Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
For the first few minutes of the sleigh ride, both Imogen and Lincoln were completely silent.
The only sound was the rhythmic clip-clop of the horses’ hooves against the snow-packed pavement and the gentle jingling of their harnesses.
She sat stiffly next to Lincoln, a little nervous as she shifted under the blanket, very aware of how close he was to her and the scent of his cologne on his coat mixed with the crisp winter air.
The entire setup was very romantic, and she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel about that, exactly.
She stole a glance at his profile, which looked very handsome in the streetlights, she thought.
He looked confident despite his admission of never having done this before, and she looked at his hands on the reins, remembering how those same hands had felt wrapped around hers on walks after school.
The memory came back more clearly than she would have expected it to.
Imogen bit her lip wondering what she should say.
She could feel Lincoln glancing at her periodically, probably wondering what she was thinking, probably wishing he was anywhere but trapped in a sleigh with his ex-girlfriend from fifteen years ago.
He had to be resentful about this whole situation—clearly he’d been as blindsided by this mysterious contest as she had been.
He’d obviously been roped into whatever was going on, and she wasn’t buying how weird Vanessa had been about it all or the story about Fir Tree Grove always having had this super-surprise-sleigh-ride.
Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She had to say something. Make light of the situation, at least.
“This is pretty ridiculous, isn’t it?” she said with a forced laugh, turning to face him. “I mean, a surprise sleigh ride contest that neither of us remembers entering? You must have a dozen better things to do with your evening than get roped into this bizarre situation.”
Lincoln’s lips quirked up in a half-smile, and some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease. “Well, I’ll admit this isn’t exactly how I planned to spend my Friday night,” he said, his voice warm with amusement. “But I’m not unhappy about it either.”
The simple statement caught her off guard, and she felt her cheeks flush for reasons that had nothing to do with the cold air.
“After all,” Lincoln continued, his eyes briefly meeting hers before returning to the path ahead, “we used to enjoy spending time together back in high school. I’m sure we can find something to talk about.”
The flood of memories that rushed through Imogen’s mind was so intense it left her breathless.
Enjoyed spending time together felt like putting it mildly.
She had a hundred memories of their time together, even more, maybe.
Eating lunches together in the grassy square outside of the cafeteria, her watching his hockey games, shared bites of pizza and kisses fizzy from soft drinks.
Going to the movies together and barely watching them, afternoons spent wandering through town or going on hikes, Lincoln buying her sunflowers because he knew they were her favorite.
Her helping him study in the library, and chiding him for getting distracted and looking at her instead of his homework.
Telling each other all their secrets, even the ones that eventually pulled them apart when it became clear that what they wanted for their lives were two very different things.
She pushed the memories aside firmly, reminding herself that those days were long gone and that dwelling on them served no purpose.
Whatever they’d had back then, it was ancient history now.
Being shoved together on a sleigh ride definitely didn’t change anything.
They were still the same friends that they’d been before this.
“So,” she said, desperate to focus on something concrete, “where exactly are we supposed to be going? Did whoever organized this provide any kind of itinerary or route?”
Lincoln chuckled bemusedly, shaking his head.
“That’s an excellent question. Apparently I’m supposed to just…
drive around until the magic happens? It does seem pretty strange that this free sleigh ride would come with no directions whatsoever and require the recipient to actually operate the sleigh themselves. ”
The absurdity of the situation hit them both at the same moment, and Imogen found herself laughing—really laughing—for the first time in what felt like weeks.
“Oh my goodness,” she gasped between giggles, “we’re probably violating at least a dozen safety regulations right now. Do you even have a license to drive a horse-drawn vehicle?”
“I don’t think those exist,” Lincoln said, his own laughter mixing with hers. “Although I’m pretty sure there should be some kind of training involved. What if these horses decide they want to go home? What if they get spooked by something? What if—”
“What if this whole thing is just an elaborate prank?” Imogen finished, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
“Now that,” Lincoln said, “would actually make sense.”
As their laughter subsided, Imogen felt some of the nervous energy leave her body. This was better—this easy camaraderie felt more familiar, more like the Lincoln she remembered. Maybe they could get through this evening without it being a complete disaster.
“You know,” she said, settling back against the cushions, “this reminds me of when we rented that taxi to get to prom because our parents said no to the limo. We didn’t know that there weren’t taxis here, and that the driver had to come from out of town to get us there.
We’d have been better off just taking your truck. ”
“Oh gosh,” Lincoln groaned, but he was smiling. “I can’t believe you remember that. I was so embarrassed. I still can’t believe that driver managed to get lost in Fir Tree Grove. I didn’t think it was physically possible.”
“And we were late for prom after all of that.” Imogen sighed, a nostalgic sound that seemed to hang in the air between them. “It was still wonderful though, wasn’t it? I feel like we had the best prom. I loved my dress, and you looked so handsome—”
She broke off as Lincoln looked at her, their eyes meeting. You still are, she almost said, and bit the words back. She wondered if he could see that she was thinking it.
“You were so worried about missing the dancing,” Lincoln said, his voice growing softer with the memory. “But honestly? I was kind of glad we were late.”
Imogen looked at him, surprised. “Why?”
He smiled. “Because it meant I got to spend that extra time with you in the backseat of that taxi, just the two of us. You looked so beautiful in that blue dress, and you were laughing about the whole situation instead of being upset about it. I remember thinking that if this was what the rest of my life was going to be like—just you and me figuring things out together, finding the humor in whatever went wrong—then I was going to be the luckiest guy in the world.”
