“Nice.” I pull a handkerchief from my pocket and swipe at the trail of blood at her temple. “Your head hurt?”
“No,” she hums, touching the cut at her eyebrow. “Did I hit the baby deer?”
“No, looks like you’re the only one that got hurt. How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Three.” Comes her quick reply.
“Good. I don’t think your car faired as well.” Her car sits, once again, just as dead as it was the last time she “accidentally” needed me. I almost smirk, almost call her out on the act. But there’s something about her standing there with that gleam in her eye that makes it impossible to resist the game.
“Looks like you’re gonna need a tow.” I inform her.
“No–it’ll be fine. She just needs a breather.” Ivy glances back at her smoking engine.
“Sure.” I say, dubious. “You drivin’ up the mountain to spread a little more cheer? Or did you just miss me?”
“Both.” She grins, undeterred. “You love it, Cole.”
I raise an eyebrow, playing along. “I don’t remember saying that.”
“Oh, it’s in there somewhere.” She gestures toward my chest, the same way she might wave her hand toward a random piece of scenery, like she knows every inch of me. “Deep down. Past all the gruff exterior and anti-Christmas nonsense.”
I chuckle, opening the passenger side door of my truck. “Get in. You’re not standing out here trying to talk me into liking Christmas while we freeze.”
She climbs in, bringing a gust of peppermint with her, and buckles up, looking a little too smug as she settles into the seat. “Thanks for saving me again, Mr. Grinch.” Her eyes are sparkling with mischief. “I was on my way up here to deliver some goodies to you and try to convince you into helping me at the Christmas festival in town.” She presses her lips together, “Guess you’re coming with me now, Mrs. Frye is expecting me in ten minutes. You don’t mind driving me, right?”
I slide behind the wheel, trying to keep the corners of my mouth from pulling up. “Not sure I signed up for the part of your personal taxi service.”
“Oh, this isn’t a taxi,” she says smoothly. “It’s much more fun than that.”
“And how’s that?”
She bats her eyelashes, way too innocent. “We could make a little game out of this drive into town. A dare game.”
I glance over, eyebrow raised. “A dare game? With you?”
“Unless you’re scared,” she taunts, nudging my arm, her face alight with challenge.
“Scared?” I scoff, settling back in my seat. “Of what? Your childish dares?”
“Guess we’ll find out.” She smirks, looking out the window as if she’s suddenly uninterested in my reaction. It’s all part of her game, I know that, but damn if it doesn’t work.
“Fine. You’re on,” I say, leaning into her trap.
“Perfect,” she says, tapping her chin like she’s got a whole list of ideas ready to go. “First up—drink this.” She pulls a thermos out of her bag and hands it over. I unscrew the top, sniffing cautiously. The distinct scent of eggnog hits me, and I grimace.
“Really?”
“Oh, come on,” she says, exasperated. “It’s festive. Besides, it’s just eggnog, not some deadly poison.”
“Same difference,” I mutter, but I take a tentative sip. The thick sweetness coats my tongue, and I can’t help but cringe. She watches me, her eyes gleaming with barely-contained laughter.
“There you go!” She claps, the sound a little too loud in the confined space. “One down, a few more to go.”
I hand the thermos back, my jaw tight. “What’s next, then?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll find out.” She grins, tapping her fingers on the dashboard like she’s counting the minutes. “Now, point this old truck to town. I’ve got a date with Christmas spirit.”
I chuckle, doing just what she asked. As we drive through Copper Mountain, the snowy landscape giving way to the lights and sounds of the Christmas Festival, I can feel her excitement radiating off her. People in town are wrapped in scarves and coats, bustling around from booth to booth, and there’s this energy in the air that I can’t completely ignore. It’s like I’ve been dropped into some kind of holiday movie scene, and all I want to do is roll my eyes and get out of here. But with Ivy next to me, I don’t mind it nearly as much as I should.
