A Winter Wish (The Read Family Saga #1) - Christi Caldwell Page 0,32

whom, I sh-should r-remind you, will a-arrive at all manner of ti—what are you—?”

Splat.

Her words ended on a sharp gasp as his snowball found its perfect mark at the center of her jacket. His jacket. And how very right it looked on her. There was an intimacy to her wearing his article. Even if he’d been the one responsible for—

“D-did you hit me with a snowball?” she demanded, her arms akimbo.

He swiftly made up another and hurled it.

This time, she darted out of the way, and the missile grazed her hip. She glanced at the smattering of white upon his sapphire jacket like he’d fired a pistol ball at her. “What w-was that for?”

“Well, as I figure it, if you couldn’t tell the first one was, in fact, a snowball, then you required another.”

She sputtered and, bending down, stuffed her hands into the snow. A sharp hiss exploded from her quivering lips as she yanked them back. “Th-this is f-freezing.”

He grinned widely. “It is snow.” Had he ever enjoyed himself so? In the aftermath of losing Josephine Pratt, he’d taken a to-hell-with-it approach to the world, but that response had been born of resentment and anger… with himself and decisions he’d made. Never had he felt this freeness.

“F-furthermore, I-I’ll have you kn-know,” Merry continued as she scooped up a pathetically small ball of snow and tossed it at him, “it’s not the size of the object, but how one wields it.”

He choked.

Gasping, Merry made another snowball and hurled the projectile at his face.

He dusted off the moisture from his face.

“That was for having improper thoughts, Lord Grimslee.”

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“You didn’t need to. From your reaction, it was quite clear your thoughts had taken a wicked path.”

He flashed a crooked smile and sidled closer. “Tell me, love. How is it that you recognized my improper thoughts?”

Her cheeks, already red from the cold, blazed three shades brighter from her blush. Then she gave a toss of her head. “I-I m-may h-have h-heard things a-among the other s-servants, my lord.” She glided closer and dropped her voice to an exaggerated whisper. “Th-things that would sh-shock you.”

He leaned in so the white puffs of their breath mingled in the night air. “And what would you say if I were to tell you I’m endlessly intrigued, Merry Read?”

Her bow-shaped lips formed a perfect moue.

Yes, not so very long ago, he would have been horrified at being part of such wicked repartee… and with a young woman, no less. Why, even the idea of being outside frolicking in the snow—in a borrowed servant’s jacket—would have been a level of scandalous behavior beyond him. Luke touched a finger lightly against her mouth. “Now, I-I’ve shocked you.”

“Y-yes,” she said softly, hugging her arms around her waist. “You’ve sh-shocked me m-many times these past ten days.”

Nine. They’d been together nine, and he felt he knew her better now than he’d ever known anyone. He felt he knew himself… because of her. And he knew one certainty: Nine days would never be enough.

A tender smile curved her beautiful lips up in the corners. “In the most wonderful ways,” she added. Somberness chased away her smile as she worked her gaze over his face. “Do not ever change, Luke Holman. How you are now… who you’ve been these past days? Hold on to that.”

I want to hold on to you. He wanted a life with her. Not with her solely as a friend, but as a friend… and more…

“We should r-return,” she murmured.

Yes, they should. “To your work.”

It wasn’t a question, but an understanding that had come from all she’d revealed about her responsibilities as a servant.

It was also why they weren’t returning inside. For, once they did, they would return to their roles, and this moment would end.

“N-not yet.” Dropping to a knee, he lay down in the snow and stretched out his arms and legs. The cold pierced his garments, stinging his skin with the bite of it. From his threadbare jacket to his boots was soaked and left him nearly numb. He stared overhead at the star-studded sky, the moon hanging overhead, and just laughed.

Crunch-crunch-crunch.

Merry leaned over him, blocking his view of the unfettered landscape. The moon cast an aura of light around her dark tresses, burnishing them with shades of brown. “What are you doing n-now?”

Luke swiped his arms up and down. “I believe you used to call them a-angels?”

“Snow angels,” she whispered.

He paused and stared up at her frozen over him, her expression both