Tic-Tac-Mistletoe - N.R. Walker Page 0,19

foot out. “But the socks you loaned me are the best things ever. You’ll need to tell me where you got them from.”

“Mrs Barton knits them.”

“Oh my God, for real?”

I nodded. “Sure does.”

“I didn’t know knitting socks was a thing.” He sat on the couch and pulled on the boots I’d got for him. They were miles too big, but at least they’d keep him warm. He did up the laces and stood up, waved his hand, and did a perfect David Rose impression. “‘And these mountaineering shoes that my boyfriend is wearing, looking like Oprah going on a Thanksgiving Day hike.’”

I laughed. “Love that show.”

“Same.” He lifted one boot up. “There is a very good chance that I will trip and injure myself wearing these.”

“You’ll be fine,” I said, pulling my boots on. “Got a hat?”

He pulled out a knitted cap that matched his pink coat and grinned. “I have a beanie. It matches.”

I laughed. “I can see that.”

He made a face, unsure and maybe a little embarrassed. “Is it too much pink?”

“Can there ever be too much pink?”

His smile was magnificent and he sighed happily. “Absolutely not. ‘Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed.’”

“Oh my God,” I whispered, grinning as my heart did a little dance with the butterflies in my belly. “You just quoted Legally Blonde.”

He beamed. “I told you I loved it.”

I don’t know why it affected me so much, but it made me happy and a little bit sad. “I don’t get to really talk about stuff I like,” I admitted. “Not with my friends here. I mean, I could, I guess. I just don’t.”

Hamish frowned. “Would they shun you? Or laugh at you for that kind of thing?”

“No, I don’t think so.” I shrugged. “I just don’t share that part of myself.” I sighed and shook my head, feeling a bit foolish for admitting this to him. “Come on, Miss Chutney will pee on the floor if we don’t hurry.”

“Oh!” He looked at Chutney, panicked. “Quick!” He turned the door handle, opened the door, and stopped. He stood, stock still, horrified. “Nope.” Then he closed the door.

I laughed and handed him a pair of gloves. “Come on, it’s not that bad.”

Chutney followed me out onto the porch and did a little dance when I picked up the shovel. I looked back at Hamish, who was staring, somewhat horrified. “What are you doing with that?”

“I gotta shovel. It’s what happens when it snows.” And truth be told, it hadn’t even snowed too much. Maybe a few feet. I scraped off the steps and began making a path for Chutney. “Come on, shut the door. You’re letting all the heat out.”

That made him move, at least. He stepped out and pulled the door shut behind him. “Oh, sorry.”

I tried not to watch him too much. I didn’t want to come off as creepy, but it was cute as hell watching him experience snow for the first time. He crouched down at the steps, took his glove off, and poked his pointer finger into the bed of white powder. He grinned and did it again, but then quickly put his glove back on. He scooped up a handful, and still on his haunches, he inspected it, poked at it, then looked at me and grinned. “Can I taste it?”

I chuckled. “Sure you can.”

He lifted the scoop to his face, stuck out his tongue, and tentatively tasted the snow. There was a brief moment of confusion on his face, then he brought it to his lips and tasted it properly. He dumped the scoop onto the snow and brushed his hands as he stood up. “It tastes like when I was about seven and I stuck my tongue to the inside of the freezer.”

I snorted. “You didn’t do that, did you?”

He made a face. “No.”

He totally did. Laughing, I shovelled for a bit, making a bit of a path along the side of the house toward the garage, and when I turned around, he was staring at me. “You all right there?”

“Only down one side.”

“What?”

“I’m left down the other.” He smiled. “Actually, I was just enjoying the view.”

The view. Right. He was staring at my ass. I grinned at him and held the shovel out. “Want a go?”

“Sure,” he said, carefully walking down the wet steps and he took the shovel and actually gave it a real go. He was pretty good at it for a first time, and I liked that he didn’t even