Jim lay on his side, gazing at her so intently she felt like a peacock on display in a zoo. She fiddled with her earring and tossed her hair, unused to this depth of attention.
He then picked up a strawberry and dangled it above her nose.
Greta stared at it, wondering what he was doing. Was he really attempting to feed her? It was the sort of romantic gesture she used to swoon over in films and TV shows, but it felt awkward played out in real life. ‘Am I supposed to eat that?’ she asked.
‘Of course,’ he said huskily.
She threw herself into the task, trying to keep a straight face as the strawberry wobbled while she tried to nibble it. She reminded herself this was exactly what she’d wanted— simplicity, sunshine, and feeling cherished.
Afterward, Greta dabbed her lips with a napkin. ‘Thanks for arranging everything. I’ve had an amazing time.’
‘It’s not over yet,’ Jim said with a mysterious smile. ‘I’ve saved the best until last . . .’
‘Oh? Really?’ By now Greta was feeling full, and they’d already crammed two dates’ worth of activity into the afternoon. ‘Is this a surprise, too?’
He nodded and rowed them back across the lake, leading her to a clearing in the park. Nestled among the trees stood a small log cabin that looked like it belonged in a Canadian forest. ‘It’s just for us,’ he said, opening the front door.
Greta stepped inside, her mouth falling open as she saw the log fire crackling in the hearth, with a black iron kettle hanging above it. A sheepskin rug lay on the floor, and a jar of Maple Gold sat waiting on the wooden coffee table. It was like the setting of a coffee commercial brought to life.
‘Don’t worry, we’re all alone,’ Jim whispered.
‘Wow. You really did this for me? Thank you.’ Greta’s eyes were drawn to the back of the cabin, where snow swirled in a small yard. ‘Is that stuff real?’ She gasped.
‘Frozen especially for you.’ Jim grinned, pulling on the type of mittens and woolly hat only worn by men in Hallmark movies. If his look was any more romcom, he’d be wearing a reindeer jumper.
He really was the perfect guy Greta had wished for, and his attentiveness made her insides feel like warm custard. Each time he looked at her, her attraction to him sparked like a match.
She took it all in. ‘It’s like a scene fromLove Actually,’she said.
Jim’s brow furrowed.‘Love. . . ? What’s that?’
‘You know, the movie where the guy holds up handwritten signs to tell the girl how he feels?’
Jim’s face remained blank.
Greta’s smile faltered, just for a moment, as she wondered what else might be missing in Mapleville.
A sudden memory surfaced, of Jim one Christmas. He’d got tipsy and murdered ‘Careless Whisper’ on pub karaoke while wearing a tinsel headband. It looked like that kind of thing would never happen here. Though maybe that was a good thing.
She liked that Mapleville felt largely untouched by the outside world, a place where she and Jim could be free of their everyday problems.
If only he could be this attentive and charming in Long- mill, surely things could work out between them. Was it really too much to ask?
They stepped outside, their feet crunching in the snow. Greta twirled around, laughing as flakes settled on her nose and cheeks. Stooping down, she rolled some into a snowball and threw it at Jim. It burst against the top of his arm.
With a playful grin, he tossed one back, chasing her around the yard in small circles until he scooped her into his arms.
Heat bloomed in her chest as Jim held her close. Greta’s whole body tingled with electricity, stirring up a deep, aching yearning. She missed the way they used to fit together, like perfect jigsaw pieces.
Greta lifted her chin and parted her lips. The air between them crackled, almost alive, as if the whole world had paused to allow this moment its full potential.
When Jim didn’t pull her any closer, she peeped at him through her eyelashes, inching her face toward his. She desperately wanted him to kiss her, with the tender passion they’d let slide in their marriage.
Instead, Jim’s arms loosened. Gently, he let her go.
‘Let’s build a snowman,’ he said with a grin, dropping to his knees on the white lawn. ‘You make the head, and I’ll do the body.’
Greta froze, his rejection needling her. She ran a hand down her dress, telling herself it was too soon for a kiss anyway. Besides, couples in coffee commercials never actually locked lips. The camera always panned away before their mouths met.
