Page 57 of Frost Bitten
I’ll be there. Just make sure and let me know where.
Will do. *face blowing a kiss*
* * *
Saturday was a blast. Corey and I were able to convince Lily to buy appropriate things for Mom, and not goofy or prank presents. Lunch was even fun. The guys met us at the mall, and after we ate, they even walked around with us. Bast looped his arm around me as we walked, and Corey grabbed my hand. Cam lifted Lily onto his shoulders in a surprisingly friendly mood, and Dom walked beside them, having a conversation with Lily about Pokémon. It was an amazing day, and Bast came back to the house and stayed with us, so we weren’t alone.
When Mom gets home the next afternoon, she rushes in with a flurry, takes her bags to her room, and then she walks back out like nothing strange has just happened.
“Um, hi?” I greet her, hoping to draw attention to her crazy behavior.“Oh, hi, hun. I had the best weekend! How is everything? Where is your sister?”
“We’re all good. She’s in her room. Last I saw, she was reading.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll go say hi.”
“Oh, Mom? Since you’re home, I’m going out tonight. I just wanted to let you know.”
“Alright, hun. Sure thing,” she calls, walking down the hall. So strange.
Once it’s time to get ready, I dress in layers. I throw on skinny jeans, a thin tank, a thin sweater, and I have my heavy jacket to add. I also put on my fuzziest socks and my winter boots, because I want my feet to be warm until we go skating.
He picks me up around six-thirty, and by the time we make it to the local bar & grill, he asks about my week ahead. Knowing it’s almost Christmas gives me anxiety about my impending doom and having to go to Jason. I fear my silence has made him question my desire to talk, but really I want the distraction. I’d talk about anything but the next two weeks. I give him some lame excuse that work will be busy with the last-minute shoppers. That reminds me. I need to give Lori notice, so I don’t leave her hanging without proper work coverage.
We order, and the conversation turns much lighter, discussing the local hockey team’s game that is airing on the bar’s TVs and how Corey’s brother works for them. I’ve always been a fan of all winter sports, so I cheer right along with Dom when they score. The food is delicious, and when we are done, and it’s time to leave, Dom insists on paying for me.
As we exit the restaurant, Dom takes a hold of my hand and tucks it into the crook of his elbow. He turns away from his Range Rover, though, choosing instead to escort me down the plaza sidewalk.
“There is a little rink I always come to, right around the corner. I figured we’d just walk.”
“Okay,” I reply with a smile. “Thank you for thinking of something quiet, but where we can still chat? Movies are fun, but to be honest, I find they are boring date ideas, especially when getting to know someone.”
“I totally agree. Before we go to the coffee shop, I thought we could skate around the rink. I’ll buy you a hot chocolate afterward, as long as you don’t tell Lori I’m cheating on her.” The smirk on his face is mesmerizing, his sky-blue eyes full of mirth. I giggle and quickly agree, right as we walk up to the rink.
It takes about fifteen minutes to get our skates on and laced up, and as we stand to make our way to the ice, we both wobble a little. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve been ice skating. It has to have been at least a year, maybe more? There weren’t many places in Florida over the summer, and we’d been on the road since January.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while for me too,” he says with a chuckle. Skating with him is fun; we goof off, telling each other jokes and our favorite Christmas memories.
“Reminiscing about the times it was just Mom and me, I think that was truly the most special time for me. Not specifically because it didn’t involve Jason, or that Lily wasn’t here, and I was an only child, but more because it was just her and me, the two of us. No drama, no chaos. She made things memorable – we baked cookies and went to see the ice castle one of the local churches built each year. We made Christmas cards for soldiers overseas, and the Thanksgiving Day Parade was our yearly tradition to start off the holidays. I miss the simple times.”
“Cait,” he says as he pulls me to a stop on the ice. “I completely understand. My parents weren’t always the best, but the traditions were the best part of the holidays growing up. My dad would go into the little forest on our land on the mountainside and chop down our tree each year. Knowing it came from our own property brought a sense of pride. Do you have a real tree? I know you probably don’t have a lot of decorations, but we can always go and get some.”
“We don’t have a tree yet. I may go buy one tomorrow; at least, maybe a small one,” I say wistfully. Lily needs a tree. And this may end up being the last one I ever have. I have no idea what Jason will subject me to, so I want to enjoy all of this while I can.
“Hey, for sure. I can go with you, if you want? After you take Lily to school, we can go shopping for decorations, and then find a tree, and get it home and set up before she’s out of school.” He wraps his arm around me, booping my nose with a gloved finger.
I lift my head to smile up at him, but immediately a snowflake lands in my eye. I scream at the cold shock and then start laughing, as Dom couldn’t hold his laughter in to save his life. “Stop it,” I scold him between my own fit of giggles. “It wasn’t snowing a minute ago, and it landed right in the middle of my eye! It was cold!”
He chuckles and just shakes his head. “How about we go get warm with that hot chocolate I promised?”
I beam at him, a grin spread wide across my face. “Yes, please,” I respond while turning to skate toward the side entrance of the rink where we’ve stored our stuff. We quickly unlace the skates and pack up, because I’m ready for this delicious hot cocoa Dom keeps teasing me with.
He grabs my hand, pulling me quickly into a jog, knowing that he needs to warm me up. I soon discover the coffee shop he was referring to is quaint and cute, about one-fourth the size of Lift. It only has four booths, two round tables, and a couple of armchairs for the patrons to relax in. Considering it’s nearly nine, it’s almost time for them to close. “Hey Tim, we won’t keep you, but could you make my girl and me some of your famous hot cocoas?”
Tim, the only person visible manning the coffee shop, grins widely at Dom’s request. “Sure thing, Dominic.” Three minutes later, Tim brings us two of the most indulgent hot cocoas I’ve ever seen to the booth we’ve settled in. A large paper cup for each of us, piled high with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a sprinkle of peppermint candy.
“Oh my gosh, peppermint hot cocoa?!” I exclaim with hungry eyes, reaching for my cup with grabby hands. I take that first sip, and it’s even more decadent than I could imagine. A moan escapes my lips, and as I swallow, I look up at both men watching me with amusement. “Pardon me, I get a little excited about holiday treats.” Tim laughs, wishing us both to enjoy them. He instructs Dom to flip the lock on the door as we leave, and then he excuses himself to get back to nighttime closing work.
Dom turns back to me, smirking at me. “So you like my surprise?”
