“Good point.”
“Hey, Mr. Grayson, over here!” A man with a camera and a lanyard waved to get Leo’s attention. The man jogged over as Ipulled my hands from Leo’s and folded them against my chest to maintain the warmth.
“Can I get your picture for the paper? We’re going to run an article on the rink construction and it would be great if you could answer some questions.”
“Sure,” Leo said.
I stepped out of the frame, letting him have his moment, but Leo reached for me again and pulled me against his side. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and I looked up in shock as the camera snapped a photo.
“Smile for the paper,” he murmured.
Another snap of the camera forced my gaze away, even as Leo drew me closer, tucking the top of my head under his chin.
“I’m glad you’re back, Bennett,” he said, lowering his voice so only I could hear.
My throat tightened as if it could stop my response, but I forced the words out, anyway. “I’m not staying.”
His long exhale ruffled my hair. “Then I guess you’re mine until Christmas.”
Chapter 10
Sage
You’re mine until Christmas.
The words echoed in my mind as I stared at my phone, examining the photo of Leo and I that ran in last week's paper. One thing was certain: my emotions were more tangled than a ball of Christmas lights left in the attic for too long.
Leo was doing it on purpose. He was twisting me up and making me confuse our bargain with something more. Maybe he thought it was funny or a way to pass the time until a better prospect came along.
Winning over the town means the villain transforms into Cold Spell's most eligible bachelor.
It was practically the premise for a hit reality show. Except I wasn't the girl who got the rose, but one of the behind-the-scenes producers who never had a shot in the first place.
Hadn't I learned my lesson the first time? I couldn't let history repeat itself, and I would not fall head over heels again for someone whowasn't serious.
I checked the calendar. There were only three weeks left until Christmas, and I was due in Wood Pine for my next case in a few days. Which meant I needed to secure the money for the rink, make sure my snowfall companion had hit the road for good, and then get out of town as soon as possible.
We’d made a nice dent with our first fundraiser and spent the last week collecting items from local businesses for an upcoming raffle at the lodge. We planned the event to boost attendance for my parents' afternoon tea reception and planned to offer a wide selection of finger foods alongside a few craft cocktails for people looking for something a little spicier than tea.
Preparing the menu for a large crowd had made my dad the happiest I’d ever seen him, and I felt confident the tea shop was in a good place after learning about its previous rough patch. Now that things were rolling, my presence at the next fundraiser wasn't required. Valerie was perfectly capable of working from my notes to finish organizing things.
Besides, there was still the not-insignificant problem of my fake award. Leo had given me one of his skiing trophies after the Santa event. It would make the perfect decoy, composed of a faceted crystal with an engraving which would be simple to alter. But I hadn’t mustered the courage to do it. The crystal ruse was currently stuffed under a pile of extra blankets in my bedroom closet.
With all the excitement around the skating rink, my achievement was yesterday's news. Let's hope it stayed that way for a couple more days until I made my escape.
I glanced again at the photo,then against my better judgment, I quickly saved it to my camera roll and flipped the device over so I wouldn't be tempted to stare at it some more.
Leo, dressed in an elf costume with his arms wrapped around me, was not this year's Christmas card—or any other year, for that matter! It belonged in the depths of my camera roll, buried under a mountain of cute cat photos.
Grabbing my notebook with the rest of my ideas, I went downstairs and found my parents eating breakfast.
“Want me to make you an egg?” Dad asked me as I filled a thermos with hot coffee.
“No. Toast is fine.” I snagged a piece slathered in jelly from the plate on the counter and stuffed it into my mouth.
“You're too skinny. Have an egg,” Mom said, studying me over the edge of her newspaper. “Betsy's granddaughter is a nutritionist. She says it’s important to start your day with protein.”
“I like to start my day with a donut.” Dad winked.
