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She nodded, her mind made up. “You know, I’ve never been skating before, but I’d love to give it a try.”
* * *
December 14
Luke held Christie close, their naked bodies twined together. He trailed his fingers through her hair and then down her back, warm and slightly damp with sweat. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this addicted to a woman, this quickly.
Maybe never, he realized, and something warm and tingly worked its way down his spine. He tightened his arms around Christie. Beautiful, sweet, smart Christie.
She pressed her face into his chest and kissed the skin directly over his heart. He wondered if she could feel how hard it was beating, could feel the pulse of it against her lips. Every time he was with her, his heart seemed to go into overdrive, thumping away at warp speed, and he knew it was because he was falling for her. He’d felt a connection with her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
“Can I ask you something?” She glanced up at him, her eyelids heavy.
“Anything.” He stroked a hand up and down her back again.
“What happened with your ex-wife? You said that she lives in California now, right?”
He took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to her temple, her skin so soft, so warm, under his lips. “Yeah. Her name’s Angela.”
“Is she still part of Ethan’s life?”
“No, she’s not.” As he told her how everything had gone down with Angela, he played with a lock of her hair, surprised at how easy it was to talk about it all with her. He’d never opened up about this stuff to a woman he was seeing before, but in all the years he’d been divorced, he’d never been as serious about a woman as he was with Christie. She’d spent time with his son, something he was always so careful about. In a couple of days, she’d meet his family. Since Angela, he’d never brought a woman home.
She listened quietly, tracing circles on his chest with her fingertips as he told her everything. The surprise pregnancy, the quick wedding, how’d he’d been so caught in up trying to do what he thought was the right thing that he hadn’t stopped to really question if getting married was the best idea. He told her about the guilt he felt over the collapse of his marriage, how he felt he’d failed Ethan as a father because he’d failed as a husband. All of it. Things he’d never told anyone. Things he’d never allowed himself to say out loud. Truths he’d held deep inside, never sharing them.
He hadn’t realized just how heavy some of those truths were until he shared them with Christie. It felt good to unburden himself, to open up and let someone in. He’d been closed off for so long, so determined to protect himself, to protect Ethan that he hadn’t realized just how high he’d built those walls around himself.
It felt damn good to start knocking them down.
Chapter 9
December 17
The smell of baked ham, wood smoke, pine, and cinnamon filled the house Luke had grown up in as Luke, Christie, and Ethan stepped inside. Voices nearly drowned out Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” which wafted from the speakers in the invitingly festive living room. The large Christmas tree glowed in the corner, and a fire crackled happily in the fireplace, throwing warm light against the red-and-white plaid wallpaper. Halfway down the wall, it met the white wainscoting Luke had installed for his parents a few years ago.
Matt was bickering with their father about the most recent Colorado Avalanche trade as Matt chopped vegetables, while Ethan excitedly told his Grandpa all about an upcoming class snowshoeing trip to Curt Gowdy State Park at the same time. Somehow their father managed to hold both conversations at once. Probably from the years of practice he’d gotten corralling twin boys who’d had an abundance of energy. Glancing down, he noticed that Christie had a deer-in-the-headlights look, a stiff smile frozen on her face. He slipped his arm around her waist, and she relaxed into him.
Smiling warmly, his mother approached, oven mitts tucked under her arm. “You must be Christie. I’ve heard so much about you, and I’m so happy you were able to come. I’m Ellen, and that’s my husband Mark.” Mark waved without taking his attention off of Ethan’s animated story while waving a “bah, you don’t know what you’re talking about hand” at Matt.
Christie shook her hand, returning the warm smile. “Thank y’all so much for inviting me. It’s very kind of you, and it’s so nice to meet you. You have a lovely home.”
Luke smiled, loving the way her accent became more pronounced when she was nervous. He didn’t miss the approving smile his mom shot him as she waved them to follow her farther into the kitchen. Hot pride clutched at him, and he clenched his jaw against the urge to grab Christie and plant a kiss on her right there, in front of everyone. But she was already nervous enough, and he didn’t want to do anything to make her uncomfortable. His mom turned away to check something on the stove.
“Hey, nice to finally meet you,” said Matt, walking over with his hand extended. “I’m Matt.”
Christie’s eyes widened as she shook his hand. “Luke told me he had a twin, but for some reason I didn’t realize y’all were identical.” She cut her eyes back and forth between Luke and Matt, and they both laughed.
“He might be older, but I’m smarter and stronger,” said Matt.
Luke hit him in the arm. “Easy there.”
Matt laughed again, and Luke felt Christie relax a little bit more. His mom came back over, and while his family was friendly and welcoming, he didn’t want to overwhelm her.
“How long until dinner?” he asked. “Ethan and I are going to take Christie out back for a skate.”
His mom glanced at the stove. “Oh, about an hour.”
“Ethan,” called Luke, “Why don’t you take Christie outside and show her the skating rink?”
