A Forever Thing: A Contemporary Christian Romance NOVELLA by Debra Ullrick

ball.
    Keeping his eyes fixed menacingly on Kelly, Tate slowly reached down. “Angie, I suggest you move.”
    The girl didn’t question him or hesitate to take him up on his suggestion. She sidestepped several feet away from her mom.
    In a flash, he scooped up a double handful of snow and showered Kelly with it.
    Kelly squealed. Snow clung to her face and coat. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that one.” She hit him in the chest with her snowball and ducked behind a tree.
    He stooped over to gather snow to make a snowball and got hit again. This time in the back of his leg. He spun around. How she could make another snowball so quickly?
    Angie turned her head, looked up at the clear sky, and whistled Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.
    While Angie continued to act silly, he spied a huge snow drift. In two long strides he lifted the girl up and tossed her into it. She screamed and disappeared into the mound. He quickly pulled her out. She came out laughing. “Again. Again.”
    He tossed her in again and pulled her out again.
    “That was fun.” She knocked the snow out from under her fur-lined hood and off the rest of her. “Throw Mom in there.”
    “No, that’s okay.” Kelly backed up with both hands in the air. “Mom doesn’t want to be thrown in there.”
    Tate took one step forward, his arms in front of him, his hands curled like a bear ready to attack.
    Another step.
    Kelly raised one leg at a time, trying to get away from him. When she made it to Angie, Angie grabbed her by the arm and leaned back, fierce concentration and determination pursed her face as she stopped her mother’s retreat.
    Tate caught Kelly’s arms and took over for Angie. “Thanks, cupcake.”
    “Anytime.” Angie brushed her hands off.
    With ease, Tate swooped Kelly off of her feet and into his arms.
    Kelly squealed and threw her arms around his neck. She wiggled like a worm on a hook. “Let me down,” she said between spasms of giggles.
    “One.” He swung her in his arms like a rocking hammock. “Two.” He swung her again.
    “Don’t you dare, Tate Baker!” She clung tighter to his neck. “If I go in, you go in with me!”
    “Three.” He swung her again, only this time he let go. But she didn’t. They both fell into the snow mound. Hands in front of him, he searched for something solid to help push himself up with as they were practically now entwined with the snow.
    Kelly’s hand pushed on his back. Her weight bore down on him and shoved him further into the snow drift. He sputtered, trying to keep the snow from going into his mouth. A hard tug on his coat and he was free. He wiped the plastered snow off of his face and upper body.
    Kelly stood there, laughing at him while brushing the snow off of herself.
    Angie pointed at them and started laughing too.
    It was only a second, and Tate joined them.
    Whoever knew going hunting for a Christmas tree could be so fun?
    He brushed the final remnants of snow off of him. “I think it’s time we cut that tree down.”
    “Chicken,” Kelly said to him when he walked past her heading toward the chain saw.
    “Bawk. Bawk.” He tucked his hands under his armpits and did his best to imitate a chicken as he walked around in a circle. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Kelly holding her stomach laughing and Angie roaring. It was something he wanted to see over and over and over again. Forget what Kelly had said about never marrying again. Right there, he made up his mind to change hers.

Chapter Five
     
     
    “That was the best day ever, don’t you think, Mom?” Angie grabbed a T-towel out of the drawer as they stood there doing dishes at the kitchen sink.
    Kelly dipped a Christmas mug into the rinse water and handed it to Angie. “Sure was.”
    “We did a really, really, really good job decorating his house, didn’t we?”
    “We sure did.”
    “You think Officer Baker liked it?” Angie wiped the same cup over and over.
    “Uh, Angie, I think that one’s dry.”
    “Oh.