Stuck in Christmas (Holiday Magic #1)

Chapter 13

Thirteen

The sun shimmered off the fresh layer of snow, and I could hear laughter and shouts drifting down the hill. Wrapped in my coat, I felt my cheeks flush with excitement as I glanced at Eli, who was already flashing a grin that promised a day full of adventure. It seemed like everyone from town was racing down the slope, their sleds carving through the sparkling powder and leaving trails of joy in their wake. With each step we took up the hill, my heart raced faster, filled with anticipation.

A sledding montage. Also a staple in holiday movies. And since I knew this sledding trip would include Eli holding me close as we careened down a hill, how could I say no to that?

Even if the thought of landing in wet snow was the last thing I wanted to do today.

“I didn’t realize Mississippi had hills,” I said, nearly out of breath. The hill we climbed was a little steeper than it looked from the ground. You’d think with all of this running around in my holiday hell, I’d be in better shape. Ugh. Maybe some twisted former personal trainer was behind this .

“We keep it a secret.” Eli winked as he grabbed my mittened hand.

I snort-laughed and waved at the crowd. “Not a very good secret if every kid from miles around knows about it.”

“Well, it’s not every day we get snow, and when it happens, you have to get in your sledding.” We reached the top of the hill, and Eli placed the sled on the ground. “We’re here.”

“I can’t remember the last time I went sledding,” I said.

Eli stepped closer, his warmth reaching me through multiple layers of clothes that I most definitely was not thinking of taking off. And I was definitely not thinking about the smooth skin and hard muscles Eli would have under those layers of clothes because that would be against the holiday hell rules. Much like imagining the talented things he could do with his tongue. Definitely not thinking about the lessons he picked up along the way. If the way he kissed was any indication.

“I could do it for you,” Eli interrupted my smexy thoughts.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Sled with you,” Eli laughed. “What did you think I meant?”

I felt a tug on the edge of my coat and looked down to find the precocious kid from the town square standing there. “Hey, Miss Renee. Do you need someone to go sledding with you?”

“Well,” I hesitated.

“Because I used to be skairt of going down the hill, but I’m not anymore. Because I’m a big kid now,” the kid continued. “But if you need someone to sled with you, to be safe, you can ride with me.”

Freaking precocious kid. Who had that one on their holiday movie BINGO sheet?

Eli’s amused reaction and the kid’s innocently wide eyes felt like a test. Another test in the holiday hell. I would pass this one. “Well, if you need me to go with you.”

“I don’t need you to go with me,” the kid balked. “I thought you needed me to go with you.”

“Oh. My bad. Of course.” I pressed my hands to my heart. “My apologies. Let’s go.”

Eli handed the sled to the kid and squeezed my arm. “I’ll meet you at the end.”

“C’mon, Miss Renee,” the kid scrambled to carry the enormous sled as he made his way to the starting line.

It was freaking adorable.

We waited for sledders to take their turn down the hill.

“Is there a secret to going fast?” I asked him.

“Yes, ma’am,” the kid nodded. “First, you push off really hard so you can build more mentum .”

“More mentum ?” I asked.

“Yeah. You go faster the closer to the end.”

“Oh, momentum .”

“That’s what I said.” The kid frowned.

I nodded reverently. “Of course. Continue.”

“Then, when you’re getting your more-mentum going, you have to get small on the sled, you know, get your elbows and feet in so they don’t stick out.”

“Roger that.” I saluted him.

Then, it was our turn. The kid turned to me. “You’re ready to go? ”

I searched the crowd for Eli, who waved from the bottom of the hill. It warmed my heart and did things to my insides that I couldn’t discuss because of the limits of my hell.

“We’ll be at the bottom of the hill soon enough, and you can hang out with your boyfriend again,” the kid said, rolling his eyes and making a gagging motion.

Maybe it would be best to focus on the sledding? We settled onto the sled, and I tapped the kid on the shoulder. “He’s not my boyf?—”

The kid pushed off, and we hurtled down the hill much faster than I thought this sled could travel. The scenery whooshed by, and I remembered some celebrity or another who was killed by running into a tree while skiing. My stomach clenched, and my soul might have left my body for a few seconds as we went airborne over a bump.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you about the end,” the kid yelled over his shoulder, barely audible over the rushing wind and my pounding heartbeat.

“What?”

Before he could say another word, we abruptly reached the bottom of the hill, where we hit an even bigger bump that sent the sled flying in one direction, the kid squealing with delight in another, and I landed smack on top of Eli.

Or maybe I was on the ground because I definitely landed on something hard. And as we’ve already established, I couldn’t possibly be thinking about hard bodies in this holiday hell.

No siree, Bob.

“That was awesome! Wanna go again?” The cute kid stood beside us, nearly swallowed by the snow. “Ugh. Mushy stuff. See ya’ later, Miss Renee.”

I waved, I think. It’s hard to tell when you’re lying on top of the hard - ground - that is also soft, and warm, and inviting, and the only thing you can think about is if the solid ground wanted to go back to the Inn and celebrate not dying on the snow hill with an afternoon in bed.

Maybe we could read?

Between the lines.

Eli stared into my eyes, and once again, everything fell away. “How was it?”

“Hard,” I breathed.

His eyes widened, and I laughed.

“I mean, the sledding was great. The landing, not so much.”

Eli pulled me closer. “Oh, I don’t know. I thought the landing was the best part.” He leaned up to kiss me, and I don’t know what came over me, but I rolled off him and rolled right into a snowbank.

“Sweet Christmas,” I swore.