The sled stopped at the bottom of the hill, and she twisted, throwing her arms around Ethan’s neck. “That was amazing!”
He grinned. “And you’re still in one piece. Want to go again?” He wagged his eyebrows at her.
“I’ll race you to the top.” She scrambled to untangle herself from him and the sled, only to catch her foot and fall into the snow. It was like landing in a pile of pillows, and she laughed at herself.
“Hey, you two!” called a voice from the parking lot. “Save us some good tracks.”
Valery brushed the snow off her eyes and found Lauren and Jacob untying the ropes that held a sled to the roof of their car.
“No way!” Ethan reached down and picked Valerie up, setting her on her feet. “First one to the top gets the good run.” He reached for Valerie’s hand, and she eagerly grabbed on as they ran up the hill for the first twenty feet. After that, they slowed to a quick march, laughing at themselves for being so out of breath.
Lauren and Jacob were making good time, but there was no way they could overtake them.
“When you asked me on a date,” Valerie gasped-gasped, “this wasn’t what I had in mind.” She playfully shoved Ethan’s shoulder as they neared the top.
He took a moment to find the best snow. It had to be pre-packed to get any actual speed.
He sat down first and motioned for her to get on. “What? You thought candlelight and dinner? How is that better than this?”
She plopped down and managed to fit her boots on the inside of his. “Yeah, who would want to be warm and fed?” she teased.
He positioned his gloved hands in the snow to push off. “I promise I’ll feed you and warm you up later,” he said in her ear, all flirty and scrumptious.
Her face flushed, and she turned so their lips were almost touching. “You’re doing a pretty good job of it right now.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “If my little sister weren’t staring at us, I’d–”
“See you at the bottom!” Jacob threw a handful of loose snow their way. It cascaded over them, breaking the gravitational pull between their lips.
Valerie sputtered and brushed herself off. Ethan helped, his gloves smooth against her skin.
Jacob and Lauren jetted down the hill. Lauren’s hands flew in the air. “Yaaaaahhhhhoooooo!”
“Aw! They took our path,” Valerie lamented.
Ethan wrapped his arms around her and settled his chin beside her cheek. “Let ‘em have it. I like this.”
She giggled as she leaned into him–wondering what he would have done if his little sister hadn’t been right there. She wouldn’t turn down a kiss. In fact, she might invite one right now.
Their sled started to move on its own accord, and soon they were flying down the hill. Valerie whooped, feeling all the more free and like she could fly because of how Ethan looked at her. In his eyes, she was beautiful and special.
She’d been on a few dates since her parents passed away, but none of them compared to this. It wasn’t the activity–though sledding was a far cry from the fancy restaurants and stuffy conversation other men seemed to think she’d enjoy. It was the man that made all the difference. Ethan was real. So real, he came with a life–a child, an ex, and a business that made his phone ring every thirteen minutes or so.
After a few more runs, two of which they raced Lauren and Jacob and won, they all piled in their cars and headed to Lauren’s house, where they settled around the table. Ethan told her on the way over that this was the plan from the beginning. She thought it was great. Lauren and Jacob were fantastic, and she was looking for ways to make friends in this small town. Had he known that? If he did, he didn’t say so.
Lauren handed out fondue forks, and Jacob brought bowls full of meat and veggies to the table.
Valerie leaned back in her chair, content to relax as the scent of good food filled the air.
“So, Val, I want to know what growing up in country music was like.” Jacob took a considerable helping of salad with hand-carved wooden forks and filled his plate. With his woodworking skills, he probably whittled them that afternoon.
“Bro!” Ethan admonished him.
Jacob rolled his eyes. “We can’t pretend we all don’t know–so we might as well talk about it.”
Ethan gave her an apologetic look. She patted his knee. “It’s fine. Really. I feel safe here.”
Lauren stuck her tongue out at her brother. “Told you she liked us.”
