“On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…ten lords a leaping”
A snowball whizzed past Devlin’s head. “Did you just try to hit me with a snowball?” He looked appalled.
“I am trying, but you keep moving.” Sadie laughed and grabbed up another handful of snow, making a nice ball. Taking aim, she threw it as hard as she could.
Devlin leaned to the left, dodging that one as well. “This is war,” he declared and scooped up a handful of snow.
“You can’t declare war,” she laughed. “I already declared it against you by tossing the first snowball.”
“I am declaring a second war.” He grinned and took aim.
“The first war isn’t even over yet,” Sadie yelled out, but a sudden gust of harsh wind tore her words away. She broke into a run. The length of her cloak combined with her skirts slowed her escape. A snowball hit her square in the back, splattering. She fell forward to her knees, laughing.
“That’s it!” She jumped up. “I will get you for that,” she warned, laughing harder and scooped up another ball of snow. With her arm lifted, she turned around. “Devlin?” she called. The area was empty. He wasn’t there. Pulling her hood back up, she shielded her eyes against the icy pellets of snow that were falling in earnest.
“Devlin,” she called out, suddenly worried. “Where did you go?” Taking big steps, she waded through the snow. The wind tore at her cloak and sleet pelted against her, making it hard to see. She didn’t realize she had run so far. The house was barely visible in the distance.
“Devlin,” she yelled again, knee deep in snow. The wind ripped her words away. She was getting a bad feeling, a really bad feeling. What if he was hurt or lost in the sudden white out? This had happened a few times where she lived. All the white had a way of making a person disorientated, so it was easy to get lost.
Something grabbed her cloak.
“Ambush!” yelled Devlin, pulling her down easily into the snow.
“Why you,” she said, and hit his chest lightly. “I thought you were hurt.”
“I was using a tactical maneuver to win the war,” he boasted, laughing, sitting up.
“That’s cheating.”
“I beg to differ,” he said. “All is fair in war.” His dark eyes glittered with laughter.
“We’ll see about that.” She shoved his chest, hard.
Not expecting the shove he fell backward into the snow. She jumped on top of him, straddling him. “I win!” she cheered, lifting her arms in the air like a prizefighter.
Devlin watched her utterly mesmerized.
“To the victor goes the spoils,” she laughed, lowering her arms and pressing her hands to his chest. “What is my prize?” She leaned forward, her hood shielding them to the snow.
“This.” Devlin pulled her closer and kissed her soundly on the lips. He only meant to do it as a joke and then release her, but the moment his lips touched hers he couldn’t let go.
Sadie didn’t expect the kiss but as it turns out it was the most perfect kiss she had ever received. Everything fell away and it no longer mattered that they were in a snow bank or out in the midst of a blizzard. No, nothing mattered. Not now.