by Janice Lynn
Isabelle’s brows creased in consideration, and then she nodded and took off toward the empty tube.
Andrew unhooked the two-person sled. With a mischievous look in his eyes, he called, “Hey, Cole, Sophie needs a sledding partner and I nominate you.”
Sophie’s face grew so hot she was surprised all the snow didn’t melt.
“I just went down—someone else may want to use the sled,” she suggested, fiddling with her gloves.
“You go, and I’ll drive the four-wheeler to the bottom to pull you up afterwards,” Cole offered, coming to stand closer to them.
Andrew shook his head. “Sophie wants you to sled with her.”
Jaw dropping, Sophie stared at Andrew. She hadn’t said that.
“She was a little shaken up by her sister’s wild steering on that last ride down. Now she says she’s not going to go again unless you go with her.” Where was Andrew getting this stuff? “Something about feeling safe with you because you rescued her from the tree.”
Cole glared at his friend, but when he glanced toward Sophie there was question in his pale eyes, and she didn’t have the heart to respond to by denying any of the things Andrew had said.
Unless she pushed Cole to sled right now, he wouldn’t sled, but would continue to stand on the perimeter of the outing. She wanted him to have fun, to sled and interact with the others. She wanted him to feel the exhilaration she’d felt when the wind had been whipping at her as she raced to the bottom.
“Please,” she added, earning a nod of approval from Andrew.
Cole looked undecided for a brief moment, then sighed. “You should know I’ve never sledded before.”
“Never?”
He shook his head. “So, if you’re looking for a smooth ride, you’d be better off convincing Andrew to go with you.”
She shook her head. “I want to sled with you. I’ve got enough experience for both of us—I’ll steer.”
Cole visually examined the sled. “I don’t see a steering wheel.”
“Even better, there’s a steering strap,” she teased, bending to show him. “You can also use your feet to guide the sled in the direction you want it to go. Left heel down to go left. Right heel down to go right.”
“Have fun, Santa. I’ll see you at the bottom of the hill,” Andrew said, taking off on the four-wheeler.
“You’re sure about this?” Cole asked the minute Andrew was gone.
“Positive,” Sophie nodded. And she was positive that Cole needed this. Needed fun and interaction and for her to help him. “I’ll climb on, then you climb on behind me.”
Sophie got onto the sled, then looked up at Cole expectantly.
Was he going to back out?
Eyeing the sled hesitantly, he said, “Give me a quick low down on the do’s and dont’s.”
Do spend time with me and be my friend. Don’t push me away.
The thoughts were so strong in her mind that for a moment Sophie worried she’d said the words out loud.
“Um, so most important thing is that if you put your feet down to try to stop us, use your heels, not your toes. Otherwise, you’ll flip us.”
“Heels, not toes. Got it.”
“If you want to slow down, lean back and it’ll decelerate us a little. There aren’t any trees, but if for any reason, we’re about to get too close to anyone and you think we’ll hit them, bail off the sled,” she continued. “We’re much less likely to be hurt bailing than crashing into someone.”
His brow rose and he frowned down at her. “You’re making this out to sound dangerous. I thought we were supposed to have fun.”
“Scared?” she teased.
His gaze narrowed and Sophie laughed.
“Just wait and see. You’ll love it.” Sophie glanced to see who was close, then called, “Ben, will you give Cole and me a push?”
Grinning, Ben looked back and forth between them. “Sure thing.”
Though obviously reluctant, Cole got onto the sled behind Sophie, his body instantly blocking some of the cold as he settled around her.
Oh my, she thought. She hadn’t been close to him, hadn’t touched him, since he’d rescued her from the tree. Settling back against him, his legs around hers on the sled, Sophie fought sighing.
Ben and another guy got behind their sled.
“The things I let you talk me into,” Cole mumbled.
“I’d say for you to blame Andrew, not me, but I don’t mind taking credit for this because you’re going to love sledding. Hang on,” Sophie warned as they were given a hardy push over the edge of the hill. “Wheeeee!”
Sophie held onto the strap. Cole had one arm around her waist and gripped the side of the sled with his other.
Sophie would give Andrew credit for being right, though. She really had wanted to sled with Cole. Now that she was soaring down the hillside with him, she acknowledged just how good it felt to be near to him, to be held by him.
“You’re enjoying this?”
Sophie laughed. “Aren’t you?” She let go of the steering strap and threw her arms up into the air, leaning first one way and then the other.
“Sophie, hold on,” Cole bit out.
His barked, serious-sounding command surprised her.
“I used to stand up when I got close to the bottom,” she teased. It had actually only happened once, but that counted, right?
“Don’t do that this time.”
He was right. Hadn’t Isabelle just reminded her of why she shouldn’t?
Sophie put her arms down, realized he’d tightened his hold around her. Even if she’d attempted to stand, he’d have stopped her.
He’d been concerned for her. Him. A big, tough former Marine. She’d scared him by letting go.
She smiled. He really was a protector. And she really wanted her protector to relax and have a good time.
