“The what?” Amaryllis asked.
“The doubles race. Two people, one plastic sliding carpet. It’s a race to the bottom. The top three teams of each heat move on to the next round. I signed us up.”
“You want me, the woman who bombed at skiing and snowshoeing, to enter a toboggan race?” She looked skeptical, but she agreed to join him, and they lined up with six other pairings including a father-son team competing against an obviously related mother-daughter duo.
The starter slapped two chunks of wood together, and they were off, careening wildly down the hill, neck in neck with the mother-daughter pairing. At the last second, Owen dug in his heels, just enough to let the father-son pair, and nobody else, speed by.
They slowed to a stop. “You let them get ahead of us,” she accused as she climbed off the carpet.
“Yup. They’re the Azans. The little girl is recovering from leukemia. Letting the whole family move onto the next round seemed the right thing to do.”
Amaryllis slipped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. “You, Owen Rose, are one of the good guys.” She reached behind him and swatted him on the backside and took off running up the hill. “Race ya to the top,” she shouted over her shoulder.
They spent the next three hours alternating between standing beside the bonfire and racing down the hill on that slippery bit of plastic. They made it all the way to the final race.
After the race they walked back toward the main fairgrounds. “We could have won,” Owen griped.
“Oh, hush. There was no way I was going to beat that little girl.” Rill taunted, “Stop pouting because you didn’t win a childish race.”
“I’ll have you know, I wanted to win that race to impress a girl.”
His wink sent her heart racing.
“Oh yeah? And who might that be?” She bumped him with her hip as they walked along.
“She’s the niece of a dear friend. She’s kind and talented, and beautiful. I’m hoping to convince her to move to Snowy Hollow. I’d like her to know that there are strong, manly men around. Men worthy of a long-time commitment.”
His words sent a thrill up her spine and a shot of terror to her heart. Was he serious? How could he know he wanted a commitment after such a short time? The very thought scared her breathless even as she wondered if it was possible to be so certain so fast.
She didn’t know how to react, except with teasing. “And you intended to impress this paragon of virtue by winning a kiddy race?”
“With a strong win, and my manly charms, of course.”
“Well, your manly charms can’t be denied. But I’m sure she’d be more impressed if you took her someplace warm and fed her real food. Corn dogs and donuts only go so far you know.”
“Well then, you’re in luck. I’ve reserved us a table at a local fine dining establishment. Follow me, dear lady.”
They ended up at Frederica’s, a popular local spot that was diner meets pizzeria meets pancake house. The iconic restaurant had been around since the early sixties but had recently undergone its third upgrade. Their dinner was low key and delicious. Afterward, Rill checked in with her replacement desk clerk to ensure everything was fine before she followed Owen to the town square for the annual Christmas tree lighting.
Dark had fallen and a breeze arose while they’d been eating. It was chilly but not unbearable. Rill snuggled into Owen’s side, and he slipped his arm around her waist. She inhaled a happy sigh. His light cologne tickled her nose, as did the aroma of hot apple cider and fresh popcorn.
♥♥♥
SHE MARVELED AT HOWmuch things had changed since she’d left town.
“The tree lighting used to be simple. Two or three carols, a speech by the mayor, and the flip of a switch,” she told Owen. “I like this better.” She studied the crowd around her. Couples cuddled together. Parents pushed blanketed strollers down the sidewalks. Families pulled their children on sleds or in wagons. Travelling vendors sold hot drinks and snacks from large trays. Despite her delicious seafood dinner, Rill couldn’t resist an oversized pumpkin spice cookie and a sweet apple cider; it made the perfect dessert.
It seemed that she’d done nothing but eat since coming back to Snowy Hollow. She missed a lot of meals in the city. It was her own fault because she didn’t always feel up to cooking, and takeout got old after a while. She wasn’t thin, but she also wasn’t fat. She had a few curves, and she worked out as often as she could. She’d dumped more than one man for judging her food choices or hinting that she should diet. Not once had Owen judged her, in fact he often joined her. It was peaceful to be able to be herself without filter.
The school choir sangFrosty the Snowman,I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,and ended with a song about gingerbread and mistletoe that Rill had never heard before. Their choices were the perfect combination of old and new, religious and secular, and left Rill with a bright feeling of hope for the future, no matter where she ended up.
The mayor’s speech was blessedly short and in a flash of brilliance, the twenty-foot evergreen lit up in a breathtaking blaze of colored LED lights.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she exclaimed, looking at Owen to see if he agreed.
He stared down at her, a sweet smile on his face. “It is indeed,” he whispered and brushed his lips across hers. He pulled back slightly. “In fact, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
He leaned in again, his lips warm and soft on hers. She lifted to her toes, slipped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back. There was no resisting the pure romance of the day, of the moment, of the man. Her heart wouldn’t let her walk away without taking every memory this occasion had to offer.
