He couldn’t help himself.
“I think I already got that reward last night,” Leo mumbled, though barely loud enough for even Isabella to hear.
Inching toward him on her knees, Isabella rolled the snowman’s head and paused. She leaned in close to him and whispered low, “Well then, let’s say you’ve had your reward in advance.”
Her breathy tone made his blood stir, and he grinned. Bending down, he picked up the body of the snowman and rested it on the bottom ball, assuring it was secure before Isabella set the head on top. They remained quiet, working side by side while continuing to assemble the snowman. Leo added the stick arms and a scarf. Isabella pushed on the button eyes and a carrot nose, topping the head with the hat.
When it was completely assembled, they stood back and admired their work while the others laughed and scrambled to finish. It looked good, but something was wrong. And by the way Isabella’s face contorted, it was obvious she saw it too.
Leo crossed his arms. “It’s missing something.”
“It is,” she agreed. “But what?”
The two of them mulled it over for a few minutes, Isabella fidgeting with the zipper of her winter coat.
“We’re not gonna win. Not without Great Grandpa’s baller hat,” Isabella said, defeated.
Leo dodged a snowball hurtling at his head. He glanced around. The other teams were finishing up, and Ava and Finn chucked snowballs at one another. He and Isabella were running out of time. But then he remembered something he’d seen online last Christmas.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea.” He took the head off the snowman and rested it on the ground.
Isabella gasped. “Whoa, wait a minute. What are you doing?”
“Just trust me.” He disassembled the snowman, removing every accessory.
“Don’t you think you should run this idea by me first? You know, your partner?”
Partner? She had some nerve referring to him as a partner. If they had truly been partners, she would’ve shared her intentions about never returning home after college instead of going rogue.
“Exactly. If I’m your partner, you should trust me.” He couldn’t hide the edge to his voice.
She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms defiantly. It took her a few moments to catch on to his plan. When she did, she helped him lift the last ball and put it in place. “Do you honestly think this will work?”
He nodded, maybe more confidently than he should. Isabella was the most competitive person he knew. And he wasn’t positive this would get them a win. But he figured the last time they’d taken a risk, it had worked in their favor.
Their risk didn’t disappoint this time either. When Mr. Vega, the longtime neighborhood mailman, came by at eleven o’clock to deliver the mail, he blindly chose the winner of the Whitley family snowman contest—the upside-down snowman created by Leo and Isabella.
“Hot cocoa time!” Ava dashed past her parents, heading straight for the front door. “Race me, Uncle Landon!”
Landon chuckled and jogged to catch up to her.
Smiling from ear to ear, Mr. Whitley patted Leo on the back as he and Isabella’s mom passed, heading inside. “Excellent idea, son. Truly excellent.”
“You’re always so shockingly creative, Leo,” Mrs. Whitley added.
Isabella rolled her eyes. “It’s an upside-down snowman, Mom. That’s not genius-level creativity or anything.”
Norah smiled as she passed, too. “I dunno. Look’s pretty genius to me, Izz.” She winked at Isabella, who groaned like Leo beating her at anything was absolute torture.
Leo stood there with Isabella, staring at their work of art, while everyone dispersed into the family home. He pursed his lips, hands deep in his pockets, still primed to annoy the hell out of his ex. “I’m good with my hands.” He shrugged. “What can I say?”
She faced him, a flat look in her eyes, and for a minute, he thought he’d won. Until a wicked smile curved one corner of her mouth.
She closed the small distance between them, looked him over, and said, “I’m better. In case you forgot.”
“Are not.”
“Am too.”
