It was the most difficult thing he had done all day, but he tore his eyes from her warm smile and assessed the snowman.
“I believe you have done a fine job without me.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Luke grinned. “True. We had to exert quite the effort to pile these snowballs one atop the other. But it must be done,” Luke’s tone turned light and playful. Anything to keep his mind focused on innocence. “In the name of Christmas traditions. We must build a snowman.” He threw his index finger into the air for effect.
Adeline giggled. “Never a snowwoman?”
“Never! That would be tantamount to sacrilege,” Luke wanted to wrap his hands around her waist and swing her in the air. He wanted to hear that giggle again.
“A snow child?”
“Never! No snow people, snow animals, or other beings.” This last line was rewarded with a second giggle.
“I’m afraid you can’t stop me.”
Luke felt his brows gather inward, “What do you me–”
But Adeline had already taken off toward a flat pile of snow. At the last second, she whirled around, eyed him, and then fell backward. Arms outstretched, she was laughing as she began to wave her arms up and down in the snow, while her straight legs moved out and then in.
“What are you doing? You’ll freeze your–backside off.”
“I’m making a snow angel. And you can’t stop me.”
“I think I can, actually.”
Luke planned to march over there, reach down, and pick her up from her waist, but before he could seize his prize, he felt a bitter, stingy cold mass splatter right onto his cheek.
His eyebrows reached for the skies as he realized Adeline had just thrown a snowball at him.
“Did you miss?”
Adeline’s expression mirrored his own. “You’ll never know.”
What overtook him in that moment could hardly be identified. It was life, laughter, joy, playfulness all wrapped into one snow-angel-making wonder. It was what he craved. It matched the long suppressed need in his life. It was who he always was but hadn’t been in full since mourning.
This was what life was about. Finding joy in the moment. Grasping first for laughter. Admiring beauty everywhere. Creating beauty out of anything. And doing it all with someone wonderful.
He raced over and instead of heeding his arousal and pouncing on top of her, he heeded his heart and lay beside her. Arms and legs outstretched, he made his own angel.
Chapter 7
IFANYONEHADTOLDher she would be making snow angels with a duke this Christmas season, Adeline would have laughed and placed a wager, if she was the type to place a wager. And she wasn’t. She wasn’t the wagering type. She wasn’t the daring type. But she also had never thought herself the snow-angel-making-with-a-duke type. This was the Christmas for all things new.
“I thought you said nothing but snowmen?” Adeline couldn’t hold down the corners of her lips as she teased the outstretched duke.
“I love tradition. But I also love trying new things.”
Was that a twinkle in his eyes again? Or was the snow just reflecting off his gorgeous blue irises? The duke’s arms waving up and down to make angel wings weren’t the only things moving to and fro. Adeline’s insides were in a flurry. It was a nice thought to imagine cute fairies making snow angels in there, but it felt more like a full blown snowball fight. Between brothers.
Despite the inner raucous, Adeline decided once again to embrace Margaret’s words about being the ember. She had nothing to lose.
“What kind of new things do you like to try?”
Yes, that was a twinkle in his eyes, and it was shining right at her, reflecting her own inexplicable desire to be near him.
He lifted his head and propped himself on his elbows. Lifting one hand he cupped her jaw and slowly rubbed a thumb over her chin.
