“You could have waited on me,” Zach called from the doorway, where he pulled off his boots.
No, she really couldn’t have. Not after that comment. She’d needed a moment to think, to get her head on straight, to wonder why he’d say that when he’d chosen not to kiss her when she’d wanted him to. What had she been thinking?
There wasn’t enough time in the world for her to figure out that one.
Glancing around at the inside of the inflated globe, she took a deep breath. When in Rome—or inside a giant snow globe—a girl should just go with it, right? Managing to get to her feet, she jumped as high as she could. Floating through the air was liberating and landing on the springy floor didn’t jar her back to earth, so she did it again. And again. Higher and higher.
“I’m coming after you, Blondie,” Zach threatened, crawling through the opening with a grin on his face and a determined gleam in his eyes.
“Oh, really?” Launching off the bouncy floor, she waved her fingers in a bring-it-on motion as she soared upward. “Catch me if you can.”
*
The Butterflies, incarefully constructed snowflake costumes they’d worn for the Miss Pine Hill Snowflake pageant, edged their way closer to the oversized snow globe, where Zach and Isabelle could be seen playing inside the curved, clear PVC outer shell.
“I’m hot.” Rosie paused by the hot cocoa vendor they hid behind to dramatically place the back of her long white-and-silver-bedazzled glove onto where her forehead should be.
“We all know you’re a bit flaky, Rosie.” Maybelle straightened her costume. “It’s just that now, you look the part.”
“Don’t you go talking about the way I look. You obviously got the wrong wardrobe memo.” From where her eyes peered out from the costume’s cut-out opening, Rosie batted her lashes. “We’re supposed to be snowflakes, not icebergs.”
Ruby and Claudia both snickered, then, nudging Claudia, Ruby pointed toward the snow globe. “Do you see what I see?”
“No, my costume keeps slipping over my eyes to where I can barely see a thing.” Using both hands, Claudia adjusted her costume around her face. Then, eyes widening, she grabbed Ruby’s arm. “Do you hear what I hear? I can’t remember the last time I heard Isabelle laugh that hard.”
Moving closer to the edge of the cocoa truck so she could peep around it for a closer look, Maybelle frowned. “Why is she running from him? It’s not as if there’s anywhere to hide in there.”
“If she’s smart, she’ll let him catch her.” Rosie waggled her brows.
“Oh!” Claudia’s hand slapped against Ruby. “He’s got her by the waist.”
“Why is she trying to get free?” Rosie continued. “If that man’s arms were around me, I’d—”
“You’d what?” Maybelle eyed Rosie.
Rosie fluffed a silvery white tentacle and replied, “Things you know nothing about, old woman.”
“Shh… you two quit.” Claudia shushed, her gaze not leaving the couple playing in the bouncy snow globe. “He’s got her, she’s spinning, and down she goes!”
“She’s still laughing,” Ruby pointed out. “It’s good that she’s laughing.”
Rosie leaned back against the truck. “Any chance there’s mistletoe inside that bouncy house?”
Maybelle frowned. “There’s normally children in there.”
“I’m just saying that it would be nice if there was now. Mistletoe, not kids.” Rosie clarified with a laugh.
Claudia clung to the edge of the vendor trailer. “Oh, do you see how she’s looking at him? Why is she fighting how she feels so much?”
“For the same reasons he’s fighting it, I imagine,” Ruby said. “These young people complicate matters so much. Why, my Charlie—”
“We know!” the other three Butterflies said simultaneously.
“You Snowbugs aren’t back here causing mischief, are you?” Clearing his throat, Bodie shined his officer’s flashlight toward them.
Turning to face him, Maybelle shaded her eyes from the bright light. “Now, Bodie, do we look as if we’re causing mischief?”
“Always.”
