Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,50

as they took hold of the handles, not wanting to see what the bull would do to these two.

“Oh!” Rex said with excitement. “You and Theo could ride together!”

Lila yanked her hands from her face. “Are you kidding? There’s no way I’m getting on that thing,” she said with a laugh, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Do it, do it,” Rex sang, jumping up and down. “It’s fun!”

“We can’t leave you all alone,” she explained, feeling confident that she had a rock-solid out for this crazy idea.

“It’s fine,” Theo told her. “Look who’s running the bull. It’s Adele. She’ll watch Rex.” He bent down to eye level to address the little boy. “You’ll sit with your grandma and watch us, won’t you?”

“Yes, sir!” Rex said with wild excitement in his eyes.

“And I’ll bet she’ll even let you run the bull,” Theo added.

“I’m not riding that thing,” Lila said again, folding her arms. “A girl could fall off and hurt herself.”

Theo leaned into her, that adorably rugged grin playing at his lips, the same challenge in his eyes she’d seen before, making her lightheaded. “Depends on the girl.”

Lila wrinkled her nose at him but had a difficult time keeping a straight face when he laughed—really laughed. She’d never seen something so wonderful in her life. She never wanted him to stop. “Fine,” she said, allowing a giggle to escape.

Rex cheered.

Before she knew it, they’d made it through the line and Lila was climbing onto the bull with Theo. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said under her breath.

Theo put his arms around her and leaned over her shoulder. “Aw, come on. We’ve ridden together before. This is nothing.” His cheek was next to hers, and if she twisted just slightly in his direction, she could put herself in a precarious position that, if she were honest, she wouldn’t at all mind being in.

Suddenly, the bull came to life with a jolt, and both her hands flew to the handle, Theo tightening his grip on her. Rex was in the operation box on Adele’s lap, doubling over already while his grandmother laughed behind him. But her view was ripped away when the bull bucked wildly, causing Theo to squeeze Lila tighter. Her body came off the saddle, making him laugh behind her. She had a unique mix of adrenaline and excitement pumping through her; Theo’s lightly spicy scent of aftershave mixed with the fresh, powdery smell of soap had her heart pattering.

Then in a flash she came off the seat again, but this time the bump was so hard that she and Theo were thrown into the air, the handle coming out of her grip, the two of them landing in the pile of foam on their sides. Only once they’d come to a stop did she realize that Theo’s hand was behind her head to protect her as they fell. The two of them were face to face, their bodies intertwined. Without thinking, she’d put her hand on his chest to shield herself from the weight of his body during the fall, now noticing she could feel the thumping of his heart under her fingers as he looked down at her.

Theo took her in for a second and then a smile slowly spread across his face. “See? That wasn’t so bad,” he said, his voice gentle. Seeing how he’d let his guard down, Lila could hardly breathe.

And she had to admit that being tangled up with Theo definitely wasn’t so bad.

Theo hopped up and grabbed her hand, pulling her to a standing position.

“That was awesome!” Rex said, as they stepped off the mat to exit. He wriggled between Lila and Theo, grabbing their hands and swinging their arms back and forth as his little cowboy boots clacked along the floor. “What do ya wanna do now?” he asked.

“If you’re warm enough, we could go out and ride the Ferris wheel,” Theo suggested.

“I’d love that,” Lila said.

They went outside and got in line for the Ferris wheel, its red-and-green lights like Christmas stars against the black sky above. As it went around, tinkling carols played underneath the laughter and merriment of the crowds.

When it was their turn, they stepped up to their seat, all three of them squeezing in with Rex in the middle. To give them more room, Theo put his arm around the back of the chair, his hand lying gently on Lila’s shoulder, causing a tingle of happiness to rush through her. The attendant came around and checked the door