“Oh God,” I whisper, “if that’s Mayor Janice—”
Ethan groans into my shoulder. “I’ll barricade the door.”
He leans in, brushing a soft morning kiss to the corner of my mouth. It’s tender and slow and absolutely ruins any chance of me being productive today.
“We do have the next event,” he says reluctantly.
I groan this time. “I don’t want to go.”
“Me either.”
He rests his forehead against mine. And for one suspended moment, I let myself hope that this isn’t fake. Hope that last night means something. Hope that this week isn’t the end of anything — but the start.
But when his thumb strokes my jaw again, gentle and uncertain, I realize something:
I’m already falling. And falling feels terrifying and somehow, perfect. This is entirely out of my control.
Chapter 16
Ethan
The arts pavilion smells like paint and hot glue. Tables are lined with plastic domes instead of glass like Harper uses in her creations. There’s lots of glitter, miniature trees, tiny figurines, and enough craft supplies to make a grown man sweat.
Harper stands beside me, eyes wide with excitement. She looks like someone just dropped her in a candy store. I look like someone dropped me in a craft-based interrogation chamber.
“Ready?” she asks softly.
No. Not even remotely. But her hand brushes mine, warm and gentle. It’s calming in a strange way.
“Sure,” I say. “How hard can it be?”
Her eyes twinkle. “Famous last words.”
We find our assigned station — two stools, a clean work mat, and a sign that says:
HOLIDAY BRIDE COUPLE — HARPER & ETHANwith way too many hearts drawn around it.
“Janice needs a hobby.”
“Snow globes are a hobby,” Harper says, then quickly adds, “for some people.”
Her voice dips shyly at the end. Cute. She pulls a tray toward us. “Okay. First step is choosing the scene you want inside.”
I stare at the options:
Tiny snow-dusted cabin
Little wooden bridge
Evergreen trees
Miniature figurines of couples holding hands
A tiny deer
A sled
A church
