“I’m relaxed.”
His voice is anything but relaxed.
I raise my eyebrows. “Sure, and I’m the Virgin Mary.”
That gets a laugh out of him. “I want tonight to be perfect.”
“It will be. We’re here, together. That’s all I need.”
“Me too.”
35
SPARKS FLY
FLETCHER
“You’re cheating!” I say as Lydia moves her piece further on the game board.
“How can you cheat at Chutes and Ladders?” she yells back, her body shaking with laughter.
It’s been the perfect day. Shortly after we got here, we bundled up in our snow gear and went for a walk out on the lake, then we came inside and warmed up by the fire. I made a frozen pizza for dinner, and now we are playing board games while we watch the New Year’s shows on TV. We are nearing midnight, and with each tick of the clock, my heart pounds harder.
I’ve probably been putting way too much pressure on our first kiss, but I want it to be perfect. This felt like the way to do it.
“I don’t know, but you are.” I laugh. “You can’t seriously be about to beat me at this.”
“Suck it up, buttercup.” She points to the turn spinner. “Your turn.”
I chuckle under my breath but spin the wheel.
Of course, she wins the game, but I couldn’t care less. All I care about is time with her.
“Want to go again?” Lydia asks.
I shake my head. “Nah. I have a few things I want to talk to you about.”
“You do?”
I nod, gesturing to the couch. “Come on.”
I help her stand, then settle her on the couch, wrapping her in a fluffy blanket. Then, I turn off the few lamps, leaving us in the glow of the string lights, the small Christmas tree, and the fireplace. It’s the perfect vibe for tonight.
I take one more look at the clock. Ten minutes till midnight. Perfect. “Be right back.”
I head over to the small kitchen, grab the champagne flutes Grace made sure were available, and get the sparkling juice from the fridge. No champagne for us tonight.
I pour two glasses and bring them over to Lydia.
Her face lights up. “Bubbly?”
“Bubblyjuice.” I hand her a flute. “White grape.”
“Yum.” She takes a small sip and shimmies.
I sit next to her, scooting her close to me and wrapping my arm around her shoulder to hold her as close as possible. With a deep breath, I take one more look at the clock. Eleven fifty-seven.
“I really like you,” I say, clearing my throat as my voice catches.
