She lowered her hands and blinked several times. “It’s a snowman.”
The snowman was three inches taller than her and had a big plaid scarf tied around his neck, three coal buttons running down his stomach, and a top hat. He looked just like the old cartoon version of Frosty the Snowman.
“Do you like him?” The hope in Breck’s voice reminded her of hearing a child ask Santa for a puppy.
“He’s adorable.” She reached out to touch it and her fingers met plastic. It didn’t look like plastic. It looked like an actual snowball. She peered closer to find a texture had been applied to the surface. “You made this?”
He ducked his head. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about how to make this possible ever since you made that joke at the coffee shop. It just sort of came to me. Watch.” He pushed the top two sections over. The bottom section appeared to be a solid ball, but when he hit a button, the top slid down and aligned with the wall. “All the sections do the same thing. So when you’re hiding in one of them, no one will be able to tell. It will look like the snowman is cut in half.”
“It’s brilliant.”
“Let me show you how to do all this from the inside. When we perform, it will be up to you to make sure everything is closed off.”
She nodded. “I’m so impressed. It really looks like a solid ball.”
He glowed under her praise. “Let’s get you inside and we can try it out.” He reached for her coat, sliding it gently off her shoulders. Goose bumps appeared on her arms—they were delightful in a strange new way. He slid the top two sections over and revealed a hollow cavity inside.
He’d asked her to wear all black, tight clothes, and she felt supremely aware of the little paunch she’d developed over Halloween when candy was so adorable and available in five-pound bags. Then, of course, there was Thanksgiving, and that always involved pie. Lots and lots of pie on her part. The truth was, she’d taken herself out of the dating game and didn’t care what she looked like.
She carednow, standing so close to Breck, her hand on his shoulder, and noticing how nicely round it was under her palm. But Breck’s eyes didn’t linger on the extra inches around her hips. His hands did linger on her side as he helped her into his contraption, and she had to fight the sudden and embarrassing urge to fake imbalance and fall into him.
Once she was in, he went to work, assessing the space and her. “Okay, so we’ll have you walk over, but during the trick, the snowman will rest on the bottom ball. If you press down with your foot on this lever, it will set a weight of sorts that will keep it balanced. Can you get low and crouch into a ball so I can close this off?”
“I’ll try.” She squatted down. It really wasn’t that hard to fit into the space. It was a sphere, after all. She had plenty of room for her Thanksgiving turkey behind.
He pushed the button and the top closed. It opened immediately, and his handsome grin shone down on her. “You’re not claustrophobic in there, are you?”
“Not at all.”
“Okay, you’re going to have to do these parts without my help.”
“Without giving away my movements.” She winked, getting into the fun. The anxiety that had almost stopped her from coming evaporated in the joy of magic, performance, and awe at Breck’s ingenuity.
“I-I’ll watch while you try.” He tore his eyes off her and went to stand across the room, about as far away as their audience would be when they revealed Frosty.
Harmony got inside and managed to slide the top half of the snowman over so she could stand. Then she crouched down and set the counterweight that would allow Breck to push over the top two sections without tumbling the snowman to the side. When she was done, she opened the trapdoor and brushed her hair off her face; it had gone staticky, and she could imagine it standing out around her head. “How was that?” She smoothed her hair down once and then again, gathering it on the side of her neck in a low ponytail. She’d have to braid it for the performance.
“I filmed it.” Breck leaned close so she could see the screen.
She caught a whiff of his scent. “Did you have gingersnaps today?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her cheek burned.
“Yeah.” He turned, his brow wrinkled in question.
“Oh shoot!” She pointed at the screen, desperate to change the subject, her heart hammering away like Santa’s helpers in mid-December. “I totally jiggled the head.”
He stared at her a moment longer. Butterflies filled her stomach. She was so aware of him that she felt when he breathed in and she breathed out, like they were a set of bellows working in sync. She’d never felt this connection with Sam. Not when they were dating. Not when they were engaged. And certainly not when they were married. The fact that she had married him in the first place now astounded her.
But what did it all mean for her and Breck?
She licked her lips. Itcouldmean one amazing kiss. Because if they were this in sync with air between them, they could do some pretty amazing things with their lips locked together.Hmm. She’d have to think about that when she was tucked under covers and not when Breck was so close she could smell tantalizing ginger and spice on his skin.
Heaven help her, now she was imagining what he tasted like. Her bedtime story would be sweet tonight.
Chapter Nine
December 16
Beck
