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“Was that another bit of performance art by Fiona at the beginning?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Does she hate Christmas?”

I smiled. “She likes Christmas. She just wants people to remember what it should be about.”

“Getting presents? The lights?” Ryan said with a straight face.

“For sure.” I stood up and, since I was still on the step, I was now taller than him. He wrapped his arms around my middle, and I rested my forearms on his shoulders and leaned my cheek against his.

“Ryan?” I said.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about my brother.” I wished I hadn’t leaned my cheek against his because it kept me from seeing his expression. And he had already covered whatever his initial reaction was with a tight smile by the time I pulled back to look at him.

“We seem to be apologizing for our families a lot,” he said.

“I know.” I heard distant voices, people obviously coming to use the bathroom, heading our way. I took Ryan’s hand and led him up the stairs and across the bridge to the platform that connected to the tall slide. It, too, was coated in snow, so we stopped and stood there, facing each other. We both were quiet, listening for people, our eyes locked. A door shut, and then another. And then Ryan took my face in his hands and pressed his lips against mine in an intense kiss. I grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled him even closer, brushing my tongue against his.

“You taste like cinnamon,” I said. “And apples.”

He smiled against my mouth. “Apple cider.”

He moved one of his arms to my waist, hooking it around and moving me up against the slide’s ladder, making our faces more level as our lips came together again. I threaded my fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck, beneath his scarf. His arm was along my back, creating a cushion between my spine and the ladder’s rungs.

Laughter rang out behind us and we both froze, our mouths together, our bodies intertwined. After a moment, he drew in a breath and kissed along my mouth then cheek before he pulled back and met my eyes. “Come to the masquerade ball with me.”

“What?” I couldn’t think straight let alone comprehend what he’d just asked. I could barely catch my breath.

“The Christmas Masquerade Ball. In Mountain Glen.”

“At the country club?”

“Yes.”

“I-uh-don’t your parents go to that? And Mrs. O’Leary? And so many people we know?”

“There’s an adult room and a teen room. I don’t even see my parents most of the night, and besides, we’ll all be wearing masks. You’d be surprised how unrecognizable that actually makes people.”

“I—” I didn’t know how to answer him. It seemed too risky. This seemed too risky, making out across the street from most of the town. I wasn’t sure I had the nerve to put on a fancy dress and parade myself in front of the most influential among them.

“I would’ve asked you in a more romantic way, but—” His eyes drifted toward the town square.

“You would’ve?” I asked, my heart racing to life. “How would you have asked?”

“I was thinking I’d put it in lights on my roof. Or maybe a sign in my window that you’d see when you spy on me.”

I gasped and he laughed, hugging me tighter against him. I hugged him back just as tight.

“How would you ask me to a dance?” he teased.

“I’d have all the neighborhood mice hold signs, and each one would have a word. Ryan. Will. You. Go. To. The. Dance. With. Me. Only you’d never know I asked you because you still haven’t found all the mice.”

He laughed. “It’s true. Don’t ask me like that.”

“I won’t.” Not that I could ask him in any way. I didn’t have a country club membership. He was the only one who could ask in this instance.