I set her down and crouch in front of her, resting her foot on my knee. I hum in approval, pleased she wore the thick socks I told her to. The sun might be out, but the cold is still biting, and I want to make sure she stays warm.
I ease her foot into the skate, the blade still sheathed in its guard. The leather’s stiff from the cold, so I go slowly, looping each lace until the boot molds snug around her ankle. After tying a double knot, I reach for the other skate and repeat the process. The only other sound is Noelle’s breath, rising in visible puffs against the chill. Once I’m satisfied both skates are secure, I take off the guards and put them on the bench.
“You’ll tell me if your ankle starts acting up,” I state.
She nods. “I will. But it’s better now. I promise.”
“And we’re going to make sure it stays that way.” I give the laces an extra tug before helping her to her feet and leading her to the ice. “I’m going to put on my skates, and I’ll meet you out there. Don’t go too fast, okay?”
“Yes,Daddy,” she says, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
She damn well knows what that name does to me, and all I can do is stand there, jaw slack, as she plants a kiss on my cheek before skating away.
After lacing up my skates as quickly as possible, I clumsily make my way to the pond. Once I’m on the ice, I concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, wobbling with every step. I spread out my arms like a windmill, in an attempt to keep myself upright.
I glance over at the other side of the pond, where Noelle glides across the ice with effortless grace. She’s a damn vision with her hair spilling in golden waves beneath a black beanie and her eyes shining with pure joy. For a second, I pause to take in the view. This woman preoccupies my every thought, and afterlast night, my need to lose myself in her light is unrelenting, making me wish I could freeze this moment to make it last forever.
She circles back to where I’m inching along the edge of the pond. Funny how I worried she might fall, but here I am, the real rookie. I guess being out of my element overrules any misplaced confidence I might have had.
I’m expecting a teasing remark, but instead, Noelle moves to my side and threads her gloved fingers through mine.
“Wanna play a game?” she chirps as she leads me across the frozen surface.
“Like what?”
“‘Would you rather.’”
“Never heard of it,” I grunt.
“It’s easy—I give you two options, and you have to pick one.” Her hand tightens around mine as we follow the curve of the pond, keeping me upright. “For example, would you rather wake up early or stay up late?”
I scoff. “Wake up early. There’s too much to do to waste daylight.”
Although I wouldn’t mind sleeping in if I woke up to Noelle in my arms every morning.
“Now it’s your turn,” she encourages.
“Uh… would you rather have coffee or hot chocolate?”
“You already know the answer to that one, but I’ll cut you some slack since this is your first time playing.”
She rests her free hand on my arm, the subtle pressure serving as an anchor.
“You might love hot cocoa during the holidays, but how do I know you’re not the type who needs a strong cup of coffee to survive a busy Monday morning?”
“Hate to burst your bubble, but I’m definitely not in the early bird club. My creative energy doesn’t even clock in until noon,and I record my podcasts in the evening.” She gradually picks up our pace, but I hardly notice, absorbed in this little game of learning more about her. “When I do have to be up early, I survive off caramel macchiatos with oat milk and two extra shots of vanilla.”
I give her shoulder a playful nudge. “There is one perk to you sleeping in.”
“What’s that?”
“It means I get to join you back in bed.”
After prepping the path to the pond this morning, I went back to the cabin to find Noelle still fast asleep, stretched out on my side of the bed, the blankets pooling around her bare hips.
“I do like sleepy sex with you,” Noelle murmurs with a sultry smile. “Now it’s my turn. Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?”
I arch a brow. “What kind of question is that?”
