12
Snow Angel
After packing up the candy canes and cleaning our station, I wiggled into my puffy coat and showed my bag to security.
Officer Holland used his pen to poke my book aside and peer into every compartment. “Be careful out there. We had quite a storm earlier.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” I yawned and shuffled outside. The blanket of snow glowed from the overhead lights. Cold, fresh air soothed my lungs. I couldn’t wait to go home, have some tea, and snuggle into bed.
My boots skidded across the not-quite-plowed drive. With a little squeak, I thrust my arms out and locked my knees. Why was it so icy?Tiny steps.If I went slowly…
I slipped and flew head over heels, landing on my back. Air swooshed out of my lungs. Trying to get up, I flailed like a turtle on its shell. I couldn’t help but laugh, sending plumes of steamy breath floating towards the speckled, dark sky. What a beautiful night. My thighs and back ached from squatting at work to talkto kids. This was the first time I’d been off my feet all day. Maybe the ice would be good for me.
I starfished in the powdery blanket of snow and swished my arms and legs. The soft scraping motions eased the chill into my bones. Someone’s footsteps crunched closer. I struggled to sit up without ruining my imprint. No one else was supposed to see my little indulgence. I didn’t think anyone was parked close enough to notice.
“Hey, are you okay?” A warm voice poured into my ears.
Harvey.He stuffed his fists in a lightweight black jacket and leaned over.
“Hi.” I waved, my heart rocking against my ribs with excitement. “All good. I fell, so I decided to make a snow angel.”
“In the parking lot,” he said flatly.
“Mmhmm.”
“That’s…” Harvey sighed, his breath curling out in puffs not unlike the clouds inked on his forearm. “...adorable. But also reckless.”
Adorable.He called me adorable! I wiggled my toes with glee. “Thank you, sir.”
“Unbelievable,” he muttered, though I was pretty sure he ducked his head to hide the start of a smile. He walked over, stopping about five feet away to scan the parking lot. He bounced in place a little.
I tilted my head. “What are you doing?” Warming up for a dance?
“Standing guard in case a plow truck comes by," he said.
“Aww, you’re making sure I’m safe?” I hugged my knees. “The snow plows are pretty loud, so we’ll know they’re coming. You can make a snow angel too, if you want.”
He chuckled. “That’s sweet, but no.”
“Are you suuuuure?” I batted my eyelashes.
“Do youwantme to sit by you?” He met my gaze, blanketing me in a strange, heavy calm.
I couldn’t help but be honest. “Yes.”
He smirked and rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll try it.”
“That’s the spirit." I grinned. Maybe he did want to hang with me outside of work in a more intimate setting.
Harvey hunkered down in the snow beside me and eased down until his back was flat.
I peered over, admiring his strong profile while trying not to smudge my angel outline. “How do you feel?”
He scooted over an inch. “It’s cold, but nice.”
“Like an ice pack for your entire body.” I nestled in and admired the chalky sky. “The stars and snowflakes remind me of giant twinkly lights.”
The sound of scraping snow drew my attention to Harvey. He sat up, staring at me, his lip twitching.