Chapter Nine
Riding a sled down a snow-covered hill was nothing scary or shocking in the grand scheme of things Cole had done during his lifetime. It was just new.
New didn’t bother him. Sophie possibly getting hurt, however, did.
Not that she’d seemed in the slightest concerned, unlike when she’d been stuck in the tree. No, his sweet, talkative, impulsive Sophie had a bit of a daredevil spirit. She enjoyed the adrenaline rush of flying down the hill.
Cole liked that unexpected side of her personality more than he should. At the same time, that side terrified him as he didn’t want her taking unnecessary risks.
When their sled came to a stop, he got off quickly and extended his hand.
Rosy-cheeked, eyes twinkling, she smiled up at him as she placed her gloved hand into his. “What’d ya think? Wasn’t it wonderful?”
She was what was wonderful. What was beautiful inside and out.
God help him. He shouldn’t get emotionally entangled with any woman, but especially not Sophie.
Step away, Cole. Just step away and keep your distance, he ordered himself.
“I might have to go again to be sure,” was what he said out loud, though, stunning himself as much as her.
She squeezed his gloved hand with excitement. “Really? You want to sled again?”
Her excitement was palpable, making her look like a little kid begging for a favored treat. Only, Sophie was no child. She was a grown woman.
An enchanting woman who knew about his past and looked on with friendliness all the same.
Pity, he corrected himself. That’s what Sophie looked at him with.
The cold apparently had frozen his good sense, though, because he pulled his hand free and shrugged. “If you want to sled again. Now that I know what to expect, I’ll enjoy it more.”
He’d enjoyed it the first time around, except for when Sophie had let go.
“Then what are we waiting for?” She p
ractically bounced. “Let’s get back to the top of the hill.”
Cole turned to grab hold of the sled’s strap so he could pull it over to where the four-wheelers were waiting to haul them up the hill. When he turned back toward Sophie, a snowball hit him square in the chest.
“Gotcha.” She broke into laughter but was smart enough to step back as she did so, widening the distance between them as her eyes danced with pure delight.
Cole prided himself on his quick reflexes, but he’d been distracted. Her snowball had caught him off guard.
Sophie had him off his game in just about every way possible.
“I can’t believe you did that,” he pretended to complain. That Sophie nailed him with a snowball didn’t actually surprise him, really. “You know that automatically puts you on Santa’s naughty list, right?”
He bent to scoop up a handful of snow. A big handful.
Laughing, she took another couple of steps back but didn’t look afraid. Instead, eyes twinkling with mischief, she was very clearly packing together a second snowball behind her back. He’d bet she was planning to nail him again the second he let his guard down. Did she think he didn’t realize?
“Oh, come on, Santa,” she teased. “Leave me on the nice list. You know there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned snowball fight.”
“No?” Cole arched his brow. “That means I have your permission to throw back?”
“If you’re asking my permission, then no, absolutely, not.” Her laughter threatened to spill from her smiling lips. “Don’t you dare throw snowballs back at me, Cole Aaron.”
Then she nailed him again.
While she danced a happy little snow jig in celebration of her successful aim, Cole stood his ground, not moving toward her, just waiting.
“Tell me I can fight back, Sophie.”
She quit dancing around, gathered up another handful of snow and then stared at him in wonder. “Are you seriously not going to throw any snowballs back unless I say you can?”
“That's right.”
“Well, where’s the fun in that for you?” she huffed. “Because if you think I’m going to give you permission to throw snowballs at me, you’re crazy.”
“I see.” Cole tightened his grip on the snowball in his hand. “So you intend to fight dirty?”
Sophie glanced down at the powdery white snow, then gave him a faux innocent look. “Doesn’t look like a dirty fight to me.”
“No?” He took a step toward her.
About six feet separated them. She didn’t move, just waited, tempting him.
“You should run, Sophie.”
Her eyes widened. “Because you’re going to make me face plant in the snow?”
He shook his head and took another step closer. “Tempting, but no.”
“Then why would I run?”
“Because you’re going to give me permission.”
Howling with exaggerated laughter, Sophie slapped her leg. “You must be suffering from brain freeze, because why would I do that?”
“Because you feel guilty.”
“You think I should feel guilty?”
He was a foot away from her now. “Definitely.”
“Too bad, because I don’t.”
Cole kept his gaze locked with hers, kept his voice low, steady as he said, “Give me permission to defend myself, Sophie.”
“I think I’ll pass.” Lips twitching, face full of sunshine despite the cold night air, she met his gaze. “Thanks anyway, though.”
Cole was mesmerized by the sparkle of her eyes, the kissable fullness of her lips. He paused on her mouth and swallowed at the nerves attacking his stomach.
He shouldn’t think about that. Ever.
Sucking in a lungful of cold air, hoping it would shock his brain back into good sense, he directed his focus back to her eyes.
The laughter was gone, replaced by curiosity. Her gaze locked with his, searching for answers to questions he didn’t even want to contemplate. She swallowed, then parted her lips.
“Cole, I—”
“Hey, you two ready to head back up the hill?” Andrew called, breaking the bubble they’d been inside.
