When they reached the bank, Eli coughed. “Can we take the skates off now? We don’t have to do the walk in them, do we?”
Noah laughed. “No, we do it in boots.” He removed his skates, and waited as Eli extricated himself from his. Once they’d returned them, Noah led him to where the River Walk started.
The air smelled like maple sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and pine. Lanterns bobbed in the trees. Vendors handed out steaming cups of spiced cocoa and little paper boats of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar.
Eli held his cocoa with both hands as if it were precious.
“This is…” Eli exhaled, his smile small and real. “This is magic.”
“Told you,” Noah said in a honeyed voice. “Mapleford saves its best tricks for nightfall.”
Eli leaned lightly against him, just enough for Noah to feel his weight, the way he trusted Noah, the warmth radiating through two layers of coats.
“I’m really glad you brought me here,” Eli said.
Noah swallowed. “I’m really glad you came.”
They walked slowly along the river, the lanterns reflecting on the dark ice in shimmering colors. Eli’s hand brushed Noah’s once, then again. The third time he didn’t let go.
Noah didn’t want him to.
“Look.” Eli pointed to a cluster of lanterns drifting down the river like floating stars.
Noah didn’t look at the lanterns. He looked at Eli, the light on Eli’s face, the wonder he saw there, the gentle, unguarded awe.
And in that moment, Noah knew as surely as he knew his own breath that whatever they had, it wasn’t going to end when the season did.
He didn’t want to let it.
Eli turned toward him, eyes soft, voice quiet. “Noah?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I stay with you tonight?”
Noah’s heart stuttered. “Of course you can.”
And as they continued down the river, their hands joined, cocoa warming them, the cold reddening their cheeks, the entire world felt wrapped in lights and possibility.
Chapter Seventeen
Friday broughtwith it cloudless skies and a chill wind that picked up drifts of snow. Aileen had boxes filled with cinnamon rolls and cookies to hand out at the switch-on. She and Eli had worked all morning, and as soon as the bakery closed for the day, they got ready to deliver everything to the town square.
Eli cast a doubtful glance at the pile of boxes.
“How are we going to manage all these?”
Aileen grinned. “Worry not. Any second now, an elf will arrive with a truck.”
He arched his eyebrows. “An elf?”
That grin didn’t waver. “And there he is, right on time.”
Eli peered into the street. He rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
Noah had pulled up outside the door.
Aileen chuckled. “Okay, so he’s a very tall elf.” She picked up three boxes. “Well, grab the door for me. My hands are full.”
