Where The Ice Gives Way Chapter 129

**Blake**

I spot her across the hall, back at the stall, head bent over something in her hands. I cut across the room, weaving through people, catching the edge of conversations and laughter as I go. Charlie is leaning on the table beside her, talking, and Charlotte is smiling in that quiet way she does when she’s really happy. I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, lifting her just enough that her feet leave the floor for a second. She squeals, hands flying to my arms. “Blake!”

I laugh against her hair. “Hi.”

She twists in my hold, smiling up at me. “What are you doing?”

I glance at Charlie. “I’m stealing her.”

Charlie snorts. “You don’t even ask anymore.”

“Watch the stall,” I tell him.

“Do I get paid?”

“You get exposure,” I say over my shoulder, as I pull Charlotte away from the table.

“Come on.”

“Where are we going?” she asks, already following.

“Outside.”

It’s still a little cold as we step out under the covered section, but it doesn’t matter; we’ll warm up soon enough. The place is packed, and I have to dodge more than a couple of kids running between the stalls. I step in front of her, walking backward now so I can see her face. “Alright,” I say. “Pick your prize.”

“What?” She asks with her head tilted.

I gesture around us. “Any stall. Any game. You tell me what you want, and I’ll win it.”

Her brows lift with a little smirk. “That’s mighty confident of you.”

I shrug, “I’m feeling lucky today.”

She folds her arms, trying to look unimpressed, but her smile gives her away. “What if you lose?”

“I won’t. I’ve got my lucky charm.” I wink and kiss her hand, dragging her back to my chest. I put my chin over her shoulder, “Tell me which one you want.” 

She hums as she scans the stalls and lands on one set up with a row of glass bottles and a pile of rings stacked beside them. “That one,” she says, pointing at the little black wolf stuffed animal. “Easy.” I grin and walk her in front of me to it. 

I grab a handful of rings and step up to the table. The guy running it looks me over, then smirks. He already knows how this is going to go. “Three for a dollar,” he says. I drop coins into the jar and wink at Charlotte, who steps up beside me, arms folded, watching. “No pressure,” she murmurs. I pick up the first ring, weighing it in my hand before I flick my wrist. The ring arcs, hits the neck of the bottle, and drops perfectly around it. I look over to Charlotte with a wide grin, and my chest puffs out. Charlotte’s mouth falls open. “You did not just do that.”

I grin. “Told you. Lucky charm.”

I pick up another ring and throw it without hesitation. The ring drops onto the bottle, and I lean into her ear and let her hear Lex’s low growl for her. He wants her to be proud of us just as much as I do. Her laugh breaks out, bright and sharp. “Blake—”

I don’t even look at the third bottle as I throw it. I stare at my girl as I hear it land. The guy behind the table exhales. “Alright, alright. Which prize do you want?” I point to the wolf and thank him when he hands it to me. Charlotte’s eyes go nice and wide when I pass it to her. “Thank you.” She blushes.

“Yeah,” I say. “I knew you’d be impressed.”

She holds it against her chest, smiling down at it. “Next?” I ask, already grabbing her hand again.

“Blake—”

“No, no. We’re on a roll, and it’s all for a good cause, right?” She laughs as I pull her to the next stall.

This one has small balls stacked in a crate, and a row of cans set up in a pyramid. I drop a dollar in the jar and hand her a ball. “I’m not doing that,” she says immediately.

“You are.”

“I’m not.”

I press a ball into her hands anyway, stepping behind her, my chest against her back.

“Just throw it,” I murmur near her ear.

She huffs a laugh. “If I embarrass myself—”

“You won’t.”

She pulls her arm back and throws, and the ball hits the side. Two cans wobble, and one falls. “I hit one!”

“You did.”

She turns her head toward me. “That counts, right?”

“Of course it does.”

The stall guy shrugs. “Close enough. Try again.” 

She laughs, grabs another ball, and this time she gets a little more confidence about her, and a hell of a lot more swing as she throws. The whole stack collapses and she gasps. “I did it!”

I laugh, lifting her again without thinking. “You did.”

She twists in my arms, breathless and bright. “Did you see that?”

“I saw, Lotty, great job.”

The guy hands her a small box of chocolates, and she takes it carefully, adding it to the plush in her arms. We go to a dart board next. She misses the first throw completely, and I feel her deflate a little. “Hey,” I say quietly, stepping closer. “Again.”

She breathes out and throws. It hits the board…barely, but it’s on there and she smiles anyway. “That definitely counts,” I tell her.

At the guessing jar, she leans in, studying it , lips moving silently as she counts. I watch her more than the jar. The way her lips move. The way she leans in. “What do you think?” I ask.

She names a number and the stall runner checks, eyebrows lifting. “Closest so far.” She turns to me, eyes wide. “I guessed that.”

I laugh “You did.”

We end up near one of the firepits, heat brushing against the cold air. She stands close, holding everything she’s won, cheeks flushed, hair catching the light. “You didn’t have to do all that,” she says.

“Are you kidding? I wanted to. Best day ever, Lotty.” She looks down at what she’s holding, then back at me. “Thank you.”

I reach out, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “You having fun?”

She nods. “A lot.”

“Good.” I lean in and kiss her, slow and easy and she melts into it without hesitation. When I pull back, she’s still smiling.

A group of kids runs past us, laughing, nearly knocking into me. I shift, pulling her a little closer without thinking.  “Come on,” I say, tugging her gently. “One more.”

She laughs. “Okay, one more. Then we should go help at our own stall.”

We head back into the noise, her hand in mine. My heart somewhere up in the clouds. This is exactly where I want to be.