“Hey, Zuri!”
This time, the call was clear, distinct, and unmistakably Kyree. They all looked toward Poplar Square in unison.
And there he was––his red-beanie visible above the sea of skaters––devastatingly handsome in a dark parka and jeans, standing at the edge of the crowded ice-skating rink, waving both hands above his head to get her attention.
Soleil gasped, gripping Zuri’s arm. “Well, well, well,” her voice was dripping with amusement. “Just look who it is.”
Despite the cold, heat flooded Zuri’s face––a sharp mixture of excitement at seeing him, lingering embarrassment over her unceremonious exit from his room the other night, and searing uncertainty as to how he felt about what had happened between them.
“Looks like he’s coming back for round two,” Thao teased.
He was coming for something,” Zuri thought, watching as Kyree strode across the square toward the pedestrian crosswalk and waited for the flow of traffic to stop, his eyes trained on her face as if she might disappear if he blinked.
“Excuse me please, ladies,” a middle-aged woman juggling a tray of coffees, said sweetly, trying to weave past them on the crowded sidewalk.
“Oh, we’re so sorry,” Soleil replied, as they all stepped back against The Winterberry Café’s red brick façade, where wreaths hung in the windows, and the scent of fresh pastries and spiced cider wafted out onto the street.
“Ooh, I can’t wait to meet the man who put you back in the saddle!” Thao grinned, rubbing her red-gloved hands together with barely contained glee.
“I can’t wait to get somewhere warm,” Avery grumbled, visibly shivering, her hands shoved deep in her pockets, her shoulders hunched high, while Soleil just observed quietly, her gaze tracking Kyree.
Zuri’s heart pounded like she was sixteen again waiting to meet her crush after school. This time, the difference was that she’d already experienced something utterly amazing and ethereal in his arms––and yet she knew absolutely nothing about him.
She’d tried to rectify that when she’d knocked on his door the following morning on her way back from the gym––wearing her cutest spandex pants and sports bra, ready to talk––or whatever––and again on their way out to Crown Peak Resort later that morning. She’d been so nervous both times––not really knowing what she would say to him, or if he’d even want to talk. For all she knew, it might have been just a hot roll in the hay. But the fact that he’d just called out to her from across the street, and was now making his way toward her... It had to mean something. Didn’t it?
To calm the fire rushing through her veins, she eased down her jacket zipper and let a sharp ribbon of cold air slip inside.
Finally, Kyree crossed the street and closed the distance between them in three long strides. “Hey,” he said, just a tad breathless.
Even though his voice pulled her right back to the dizzying moment when she’d lost herself in his arms, Zuri kept iron-clad control on her composure. “Hey, Kyree. How’s it going?”
“Better now that I’ve seen you,” he said unabashedly. His gaze flicked over her friends, standing in a semi-circle, and watching him with open curiosity. “I see you ladies are enjoying some shopping.”
“Yeah, just picking out a few last-minute gifts. Kyree, these are my friends, Soleil, Thao, and Avery.” She introduced each of them in turn.
“Nice to meet you all.” He stepped forward, just enough to shake their hands.
“So, what brings you to Granite Falls, Kyree?” Soleil asked, always one to drive the conversation.
“I’m spending the holidays with my cousin. Actually, I was supposed to be staying with her the other night, but there was some kind of drama going on at their house. That’s how I ended up at the hotel––just for the night.” His smoldering brown eyes landed on Zuri, as though he were explaining her unasked question.
So that’s why there was no answer when she knocked on his door.
“What about you ladies? What brings you here?”
“Just a girls’ trip for us,” Zuri explained. “A week of skiing, shopping, and good food before we all head back to Connecticut.”
“Are you from New Hampshire?” Thao asked.
“No, I grew up in Philly, but I’m in Boston now for work.”
Avery’s heeled boots tapped on the pavement as she bounced in place. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but guys, if I don’t get inside, I’m going to turn into an icicle.”
Zuri rubbed her hands along Avery’s back, trying to generate some warmth. “Why don’t you all go on to Herons. Order the quail for me. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“You two have fun now.” Thao wrangled Zuri’s three shopping bags from her hand, smirking like she already knew that one minute with Kyree wouldn’t be enough.
Zuri rolled her eyes. “Just go.”
