“Are you ready for our little adventure today? Are you feeling open to accepting the Christmas spirit into your heart?” Her hands, stretched out at her sides, come together over her heart.
I chuckle. “First let me see what kind of punny shirt you’re wearing today?”
Her mouth drops open and she tilts her head. “What makes you think I’m wearing something like that?”
I lean forward a bit before I speak, hands still in my pocket. “Because I know you, Kenzie Montgomery. You can’t help yourself.”
She unbuttons her red coat and spreads it open wide. “You do know me apparently.”
I look down at her evergreen knit sweater with a cream-colored gingerbread man on it and the words “Let’s Get Baked” written over the top.
My head tilts back and a full-bodied laugh leaves my lips. “I like it.” When I straighten, she’s looking at me kind of strange. “What?”
“Nothing. I’ve just never seen you laugh like that. You should do it more often.”
I’m unsure how to respond, but I don’t need to worry because she speaks again.
“Let’s go.” She walks, and I position myself on the street side, hustling to keep up with her.
“Where exactly are we going?”
She glances over and smiles. “Well, I figured if you’re like most men, you leave your holiday shopping until the last minute. Either that or you give a list to your assistant to take care of. I know how you feel about your assistant though, so not sure that’s a feasible option for you.”
“True enough.”
“I thought we could go ice skating, then take a walk through the holiday market.”
I groan. I haven’t been ice skating since I was a kid, and even then, I wasn’t any good at it.
“Nope. None of that.” She wraps her arms around my forearm and pulls me to a stop. With her finger pointed at me, I feel as if I’m being reprimanded. “You promised. It’s part of the deal. You have to go into it with an open mind.”
With the way she looks up at me with those big blue eyes, it’s a wonder anyone can ever say no to her.
My discomfort eases and I decide to play along even if I’m dreading the outing. “You’re right. Sorry.” I nod, and she smiles and releases my arm.
From there, we make our way to the ice rink that’s been set up in the middle of the park. A giant Christmas tree is at the end closest to the main branch of the library, and an après ski lounge is on one side.
Though Kenzie got us tickets, we still end up having to wait in line.
“How’s your week been? Before Thanksgiving, I mean,” I ask her after we’ve been standing there for a while.
“Busy. Your firm’s party is top of my mind, but I’m working on a smaller event for some clients I’ve worked with in the past. It’s just a private Santa meet-and-greet for their kids and friends, but I want everything to be perfect. One of the wives was the first person to give me my break into high society party planning, and I don’t want to disappoint her.”
I knock her with my shoulder. “You won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?” She looks up at me as though she really needs to hear the answer, as though what I say matters.
I wonder if she’s still rattled from what her mother said a couple of days ago.
So in an effort to get across how much I mean it, and not because my fingers are itching to touch her, I take her shoulders in my hands. “You forget that I’ve seen you in action. I know how focused, and capable, and committed you are to your clients. Whatever you put together will be perfect.”
I’m not sure if it’s the cold or my words, but her cheeks turn pink. “Thanks, Andrew. That means a lot… really it does.”
I give her an awkward kind of smile and let my hands drop to my sides.
One of the attendants who has been working her way up the line holding a metal bucket in front of her reaches us. I lean forward to see what’s inside.
“Candy cane?” She smiles at us.