“He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” Mallory says. “Now that you’ve mentioned food, I’m starving. Lead us to the place you think Fin will love.”
Alex transfers the packages to his left hand, then takes my hand in his right and leads me through the crowd.
I nearly stumble, shocked by the contact. We’ve linked arms and wrapped arms around each other at various times to look like a couple, but we haven’t held hands. Maybe because it feels…intimate. Which is ridiculous—they’re just hands. Not lips or…other body parts. But then my mind supplies images of what else Alex’s hands could do, and I quickly shut it down. Not quickly enough, though. The thought leaves me breathless and tingly.
It’s pathetic to lust after a man who has no sexual interest in me. This is all just for show, but my body’s reacting as though it’s real.
Which makes me wonder if this is smart. But as I fall into step beside him, it strikes me again how right it feels.
It’s pretend, Finley.
I shove the thought down deep and decide to stop questioning it all. Mom’s deathbed request was for me to take risks. What could be riskier than risking my heart?
Oh, Finley. You’re quite the fool.
But I ignore my inner voice and let myself get lost in the moment. Whatever happens, at least I’ll have this—a magical day in a winter wonderland. Whether I’ll escape with my heart intact remains to be seen.
Alex leads us a couple of blocks to the square where we started caroling last night, then stops in front of a café that looks like it belongs in a Swiss Alps village, not a Vermont town square. Sure, all the buildings here look that way, but this one looks even more authentic with its ancient-looking wooden beams and sidewalk seating. People are sitting outdoors despite the cold, warmed by the gas heaters that are scattered around. Alex finds a table with a good view of the square, close to a heater. He holds out a chair for me, then sits next to me, while Mallory sits next to her brother.
“I thought you might like to people-watch,” he says to me, then points across the square. “Especially since the skating rink is right over there.”
We hadn’t spent much time by the rink last night, so I’d barely registered it, but now I can see people gliding across the ice.
“We should go ice skating tomorrow,” Alex says.
I glance back at him, barely containing myself. “Really?”
“Sure, we have to come back to pick up our special project tomorrow anyway.” He winks at me. “And it’s part of the whole Christmas experience, right?”
My excitement is short-lived. “I don’t know how to ice skate. I’ve never been.”
“Don’t worry,” he says. “I’ll teach you.” Then he catches the attention of a waitress and beckons her over.
“Alex used to play hockey,” Mallory says. “He was the one who taught me how to ice skate. You’ll be safe.”
Is that why Alex has a photo of the two of them together on the same rink across the square?
When the waitress appears, Alex tells her he already knows what he wants to order, then lists off a bunch of names I don’t recognize but that sound German. The only thing I understand is when he orders Nutella and banana crepes and a pretzel.
The waitress writes it all down, then looks at the three of us. “Are you expecting more people?”
Mallory laughs. “No, just us.”
The waitress narrows her eyes. “You do know this is probably enough to feed at least six or seven people.”
“I know,” Alex says. “But this is my girlfriend’s first time here and I want her to try everything.”
My breath catches. I’m still not used to him calling me his girlfriend, but it’s the fact that he’s ordering so much food that has me flabbergasted. “You don’t have to do that, Alex!”
“I know,” he says, turning back to smile at me. “I want to.”
Shaking her head and muttering something about fools in love, the waitress heads back into the café.
“Are you trying to put her into a food coma?” Mallory asks with a laugh.
He raises his brow. “Maybe I’m trying to put you both into a food coma, so I’ll get a moment of peace.”
He and Mallory rib each other for several minutes until the waitress returns with three steaming mugs and glasses of water. Once she places them on the table and walks away, Alex picks up the mug in front of him. “Mulled wine. I think you’ll like it.”
