They lingered a moment longer, watching the horses kick up snow, until Helen herded them — the humans and the horses alike — toward the barn. “Come on. Let’s all thaw out somewhere that smells like hay and shit.”
Chapter Twenty-One
GRACE
It wasearly afternoon before Grace accepted that Alix had been born in a Christmas movie fever dream. Everything she’d seen of her family and town was adorably charming. Her cowboy-booted feet, however, were living a nightmare.
After walking around all day, Grace was questioning every choice that led her to the torture devices on her feet. Feet that throbbed even while she sat on the couch checking the status of her luggage. It had been more comforting knowing her things were in Detroit, rather than the terrifying “in transit” she was staring at now.
“So we’ve got three options,” Alix said when she plopped down next to her. “Making Christmas cookies — yes, that includes decorating them — checking out the Christmas tree on Main Street, or Old Herbert’s Sleigh Ride.” She offered a little lopsided grin, looking more like herself than she had all day.
Grace put her phone down. “What variety,” she joked, when what she really wanted to do was ask which option would get them a moment alone. She wanted some uninterrupted time to ask Alix how she was coping with being back after so many yearsand get more than a single-sentence answer. “What are you thinking?”
Alix put her hand to her flat stomach. “I’m thinking that if I eat any more sugar, I might actually perish.”
Grace chuckled. “I’m just happy you can repay my fattening holiday favor.”
“Cubans definitely don’t have the market cornered on incredibly unhealthy festivities,” she replied, brown eyes brightening the longer they sat together.
“What are we talking about?” Matt, for no appreciable reason, jumped over the back of the couch and landed with a bounce next to Alix.
Alix sat back so she could look at Grace and Matt on either side of her. “Just deciding between showing Grace the town tree or a sleigh ride.”
“Oh, God,” he groaned. “Two equally boring options. Why the hell would you even visit here from Miami?”
“Because life isn’t aGTAgame, my dude,” Alix replied before Grace could.
“Well, I’m pretty sure there are a hundred percent more hotties and considerably less manure there,” he said, giving the same expression Helen did when she thought she’d scored a conversational point.
“Look at my little brother pretending to know math.” Alix ruffled his hair in the single most condescending move possible. “I’m so proud.”
Matt laughed as if despite himself. “We can always stay here and playRock Band,” he offered, scooping up Paul when he jumped on the couch.
“I know you’re trying to ‘makefetchhappen,’ buddy, but there is a reason they stopped making that game.”
Grace would have said that she was happy to play, but she didn’t want to pass up her chance to talk to Alix. Even if thatmeant losing the opportunity to remove her boots and not have to put them back on, because she was sure that the swelling was going to make that impossible.
“I’d go downtown, I guess,” he said after a beat. “But Dad’s taking a nap and Mom will make us wait for him.” He rolled his eyes.
“My mom really loves a family picture in front of the tree,” Alix explained like a dutiful translator.
Pictures, damn it. Grace wanted to take more of those. She grabbed the phone in her lap, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask Matt to take a photo of them. There was nothing special about sitting on the couch together, except that she wanted to capture it. Wanted to squirrel it away so she could stare at it later. So she wouldn’t forget what Alix looked like with wind-burned cheeks and hair a little flattened by her beanie.
“Sleigh ride it is, then,” Grace said. “Do you have a real jacket Alix can borrow?” she asked Matt.
“I don’t need—” Alix started to protest, but Grace cut her off with her most serious lawyer face.
“Please, Matt,” Grace continued like Alix had never protested. “If you don’t mind. A scarf would also probably be great.”
Laughing, Matt cracked an imaginary whip as he left the room.
“Great,” Alix grumbled, but she couldn’t hide her dimples when she bit back a smile. “Now, they’re going to think we’re married.”
When Matt returned with a black snow jacket and scarf, Alix took them with minimal grumbling.
Half an hour later, they’d arrived at the top of a snowy hill. When Grace jumped out of Alix’s rental, the soles of her feet felt like she’d landed on broken glass. Forget getting the boots back on, she might never wear shoes again.
Mercifully, the walk from the small gravel parking lot up to the stables decorated in garlands and wreaths was short. She walked as naturally as she could given that she was sure there was no more skin left below her ankles.
