A pause.
“Eliza Snow and her Winter Hearth Scones!”
Gretel jumped up and down, squealing, and Puffcake did a literal somersault in the air. Meanwhile, she just stayed quietly in place, stunned.
She’d done it. She won first place.
People cheered and clapped. She took center stage on the podium, her nerves fluttering like reindeer hooves on arooftop. The trophy was handed off, polished, and shaped like a gingerbread man holding a spatula. Next, the woman in yellow handed her the oversized check for her to snap a dozen photos with.
The weight of the trophy and the cardboard check didn’t feel real just yet. Suddenly, Lachlan was there, his hand wrapping around her waist. His voice was low and proud. “You won. Guess this means I owe you a celebratory surprise.”
Eliza didn’t have to fake her smile as she posed in front of the camera with Lachlan. Puffcake fluttered up onto Eliza’s shoulder, his second-most favorite place to be aside from his usual mixing bowl sleeping arrangements.
A sudden ache came over Eliza as the realization crept in. It was two days before Christmas, and only three in total left before she and Lachlan packed their bags to return to their separate lives. She’d grown used to the sound of Puffcake’s loud snoring next to her pillow every morning, the tiny weight of him as he settled on her shoulder, Lachlan’s warm smile, and how it always seemed to find her.
What once felt like a temporary escape now felt dangerously like home.
The entire group got a picture together before they made their way out into the open market, the village buzzing with laughter and caroling, with twinkling lights and decorated evergreens.
The village skating rink sat nestled in the center of the village, a huge fir tree lit up the space with a festive glow.Laughter echoed from families and couples already on the ice, wrapped in scarves and mittens.
Eliza tightened the laces on her borrowed skates and stood with a wobble. “Okay,” she said, eyeing the slick surface with suspicion. “This is probably a bad idea.”
“Too late,” Lachlan said behind her, looping his scarf around his neck. “You’ve committed now. No refunds.”
“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” she muttered as he took her hand and led her toward the rink.
He grinned. “Don’t worry, I got you.”
The moment her skates touched the ice, Eliza flailed like a newborn deer. “Lies!” she hissed, clinging to Lachlan’s arm like a lifeline.
He laughed, steadying her. “You’re doing great.”
“There is nothing ‘great’ about this,” she shot back.
They slowly began to skate—if it could be called that—with Lachlan gliding and Eliza mostly being dragged along.
“Why did I let you talk me into surprising me?” she demanded as they rounded the corner. “I should’ve known I was going to make a fool out of myself.”
“An adorable fool,” he grinned.
She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed from the cold and a little bit of embarrassment. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“I enjoy anything that involves you holding my hand,” he responded coolly.
Eliza opened her mouth to say something in return but didn’t get the chance. Her toe pick caught on a ridge of ice and she went flying forward. Lachlan caught her mid-fall, arms tightening around her waist as they both spun, landing in a heap near the edge of the rink.
They burst out laughing, faces inches apart. Their breath mingled in little clouds of winter air.
“You okay?” he asked, brushing a stray hair away from her face.
“Only emotionally hurt,” she said. “And permanently humiliated.”
“You’re cute when you’re humiliated,” Lachlan said, his voice softer now. His hand lingered on her cheek, his thumb as light as a snowflake on her skin.
Eliza’s smile faltered just slightly. “I think I like you too much,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
His gaze flicked to her lips, then back to her eyes. “That’s dangerous talk, Snow.”
