Hallie placed a hand on her daughter’s arm, stopping her from leaving the booth. “No, it’s too cold and windy out there.”
Chloe pressed her lips together, defiance in every inch of her body.
That didn’t go over well. While a patient child in most instances, when she dug her heels in, she could be a handful and today was one of those days.
Niko crouched down at eye level and met her narrowed gaze. “I know it sucks that you have to stay inside, but I have big things planned for you today. Do you trust me?”
She inhaled and nodded her head, lips turned down “Yes.”
“Okay, then. No more pouting, it’ll give you wrinkles.” Niko tweaked her nose, and straightened. He led Alice toward the set of double doors that exited to the open deck. “The best views of the mountains are out here.”
Outside the noise level increased. She skipped to the rail of the observation deck, the wind bringing color to her cheeks. Her laughter floated on the air as she peered over the edge. The ferry pulled out of dock and Alice retrieved her phone.
The Seattle cityscape was laid out before them, the Space Needle bright white against the crystal clear sky. Alice took countless pictures of the city as they gained speed. “This is gorgeous. I feel like a tourist,” she yelled over the wind as she scooted past him and headed toward the other side of the boat.
Niko followed, captivated by her unbound energy. He liked this side of Alice, lighthearted and playful. In the few days since he’d met her, she was serious most of the time. There had been a trace of sadness behind her eyes, but the underlying reasons weren’t his to fix. He had his own problems to deal with.
“Look at the mountains, the snow. How pretty. I need a selfie.” She raised her phone and puffed out her lips, winking at the camera before she snapped the shot. “There, I’m officially a tourist. What’s our destination? I need to tag it,” she shouted. Although her hair was in a ponytail, it still whipped about her face. A piece caught in her lip gloss and she put up a gloved hand to remove it.
He leaned in closer to her ear to answer. The baby hairs on the back of her neck showed a pale red, not blond. She was a red head? Interesting. She wore small, diamond earrings, and the skin at her neck was smooth and velvety. Kissable. “I’ll give you a hint. Bainbridge Island.”
She flashed him an exasperated eye roll, her mouth turned up at the corners.
Move away, move slowly away. He stepped back from her and gripped the cold green-painted rail. She was engaged and he’d do well to remember that. “Are you heading home on Christmas Eve?” Not that it was any of his business.
“No, I’ll be flying out on Christmas Day.” Alice mimicked his stance, her hand settling close to his, making it impossible to keep his distance. The ferry reached open water and the wind buffeted them from all sides. She visibly shuddered and wrapped her arms tight across her chest.
Had this truly been a date, he would have slipped his forearms about her waist and tucked her into his body. This isn’t a date. “You’re not spending time with your family and fiancé?”
The joy in her smile shut off like a light. “No, I’m not a big fan of Christmas.”
“You’re doing a Christmas special. How could you not like Christmas?”
“I just don’t.” Alice continued to stare out into the distance, setting her jaw. She’d done the same thing the first night he’d met her when she made that ridiculous statement about him auditioning for the show. She’d been deflecting then and she was deflecting now. Why?
“It’s getting too chilly out here for me. I’m heading back in,” she said and turned around before he could comment.
Niko followed her to the booth. He’d hit a nerve and she’d shut down any chance to ask more questions. Plenty of people disliked the holiday season. For him, it renewed his faith that miracles could happen. Perhaps it was juvenile or sentimental on his part but sometimes hope was the only thing someone had.
And he desperately needed hope...
Chapter Twelve
Riding in the back seat of the SUV, Alice tried to keep her mind in the present. Although she hadn’t been madly in love with Richard, she’d always known she cared for him enough to accept his offer of marriage. Ending a relationship was never easy for anyone. It was why Alice hadn’t truly had an intense relationship since Lance. She’d taken a chance on Richard because he was safe.
Niko was anything but.
“What are we doing in the middle of nowhere?” Hallie asked when Niko pulled the car down a deep, rutted road.
“We aren’t in the middle of nowhere. We’re shopping,” Niko said.
Alice caught the shine in his eyes in the rearview mirror and averted her gaze. Stop drooling over him. Yes, he was attractive and she was attracted to him but that’s where it had to end. “Shopping for what? Pine cones?”
Chloe’s light laughter filled the space. “Good one, Alice.”
“I have my moments.” In her current upset, sarcasm came easy. She wanted to shake off her bad mood and enjoy the time spent with friends, except she wasn’t friends with any of them, just friendly. Other than a select few people, Alice preferred to be alone rather than make small talk with strangers. She’d been an introvert most of her life and hid behind a camera, a trait that had served her well given the circumstances. As an adult, old habits died hard.
Niko stopped the car next to a well-lit building. From the dimple peeking out from his cheek, he hadn’t taken her snarky comment to heart. “It’s Christmas and we’re missing a focal point of our holiday.”
