“Please, stay close to me,” I warn Fender.
“You don’t have to tell me that twice.”
A fire burns through me as Fender wraps an arm around my waist, bringing his front to my back. “How’s this?”
“It’s delightful, but not the safest way to travel.”
His grin is contagious, and I’m smiling ear-to-ear when he releases me.
“Now, remember, it’ll be very slippery. Stay close.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Ready?” I ask at the base of the icecap. The sun reflects off the water not too far away. It’s peaceful here, a serenity flows through the water and I take a second to appreciate nature in its purest form.
“As I’ll ever be.”
We step onto the crystal-like glacier.
“It’s like walking on ice, so go slowly. This isn’t a race,” I tell him.
He’s a good listener because he moves slower than a turtle. “Baby steps,” he whispers.
“You can walk a little faster.”
He smiles. “Nope, I’m doing good.”
We head out a few more yards, and I stop so I can capture a few pictures of the sun glinting off the ice. It’s beautiful at this time of day, and I inhale a deep breath, mesmerized.
Fender must think the same thing because his eyes wander around, taking in all the beauty of our surroundings. “It’s breathtaking,” he says.
I want to tell him the only thing breathtaking around here was his kiss. The very kiss I’d like to repeat over and over.
I wasn’t expecting Fender to confide in me about his mother. My heart broke for him when he leaned on me at that moment about losing her.
Trinity really got it wrong in all her songs about the break up. She never mentioned what he was going through.
Probably because she never truly cared for him.
I snap a few more pictures and then glance over at Fender once more. His cheeks are as red as Rudolph’s nose, and he bounces a little in place, as if his whole body is shivering.
“We can go now,” I say, putting him out of his misery.
If you’re not from around here, you have to get used to the frigid temperatures. I’m like Elsa from Frozen. I’ve got ice flowing in my veins.
Growing up in Alaska gives you a thick skin, but even I’m not impervious to the cold, and it’s best to leave before we both turn into blocks of ice.
We make our way back down the trail and out to my Jeep in the lot. I don’t want this day to end. Because once we get back to Fender’s place, the majestic beauty from this glacier will have worn off. And whatever reason Fender kissed me will have most likely worn off too.
I’ll just have to make sure I never forget it.
I’m pretty sure that’ll never happen.
Nine
Fender
* * *
I know I said I would never put a move on Rachel, but the way she looked with the sun glowing behind her as she spoke to me, I couldn’t help it. I really couldn’t.
However, I know better than to let that happen again.
“When is that thing in the lake you mentioned the other day?”
Rachel turns off the highway and onto the road that leads into town. “The plunge?”
“Yeah, that.”
“It’s actually on Saturday.” Her whole face glows. “Want to come?”
I get my mind out of the gutter at her words and smile. “Yes, I would. I won’t be going in the lake though.”
“It’ll be fun. You should try it. I dare you.”
I lean my head back against the soft leather. “You can’t dare me to do something like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you can’t dare me to do something that might get me killed.”
“You won’t die from it.”
“Let me ask you something.”
“Ok,” she says as she drives back through Santa’s little village. I swear this is where the man really lives, if I were to believe in something so ridiculous.
“Have you been practicing?”
“Well, yes. I need to get my body prepared.”
“I haven’t been. So, I’ll definitely die if I jump.”
She scrunches her cute little button nose at me. “Hm. I still think you’ll be ok.”
We leave town and she heads into the mountains toward my cabin.
“You can dare me to do anything else.”
How bad is it I hope she dares me to do something naughty? Downright dirty. Because the naughtiness running through my head whenever she smiles at me is in overdrive. I never imagined it’d be possible to have so many filthy thoughts running through my head all at once.
She pulls up to my cabin and shuts off the Jeep.
“Want to come inside for a minute?” I have absolutely no reason to ask her inside that comes to mind. I have a million reasons I want her to come inside but can’t voice any of them.
“No, I should head home.”
“Right.” I can’t leave this vehicle just yet. My body won’t move.
“I had a lot of fun today,” she says, glancing up at me.