Chapter 4
Cole
My plan of getting to know Holly again didn’t mean I couldn’t kiss her, right?
I couldn’t walk with her shoulder to shoulder and pretend we were old friends catching up.
I didn’t just want to be her friend. I wanted to be more, and I couldn’t have been clearer when I pulled her lips to mine.
She tasted as sweet as she looked, and if that was the last kiss I had in my entire life, it would be worth it.
I got up from the table and took her hand in mine again.
Even with our bulky gloves, they fit perfectly together.
I didn’t claim to be a Christmas lover the way Holly was. I liked winter, but I liked the sun just as much. But today wasn’t about me. I wanted her to have the most amazing day, and I hoped she would fall for me while we did it.
She wasn’t able to ski, but I didn’t see why we couldn’t go skating.
I’d hold her tight and make sure she didn’t fall.
It was one of those winter activities you just had to do, and I knew she would melt when she saw the rink.
It was surrounded by towering trees and stunning mountain views.
We arrived at the rink and rented skates before sitting down to put them on.
With her broken arm, I had to tie hers. It was a great excuse to spoil her in all the ways I wanted to.
I was carrying the bags, holding her hand, and doing things for her just because I wanted to.
“This may not be a good idea for a clumsy person like me.” She wobbled a little on her skates, and I grabbed her arm to steady her.
I wouldn’t say I was an expert skater, but I had played hockey back in the day. I could skate well enough to keep her from ending up on her ass.
“I’ve got you,” I assured her.
Once she was steady on her skates, I intertwined our fingers, and we started gliding around the rink.
“This feels like a movie. This whole day does. This must all be old news to you since you work clearing snow up here, huh?” She stumbled a little but regained her footing.
“It’s too beautiful to ever be old news,” I said.
She blushed again.
We skated in lazy circles for an hour or so, talking about everything and nothing.
I was glad she was enjoying herself. I was too.
I loved the simple life. Although maybe living at a luxury ski resort didn’t exactly qualify.
I’d had more than one date end in disaster, or even start out that way when the woman expected a certain kind of man because of the number of zeroes in my bank account.
My last name preceded me, and when someone was expecting James Bond and instead got Joe Schmoe, there was no coming back from that.
I’d have to tell Holly that I’d lied about what I do for work. Or rather, hadn’t corrected her when she thought I plowed snow for a living. I was putting it off like a coward, afraid she would look at me differently if she knew the truth.