged rabbit, his massive frame bouncing ridiculously high with each leap. Kip wasn’t much better, his cheeks flushed with effort as he bounded along. Every time he hopped past a tree and nearly took out a branch with his head, I wheezed with laughter.
Soon, I was back at my snowman, placing the final pebble into its lopsided grin. It looked like it had survived a small avalanche, but technically, it met all requirements.
Kip jammed his last rock into place at the exact moment Cole did.
All three of us froze, exchanging glances that clearly communicated the same thought: That scarf is mine.
I had a split second to register their shared look before both men abandoned their rabbit personas. They took off sprinting toward the red scarf hanging from the distant pine branch, snow flying in their wake.