Cole’s eyes didn’t shift from hers as he called, “Be right there.”
Sophie’s tongue darted out, moistening her lips, reminding Cole of where his brain had gone, of what he’d almost done.
What he was glad he hadn’t done.
Her rapid breaths could be readily seen between the light of the almost-full moon and artificial lights from cars and four-wheelers.
“I didn’t believe you, but you’re right,” she said.
His brow lifted as he waited for her to tell him what he was right about.
“I also can’t believe I’m doing this, but…” She gave him a nervous look, her eyes big, her lower lip disappearing between her teeth.
“But?” he prompted, barely managing to stop himself from reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair back into her toboggan hat. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her nose matched. But her eyes were warm and threatened to thaw everything deep inside him.
“But…” She sucked in a deep breath, looked torn, then lifted her chin as if gathering her courage. “Because you’re Santa Cole and I want back on the nice list…I’m giving you permission.”
As soon as her words registered, so did the snowball she lobbed toward him that smacked into his right shoulder.
“Gotcha!” Laughing, she broke into a run toward where Andrew waited with the four-wheeler.
“Start your engine,” she yelled to his friend. “Hurry. Hurry. Get me out of here. Quick.”
“Don’t involve me in this,” Andrew answered, sounding amused.
Shaking his head and not even trying to contain his laughter, Cole hit her mid-back with the first of his snowballs. He hadn’t thrown very hard as he didn’t want to hurt her, but the snowball had been big enough to have a sizeable impact.
Still on the move, she scooped up snow and tossed it behind her. It fell in more of a shower spray than a ball.
“He’s gaining on you,” Andrew warned just as Cole grabbed her waist and spun her toward him.
Laughing, Sophie stared up at him. “Uh-oh. I’m in for it now.”
He pulled her to him. “I didn’t know you could predict the future.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”
“Are you sorry?”
She gave a faux-innocent look, then shook her head and attempted to kick snow at him. “Not in the least.”
Cole couldn’t suppress the laughter that broke free from his chest. “Then you understand and forgive what I’m about to do?”
She twisted her mouth, considering. “I didn’t say that.”
“But you will.”
“Now who’s predicting the future?” She didn’t look the slightest bit daunted despite the fact that he held her and threatened her with snow.
“I shouldn’t have turned you to where I could see your face,” he admitted out loud. It would have been much easier to retaliate if he wasn’t looking into her lovely eyes.
“Why’s that? You going soft?” she teased.
He shook his head. “Nope. It’s just a shame such a pretty face is about to make a snow angel.”
“I like snow angels,” she said softly, her breath making a cloud puff in the air.
“You look like a snow angel,” he admitted, then held up the snow cupped in his other gloved hand. “At least, you will in just a few seconds.”
Her mouth opened in protest and she wiggled against him in her first attempt to free herself. “Cole!”
“Hmm?” he said, as he slowly moved his hand toward her.
“Please don’t.” She made a pretense of shivering, her movements way too exaggerated to be real. “I
’ll be cold.”
Even though he knew what she was doing, Cole paused, letting her think she had the upper hand.
Knowing he was enjoying himself more than he had in a long time.
“I wouldn’t want that,” he answered honestly, taking note of her breathing, everything about her, so he’d know the precise moment she planned to make her move.
Just as he’d expected, Sophie wiggled enough that she thought she’d freed herself, batted her lashes, then, quick as a flash, dove for the snow.
Cole let her.
But as she came up with her hands full, he tossed his snow first.
As the spray of snow covered her, she sputtered, then, losing her balance, fell back onto her bottom. Despite bursting into laughter, she flung snow at him as quickly as she could from her seated position.
Cole dodged her onslaught and got in a few more snowballs of his own.
“You were messing with me,” she accused, laughing as she flattened her palms against the ground to push herself up. When her foot slipped and she plopped right back down, smiling, she shook her head. “Now look what you’ve gone and done. Knocked a girl down so hard that she can’t get up. You were just waiting for me to do that, weren’t you?”
Cole reached for her hand. “Did you really think I didn’t know what you were planning? Subtlety isn’t one of your virtues.”
Her gaze flashed to his as she let him pull her to her feet. “What are my virtues, Cole?”
Without having to think about it, he said, “Joy.”
“Joy?”
He should have kept his mouth shut, but he’d already dug this hole for himself so he might as well lay down in it.
“You overflow with joy,” he admitted.
Obviously pleased at his answer, she rewarded him with the biggest smile he’d ever seen.
“That,” her eyes shone with happiness, “just may be the greatest compliment anyone’s ever given me.”
“Hand me those binoculars,” Rosie ordered, attempting to grab the pair Maybelle held with her fuzzy white gloves that matched her white playing-in-the-snow ensemble.
“You shouldn’t have forgotten yours,” Maybelle reminded from where she sat in the driver’s seat of the four-by-four diesel mule, slapping Rosie’s hand away with her own white-glove-covered hand. “I’m trying to watch Cole’s facial expression.”