Tucker would never admit how hard it had been to hold back the smile that lurked just beneath the surface. There was something about watching his boss’s daughter so thoroughly enjoy the weather that stirred something within him.
It was childish at best. But at the same time, he couldn’t tear his gaze from her. Was he missing something? Should he be allowing himself to let go and just enjoy the holidays?
The second he considered it, his walls came up. There was a reason he hated this time of year—more than one. And just because Blaire had an identity crisis, believing she was some eight-year-old who needed to pretend—
A snowball hit him on the side of his face, exploding in a puff of powder.
It took a moment for the shock to wear off. Then he heard it.
Blaire’s laughter.
It was louder than the obnoxious Christmas music blasting through the ice rink’s speakers. He turned just in time to see her stoop down and scoop up another handful of snow.
Tucker held up both hands, his voice firm. “No.”
She tilted her head, her eyes flashing mischievously. “No? No what?”
“You know very well what. I’m not going to get into a snowball fight with you.”
Blaire tossed the ball in her hand. Up, down. Up, down. “That’s good. Fights have to be between more than one person. If you don’t participate, then it’s not a fight, is it?”
He took a step backward. “I mean it, Blaire. Don’t do it.”
“Whatcha gonna do about it?” A wicked grin spread across her face, and he knew in that moment that he had lost. She cranked her arm backward and threw the ball straight toward him.
This time, he was able to dodge it. Tucker shook his head. “You’re gonna wish you hadn’t done that.” Without really considering what he was doing, he ducked down and scooped up his own ball of snow. When he straightened to take aim, however, he froze.
Blaire had disappeared. He glanced one way then the other. She couldn’t have gone far. There weren’t many hiding places besides a handful of pine trees. Unfortunately, her wild dancing had left too many footprints in the snow, and he couldn’t make sense of where she might have gone.
Snow hit him square in the back of the head, and Blaire’s peals of laughter followed.
He spun around and threw his snowball without looking first and made contact.
Only, he made contact with the wrong person.
His eyes widened as they trailed up the tall, suited form of Kane Jordan. Tucker’s stomach bottomed out. Shoot! This was the guy they were meant to impress. Mr. Davis had made that perfectly clear.
Several of the other guests from the ballroom materialized around him, having just come out from the front entrance of the resort.
Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he glanced to the right to find Blaire keeling over with laughter. Kane still hadn’t moved, but the other guests all seemed pretty amused.
This was it. The moment his career died. He took a step forward, moving toward Kane, trepidation flooding his insides. “Mr. Jordan, I’m terribly—”
Kane held up his hand. “You’ve made a mistake, Mr. Woods.”
“I—what?”
He gestured toward the others around them. “You started a game and didn’t invite the rest of us.”
Tucker’s mouth hung open. He probably looked like some kind of fish rather than an accomplished journalist. “I’m… sorry?”
Without warning, Kane scooped up a snowball, and before Tucker could react, he was hit with yet another blast of snow.
The rest of the guests scattered, and shouts and laughter filled the air as about a dozen adults reverted to childhood.
He had to be imagining all of this.
Right?
None of this made sense.
And yet snowballs were zipping through the air. Squeals joined the other sounds of folks thoroughly enjoying themselves. The corners of his mouth twitched. This was utterly ridiculous.
And yet…
A familiar figure darted behind a tree a short distance from him—a certain someone who deserved to get what was coming to her.
He crouched and formed a sturdy snowball then headed in Blaire’s direction. Tucker jumped behind the tree, his snowball poised and ready to make contact, but he found the hiding space vacant. His hand dropped to his side, and he turned around in search of her.
“Tucker, watch out!” Blaire shouted.
He spun around just in time to see Kane preparing to nail him once again. Only this time, Blaire was at the ready. She took aim and hit the Kane Jordan square in the face.
She gasped, and her hands covered her mouth in a failed attempt to quash the giggle that erupted. Behind her, Eve was poised to take a shot. Without realizing what his plan was, he flung his snowball at the woman.
Eve gasped, and her ball fell to the ground unused. Blaire whirled around to see her attacker then faced Tucker again. Her smile was even brighter than before. She practically glowed, and for a brief moment, he lost track of time. There was a halo of snowflakes in her hair, and her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink.
Then reality came crashing down on him, and he remembered that she had started this whole thing and deserved payback. His sinister smile returned as he balled up another scoop of snow.
She screamed, running from him, but this time, he didn’t lose track of her. She rounded a tree, and he followed suit. Everything happened so fast that he couldn’t make sense of exactly how the next string of events went down.
The only thing he could figure was that Blaire had decided to go on the offensive. She stopped to scoop up some snow, and just as she straightened, he reached her. He wasn’t expecting her to be there, and his body collided with hers.
In a flurry of snow, a grunt, and a squeal, the two of them tumbled into the freshly fallen powder at their feet. She sprawled on her back, her hair fanned out like an angel’s wings around her head.
Tucker hovered over her, and their heavy breathing and laughter mingled between them. He made sure to keep himself propped up so she didn’t get hurt. It was a miracle neither one of them had been injured.
Her eyes locked with his, and her smile faded into something more serious. It was almost as if she could see right through the walls he’d erected around himself. Not since his ex had he felt so vulnerable in front of a person, and she hadn’t even said anything to him.
He stared at her, aware that she had been the only one who had managed to make him laugh since his failed engagement a year ago. Man, had it really been that long?
How had she managed to take him so off guard?
Clearly, she was different.
Tucker needed to know more.