The confession hung in the air between them, and Imogen felt her heart skip a beat.
She remembered that dress clearly—midnight blue satin that she’d begged her mother to let her buy, with straps that were thin enough they barely passed dress code and a flowing skirt that made her feel like a princess.
She remembered how Lincoln had looked at her when she came down the stairs that night, like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
She missed someone looking at her that way. She missed him looking at her that way, she realized. It had never felt quite the same with anyone else.
“It was wonderful though,” she repeated softly, her voice barely audible above the sound of the horses’ hooves. “That night. Despite everything that went wrong, it was still perfect.”
Lincoln’s eyes were still on hers, and for a moment she thought she could see the past fifteen years drifting away, evaporating until the eighteen-year-old boy she’d fallen in love with was looking back at her.
It felt, for a second, as if everything that had happened since then had vanished, and they were still them, Lincoln and Imogen, in love and able to take on the world.
The spell was broken when one of the horses snorted loudly, shaking his massive head and causing the bells to jingle more vigorously.
“Easy, Jingle,” Lincoln said, his attention returning to the reins. “Or is it Belle? I’ve already forgotten which one is which.”
“The one on the left has the white marking on its forehead,” Imogen said, grateful for the distraction as she snapped back to reality. She couldn’t believe how lost in the moment she’d gotten. “That must be Belle.”
Lincoln raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
“I don’t, actually. I’m just guessing.” She grinned at him. “But it sounds like I know what I’m talking about, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” Lincoln agreed solemnly. “I’m impressed by your horse identification skills.”
They continued through the streets of Fir Tree Grove, past houses decorated with elaborate light displays and front yards filled with illuminated reindeer and snowmen.
The snow was falling more steadily now, creating a soft hush that made it feel like they were the only two people in the world.
Despite the cold, Imogen felt perfectly warm, cocooned in the sleigh with Lincoln and surrounded by the magic of the winter evening.
They chatted easily about the changes in the town, about classmates they’d both lost touch with, about the businesses that had come and gone over the years.
It felt easier than Imogen would have imagined, the awkwardness of the impromptu sleigh ride vanishing the longer they spent out together.
“The snow is really starting to come down,” she observed, watching the flakes swirl around them in the glow of the street lights. She held out a hand, watching the flakes melt on her palm.
“It’s beautiful,” Lincoln agreed, but when she looked over at him, she found him watching her instead of the snow.
Her pulse quickened, and she quickly turned her attention back to their surroundings, trying to ignore the way her heart was beating against her ribs.
“I wonder how much longer this ride is supposed to last,” she said, aiming for casual conversation.
“I should probably get back to Katie before too long.”
“Vanessa seemed pretty determined to keep her entertained,” Lincoln said with a chuckle. “I get the feeling she’s more than happy to play babysitter for the evening.”
“She’s wonderful with children,” Imogen said gratefully. “Katie absolutely adores her and Jackson. Sometimes I think Katie wishes—”
She stopped herself before she could finish the thought. She’d been about to say that sometimes she thought Katie wished she had a complete family like Vanessa and Jackson, but that felt like too much to share with Lincoln right now.
“She wishes what?” Lincoln prompted gently.
“Nothing,” Imogen said quickly. “I just think she likes being around both Vanessa and Jackson. Hanging out with them both.” She bit her lip, thinking of how to turn the conversation away from the topic.
Lincoln nodded. “She seems like a remarkable kid. You’ve done an amazing job raising her.”
The compliment warmed her more than it should have. “Thank you. She’s pretty incredible. Sometimes I can’t believe I got so lucky.”
“Her father—” Lincoln began, then stopped himself. “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”
“It’s okay,” Imogen said, surprised to find that she actually meant it. “He’s not in the picture. Never really was, honestly. It’s just been Katie and me from the beginning.”
Lincoln was quiet for a moment. “That must have been difficult.”
“It was,” she admitted. “Especially those first few years. But we figured it out together, and now I can’t imagine our life any other way.”
She looked down at her hands, and then up a moment later when she felt the sleigh slow as Lincoln tugged on the reins.
They’d been so absorbed in their conversation that neither of them had been paying close attention to their route through town.
Imogen looked around and realized she had absolutely no idea where they were.
“Um,” Lincoln said, bringing the sleigh to a complete stop and looking around with growing confusion. “This is embarrassing, but I think we might be lost.”
Imogen followed his gaze, taking in their surroundings.
They’d made their way out of town, down a path that led into a snowy field.
The town was some distance away, she realized—she couldn’t see the lights any longer.
They hadn’t been paying attention for longer than they’d known, and the horses had just obediently plodded along.
“How on earth did we get so far away without noticing?” Imogen gasped. “We should have seen how dark it was getting.”
“We were too busy reminiscing to pay attention to where we were going,” Lincoln said ruefully. “I have no idea how we ended up here.”
“Well,” Imogen said, settling back in her seat with amusement, “this is certainly turning out to be an adventure. First we win a contest neither of us entered, and now we’re lost in our own hometown. What’s next?”
Lincoln grinned at her, and in the soft glow of the moonlight, he looked so much like the boy she’d fallen in love with that it made her chest ache.
“I guess we’ll just have to figure it out as we go,” he said. “Just like old times.”