Chapter 12
Natalie
Tip #12: Snow is an excellent mood setter for both a romantic aesthetic and to throw in your enemy’s face while “playing”.
“ O ne more block and we’re there,” I said.
Samuel and I were walking down the sidewalk, heading for Fox Creek’s best sledding hill. (Correction, Samuel was walking, as he was wearing snowboarding pants and a snowboarding jacket, which were easier to move around in. I was waddling in my thick snow pants.)
“Great,” Samuel said as we passed another streetlight that cast a cheerful glow on us. It was only six in the evening, but the sun set early in January in Wisconsin. “And you’re certain this thing will hold an adult without falling to pieces?” Samuel gestured with my beloved plastic orange sled, which he was carrying for me.
“Rude,” I said. “The Flying Carrot is practically a family heirloom.”
“Yeah, because it’s probably older than either of us.” Samuel dubiously studied the sled, which admittedly had seen better days. “Why do you call it the Flying Carrot, anyway?”
“Childhood nickname,” I said. “You’ll see. It might be old, but its edge is stronger than the ones on the wimpy plastic sleds they make today. It really flies!”
“I see,” Samuel said, unconvinced.
“I don’t like your attitude, but we have arrived!” I pointed to the snow-covered hill ahead of us.
“How picturesque.” Samuel watched as a dozen or so sledders zoomed down the hill with glee.
The popular sledding spot had a shorter slant that swooped down to a chain-link fence that surrounded the tennis court and a steeper section that dumped off into a small swampy retaining pond filled with cattails and some tenacious burdock.
“I haven’t been sledding since I was a kid,” Samuel said.
“Then you’re in for a night of fun.” I would have folded my arms across my chest, but my coat was too puffy to manage it, so I settled for planting my glove-covered hands on my hips. “But, fair warning, you might want to pop some painkillers later tonight because bruises are pretty much guaranteed.”
“Are you two just going to stand there and watch, or are you actually going to join the fun?” a snarky voice called out.
Marjorie and Grandma Mann were sitting together on a wooden bench on the same side of the street as the sledding hill. They were bundled up in their winter coats and had a wool blanket spread over their laps. They also held steaming to-go cups adorned with the unmistakable Kwik Trip logo, which they’d probably procured from the Kwik Trip gas station across the street.
“Hey!” I waved at them as we walked closer. “What brings you two out here in the cold?”
“Laughing at the sledders and calling EMTs when needed,” Marjorie replied dryly.
“Brenda from my bridge club told me about your little sledding date. Naturally, I just had to be here,” Grandma Mann chimed in. She used two fingers to point to her eyes and then jabbed her pointer finger at Samuel. “I’m watching you, Warner!”
“Of course,” Samuel shouted back to her. “Did you bring any mouse hitchhikers with you tonight?”
Marjorie cackled, and Grandma Mann gave a big, “Harrumph!” But I could see the smile that threatened to take over her mouth.
Samuel was slowly… well… maybe not winning her over just yet, but ingratiating himself?
I glanced up the hill. “We’ll get a few rounds of sledding in, and then we’ll come report in,” I told the ladies.
Grandma Mann waved me off. “Have fun!”
“Don’t break anything,” Marjorie added.
I waved again, then led Samuel up the hill. At the top, we were greeted by Piper, my cousin Madison, and her husband Ryan, who was helping his kids, Noah and Anna, into their watermelon-green sled.
“Hey, guys! We made it! You all know Sam, my boyfriend, right?” I introduced him just as Noah and Anna went flying down the hill, barely missing the tennis court fence.
“We might have seen him around Fox Creek before,” Ryan drawled before giving me a friendly wink.
Madison scowled. “Yeah. I’ve learned more about him than I ever wanted to know about any Warner.” She suspiciously eyed him.
“How appropriate.” Samuel grinned. “Because I’ve learned more about your romance with Ryan than I ever wanted to thanks to Noah’s tendency to share overheard details. Shall we call it even?”
