“My turn to what?”I asked.
“To sled,” she stated.“I’ll hold Mildred in my coat while you go have some fun.”
“I’m having fun watching you,” I stated.“I don’t need to go sledding.”
“Archer,” Lenni whined.“Make her go down the hill at least once.”
Archer nodded.“We’re not leaving here until you’ve had a run down the mountain.”
I rolled my eyes.“This is ridiculous.Why don’t you two just go again?I’m fine watching.I swear.”
Lenni gave the sled to her father and then held her hands out.“Millie.Now.”
“When did you become so bossy?”I asked, reluctantly unzipping my coat and extracting Mildred, who did not like to be out in the elements.
“It’s for your own good,” Lenni said.“And then I promise we can go get hot chocolate.”
“Are you bribing me?”I demanded.
“Yes.Is it working?”
“Kind of ...yeah.”
“I don’t trust you,” Lenni said to me as she cradled Mildred against her chest.“Archer’s going to make sure you go down the hill.”
I helped zip up her coat and raised my brows.“Excuse me?”
“Yeah, you’re going to ride the sled together,” she informed us.
“I’m tall.And he’s tall.We’ll never fit,” I protested.
“Won’t know until you try.”She pointed to the top of the hill and waited.
I looked at Archer for help.
He shook his head and shrugged.“You heard the kid.Let’s go.”
Archer and I began our tromp up the hill.
“This is ridiculous,” I stated.
“How long has it been since you’ve gone sledding?”he asked.
“I don’t know?Fifteen years?”
“Long past due for some fun.Do it for your inner child,” he remarked.
“My inner child is fine.”
“How’s your hand feeling?”he asked.
“Hurts a bit.But I’m okay.”I paused.“I never did thank you for taking care of it.For taking care of me.”
“I had to wrangle you.”
I took a deep breath.“I’m not used to people making a fuss over me.”
“Yeah, because you’re too busy taking care of everyone else around you.It’s hard for you to let someone else take care of you.”
