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Okay, there was no denying it after that.
She skipped into the open field toward the nearest snow wall that was piled high. Behind it was Pearl, Remington’s wife, and a couple random kids. They were hiding, crouched down below the different pillars of the wall.
I took a minute to scan the target across the snowy field. Cassidy and Cash stood upright, just watching, beside each other. My older brother, Remington, stalked back to the two of them, carrying a bucket full of snowballs, as Annie and Millie popped their heads over the wall. They both wore these silly bandanas around their foreheads and grinned.
Raising a brow, I watch Tenley study her opponents. They also had a few random kids on their side of the wall, but that didn’t seem to faze her. Pearl began quickly making more snowballs, plopping them into piles around us as Cassidy threw his head back and laughed.
“Looks like they brought in some reinforcements.” He grinned.
“I’m about to knock that smirk off his face,” Tenley mumbled, glaring at him. I smiled and didn’t say anything as Cassidy picked up a snowball.
“Alright, you know the rules. No hitting the kids in the faces, but adults are free game. First group to take over the other’s snow fort, wall, base thing wins. No hitting, touching others, such as grabbing people. Clear out the fort, and your team wins. Questions?” His eyes checked on everyone as mine drifted to Tenley’s. She let things process and then slowly nodded, narrowing her sights in on our opponents.
I smiled wickedly at Cassidy as he tossed a snowball into the air and caught it. Man, it had been too long since I’d been able to engage in an activity freely like this. Keaton tapped my hand, drawing my attention away from my little brother, and pointed past Pearl.
Stepping back, I glanced around my sister and kept my face blank despite the excitement that was boiling within me. Somehow, that mischievous nephew of mine had managed to snag a rope. A lasso was waiting just beyond Pearl.
Cassidy counted down and then said begin. The moment he did, Tenley let a wicked snowball fly across the field and it slammed directly into his face. I laughed as he stumbled a couple steps back, his eyes blinking rapidly in shock, but that left me distracted, and Remington managed to nail me in my side.
Crouching down, the kids started aimlessly throwing snowballs. They flew over our heads, smashing into the wall or into some other kids as I crawled toward Tenley. She launched a couple more snowballs as I paused beside her.
“Give me some cover?” I asked, and Tenley flipped a wicked grin in my direction.
“Of course,” she replied, gathering a couple more snowballs.
Waddling around her and my sister, I snatched the rope off of the ground and adjusted the loop. A hand slapped against my shoulder and I glanced at my newest companion. Butch was grinning and showed me his matching rope.
“I’m with you,” he replied.
Within a matter of seconds, I sprinted out from behind the wall with Butch right behind me. Tenley launched rockets of snowballs toward our opponents, one after the other, overwhelming my family. So much so that our opponents didn’t notice our approach.
Swinging the rope overhead, Butch launched his and caught Cash around his torso, hauling him to the ground. One of the only appropriate times for a son to attack his father.
Cash slamming against the white, powdery snow however, sent alarm bells up in Cassidy, and he took off sprinting.
I gave chase, whooping and hollering as snowballs flew my way. Our little excursion brought Keaton, and a couple of the random kids on our side over to this fort, drawn in by the vacancy left from Cash and Cassidy. They were slowly forcing out our opponents.
Swinging my rope overhead, Cassidy turned sideways and I launched the rope, setting it down right where his foot was going to land. I pulled tight and my brother faceplanted it into the snow.
It was a short lived game as the rest of my team flooded everyone, including Remington, out of the fort; Tenley’s throws had turned the tides. I hadn’t even needed to toss a single snowball, which was no fun.
So I bent down, packing in the wet, heavy snow, and then launched it at my brother, who was hogtied on the ground.
“Weston!” he cried out, but I merely tossed another snowball at his face.
“We’re not children anymore!” He spit out some snow as I threw another one at him.
“I surrender! White flag!” he called out again, but I merely laughed and hit him in the face with a snowball again.
“Will you let me up?” Cassidy asked, reaching for the rope around his legs. I tugged tighter, dragging him a foot across the field before pausing and hitting him in the face with snow again.
A beautiful laugh sounded beside me, and I glanced sideways to see Tenley walking in my direction. Her feet had to be cold, the tights on her legs were soaking wet and her cheeks were a bright rosy red, but she was grinning from ear to ear.
I smiled, waiting for her to join in on my fun as she pulled back her arm ready to throw the snowball.
And it smashed into my own face.
Cassidy burst out laughing against the ground as I shook off the snow.
