Page 27 of Just Home for the Holidays
“You have to send a picture to Marshall, let him know what he’s missing.”
“It’ll keep him working longer than he usually does, just to avoid the mortification.”
“I want the white one with the ribbons,” Daphne called back to them.
“I want the gold one with the stars and stripes,” Alex said, and Mandy ushered them into the line for the ride.
“So, does this count as a surprise?” Hunter asked, whispering in Chloe’s ear.
“I’ll have to give it to you,” she ceded.
He fist-pumped the air. “Yes! Number twelve is a goner.”
“You’re going to run out of rules in a hurry,” she said and he laughed.
“I find that hard to believe. I fully expect an amendment.”
“Is buying the carousel tickets online what I left off the schedule?” Chloe asked him in an undertone.
“Doesn’t matter because I’ve got another.”
“There’s more than one thing wrong with my schedule?” Chloe didn’t believe it.
“There’s another big one today, but I didn’t tell you because A/ you didn’t want to know, and B/ I’d already bought these tickets.” He shook his head sadly. “I just can’t ride five horses on the carousel simultaneously.”
“What else is wrong?”
Hunter met her gaze, completely serious. “You can’t have lunch here, then make it to the David Koch Theater in time for the matinee ofThe Nutcracker.”
“Why not? It’s not that far to Lincoln Center. We’ll just get a cab...”
“But there’s construction on Columbus Avenue and on Amsterdam Avenue, and it’s backing up traffic around the west end of the park. I’m living on the Upper West Side and have been dealing with this all week. It’ll take you longer to get there—and if you’re late, they won’t seat you until intermission. You should have switched it up and done the Columbus Circle market today and this one tomorrow. But what’s done is done and you can still save the day by getting lunch there instead of here.” He pulled up the website of a restaurant on Columbus. “This place has a kid-friendly menu and quick service.”
Chloe stared at his phone, astonished that Hunter was a better planner than she was, at least this time. She’d never thought about construction. Daphne would have been so disappointed if they’d missed part of the ballet. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” His eyes danced and she thought he might steal a kiss again. Instead he just whispered in her ear. “Number seven is gone. Number twelve is unlamented. Five down, eight to go.” Then he winked, the bell rang and he strode after the girls to lift them onto the horses they’d chosen. In so doing, he lost his chance at the bay, but he rode the big rabbit with a certain dignity.
Chloe took a picture and he pointed a finger at her triumphantly. “That’s rule ten,gone! We’re almost halfway!”
Despite herself, Chloe laughed.
She realized by the time they finished the carousel ride, had some hot chocolate and Hunter left for his shift at F5F that she was having a good time.
She gave Hunter a kiss, to celebrate that, which made the girls giggle and her sister nod wisely.
But it was just a kiss and a fake date. Rules number three and thirteen might as well have been written in stone.
Four
The idea of sexting Chloe Richardson was irresistible.
Hunter would never have even considered it, but she’d put it on her list. Why? Did she like it? Was she good at it? He’d already seen that she wasn’t as predictable as he’d expected—or as conservative. Those two kisses had both been revelations.
Number two and three were tormenting him with the possibilities. Did she scream when she came? Did she moan? Did she writhe? Did she like it on top? Hunter wanted to know all the details—and then he wanted to trash those two rules so completely that Chloe forgot they’d ever existed.
She had to be the one to suggest they break number three, though.
Maybe sexting would open that door.
