Page 9

8

Taylor

T aylor had been watching her through the whole conversation. He didn’t like the way she deflated. It reminded him of when he was a kid playing outside, when, out of nowhere, a big cloud would come cover the sun. All her light she’d been filled with moments ago vanished. She sat there next to him, still in the shadows.

“Are you thirsty? Can I get you anything?” he asked after watching her check her empty mug.

“I could use a fill-up?” she said, looking up at him with questioning eyes.

“You got it.” He took her mug and stood “How do you take it?” he asked on his way to the kitchen.

“Creamer in the fridge.”

He opened the fridge and found creamer. He added it to her coffee before pouring himself a mug, then joined her back on the couch. By the time he made it back, a small portion of her sunshine had returned.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling back at him. “Now, for a serious question?”

“Okay?”

“Who’s next, Patrick Stewart or Reginald Denny?” She motioned to the two different versions of the movie on her screen.

“Hit me with some Reginald Denny.”

She smiled again. “Good choice.”

Fuck... he was in so much trouble where she was concerned, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Ya know... this is one of my favorites,” she said, pulling up the black-and-white movie.

“What is your favorite?”

Suspiciously, she looked at him. “There is only one right answer to this question. What is your favorite?”

“Why do I suddenly feel like I’m on trial here?” he joked.

“Well,” she said, biting back a grin through her stern expression, “I could lose all respect for you if you answer incorrectly.”

“Well, considering you’re stuck with me at least for another night, I hope I have the right answer... Although my answer is a little unconventional.”

“I’m listening,” she said, turning to him fully.

Her eyes danced mischievously and lit him up inside. He had not found a woman this irresistible in a very long time.

“I mean... The Muppets Christmas Carol is arguably the best Christmas movie there is.”

Her mouth dropped open before giving way to a huge grin. “Marry me,” she said with a laugh.

His heart stammered in his chest. Yes, she was joking, but the idea of a life with her was intriguing.

“Sorry. I’m kidding, obviously, but it’s my favorite Christmas movie as well, and people think I’m crazy, but it is the best!”

“It would appear we’re compatible where it most counts,” he said, putting his hand on her knee.

“Especially for being snowed in together in a cabin over the holiday.”

“I agree.”

He was not used to having things be so easy with new people. Something about the two of them just felt natural. This had potential to be the best Christmas ever, and considering he had feared this would be the worst not being with his mom, he couldn’t be more pleased.

As he sat on the couch, he let his arm rest along the back. His moves were just about as smooth as a seventh grader’s. He didn’t want to push her, but, man, did he want her snuggling in beside him. He wasn’t even a particularly snuggly person. There was just something about her and this cabin and the magic of the holiday and snow and all of it.

She flashed a small smile.

He couldn’t help it as he tucked a bit of her colorful hair behind her ear. Then, to his immense satisfaction, she shifted down to his side of the couch and snuggled right into the arm he had draped on the back of the couch. He slid that arm around her as she adjusted the blanket over both of them before resting her head on his chest. The rainbow of hair against the backdrop of his plain gray shirt unlocked a little piece of his heart.

Damn, he had it bad for his coach’s daughter.

They enjoyed their slow morning with coffee and cuddles and Ebeneezer Scrooge. As the credits rolled, Alice looked up at him with almost sleepy eyes. He half expected her to say they should go take a nap. A nap cuddled up with this soft, warm woman sounded like a good way to spend a couple of hours. But that is not what she said.

“Do you want to build a snowman?” she asked with an almost childlike quality.

While that did not sound like something he had any interest in doing, something about the barely contained joy in her eyes that did give it a second thought.

“I don’t have the right clothes. All I have is my peacoat and a hat and leather gloves. I don’t even have snow boots.”

She sat up, and he fought the urge to pull back to his shoulder.

“This is a cabin in Minnesota. I’m sure between my dad, brother, and brother-in-law, we have everything we need here. Come on, it will be fun,” she pleaded with the cutest fucking smile he’d ever seen.

With a deep sigh, he booped her nose, “Let’s do this, rainbow.”

She clapped her hands and got up off the couch. “What size boot do you wear?”

“Twelve.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

As she disappeared up the stairs, Taylor stood and stretched. The photos over the fireplace caught his eye.

Walking over to get a closer look, he found he barely recognized Alice. There she was, with blonde hair, in matching Christmas pajamas with the rest of her family. There was no sign of the colorful girl that always pulled him into focus.

