Page 27 of Evergreen Christmas
Still hidden behind the base of their snowman, he threw several snowballs in quick succession, each one aimed for a different member of the Stone family. Three out of four snowballs hit their mark, smacking Chester, Drake, and Chester’s mother, Betty Stone, square in the gut. The move was enough to distract the Stones from their attack on Jordyn, prompting them to glance in every direction, looking for the source of their own assailant.
Chester and Drake’s eyes narrowed in Nate’s direction, but they were unable to pinpoint him as he crouched low in the snow behind his snowman, shielded by Tucker’s tall form.
“That you, Nate?” Drake shouted. “I can’t see you, but I know what you’re up to. Chuck another one of those at me and I’ll turn you in to the Nanas for cross-conspiracy. And from what I’ve heard, they’re out for you anyways.”
Tell me something I don’t know!Chuckling under his breath, Nate remained crouched out of view behind his snowman as his eyes met Jordyn’s. She patted a fresh layer of snow onto the midsection of her snowman, and mouthed,Thank you!
The grateful admiration in her pretty features sent a wave of warmth through him.
“Four minutes,” Carol Belle announced.
Jordyn, a frantic look in her eyes, returned to the task at hand, chucking handfuls of snow on top of her entry and desperately trying to construct a snowman before time ran out.
With the Stone family’s attention now focused on Nate, she was able to add a great deal more snow to her haphazard creation, but when time was called, her snowman remained unfinished.
Nate winced. Well, it could barely be called a snowman, considering it was just one sphere topped with un-leveled clumps of snow that failed to form a shape of any kind.
“Step away from your snowmen, please,” Carol Belle directed over the speakers. “The judges will be around momentarily to evaluate each team’s snowman. In the meantime, the very gracious owners of Kringle Café have provided a warming station on the north end of the town square with free hot chocolate and hot apple cider. Let’s give them a hefty thank-you for their donations, shall we?”
Nate clapped along with the rest of the crowd and Roxie bounced in place, shouting, “Hot chocolate! I’m gonna get whipped cream on mine.”
“Now, please disperse for the judging and enjoy a warm beverage while you wait,” Carol Belle directed the crowd.
Excited voices and holiday music peppered the air as everyone left their snowmen, made their way to the north end of the town square and huddled by the warming flames of small, outdoor firepits while enjoying cups of hot chocolate and apple cider.
“You did an awesome job, sweet girl,” Tucker said, crouching beside Roxie and giving her a high five. “Why don’t you and I grab us a cup of hot chocolate and bring one back for your dad?”
Roxie smiled, her blue eyes full of joy. “And Ms. Jordyn, too? Can we bring her one?”
“I don’t see why not.” Tucker looked in Jordyn’s direction, lifted his chin and shouted, “Hey, Jordyn! Me and Roxie are grabbing some hot chocolate. You want us to bring you one back?”
Jordyn paused in the act of brushing snow off her jeans and nodded in Tucker’s direction. “That’d be great. Thanks!”
Tucker took Roxie by the hand and they left, Roxie skipping beside him as they made their way toward the north end of the town square.
Moments later, Nate felt an elbow gently nudge his arm.
“Thank you,” Jordyn whispered near his ear.
Nate stilled, his heart kicking his ribs, then faced her, his breath catching at the pink in her cheeks and tempting lips. Her green eyes, the deepest shade he’d ever seen, sparkled with mischief and merriment. “For what?” he asked.
“For holding off that evil little boy and his family.”
Nate strived for an innocent expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She grinned, leaning closer. “Oh, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You, my friendly enemy, helped me out in my time of need.”
Man, up close, she was even more gorgeous. The teasing lilt of her voice, her admiring expression and the warmth radiating from her body after the bout of exercise tempted him to lean in, lower his head, and brush his cheek against hers. But, somehow, he managed to hold back.
“I did nothing of the sort,” he said softly. “Cross-conspiring is against the rules, you know.”
“Oh, I know.” She grinned, those beautiful emerald eyes of hers roving slowly over his face. “But you did anyway. Even though it might cost you in the long run.”
“If you’re thinking of turning me in for breaking the rules,” he said quietly, “you’ll have a hard time. The Nanas require proof before they take action on things like that, and you’ll be hard-pressed to show them any concrete evidence.”
Lips curving, she eased even closer, her arm brushing his. “I have no interest in turning you in. All I’m interested in is thanking you.”
With that, she lifted to her toes, leaned even closer and brushed a kiss across his cheek. Her warm mouth was a soothing balm to his chilled cheek and his eyes slowly closed as he gave in to temptation, leaning into the soft touch of her lips, savoring her touch.
