“I was clearly under a spell or something, because the minute I put the stone down, I realized what I had said, so don’t let it go to your head.” Her eyes find mine. “Stop,” she whines.
“Stop what?”
“That goofy ass grin and that twinkly thing you’re doing with your eyes. It was the magic, not really how I was feeling.”
My heart sinks, and I try to push the sting of her words away.
“Maybe, but unfortunately for you, I do think this means we’re going to have to fall in love.”
“Nice try.” Laughing loudly, she starts walking again, leaving me to have to catch up with her.
“You know I’m right.”
“I don’t think you are.”
“Then why make us married?”
“Everett, I…” she begins, rubbing her hand across her eyes. “You can’t force love.”
“Who said anything about forcing it?”
She laughs, and her head falls into her hands before finding my eyes.
“You did when you suggested we fall in love. Love is supposed to be spontaneous. It’s supposed to knock you off your feet because you weren’t expecting it. It’s not supposed to be prescribed.”
“And you don’t think that’s possible?”
“I think Christmas is in a week, and I need to be back in New York. Falling in love takes longer than that.”
“Challenge accepted.” I wink.
“You’re useless. This isn’t funny. I can’t miss Christmas, and honestly, the sooner we can get back the better. I can’t imagine anyworld where you and I fall in love in a year, let alone less than a week.”
Damn. She really knows how to cut deep.
“Why Christmas? It’s not that great of a holiday.”
“You don’t like Christmas?”
“Not really,” I admit. “I’m usually pretty busy through the holidays, so I’ve never bothered to really get into all that.”
“I thought the league didn’t schedule games on Christmas?’
“They don’t.”
“Oh, so you’re just a huge scrooge?”
“What do you mean?”
She shrugs. “You were always a little grumpy and grumbly, so it makes sense you would hate being jolly.”
“I guess that means you like Christmas?”
“I love it, which is why your plan will never work, because whoever I fall in love with has to love it as much as I do.”
I rub my hands down my face. “You do realize how insane that sounds, right?”
“I don’t care. It’s one of my favorite things, and I can’t imagine marrying someone who thinks something I love is silly.”