Madison studied Samuel with narrowed eyes, so I was guessing it was time to change the subject.
“Where’s Owen?” I asked.
Piper pointed down the hill.
The cold air nipped at my cheeks as I turned to see Owen, bundled up like a bear in his winter gear, trudging up the hill. He was dragging a purple plastic toboggan behind him and laughing with none other than Jenna Warner.
I wanted to cackle at the sight. It seemed that our fake relationship really was providing the opening the pair needed. With some luck, things would keep on progressing between them!
“Hey, you two!” I called out, waving them over. “Fancy seeing you here!”
“Hey, Natalie, Samuel,” Owen greeted us, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Jenna followed behind him, her cheeks red from the cold and a big smile on her face as she tucked her scarf into her coat. “Hi, Natalie. Hey, Sam!”
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Jenna,” Samuel said.
“Owen invited me since you were coming.” Jenna rushed up to the top of the hill. “This is so much fun!”
“Isn’t it?” I agreed, taking the orange sled from Samuel. “Come on, boo-bear. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
“Wait,” Owen called after me, too smugly for my liking. “You can’t just leave Samuel behind. The Flying Carrot isn’t big enough for both of you.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” I said. “I figured you would be kind enough to lend him a sled.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Owen said. “I thought you two would want to snuggle up, so I brought Uncle Jeff’s toboggan.” He handed over the rope attached to the front of the purple sled. “Enjoy the close quarters.” His smirk was so big it took over his face.
Oh yeah. This was definitely payback for cornering him into inviting Jenna.
I grumbled under my breath about Owen being a twerp as I dragged the toboggan toward the edge of the hill. “Come on, Sam.”
Samuel followed after me. “Right behind you, honey buns.”
I scowled at him before plopping down on the toboggan. “Alright. Get in…” I realized there was no way Samuel could scrunch up behind me like Madison or Piper would have. “New plan.” I rolled off the toboggan, then patted it like it was a horse. “Since you’re so tall, you’ll have to sit down first. Stretch your legs out in front of you and push them to the sides of the toboggan.”
“Where will you sit?” Samuel asked.
“Between your legs,” I dryly said while wishing I could curse Owen for putting me in this position—literally.
“Got it,” Samuel breezily said, unbothered. He settled into the toboggan, then I climbed on, sitting between his legs. As I tried to ignore my rapidly growing sense of awkwardness, I told myself that this didn’t matter. We were both bundled up like marshmallows—I couldn’t even feel how firm his chest was through all the layers.
Samuel rested his chin on my shoulder and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Isn’t this cozy?”
“Shut up,” I muttered.
“Why, sweet pea, are you maybe feeling our deep and powerful chemistry?” Samuel asked in a mocking voice.
Thankfully, I was spared from answering when Piper called out to us. “Do you want me to push you?”
“That would be great, thank you!” I said.
Piper crunched her way across the snow, then knelt down behind the toboggan. “Ready?”
“Yes,” Samuel said.
Piper pushed against Samuel’s back, giving us the shove we needed to start our wild ride.
I whooped as we started to rapidly pick up momentum.
The toboggan shot down the hill at breakneck speed—much faster than I’d ever gone with Piper or Madison. I tightened my grip on the rope, and my heart raced as the toboggan wobbled from side to side.
Snow sprayed my bare face when the edge of the toboggan clipped a drift, and I shrieked at the stinging sensation.
Samuel laughed as I tried to shake some of the snow free.
Our toboggan veered dangerously in the direction of the tennis courts—we were going to smash into the chain-link fence if we didn’t make defensive maneuvers.
It was time to bail out.
Samuel was still laughing at me for getting a face full of snow, so with no small amount of vindication, I decided to position my fall so as to use him as my landing pad.
I let go of the rope—I could barely see now anyway. We were going so fast the stinging cold air was making my eyes water.
