Page 46 of On His Knees
Amber checks the time. “We have a spa appointment,” she says. “But that was fun. Thanks, Tate,” she says, and loops her arm in Cara’s.
As they head off, Tate dips his head. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You guys looked like you were having a pretty serious conversation.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Want to talk about it?”
I take a breath, and let it out slowly. It turns to fog in front of my face as I think about returning home to the States, back to my real world. This is a fantasy. A fun, real-life fantasy, but that’s all it is or can ever be. Right? “No, actually I don’t. I just want to enjoy this day.”
“Okay.” He bends and unlatches his snowshoes, and turns to do mine. He holds my arm to balance me as I step out of them.
“Now, what was it you said about snow cones?” I ask.
“I saw a cart going by. Let’s go find it,” he says, and hands our snowshoes over to the guy collecting them.
Another team makes their way out to the field for a game as I follow Tate, feeling treasured when he puts his arm around me and drags me to him. We follow the winding path leading around the resort, and up ahead Tate finds the cart, a little girl munching happily on her ice as her parents pay. I take in the child’s blond curls and get an ache in the center of my chest. The truth is, I always wanted a family of my own but never saw that happening in my future, after my bad track record with men. But with Tate, I feel closer to that dream than before...is that crazy? But even if I wanted a future with him, how could I possibly have it? I can’t uproot my life in New York and the practice I’ve been working so hard to build to be with him.
When we reach the cart, he fishes his wallet from his back pocket, but I stop him.
“This is on me,” I say, and take off my mittens. “You got the tickets to the game.”
“No,” he says firmly. “That’s not how it works when you’re with me.”
I put one hand on my hip and purse my lips. “Are you always this stubborn?”
“Yes.”
I roll my eyes. “What is it with the stubborn men in my life?” I say, and he goes stiff beside me, the muscles along his jaw tightening as he clenches.
“What men?”
“I just mean...the guy who lent me his place here. He’s a stubborn man. You remind me of him in a lot of ways.”
“Yeah?” he says, and turns from me, like he doesn’t want to carry on this conversation. Wait? Does he think James is my boyfriend or something? Amber was kidding about that. Surely he realized.
“What flavor would you like?” the man asks, as he slides the lid open and scoops ice into a white cone cup.
I look over the flavoring bottles. “Blue raspberry.”
“Same,” Tate says, and I feel a new chill in the air, one that’s coming from him.
Tate pays for our treats, and the cart moves on, disappearing around one of the buildings.
I touch his arm to bring his attention back to me. “The man who lent me this place, he’s—”
A loud cry cuts my words off, and I turn. The outburst is coming from the little girl standing over her snow cone, a blue mess spreading on the ground. “Mommy, it fell,” she wails.
I glance up, but the cart is long gone. Since my own snow cone hasn’t been touched, I walk over to her and crouch down. “Here, have mine. I haven’t even touched it.”
The little girl wipes her face with the back of her mittens. She blinks up at her mom and dad. “Mommy?” she says.
“We can’t take yours,” the mother says.
“Of course you can.” I glance at Tate. “He’s pretty good at sharing.”
“Are you sure?” the dad asks.
“Positive.”