Page 69 of Puppy Christmas

Her laugh came out in a chuff of self-conscious air. “I know. It’s not my normal scene, obviously, but I didn’t think you’d want to do any of those art galleries and symphonies and things. Do you hate it?”

For what must have been the first time in Ford’s life, he was at a loss for words. Not because he hated the idea of a snow maze—in fact, getting lost inside icy tunnels with only Lila for company sounded like his idea of heaven—but because of how far it was from her normal activities. As much ashemight enjoy running around in below-zero temperatures and slipping around on sheets of ice, she was accustomed to much more sophistication.

Sophistication that he had never particularly enjoyed. Sophistication that he couldn’t really afford in the first place. Sophistication that was much more suited to a well-bred doctor than an illustrator whose primary food groups were peanut butter sandwiches and stale fruit snacks.

“It’s perfect,” he said. And thought, but didn’t add,for a man like me.

She hesitated as if not sure whether to take him at his word, but he reached out and squeezed her gloved hand. He might not be able to offer Lila much in the way of refinement, but he had four glorious hours of freedom, a flask full of bourbon, and the most beautiful woman in the world as his date.

If he couldn’t pull together a good time out of that, then he wasn’t worthy of the name Ford Ford.

Then again, when it came to such a ridiculous combination of syllables as that, who was?

* * *

“Ha! I told you we already came this way.” Ford pointed at the red X marked near the bottom of the snow wall. “Drink up.”

Lila peered closer at the X, unsure whether it was her shade of lipstick that had marked it, or if there was another lost couple who’d taken to similar tactics. As much as she would have liked to blame this on someone else, that was definitely Velvet Kisses. At fifty bucks a tube for it, she doubted there was anyone else fool enough to waste it like this.

“Okay, fine.” She straightened and held her hand out for the flask. “But I could have sworn that was the way out. I still think you cheated somehow.”

There wasn’t much bourbon left by this time, but Lila kicked back the remainder. She’d lost track of how much of it she’d consumed, but it didn’t really matter. The warm glow that filled her had little to do with alcohol and a lot to do with the fact that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed herself this much.

“And now we really do have to find the exit, because we’re out of liquid sustenance.” She tipped the flask upside down to prove it. “From here on out, we have only our wits to guide us. Or, considering how much better you are at this than me, I should probably sayyourwits.”

“Well, my wits and that little boy in the fox hat.”

Lila swiveled to stare at her date. “What?”

Ford gave a laugh and a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. “He’s been in and out of thisd-a-m-nthing half a dozen times already, so it seemed like a safe bet. Besides, he’ll trade tips for knock-knock jokes. How do you think we made it this far?”

“You mean we’ve been following the advice of a strange child for the past hour and a half?” Lila demanded.

“Knock-knock,” was Ford’s only reply.

Lila fought to suppress a smile. “I’m not answering that door.”

“Interrupting sloth,” he said, ignoring her.

“I don’t see how you expect—”

Ford started to move slowly toward her, his arms outstretched and a ridiculous grin on his face. “Slooooooooth,” he said, drawing the word out as he continued his long, leisurely approach.

Lila couldn’t help it—she laughed. She’d spent enough time in Emily’s company lately that she’d heard any number of terrible jokes, including ones about interrupting cows and interrupting sheep and any other animal that could be counted on to provide a convenient punch line.

She stood perfectly still until Ford’s sloth-like arms wrapped around her. The evening was chilly—almost unbearably so—but between scrambling through the maze and the bourbon and the laughter that never seemed to stop for longer than a few seconds at a time, Lila had never felt so warm.

“Two right turns, one left turn, and then we can scramble over that low wall to get out,” Ford murmured. His mouth was pressed against the right side of her neck, his words a deep rumble in her ear. His breath smelled faintly oaky, which only added to the appeal of having him near. “Just say the word, my lady, and I’ll whisk you away to safety.”

“I don’t bargain with cheaters.”

He dropped a soft kiss on the curve of her neck, undismayed by her threats. “It’s not cheating—it’s self-preservation. I always have an exit strategy in mind.”

Lila knew that to be the truth. Since the day she’d met Ford Ford, she’d been aware that he always had one foot out the door, his lighthearted raillery designed to keep anyone from getting too close. The way he’d joked about his ex-wife being at the North Pole and his actions over the comic book the other day proved it. Lila was allowed to flirt with him and maybe even sleep with him, but that was it. She couldn’t touch any of the parts that mattered. He’d made it amply clear that his body was hers for the taking, but his heart?

She wanted to see it. She wanted to know it. She wanted toholdit, if only for a moment.

When she didn’t respond right away, too busy trying to fight off the realization that she’d never be able to return to her cold, closed world after this, he added, “Well?”