Looking around the cabin, he saw all the colorful Christmas lights she’d put up. The Christmas tree was colorful, with sentimental ornaments. In the picture, everything looked like it had been posed.

They were in matching pj’s. The tree had beautiful white lights with coordinating decorations. Not that there was anything wrong with any of those things; it was just evidence things were different than Alice had set them up. In these pictures, she appeared as if she belonged to this remarkable family, although none were as soft and cuddle as she was, but they all looked good together.

But this , he thought as he looked around, this seems more like who she is . Cheerful colors and all.

Next thing he knew, Alice came around the corner and heaved a mound of winter clothes over the balcony, and they all landed on the floor of the living room.

“There,” she said with a victorious smile. “I know there is stuff to fit you in that pile.”

He looked at the array of snow pants, coats, hats, gloves. It was all there. He was sure he could find what he needed. The idea of wearing someone else’s clothes was generally hard for him, but at least these were Coach’s, and that felt better.

Looking up for Alice, he found she had, once again, disappeared. So, he bent down and picked a few things out of the pile to start getting ready.

He wasn’t one for playing in the snow. It always looked like it was going to be so fun, but then he ended up cold and wet, utterly miserable. In fact, the bane of his existence was snow tracked in and stepping in a puddle in warm, dry socks. He gave a full body shudder thinking of that.

But with the right clothes and making sure no snow got tracked in, this could actually be fun. He pulled on some snow pants over his khakis.

“Look at you,” she said. “We’re going to build the best snowman.”

He looked to the landing and... fuck. There was Alice Wagner. She was in purple snow pants, a puffy tie-dye coat, and a white hat. A white hat could look funny with the intense color of the rest of her outfit, but the rainbow-colored hair sticking out from the bottom called to him. It was all perfect. When you added in the way she was beaming and the grin that stretched across her face, it was everything.

“I found these,” she said, holding up snow boots. “They are my dad’s, and it just so happens you guys are the same size.”

Before he knew it, they were out in the snow, all bundled up, building a snowman.

“I think your outfit is very safe.”

She squinted down at her tie-dye coat. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, you won’t be mistaken for a deer in colors like that?”

He turned away from her but enjoyed the indignant huff she gave. Next thing he knew, he was hit in the back by a snowball. As he turned, he saw her innocent expression as she was putting the head on the snowman.

“Is that how we’re going to play it?” he asked with a grin. He bent down, picked up a handful of snow, and packed it.

She squealed as she ducked behind a tree. Her eyes danced with joy, and her red cheeks called to him. He threw the snowball and hit her shoulder.

“Truce,” she called on a laugh as she stepped out from behind the tree. She moved to the porch to get a small bowl containing a carrot and other items.

She stepped back and admired at their work. Even he had to admit, it was a damn fine snowman.

“Perfect,” she said, arms crossed in triumph.

“Not quite.”

He moved over to her and invaded her space. The small gasp she gave shot straight to his dick, but it was hidden away under many layers. He wanted to kiss her again, but after the night before, he wasn’t making that mistake again.

Pulling away, he unwrapped the teal-and-yellow scarf from around her neck. Her eyes were on him as he walked over and wrapped it around the snowman’s neck.

“Perfect,” he said to himself.

Then he was hit with another snowball. He chuckled to himself, slowly turning around to her laugh with a smile that lit her up.

“That’s it,” he said, pretending to be mad.

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?”

He charged at her and swept her up off her feet, spinning her.

She squealed with joy and clung to him, and his heart was fit to fucking burst. He hadn’t had this much fun in longer than he cared to think about.

They fell into a snowbank next to the driveway. She landed on top of him with a huff. The joy dancing behind her eyes morphed into something with more heat as she tried to scramble off him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her on top of him.

Then she did what he was hoping she would do.

She kissed him.

Her lips pressed to his tentatively at first, but then she deepened the kiss, and he followed her lead.

This kiss was everything a kiss should be, confident, sexy, fun, and just magical.

His heart almost melted while they kissed in the snow.

He closed his eyes and took in this moment.

She pulled away. “What are you doing?”

“Taking in this perfect moment. Some moments in life are so special you know they are going to be lifelong memories, and this is one of them. I’ll always remember the perfect kiss in the snow with my colorful girl,” he said, wrapping colorful strands peeking out from below her hat around his finger.

With another quick press of her lips to his, he felt her sigh into him.

“It really was perfect, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was.”

She moved off him. “What do you say to some hot chocolate?”