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Monday, November 28, 2011

TUESDAY TALES - Prompt: "ice"

A slight continuation of the couple from The Marriage List, Grey and Carrie at Christmas.


            Carrie rolled over in bed and placed her hands flat against Grey’s bare chest.
            “Good morning,” she whispered, unwilling to disturb the quiet of the house.
            “Merry Christmas,” he whispered back, sliding his hand down the smooth skin of her side and over to squeeze her rump.
            “We can’t…everyone will be up soon…but tonight…”
            “We can linger here a moment and remember,” he sighed, his fingers combing her hair.
            Carrie giggled and buried her face in his neck. Grey pulled her naked body close to his for a hug, holding her against him. She lay there for ten minutes enjoying the feel of his hard body against hers, dreaming about making love with him.
            “Come on, let’s take a walk before the insanity starts.”
            He got up and quietly put on his warmest clothes, tossing Carrie’s clothes to her. She slipped into her underwear while staying under the warmth of the down quilt. Once her thermals were on, she ventured out of the bedclothes into the icy air of the bedroom.
            “Was it this cold in here when you were growing up?”
            “Yup. I learned to dress quickly.”
            Carrie slipped on fleece pants, cashmere socks and a flannel shirt that matched Grey’s, an early Christmas gift from his sister, Jenna. Once he was dressed, too, they crept downstairs trying to be as quiet as possible. Grey filled the coffee maker and turned it on, pulling down two mugs with brightly-painted roosters on them.
            Once the coffee was made, they took it into the living room and went to the window. On the way they passed a healthy Christmas tree about seven feet tall covered with glass balls and a hodge-podge assortment of ornaments gathered over the years. Underneath the tree, gifts were piled high, their brightly-colored wrappings shouting their presence and begging the recipient to open it first.
            Carrie looked at her hand. The three-carat diamond resting on her fourth finger twinkled its brilliance and clarity at her, reminding her of her new engagement. She smiled as Grey pulled her onto his lap. They sat at the window seat in front of a bird feeder. 
             "Are there still any birds around or did they all fly south already?"
             "Always a few linger."
             Grey slipped his arm around her waist, steadying her and she rested her head against his.
             “Come on,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the back door.
            They pulled on down parkas and gloves and trudged out into the cold, their shoes crunching on the thin layer of frozen snow. Grey took her hand again and she followed him down a well-worn path to the lake. The bright sunshine bounced off the frozen water blinding her temporarily. She could see the thick ice on the lake and a smile came to her lips.
            “Let’s go,” she said, pulling on Grey’s hand and moving out onto the frozen surface.
            A sudden sharp tug on her hand pulled her back with a jerk.
            “No!” Grey hollered at her, folding his arms around her so she couldn’t move.
            Carrie looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.
            “Don’t go there.” He tightened his grip.
            “But it’s frozen. Solid. And it’s so much fun to walk on a frozen lake.”
            “It isn’t frozen solid.”
            “Yes, it is. Look,” she said, squirming to get away but he held her fast.
            “No, no, no Carrie.”
            She saw him blink back tears.
            “What?”
            “The ice, it’s wrong. It looks frozen but it isn’t. When I was eight, my best friend, Tom, dared me to go out on the ice. I tried to keep him from going but he wouldn’t listen. He fell through and died before I could get help.”
            Carrie rested her head on his shoulder and hugged him. He placed his head on top of hers and closed his eyes.
            “I’m so sorry. I won’t go there. I promise.”
            “I couldn’t stand to lose you, too. I love you so much,” he whispered.
            “I love you, too.”
            They held onto each other while the sun melted the ice coating the tree branches and the air began to warm up. A few drips from trees above them forced the lovers to move. They returned to the house where other family members were moving around. Noise began to build in the once quiet old Victorian as Grey’s brother, sisters and parents awoke to celebrate Christmas together.  Refilling their mugs, Carrie and Grey sat cross-legged on the living room floor, their pinkies interlocked as the exchange of Christmas gifts began.


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4 comments:

Patricia Kiyono said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Love this novel!!! I'd like Grey for christmas please

Karen Cino said...

Can't wait to read this book. I'm loving it just from this scene.

Lindsay said...

And it's coming out when?