Patricia nodded and sipped at the beer again. Her ocean blues were misty and thick. “I’ve really blown it, haven’t I?”
Bill rubbed his hand over her shoulder and nodded to his stepchildren. “You are some great kids. I have no doubt you’re going to give us some sweet grandchildren that we can spoil.”
Patricia nodded stiffly, looking almost as if she were about to shed a few tears. “I would really like that. Give me a chance?”
“Fresh start, how does that sound?” Grady asked.
21
S-N-O-W-M-A-N
Wait for it. Almost. In. Range.
Claire gripped the wadded snowball, her fingers freezing as she had ditched her mittens long ago, the clunky things completely useless when it came to a decent snowball fight. Grady hollered a war-whoop as he sprinted in her direction.
Now.
From behind the ice cream scoop shrub, Claire popped out and slung the snowball at her fiancé. The white lobular mass floated and bobbed and caught him square in the chest.
Surprised, he froze and looked down at the icy debris that stuck to his sweatshirt. He glanced up with a laughing grin of horror. Quickly popping down to grab a wad of snow, he took off after her.
Before he could reach her, Haley and Ryder leaped out from behind the snowcapped topiaries and nailed snowball after snowball at Grady.
He let out a roar, unconvincing thanks to the mischievous gleam in his sky-blue eyes, and launched at Claire. Without pause, he scooped her over his shoulder and took off toward the stables.
Still firing away with snowballs built with skill and practice, his siblings hammered him in the back. Head precariously close to the target, Claire gripped her knit cap and yelled, “Watch it. Innocent victim here.”
Arm drawn back, Ryder bit his lip wickedly and raised his eyebrows. “Says the woman that nearly blinded me with an icy one the second I stepped outside. This truce is over.”
Grady raced into the stables and released Claire before ducking behind the doors. He winked and held his finger over his lips. Claire stood in the middle of the room and folded her arms over her chest, waiting for the onslaught.
But no one came. Claire relaxed her shoulders and shook her head at Grady. “I’m not afraid of a few snowballs.”
“That’s because they’re taking it easy on you. Seriously. Patricia used to hate the snow, knowing the three of us would pretend we were waging war on anyone who dared step outside.” Grady tossed the snowball behind him and strolled toward Claire. He peeled off his gloves and traced his freezing fingertips along her numb jawline.
She leaned into his touch and smiled, tugging her lip into her teeth and closing her eyes.
