I laughed and called toward Ben’s retreating back, “Make that two cookies, Ben!”
He turned to scowl dramatically before tossing us a wave.
Suddenly, Chloe leaned in close to me, looking at something off to the side of me. “Another point for Miles.”
I immediately looked toward where he was standing near his dad and a few other men, keeping the pathway clear while Jack backed up the tractor to just the right spot to hook up the trailer. He talked easily with the men nearest to him, making everybody laugh. He must have been telling a story, because his arm gestures were animated and dramatic. When he was done, his gaze flicked to mine. I jumped a mile out of my skin before I remembered I had a question for Chloe.
“What point? What do you mean?”
She motioned toward her girls with her head. “He’s good with kids.”
“Mommy, Aunt Owive and him kissed.” My heart dropped as Ivy pointed toward Miles like she had just told a big secret.
My face heated up immediately before I remembered that, as my boyfriend, that was something very normal.
“I think the whole state of Vermont heard about that.” Chloe raised her eyebrows at me. “For all your declarations against PDA, you sure didn’t waste time getting after it on the dance floor.”
She meant the dance kiss, not the porch kiss, which was the kiss my mind seemed to want to return to frequently. I schooled my emotions into what I hoped was an alluring grin. “I might be coming around.”
She folded her arms and watched me for a moment. “Something was off about you two at first. I’m not sure what it was, but I don’t feel that way anymore. You haven’t stopped looking at him since you got here. And he’s completely gone on you.”
My smile dimmed. “What?”
She nodded toward Miles, who was now walking our way with Ben. “That is a man highly smitten. And a lumberjack, no less. I couldn’t have planned this better myself.”
I couldn’t retort because Miles was nearly upon us. He held my gaze as a mischievous smile etched across his face as he grew nearer. He looked down at Ivy and Holly, waggling his eyebrows before taking my face in his hands and giving me a loud, noisy kiss on my laughing lips.
Holly and Ivy cheered, and Chloe watched us, hiding a smile behind her hand.
“You two are sure heating up the place.”
Any delight I was feeling vanished at Russ’s words behind us. Turning, I saw him and my mom, holding hands and walking toward us. Russ looked ridiculous in a bright-blue polyester-type tracksuit and an ear warmer. My mom looked like she was trying to seem younger in her hot pink snow pants and coat. These newlyweds were going to be the death of me.
Miles put his arm around my shoulders, tucking me close. “She didn’t pack appropriately for this trip. Gotta keep her warm somehow.”
Russ laughed, rubbing his hands together. “Maybe we should try that.” He pulled my mom close and dipped her body back with a dramatic flourish. He then set about putting his mouth all over my mom’s lips. Chloe and I flinched and looked away, but the spectacle kept going for much longer than the quick kiss Miles gave me. Even Miles looked a bit stunned at Russ’s bold display in front of me and Chloe.
“Get a room,” Ben called out good-naturedly, trying to end everybody’s torment. Although, if I was honest, that statement didn’t help. Finally, Russ and my mom came up for air, my mom’s pale face bright with embarrassment. She playfully slapped at Russ’s arm and wiped at her face but wouldn’t meet Chloe’s or my eyes.
Thankfully, Jack called the groups of sledders over and explained what would happen. Everybody would jump onto the trailer behind the tractor, and he would pull the group toward the big sledding hill a mile away. Miles and Jett would each bring a snowmobile for the sole purpose of hooking sleds up at the bottom of the hill and driving them and their riders back up the mountain–the lodge’s version of a rope tow. With that, everyone started piling onto the trailer. The day was crisp, and even I wasn’t immune to the excitement in the air. I began walking with Chloe and the girls toward the trailer when a hand caught mine from behind.
I turned to see Miles, who began tugging me toward him as he did a very sexy backward walk thing, away from the group. Ben and Chloe kept moving, pulling the girls along with them.
“Unfortunately, the trailer is full.”
“No, it’s not.” I glanced back and determined that our group wouldn’t even come close to filling the trailer.
“It is. Sorry, ma’am. You’ll have to ride with me.”
“Eh, I’ll just head on home, then. I’ve never liked sledding anyway.” I gave a half-hearted attempt to pull free from his grip, but he didn’t release me.
“How can you not like sledding? It’s America’s pastime.”
“I was a hand-me-down kid and always had the gloves with the holes in them, and by the time I wanted to go, Chloe was too cool for it. So…” I forced myself to stop there. I didn’t really think I had any deep-seated subconscious bitterness toward sledding, but it came out sounding like it.
Miles stopped. “What if I promise to make it fun for you this time?” He held my hand up in front of me. “You’ve already got better gloves now. And you have an extremely hot boyfriend that wants you to ride with him up the mountain.”
“Fake boyfriend,” I reminded him, though a smile began to peek out.
Just then, Jack honked the tractor, startling us both. We turned to see him and the rest of the group waving at us as he pulled the group toward the road. Miles shook his head. “Watching the little kids sled down this hill is one of the best parts of the whole week. I’d hate for you to miss it.”
I tapped my chin. “Hmmm…can you make Russ go away?” I had meant it as a joke, but the words came out much more serious than I had planned and left the air between us unsettled.
His eyes were surprisingly gentle when he said, “I don’t think you actually want that.”
I could feel emotions brewing behind my eyes at his statement, but I pushed them away in favor of bringing back our lightheartedness. “Well, I didn’t figure you’d ever be that handy.”
His eyebrows raised dangerously. “Oh, really?”
Instantly, I knew what he was about, and I turned to run. I was in his arms with my back against his chest before I could make it one step. Our bodies fell backward into the soft snow. I landed with my elbow somewhere on his stomach and heard a satisfied groan from him upon contact. I scrambled off and began flinging powdered snow at him, not taking the time to make them into balls. He sputtered as snow hit him in the face, laughing as he made a dive toward me. He knocked me gently onto my back, snow leaking onto my neck through the collar of my coat. His body was carefully positioned above me and he held both of my hands over my head. Laughing brown eyes met mine. I couldn’t keep the smile from my face if I tried. He was breathing heavily with snow and water droplets all over his face.
“You’re going to pay for that, Spanks.”
He picked up a handful of snow, which he proceeded to wipe gently all over my face. I was squealing by this point and squirming to get away. My cheeks were numb, but my heart beat wildly underneath my frozen exterior. Eventually, the snow in his hands had all been placed around my cheeks and face, and Miles remained hovering over me, his eyes seeming to take in every last freckle spread across my cheeks. Ever so slowly, his hand raised to his mouth, and with his teeth, he held his glove steady while he pulled his hand out.