Lurching backward, I crashed into Samuel, knocking us both out of the toboggan. As planned, I landed squarely on top of him, hoping with a flame of satisfaction that I’d knocked the wind out of him.
“Should we call an ambulance?” Marjorie hollered from the bench, sounding almost hopeful.
“Thanks, but we’re good!” I yelled back, struggling to peel myself off Samuel.
Before I could move away, Samuel wrapped his arms around me and rolled to the side, pinning me beneath him. I let out a high-pitched shriek, which made him laugh. We tumbled together in the snow, our laughter echoing through the crisp winter air.
“Ugh. Disgusting!” Owen’s pretend gag was audible as his voice echoed down the hill from where he stood with Jenna at the top.
Ryan slapped a hand over his heart. “Madison, why don’t we frolic and play like Nat and Samuel anymore?”
“Because you have carpal tunnel and bad knees,” Madison said.
Samuel and I stopped wrestling in the snow, and our laughter quieted as we locked eyes. Samuel’s playful smile faded, but it didn’t turn into his usual mask of polite charm. Instead, he looked… relaxed. And there was something about the way his dark eyes glittered.
Samuel leaned a little closer, and I wondered if he was going to whisper something to me or kiss me when the moment was abruptly shattered.
“No, Marjorie, I think you ought to call an ambulance after all,” Grandma Mann drawled. “They are both clearly addled.”
“Addled with love ,” Marjorie said.
Up the hill, Owen’s gagging noises increased in volume.
I laughed and sat up, brushing snow off my clothes. “Ready for another round?”
“Absolutely,” Samuel said.
We got up and fixed our askew winter hats. Samuel grabbed the toboggan’s rope and dragged it behind him as we started up the hill.
Noah and Anna reached the crest of the hill just before us, working together to carry their green sled.
“I want to go as fast as Cousin Nat!” Anna said.
“Yeah!” Noah chimed in.
“That would probably take two adults packed into a sled with you two,” Owen said.
“Probably, but how could you fit that many people on the sled?” Ryan asked.
As Ryan and Owen pondered the puzzle, Piper waved Samuel and me over. “You two looked like you were having a blast.”
“Oh, yeah, sledding is always fun.” I tried to sound normal even though I was winded from climbing the hill in all of my winter clothes.
“It was even more fun than I remember it being as a kid,” Samuel said.
I blinked, surprised. “Really?”
“Yes. Because there are new benefits I can appreciate.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and scooped me close to make his point.
I laughed, and Jenna joined in.
“I never knew you were such a romantic, Sam, but it seems like Natalie brings out the best in you.” Jenna turned to me, her eyes bright. “Your family—and friends—are so much fun,” she told me breathlessly. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I said, genuinely pleased. It boded well for Owen’s crush, but more importantly, it showed that maybe there was hope for the Warners and the Manns.
Hanging out with Samuel was turning out to be a lot more fun than I’d thought.
Piper called out to Owen, “Do you have a plan for your bullet sled ride, or are you just winging it?”
Owen saluted her. “We’ve got a plan.” He nodded toward Ryan and pumped his arms over his head.
“Two adults will lie in the toboggan,” Ryan explained, his breath turning into misty clouds under the golden glow of the nearby streetlights, “one adult stacked on top of the other, and Noah and Anna will sit on top of them like they’re riding a pony.”
Samuel raised an eyebrow. “And which lucky adults have volunteered for this death-defying stunt?”
Owen clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m so glad you asked, Samuel! We were actually thinking of bestowing that honor upon you and Natalie.”
“Absolutely not,” I interjected before Samuel could respond. “My survival instincts are way too strong for something like that.”
“Oh, come on,” Ryan said. “We have two nurses here!”
“Save it, Ryan, I know that mulish look on her face,” Owen said. “We’ll have to go.”
