waved away Holly’s concern with a grin. “I’m always behind. Just ask your sister.”
“Thank you!” Holly called as Julia headed off toward the motorcycle she’d roared up on earlier. Turning to Robbie, she stuck her hands in her pockets and scuffed at the snow. “You probably need to go too.”
“No, I’m good.” His voice held something that made Holly look up at his face. The color of his eyes seemed more intense than usual, and a sharpness around his jaw suggested he was holding himself in check in some way. She thought his gaze dropped to her lips, but then he gave her a friendly smile, and she decided she had imagined the whole thing. “Let’s head up to the barn. It’s tough going through the snow so I’ll give you some help.” He extended his gloved hand to her.
She pulled her hand out of her pocket and put it in his, watching as his fingers closed around hers and feeling the strength of his grip down to her bones. They crunched across the snowy field side by side, their breath coming out in puffy little clouds. The sun was dropping behind the mountains, washing the snow with pink.
She kept her gaze on the gate, but in her peripheral vision, she could see Robbie’s long, athletic stride. The power he radiated made her feel safe, even as it sent ripples of excitement shimmering over her skin.
It was a moment she wanted to stitch into her memory so she could take it out and snuggle into it after he was gone.
Claire’s words floated back to nag at her. Would this moment be enough or would she regret not trying for more?
She opened her mouth, but no words formed, so she closed it again.
As they reached the gate, Robbie tossed the hammer over the fence post before he stepped in front of her, taking hold of her other hand as well. She swore she felt the heat of his gaze as he scanned her face. She tilted her head up toward him in a subtle invitation, but all he said was, “I know you don’t want to hear it, but you saved something important to the whole town.”
She waited, willing him to give her some signal that he admired more than just her civic spirit. She might have even swayed toward him just a bit with her lips slightly parted.
He squeezed both her hands and released her to swing open the gate.
She shoved her hands into her pockets and stomped up the road before he could latch the gate behind them.
Darn the man for refusing to give her any help at all!
* * *
“Mama, can we take Noël down to the nativity scene?” Brianna asked. “She’s going to be in it so she should get to see it.” She and Kayleigh stood on a hay bale just outside Noël’s stall, petting the donkey’s neck and head.
“You just want to spend more time with that donkey,” Holly said, parking her hands on her hips. The donkey’s eyes were closed, and she could swear the creature wore an expression of total bliss.
Brianna nodded. “She’s really sweet. She would never bite anyone.” She shifted her gaze to the man standing beside Holly. “Isn’t that right, Captain Robbie?”
“Well, she’s never bitten me,” Robbie said, “but animals can be unpredictable.”
Brianna was far too perceptive, and Robbie was being too kind. Holly was not going to look like a coward in front of them. She unlatched the stall door and walked in, stretching out her arm to pat the donkey’s neck. Noël’s fuzzy coat was soft and springy. The donkey turned to look at her, so she yanked back her hand and took a quick step away. She nearly collided with Brianna and Kayleigh, who had seized the opportunity to follow her into the stall.
“Can we take her with us, Mama?” Kayleigh chimed in, opening her eyes wide in her best pleading look.
“It’s pretty hard to refuse those two,” Robbie said, his expression one of appreciation as he joined the crowd around Noël.
“You’re not helping.” Holly slanted a wry look at him before turning back to her children. “We can’t take Noël out of the stall
“Thank you!” Holly called as Julia headed off toward the motorcycle she’d roared up on earlier. Turning to Robbie, she stuck her hands in her pockets and scuffed at the snow. “You probably need to go too.”
“No, I’m good.” His voice held something that made Holly look up at his face. The color of his eyes seemed more intense than usual, and a sharpness around his jaw suggested he was holding himself in check in some way. She thought his gaze dropped to her lips, but then he gave her a friendly smile, and she decided she had imagined the whole thing. “Let’s head up to the barn. It’s tough going through the snow so I’ll give you some help.” He extended his gloved hand to her.
She pulled her hand out of her pocket and put it in his, watching as his fingers closed around hers and feeling the strength of his grip down to her bones. They crunched across the snowy field side by side, their breath coming out in puffy little clouds. The sun was dropping behind the mountains, washing the snow with pink.
She kept her gaze on the gate, but in her peripheral vision, she could see Robbie’s long, athletic stride. The power he radiated made her feel safe, even as it sent ripples of excitement shimmering over her skin.
It was a moment she wanted to stitch into her memory so she could take it out and snuggle into it after he was gone.
Claire’s words floated back to nag at her. Would this moment be enough or would she regret not trying for more?
She opened her mouth, but no words formed, so she closed it again.
As they reached the gate, Robbie tossed the hammer over the fence post before he stepped in front of her, taking hold of her other hand as well. She swore she felt the heat of his gaze as he scanned her face. She tilted her head up toward him in a subtle invitation, but all he said was, “I know you don’t want to hear it, but you saved something important to the whole town.”
She waited, willing him to give her some signal that he admired more than just her civic spirit. She might have even swayed toward him just a bit with her lips slightly parted.
He squeezed both her hands and released her to swing open the gate.
She shoved her hands into her pockets and stomped up the road before he could latch the gate behind them.
Darn the man for refusing to give her any help at all!
* * *
“Mama, can we take Noël down to the nativity scene?” Brianna asked. “She’s going to be in it so she should get to see it.” She and Kayleigh stood on a hay bale just outside Noël’s stall, petting the donkey’s neck and head.
“You just want to spend more time with that donkey,” Holly said, parking her hands on her hips. The donkey’s eyes were closed, and she could swear the creature wore an expression of total bliss.
Brianna nodded. “She’s really sweet. She would never bite anyone.” She shifted her gaze to the man standing beside Holly. “Isn’t that right, Captain Robbie?”
“Well, she’s never bitten me,” Robbie said, “but animals can be unpredictable.”
Brianna was far too perceptive, and Robbie was being too kind. Holly was not going to look like a coward in front of them. She unlatched the stall door and walked in, stretching out her arm to pat the donkey’s neck. Noël’s fuzzy coat was soft and springy. The donkey turned to look at her, so she yanked back her hand and took a quick step away. She nearly collided with Brianna and Kayleigh, who had seized the opportunity to follow her into the stall.
“Can we take her with us, Mama?” Kayleigh chimed in, opening her eyes wide in her best pleading look.
“It’s pretty hard to refuse those two,” Robbie said, his expression one of appreciation as he joined the crowd around Noël.
“You’re not helping.” Holly slanted a wry look at him before turning back to her children. “We can’t take Noël out of the stall
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