“I’m sorry. I had to tell someone,” Holly whispers once we’re out of earshot. “I had no idea she would get such a kick out of this.”
“She won’t say anything,” I assure Holly, keeping my hand on her back. Secret relationship or not, I’m not going to completely avoid touching her in public. “Aspen can be discreet when she wants to be. She wouldn’t have teased you like that if anyone else was listening.”
Holly doesn’t look convinced, but she nods. “I hope so.”
We continue through the fair, stopping at a booth run by the city council. They’re selling small bottles of water from the hot springs, each one decorated with a ribbon and a tag describing the spring’s special properties.
Mayor Winters stands behind the table, elegant as always in a wool coat and cashmere scarf. She smiles when she sees us.
“Dr. Klinkhart, Dr. Chang. How lovely to see you both enjoying the fair.”
“Mayor,” I greet her with a nod. “I didn’t know the spring water was for sale.”
“A company out of Fairbanks offered to bottle it for tourists about a year ago, now,” she explains, gesturing to the neatly arranged bottles. “And trekking all the way to the spring is tedious, so a lot of the local parents will just stock up on the bottles rather than taking their children all the way out to the spring. The glass is recyclable obviously and the label is made with biodegradable glue so there aren’t any negative environmental consequences.”
Holly picks up one of the bottles, examining it curiously. “I wouldn’t have believed this stuff worked if I hadn’t tried it myself.”
“You certainly can’t argue with the fact that the children in town present earlier and with fewer complications than the national average,” Mayor Winters agrees with a smile. “Whatever is in the water certainly adds to what makes our town special.”
Kai reaches past her and grabs a bottle. “I’ll take one.”
The mayor looks surprised but pleased. “Wonderful. That’ll be fifteen dollars.”
Kai hands over the money without hesitation. Holly gives him a soft smile that makes me wonder if I’m missing something.
“Enjoy the rest of the fair,” Mayor Winters says as we move on.
“What’s with the water?” I ask Kai once we’re out of earshot.
He shrugs, tucking the bottle into his jacket pocket. “Just curious about something.”
There’s something in the exchange between him and Holly—a shared secret, perhaps. But Holly changes the subject before I can ask.
“Can we get food now? I’m starving.”
“We have to cast our votes for the gingerbread house competition first,” Kai insists, steering us toward a booth with a long line. He takes a long swig from the bottle, winking when he catches me looking at him. “Then we can gorge ourselves on enough festival food to make us regret it for days.”
Holly hooks an arm through each of ours, propelling us forward. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I’m pretty hungry for something else, too.”
I pull us behind Mrs. Landry’s candied apple stand that backs up to the empty woods, glancing over at Grayson for a nod that the coast is clear.
I cup Holly’s face between my hands and tilt her up for a deep kiss. Her surprise melts into immediate response, her body softening against mine as she kisses me back. She tastes like hot chocolate and possibility—like a future I never dared imagine for myself.
When I pull back, her eyes are wide, pupils dilated.
“What was that for?” she whispers.
“Because I wanted to,” I say simply. “Because you make me happy.”
A smile blooms across her face, so bright it rivals the Christmas lights strung above us. For a moment, all my worries about the future fade. Who cares what happens after her rotation ends? Right now, she’s here, solid and real in my arms.
“Careful, Doc,” Kai teases, “someone might see you two and start asking questions.”
“Worth it,” I murmur, not looking away from Holly’s face. The bond between us pulses warm and steady, carrying emotions too complex for words.
Worth every risk. Worth any future, as long as she’s in it.