Madison leaned up to give her husband a quick kiss, her voice teasingly sweet. “Have fun, honey. Remember, I have a great life insurance policy on you.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ryan grumbled as Owen retrieved the toboggan from Samuel and set it on the ground.
With a sigh, Ryan lay belly down, his face at the front of the toboggan. Owen followed suit, stacking himself on top of Ryan.
“Enjoy getting a face full of snow,” I said as they got into position.
“Bah! A little bit of cold is worth the thrill of adventure,” Ryan declared, trying to sound brave.
“For sure.” Owen wheezed as Noah and Anna accidentally kneed him in the side as they climbed onto his back and settled into place.
“Need a push?” Samuel offered, grinning at the precarious tower of people on the sled.
“Please,” Ryan said, trying to sound gracious even though he was squashed on the bottom of the pile.
Samuel gave the toboggan a hearty shove, sending them hurtling down the steep portion of the hill.
“Wow, they’re going way faster than Samuel and Natalie did,” Piper said.
“Definitely,” Jenna agreed as the toboggan picked up even more speed.
Madison plucked her beanie off her head, sending her glorious red hair cascading over her shoulders as she shook snow off her hat. “Do you think all that momentum is going to get them into trouble?”
Around then both Ryan and Owen yelled. (It was more of a scream, but I knew my brother and my cousin by marriage would deeply object to that description.)
“Ah, they’re getting their faces washed with snow,” I said with the wisdom of experience.
They were going so fast now the toboggan was visibly vibrating.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, instead of slowing to a stop as usual, their momentum carried them on, whisking them across the brief flat stretch.
“Uh-oh,” Piper said. “I think they’re going to go into the swamp.”
Noah and Anna must have agreed with this assessment, because both kids bailed out, tipping over so they tumbled into the snow.
Ryan and Owen, however, were lying flat and couldn’t get out so easily.
They were still on the toboggan when it went over the lip of the hill. The sled got air, tossing the two men into the sky before tumbling down into the frozen swamp.
Everything was silent, and Grandma Mann even stood up and whipped out her phone, prepared to call 911.
Madison cupped her hands around her mouth. “Ryan, are you dead?”
A pained “ Ow ” echoed up the hill, followed by, “I think I landed on my phone!”
“It’s fine.” Madison winked and gave us a gloved thumbs-up. “They’re alive.”
Ryan and Owen climbed out of the swamp, cattail fuzz dotting their clothes, dragging the plastic toboggan behind them.
Marjorie and Grandma Mann cheered—or maybe jeered—at the pair.
“I give their performance a nine.” Grandma Mann sat back down on the bench, tugging the wool blanket over her lap as she settled into place now that her moment of grandmotherly concern had ended.
“I give it an early knee replacement,” Marjorie yelled for our benefit. “They’re going to feel that ride in about four years’ time!”
I squinted in the dim light, making out little brown balls that stuck to Owen’s and Ryan’s hats, scarves, and gloves. “Uh-oh, I think they got tossed into some burdock.”
The hooked burrs were a pain in the butt to get out of clothes, and Owen practically had a crown of them.
“Oh no,” Jenna said. “I hope they’re not hurt!”
Noah and Anna scrambled up the hill, giggling and laughing.
“That was so fun!” Anna said.
“Again, I want to go again!” Noah said.
He must have been loud enough for Ryan and Owen to hear at the base of the hill, as Ryan desperately shouted, “No! Not again!”
“Aww,” Anna said.
“Why?” Noah asked.
I laughed and glanced up at Samuel to see if he was enjoying himself like everyone else. He had a subdued smile, and there was something about the way he watched the scene… I couldn’t tell if it was regretful or wistful.
He must have felt my eyes on him, because he looked down at me, raising his eyebrows.
“So, how does sledding compare to snowboarding?” I asked. “Is it as much fun?”
His subtle smile bloomed back into a full grin, and he somehow managed to wrap both of his arms around me. “Oh, Nat. Anything I do with you is fun!”