He gives me a lazy grin. “I gotta say, this has been a much better Christmas than our last one. I missed you like crazy when you were stuck in New York.”
I smile softly. “I missed you too. This Christmas has definitely been way better. I still can’t believe you guys did all this.”
“Star, you’ve gotta know by now that I’d do anything to make you happy. I love you.”
My heart clenches. Cupping his face, I give him a tender kiss before whispering, “I know. I love you too.”
It takes us a few more minutes to gather up the will power to get out of the tub. Carson dries us off with his shirt, then we get dressed and he quickly zips his coat up to cover his bare chest. Grabbing my hand, he leads me to the back deck and through the sliding glass doors into the house.
“There they are!” Zander booms into the karaoke microphone as soon as we walk inside.
Everyone turns from Jensen, standing at center stage in front of the fireplace, to face us. I can tell by their grins and waggling brows that they don’t think we were out there building a snowman.
“What took you guys so long?” Rylee asks in a teasing tone.
“Why’s your hair all wet?” Sutton joins in. “Are you holding your shirt, Carson?”
“That’s our boy!” Owen whoots.
Everyone laughs and Carson flips them all off. I laugh, pushing onto my tiptoes so I can kiss his cheek, which is turning dark red as our friends continue to tease us.
CHAPTER ELEVEN: SKATING LESSON
JENSEN
It’s nearlymidnight when the party starts to wind down. Stacey and Owen ducked out over an hour ago, and Carson and Skyler look like they’re ready to continue whatever it was they were up to outside, so I’m sure they’re going to say goodnight any minute. Rylee and Zander are kind of in their own little world. He’s in a big armchair by the fire and she’s in his lap, their foreheads pressed together, murmuring to each other.
Now’s as good a time as any to execute my own, secret little plan.
Grace is in the kitchen, cleaning up some dishes—always tidying up every corner, unable to help herself. I make my way over to her and wrap my arms around her from behind.
“Hey,” I murmur in her ear. “Can you come outside with me?”
She turns her head and looks up at me with a small smile. “Why? What’re you up to?”
I smile and nuzzle her cheek. “Just come with me. You won’t regret it. I promise.”
She chuckles. “Okay, let’s go.”
I help her into her puffy coat and shrug into my captain’s jacket, my number 87 emblazoned on the sleeve beneath a big C, and then we slip out the back door. Crossing the deck, I grab the two pairs of ice skates I’d set out earlier that afternoon.
“What are those for?” Grace asks.
“For skating,” I wink at her. “Duh.”
She frowns, looking confused. “Uhhh… Jensen, I can’t skate, remember? Spent most of my life swearing off hockey players, and that rule kind of extended to the whole concept of ice skating in general.”
“Well, you broke your no-hockey player rule. Time to break your no-ice skating rule as well.” I take her hand. “It’s all right, I’m going to teach you.”
“What?” Her eyes go wide and her jaw drops, but I tug her along before she can make up an excuse to get out of this.
I lead her across the backyard, past the hot tub, and over a small hill. On the other side is a frozen pond with benches along one side, as if set up for this very reason. I’d noticed the pond when we first arrived and I was looking around the property, and upon inspecting it, I was pleased to find that the ice was thick and it was safe to be on.
“Jensen, I don’t know if this is such a good idea…”
“Don’t worry, it’s frozen solid,” I assure her as we approach the pond. “I wouldn’t do anything to put you in danger, right?”
I look back at her and she gulps, but nods. “Yeah… yeah, I know that.”
