We turn the corner to the next aisle. I find a hot pink tinsel garland and drape it around my neck. Sebastian scoops up a bag of mismatched metal cookie cutters and a spool of red ribbon. We hurry through the store, picking up odds and ends that look promising but nothing that’s truly eye-catching and wonderful.
"Do you think we can pull this off, Sebastian?" I eye our cart of pitiful second-hand junk. I pull the garland from my neck and toss it on my jacket. "We need something big. Something that stands out."
I shake my head, allowing grinchy thoughts to cloud the fun we’re having. I pout my bottom lip into a frown. My chin sags along with my shoulders. Sebastian grabs me by the shoulders and gently turns me to face him.
“Hey, we already have something big.” He tilts my chin with his finger. I peer into his big puppy dog eyes and marvel at the wonder and hope they convey with such ease. “We have heart and a willing spirit. If we give it our all, we’ve already won.”
“But–”
“Uh uh.” He interrupts me with a fingertip to my lip. It’s the softest, gentlest touch, yet it scorches me, sending a tremor of longing through my veins. “No more negative talk. Deal?”
I nod, resisting the urge to suck his finger between my lips. My heart bangs against my chest as I focus on keeping my hands to myself.
We make it to the checkout with five minutes to spare before closing. The teen clerk is not impressed. She rings up our items and shoves everything into plastic bags.
Sebastian rescues the pink garland and drapes it around my neck, pulling me closer to him. “Are you up for one more stop?”
He circles my waist with his broad fingers. I snuggle into his chest and focus on his adoring eyes.
God, he’s beautiful.
***
Sebastian
As long as Sophie’s willing, I’ll keep testing my luck to spend more time with her. I’d take her to the moon and back if I could. But instead, we make one more stop for bonus supplies.
"I haven't made popcorn and cranberry garlands since I was a kid." Sophie runs water over the fresh cranberries while I measure the popcorn. "Did you do this when you were little, too?"
"Oh, yeah. And more." I check the oil temperature, then dump the cup full of popcorn into the pan. The kernels sizzle and vibrate in the hot oil. When one kernel begins to sprout, I pop the lid on the pot. "My family's big on all things DIY, especially food. Some years, Mom dried orange slices. We'd string them with cinnamon sticks. Dad had all the fun with drilling holes into the cinnamon sticks, though. Mom wouldn't let us touch power tools until our teens."
“She was only looking out for your safety.” She pats the cranberries dry with a towel, then threads two needles.
“I think she was more concerned about overzealous boys playing handyman with the house.” I chuckle. Drake and I were nothing but trouble when we were younger. Inquisitive, always getting into things we shouldn’t, and Drake always taking the blame. He spent the better part of his early years looking out for me. I shake my head and push back the smidgen of guilt that suddenly stabs at my conscience. “Hmm.”
Sophie peeks over my shoulder. “Hmm, what?” Her softness rubs against my back as she strains her neck to see what I’m doing. She balances herself with a hand on my shoulder.
I turn slightly and catch a whiff of her sweet cream scent. "You smell good."
Her eyes flit to mine, lighting up when she smiles. "It's the popcorn." She wiggles a hand between my torso and arm, grabbing for the potholder I've placed on the lid. She tips the cover, and a stray pop of hot oil hits her wrist. She drops the lid in place and winces. "Ouch. That was a bad idea."
I turn away from the stove, and a sudden desire to care for her overtakes me. A splotch of redness mars her skin. I guide her to the sink, flip on the cold water, and then grab an ice cube from the freezer.
“It doesn’t look bad. Does it hurt?” I cradle her arm in my hand and skim her tender skin with ice. She’s soft and fragile, with water droplets melting against her heated flesh.
She shakes her head, and her magical scent wraps around me, claiming my senses. My heart swells with a mixed need for emotional and physical closeness. But it’s too soon, too fast. There’s so much to discover first.
The last of the ice melts, yet I can’t pull away. I circle the tiny red blotch with my fingertip, willing away any residual pain or soreness.
"Sebastian." Sophie places her fingers over mine, stopping the dizzying circles I draw on her body. My breath catches as I behold her serene expression. She stares back, her eyes shimmering with an angelic glow. A self-conscious smile graces her lips. "I'm okay. But the popcorn will burn if we don't take it off the burner."
“Right. Yes, right,” I stammer, shaking the cobwebs from my brain. I reluctantly loosen my hold on her and take quick action to save the popcorn. “Nothing worse than the bitter stink of burnt popcorn.”
Only there is something much worse than that. If we don’t pull off winning the Festival of Lights, Sophie may never fully forgive me for ruining her business.
I’ll lose her before I can truly call her my own.