“I don’t care. I want to hear it.”
He cleared his throat like he was about to go on air. “What happens if you eat Christmas decorations?”
I smiled, shocked he was even telling a joke. “What?”
“You gettinsel-itis.”
I groan and laugh at the same time. “Wow, that’s dumb.”
“I warned you,” he said, grinning. His eyes met mine and something warm flashed in them.
It quickly vanquished when a snowball exploded square on the back of his head.
Luke whirled as a group of children darted away. The boys giggled like little madmen. Luke smiled and got a focused look on his face, like he was back on the football field.
“Luke, no,” I said, but he handed me the bags and his cider and he raced into the wide, open area of the park, where a gaggleof kids and young teenagers were having an epic snowball fight. “Go easy on them! They’re just kids!”
His laughter greeted me in response. I hurried after him, juggling all of our little bags of purchases. There was no way I could miss this.
Luke charged into the fray and immediately got nailed in the face with another snowball. He shook it off and started launching snowballs of his own.
He wasn’t the only adult involved, but the whole thing felt playful. No one was trying to hurt anybody. Just all in good fun. The kids were loving it.
I had never been sporty and I was loaded down with bags, so I stayed out of it. Or tried to, anyway. The little goblins saw me on the sidelines and hocked snowballs at me like it was target practice. Unable to find adequate cover, I took a few more shots before I put the bags down gently and then clutched my chest and staggered like a dying gunslinger in the old Westerns my father liked.
The kids stopped throwing and laughed at my theatrics. Finally, I dropped to my knees and fell on my back into the snow, lying sprawled like I was out of the fight.
Luke’s flushed face came into view, hovering over me and looking boyish. The huge smile on his face was one I hadn’t seen since he lived back in Harrison City.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Leave me to die,” I breathed theatrically. “But avenge my death. Promise me.”
Luke’s smile widened and he dropped to his knees to hold me in his arms. “I promise.”
“My only regret is that we didn’t have more time,” I whined dramatically before dying against his warm chest. I wanted to burrow into him and snuggle there until spring.
CHAPTER 15
LUKE
The next day, I was looking out the window of my office, wishing I were one floor up. Clara was up on the fortieth floor with Kerri and a whole team of decorators, readying the place for the big network Christmas party. It was a huge annual event with a specific theme every year—some excessively formal while others were casual—and it was a family affair, at least at the beginning.
Clara and I had ridden to the office together, which had been surprisingly enjoyable. She had been bouncing with excitement. Kerri had been in constant contact with her, trading ideas and sending final designs to the folks who were going to put all together.
She wouldn’t show me her designs for the party, wanting to surprise me. She wouldn’t even tell me this year’s theme. I didn’t push her to show me, even though I was burning up with curiosity. If she thought it would be better for me to wait and see it once things were set up, I would trust her and be patient.
Life so rarely offered good surprises. It was nice to have something to look forward to. Clara had told me to come find her after I was done with my shows for the day.
I had to be in the makeup chair soon. Otherwise I might have snuck upstairs for a quick peek anyway. Not so much to see the decorations, but to see her.
Our day in the park yesterday had been shockingly fun. Shopping at a Christmas market was not the sort of thing I would ever choose to do on my own. Looking for handmade gifts for the family was even less my thing. I usually just bought them something expensive and they seemed happy enough.
I sure as shit didn’t join in random snowball fights with strangers. Maybe the change of pace had been exactly what I needed because I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed so hard or felt so free. With Clara, I didn’t worry about looking foolish. It was like she opened my heart up to joy I couldn’t feel when I was alone.
The cider had tasted sweeter. The winter air had smelled crisper. The Christmas songs weren’t as annoying. Her red hair burned like flames against the snow, keeping me warm all day.
No matter what ended up happening between Clara and me, I was definitely reconsidering my eternal bachelor status. Maybe life was better when you had someone to share it with. Being alone spared me from drama, but it also kept me from truly connecting with anyone.
