Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
REID
S ledding is even more successful than snowman-building, if you can judge by the volume of Syanne’s squeals. Her laughter is contagious as we careen down the hill on our snow tubes, which I currently consider the best investment I ever made.
When she’s too exhausted to climb the hill for another run, we head back to her cabin to bake sugar cookies.
“I’ve never had this much fun in my life,” she says as we walk side by side, dragging our tubes. “You knocked two things off my winter-bucket list in one day. The only thing left is ice-skating on a frozen lake.”
“Oh, man! If we had skates to fit you, I could take you to the pond where Tanner and I played ice-hockey.”
I’d love to grant her third wish—anything to make her smile.
“It’s okay.” Her cheer is undaunted. “Someday it’ll happen.”
But some other guy will be the one who gets to make her happy. I hate him already. There must be some way I can get those skates for her…
Back at Syanne’s house, she rolls out the sugar cookie dough, while I use the cookie cutters.
“Where’s your home?” she asks. “I never thought to ask.”
“I have a place near Nanna outside of Boulder, though I’m hardly ever there. I travel constantly for work.”
She frowns as she gathers the scraps of dough from the cut cookies and consolidates them into a ball. “Will you eventually move up to a position at St. Nick’s that doesn’t require so much traveling?”
Now is the perfect time to tell her the truth. “I’m about as high as I can get at St. Nick’s.”
She purses her lips. “Maybe you should get a job somewhere else, then.”
I can’t help the laugh that escapes my mouth.
“What?” She squints at me then rolls the dough with increased vigor. “Don’t you want to spend more time with Nanna?”
“Yes, but I’m tied to St. Nick’s.”
“I get it.” She gives a knowing nod “You get financial incentives if you stay at the company.”
“Something like that.”
“I’m worried about you, Reid.” She blinks at the moisture in her big blue eyes. “When Nanna’s gone, I don’t want you to have regrets about missing time with her. And I hate to think of you all alone for the rest of your life. You deserve to find love.”
I feel warm all over, simply knowing she cares. How ironic that the emotion from this fake relationship is the most genuine I’ve ever experienced. Almost every person I meet wants something from me. But not Syanne. She has no idea who I am, and I want to keep it that way as long as possible.
“I don’t think love is in my future.” I swap my Christmas-tree cutter for a star shape. “But I wish I could work less.”
“Maybe you should be like me and quit.” Syanne chuckles. “Don’t know what’s going to happen to my bank account, but the rest of me is happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
I cough out a laugh at the mere idea of quitting.
If only I could.