could babysit me over break while my mom works."
Now it's my turn to be disappointed. I can't for the life of me figure out why either. I don't like babysitting, never have. When my sisters were little, they got foisted on me more often than not. Changing diapers is not my forte. Although Merry's not in diapers of course.
"Oh," I say. Merry's mom returns with the coats, and with Merry's eyes shiny with unshed tears, I feel sick to my stomach. I need to do something. "Hey, maybe we can hang out again before I leave. If that's okay with your mom."
"Could we?" Merry actually gasps and looks at her mom with widened, appealing eyes.
Merry's mom looks at me with a mixture of gratitude and relief that makes me uncomfortable. I don't know why. "That would be fantastic," she says. "Your grandmother spoke so highly of you. I was delighted that you and Merry met."
"You know my grandma?" This fact catches me off guard for some reason. The world seems to tilt a little and my mind reels. Is Merry part of all this? Not that she knows anything about me and Nick or my grandma or the elf elders. But are they using her as some sort of pawn in their plans? I peer at Merry's mom curiously, suspiciously.
"She volunteers at the church I work at part-time," Merry's mom says.
Innocent and simple. And probably true from the little I know of Gran. I need to relax. Not everyone is out to get me.
"Oh, that's nice," I say lamely. "Why don't the two of you set something up for me and Merry. Gran seems to be running my schedule while I'm here."
Merry throws her arms around me, and I return her hug with equal warmth. She's the only person here I trust. Too bad she's six years old.
Nick returns just as Merry and her mom leave. He smiles after them. I can tell they have a special place in his heart, and I get a strange twinge in my own.
"Ready to go?" He asks.
I nod, not trusting myself to say anything right now. Following him to the truck, I try not to focus on the fact that his Santa wig and hat have left his dark blond hair mussed in a slightly spiky way that I really like. The look just invites fingers to do a quick tousling. Needless to say I am more than a little disappointed when he pulls a snug knit cap on, jamming it down all the way over his ears. He turns and gives me a dazzling smile. I nearly fall into a snow bank.
"Are you any good at ice skating?"
With a slight arch of his eyebrow, I can tell he's teasing me. I feel soâ¦girly right now. My stomach flip-flops and Iâm at a loss as to what is happening inside of me right now. Iâm falling for him. Fast and hard. This is all wrong, fake. Whatever we are to become our relationship will be based on a lie.
I toss my hair so my silvery highlights catch the streetlight. Nick looks distracted for a moment, and I use the time to recompose myself. "Just wait until you see me on skates. I'm like poetry on ice."
Nick laughs, and now it's my turn to be distracted.
We climb in to the cab of his truck. Awkward silence descends as we wait for the truck to heat up. Gran packed my skates in a large duffel bag that Nick tossed into the back of the pickup when he arrived. I wonder now what else is in there.
I'm missing my opportunity to talk to him about this whole situation. Where do I start? Last time I tried to bring it up, I proposedâno demanded marriage. Just the memory makes my cheeks heat up.
Clearing my throat, I say, "So, um, how do your parents know Gran?"
Nick glances at me. He must have been lost in thought or something because he seems surprised to see me in his truck.
"We've known your grandma as long as I can remember," he says. He shifts his body toward me and looks at me closely. "That's why it was so funny when she announced that her granddaughter was coming to visit and wouldn't it be nice if I would show her around."
My cheeks flame. He knows thereâs something off about the whole situation. He just has no idea how off it is. "I didn't know she was still
Now it's my turn to be disappointed. I can't for the life of me figure out why either. I don't like babysitting, never have. When my sisters were little, they got foisted on me more often than not. Changing diapers is not my forte. Although Merry's not in diapers of course.
"Oh," I say. Merry's mom returns with the coats, and with Merry's eyes shiny with unshed tears, I feel sick to my stomach. I need to do something. "Hey, maybe we can hang out again before I leave. If that's okay with your mom."
"Could we?" Merry actually gasps and looks at her mom with widened, appealing eyes.
Merry's mom looks at me with a mixture of gratitude and relief that makes me uncomfortable. I don't know why. "That would be fantastic," she says. "Your grandmother spoke so highly of you. I was delighted that you and Merry met."
"You know my grandma?" This fact catches me off guard for some reason. The world seems to tilt a little and my mind reels. Is Merry part of all this? Not that she knows anything about me and Nick or my grandma or the elf elders. But are they using her as some sort of pawn in their plans? I peer at Merry's mom curiously, suspiciously.
"She volunteers at the church I work at part-time," Merry's mom says.
Innocent and simple. And probably true from the little I know of Gran. I need to relax. Not everyone is out to get me.
"Oh, that's nice," I say lamely. "Why don't the two of you set something up for me and Merry. Gran seems to be running my schedule while I'm here."
Merry throws her arms around me, and I return her hug with equal warmth. She's the only person here I trust. Too bad she's six years old.
Nick returns just as Merry and her mom leave. He smiles after them. I can tell they have a special place in his heart, and I get a strange twinge in my own.
"Ready to go?" He asks.
I nod, not trusting myself to say anything right now. Following him to the truck, I try not to focus on the fact that his Santa wig and hat have left his dark blond hair mussed in a slightly spiky way that I really like. The look just invites fingers to do a quick tousling. Needless to say I am more than a little disappointed when he pulls a snug knit cap on, jamming it down all the way over his ears. He turns and gives me a dazzling smile. I nearly fall into a snow bank.
"Are you any good at ice skating?"
With a slight arch of his eyebrow, I can tell he's teasing me. I feel soâ¦girly right now. My stomach flip-flops and Iâm at a loss as to what is happening inside of me right now. Iâm falling for him. Fast and hard. This is all wrong, fake. Whatever we are to become our relationship will be based on a lie.
I toss my hair so my silvery highlights catch the streetlight. Nick looks distracted for a moment, and I use the time to recompose myself. "Just wait until you see me on skates. I'm like poetry on ice."
Nick laughs, and now it's my turn to be distracted.
We climb in to the cab of his truck. Awkward silence descends as we wait for the truck to heat up. Gran packed my skates in a large duffel bag that Nick tossed into the back of the pickup when he arrived. I wonder now what else is in there.
I'm missing my opportunity to talk to him about this whole situation. Where do I start? Last time I tried to bring it up, I proposedâno demanded marriage. Just the memory makes my cheeks heat up.
Clearing my throat, I say, "So, um, how do your parents know Gran?"
Nick glances at me. He must have been lost in thought or something because he seems surprised to see me in his truck.
"We've known your grandma as long as I can remember," he says. He shifts his body toward me and looks at me closely. "That's why it was so funny when she announced that her granddaughter was coming to visit and wouldn't it be nice if I would show her around."
My cheeks flame. He knows thereâs something off about the whole situation. He just has no idea how off it is. "I didn't know she was still
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