CHAPTER 21
Summer
The cold bites at my cheeks the second we step outside, but Ethan’s presence is warm enough to make winter feel like an afterthought.
He walked to the ranch from his house, and because of his injury I’m driving tonight.
He’s wearing a dark green beanie that frames his handsome face perfectly and a gray-blue knit sweater that makes his eyes look even more unfairly beautiful.
His hand settles on the small of my back as we walk toward my truck, and the barely-there pressure sends a shiver racing down my spine.
He opens my door with his good arm, jaw flexing slightly with the effort, but he still manages that lazy, devastating smile.
“You don’t have to do that,” I say, shaking my head.
“I’m a southern gentleman. Injury or not.”
I slide in behind the wheel, heart pounding, and he leans down just a little, eyes softening.
“You look incredible tonight, Summer. Red dress, red lips… gorgeous.”
A beat.
“Been tryin’ not to stare so hard I forget how to speak.”
Heat pools low in my stomach.
He shuts the door gently and circles around to the passenger side. When he gets in, the cabin fills with the scent of the pine air freshener and the warm, clean scent of Ethan.
As we pull out of the ranch driveway, he rests his hand on my thigh.
My breath stutters.
He doesn’t squeeze. Doesn’t push. Just rests it there, thumb stroking tiny, absentminded circles. Like touching me is instinctive, as natural as breathing.
“Hope you don’t mind,” he says softly.
“I don’t.”
I really don’t.
◆◆◆
The town lights glow brighter the closer we get to the square. Trees drip with strands of warm bulbs, shop windows are frosted over in delicate patterns, and garlands wrap around lampposts like emerald ribbons.
And then, Winter Wonderland explodes into view.
Lights everywhere.
Golden, warm, cascading across the snowy streets like someone pulled the stars down and draped them over the town.
Snowflakes drift lazily through the beams of light, twinkling like glitter shaken from the sky.
Laughter rises over cheerful Christmas music, and the air smells like cotton candy and caramel apples.
But I barely see any of it.
Because Ethan is looking at me like I’m the whole reason he’s here.
“Welcome to the Wind River Winter Wonderland,” he murmurs, smiling at me like he’s memorizing my reaction.
Before I even turn off the engine, he opens his door, rounds the front of the truck, and opens mine with a smirk, offering his hand.
His arm is still in a sling, but somehow he walks like he’s perfectly capable of catching me if I even think about slipping, and when my boot catches on a patch of ice, he does exactly that. His good hand lands on my waist, warm and steady.
“Easy there, gorgeous,” he murmurs, his breath brushing my cheek.
My heart skips. “I’m fine.”
“Never said you weren’t.” His fingers linger just a second too long. “Just takin’ care of you.”
Heat pours through me so fast I’m almost grateful for the cold air.
◆◆◆
We wander between stalls lined with handmade ornaments, knitted scarves, and candles that smell like vanilla and pine. Ethan keeps my gloved hand tucked in his, and every few minutes his thumb sweeps over my knuckles, slow and claiming.
I’m tall, but my head still reaches his chin, and walking next to him makes me feel… safe. Seen. Wanted.
People keep greeting him as we pass, and I steal glances at him every chance I get. His jaw, his smile, the way the lights reflect in his eyes, it’s unreal. He notices, of course, and holds my gaze like he’s daring me to look away.
A shiver runs through me.
“You cold?” he asks, voice dipping low, like he already knows I’m not.
“A little,” I lie. Because what I really am is nervous. Excited. Over-aware of every single thing he does.
He smirks like he’s reading my mind. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
And the way he says it…
God. I feel that all the way down to my toes.
We stop at a stall selling carved wooden ornaments. Ethan watches me look, taking in every tiny shift in my expression like it’s the most important Christmas miracle on display.
“You like that one?” he asks, nodding toward a heart-shaped ornament painted red.
I shrug, suddenly shy. “It’s pretty.”
He hands the seller some cash and slips the little bag with the ornament into my hand. He leans in, his voice a warm whisper against my ear.
“Not as pretty as you in that dress.”
My cheeks warm. “Ethan…”
Snow begins to fall heavier, soft flakes catching in his lashes, and he keeps my hand in his as we walk. It feels so natural I almost stop breathing.
We stop at a booth where you toss rings onto bottles.
Ethan grins at me. “What do you want?”
“I…nothing, it’s silly.”
He steps closer, gaze dropping to my lips before returning to my eyes. “Summer. Tell me.”
I inhale. “The little white bear.”
“With the red scarf?” He raises a brow. “Cute. Done.”
He has only one good arm, but he throws like he’s got everything to prove. One perfect shot.
The bell dings.
The booth guy whistles.
Ethan turns, triumph lighting up his whole face. “For my girl.”
My breath catches.
He hands me the tiny bear like it’s something precious.
I hold it to my chest. “Thank you.”
“You should see how you look right now,” he murmurs, leaning in, his breath warm on my ear. “If I kiss you here, in front of Santa and the entire town… you gonna slap me?”
My lips part. “No.”
His mouth stops an inch from mine.
“Good. ’Cause I’m barely holding on.”
He pulls me to him and kisses me, deep, warm, stealing the cold right out of the air. The world blurs. People walk around us, lights sparkle, music swells…but all I feel is him.
When the kiss ends, he leans his forehead against mine, swaying us gently to the Christmas songs drifting through the square. People move around us, laughing, chattering, but we stay right there, close, warm… home.
◆◆◆
We spend another hour wandering the stalls.
Lights everywhere.
Music drifting through the air.
Hot chocolate warming our gloves.
His hand always finds me, my waist, my lower back, my fingers. Like he can’t not touch me.
A Ferris wheel towers above the carnival, lit in green, red, and gold, spinning slowly over the snow-covered town. The gondolas sway like lanterns in the sky.
He leans down. “You trust me?”
“I do.”
He grins. “Let’s get up there then.”
When the gondola door closes behind us and the wheel lifts, the town shrinks beneath us, a sea of glittering light and falling snow. Ethan shifts closer, his knee brushing mine, his breath warm against my skin as his eyes reflect all the twinkle lights circling us.
“God, Summer…” His voice roughens. “You can’t look at me like that up here.”
“Like what?”
“Like you want me to kiss you again.”
“Maybe I do.”
His good hand slides behind my neck, pulling me in slow. “Baby, if I could, I’d never stop tasting those cherry lips.”
My heartbeat is a drum in my throat.
“Then do it,” I whisper.
He does.
Not rushed.
Not gentle either.
A kiss that burns through the cold, that tastes like winter and warmth and desire. His fingers slide into my hair, tugging lightly, just enough to make every nerve in my body light up.
When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathless.
“Summer…” He rests his forehead against mine. “I’m crazy about you.”
My voice comes out barely above a whisper. “I’m crazy about you too.”
Outside the gondola window, snow keeps falling, blanketing the entire town in white, turning it into something straight out of a fantasy.