A Year of Love Read online

  Gaze

  “Who taught you to skate?” Pixie Rae gave me a suspicious glare.

  “The Burathons. When I was with them.” I searched her face for any hint of pain. I knew it was there. I hoped she could see the pain in my eyes, too. She was alone then, but not now. And never again.

  Pixie was sitting on a fallen tree while I laced up her ice skates. Luckily, Teddi had the same size feet and enjoyed the frozen lake trips as much as I did when we were younger. I wanted Pixie to have a memory like mine. Once I was sure her skates were on properly, I stood on mine. We waddle-walked to the edge of the lake. The conditions were perfect. The ice was as clear as magic.

  Pixie hesitated to put her skate on the surface. “Are you sure? This looks like it will crack in a second.” I let go of her hands and pushed myself on my skates to make sure she knew it was safe. I skated backward in a circle and then back to her. Her eyes were wide as I stretched out one hand to her.

  “See? Fine.” I stuttered my steps as I transitioned from ice to snow.

  Pixie pursed her lips but trusted my hand enough to grab it. I skated behind her and enveloped her in a hug as she experienced the ice with blades for the first time.

  I was able to right her for the first three pushes, and then she started to get the hang of it. I wasn’t surprised. She was an agile human. She didn’t enjoy sports as much as I did, but she could play them decently if she wanted.

  That was my Pixie. No matter what she set her mind to, she could figure it out. Even if it meant surviving our childhood in the city together.

  I wasn’t in a huge rush, but I had a destination. Valentine’s Day had expectations, after all. I kept a grip on her hand or put my fingers on her back as she figured out more and more how to move on skates.

  “Like rollerblades, right?”

  She was good on skates with wheels. We had two sets at our apartment by the college.

  “Yeah. Except for the giant optical illusion that I’m on top of water that is ready to crack any second.” She gestured with her hand at our feet.

  I couldn’t hide my grin. “Well, I didn’t plan that, but I’m glad it happened.”

  Usually the ice was frosted, and you could rarely see to the depths below, but this freeze was different. The slow build of the cold allowed large chunks to form without the impurities that would normally cloud it up.

  It was close to dusk, but there was enough sunlight to see straight through to the bottom in some spots. The sandy bottom revealed a few jagged rocks. It was hard to perceive the depth.

  The whole effect made the simple act of ice skating seem far more thrilling than usual.

  “I feel like this exact ice will slip into my nightmares for the rest of my life.” Pixie squeezed her eyes shut.

  “That was not the feeling I was after.” I slowed us both down and caught her at her waist. “You okay? I can get you out of here in a hot minute.”

  Her cheeks were pinking up from the cold. I kissed each one.

  “I’m good. I’m safe with you.” She leaned up and tried to give me a kiss on my nose. She overextended and slipped. I pulled her to me and kept our balance. “See? Now let me get my juggling knives out and see how you do when I add those.”

  “Come here, hilarious.” I swooped down and picked her up, slinging her over my shoulder. “Don’t kick or you’ll turn my brain into a kabob.”

  I felt her put her hands on my back to steady herself. “Gaze. What the hell?”

  I wanted her to see the setup before we lost the light. I skated her around the outcropping of trees so she could see what I had planned.

  Once I saw the candles flickering, I slowed and set her down.

  She was focused on her feet and then glanced up. I watched her face while she took in the scene.

  Earlier, my brother, Ruffian, helped me set it up. We arranged a huge heart shape with LED candles. Then I spread out a blanket with a large picnic basket. In it were some sandwiches and a cake with “Will you marry me?” written on the top in icing.

  Tonight was a big night. It had to go perfectly. When Pixie went from sighing happily to screaming, I knew something awful was going down.

  Pixie Rae

  Gaze had a flare for romance, I had to hand it to him. It wasn’t necessary. I was his no matter what. We would always be each other’s person. You couldn’t have one of us without the other. And the beautiful scene in front of me with the flickering candles was awe-inspiring. I loved that he had gone to all this work.

  But then, the huge picnic basket moved once. Then again. Then one more time. A hairy hand stretched out, opening the basket from the inside.

  I knew I was screaming, and I should have probably stopped. There had to be a reason for what I was seeing. I clapped my hands over my lips.

  Gaze leaned closer to me and then followed my line of sight.

  “Oh shit.” Gaze took off on his skates so quickly, I had to toss out my arms to keep my balance. He could skate really, really fast. He slid next to the blanket as if it was home base.

  He grabbed the basket and the hand disappeared back inside.

  “Oh no. No. You evil little thing.” Gaze flipped open the basket and slowly an adorable, huge raccoon popped his head out. “Not the cake. Shit.”

  The raccoon licked his chops.

  “You ate the whole cake? No. No!” Gaze wagged his finger at the raccoon.

  I was taking a video before I realized I had my phone in my hand. It was a habit. When something was video-worthy, it was a reflex.

  The raccoon scrambled to get out of the basket. Gaze didn’t seem to know if he wanted to trap the raccoon inside the basket or shoo him away.

  Finally, Gaze’s super quick reflexes kicked in and he popped the lid closed. The raccoon protested with a squeak.

  “What do I do?” He was holding the basket close to his chest.

  “What were you trying to do?” It sure seemed like the raccoon was a surprise, so I didn’t think it was a new pet.

  Gaze frowned and didn’t answer me.

  I moved slowly in his direction. My skating skills were super new.

  When I got close enough, I held onto Gaze’s bicep. His distress was next level, and he was usually calm.

  “If you ate the cake, you dumbass…” He lifted the lid again, and the adorable raccoon looked up at us both. He was covered in something thick and white. I slapped the lid down.

  “Is that rabies? Is he sick?” I swallowed hard. I was a city girl, but I knew rabies was bad news.

  “No, that’s icing. From a cake. And this fat bastard ate it.” He shook the basket a little.

  “Was that my Valentine’s Day gift? A cake from Gideon’s Bakery?”

  The basket made another squealing noise.

  Gaze’s eyes were wide. “Sort of.”

  “Well, we have to let him out, right?” My skates were getting away from me, sliding out on opposite sides.

  Gaze looked from the basket to me and back again. A decision was made. He let go of the lid and wrapped his arm around my waist so I wouldn’t fall.

  The second the pressure was off the lid, the raccoon scrambled out of the basket. He plopped out on the ice and lay on his back with a swollen tummy.

  “Oh, he ate the whole damn thing.” Gaze set the basket down and turned his back on the furry guy long enough to help me sit on a blanket that was laid out on the ice.

  The raccoon swung his legs from one side to another. He was like a turtle lying upside down on his shell. He smelled like a candy factory.

  Gaze shook his head. “This is ridiculous.”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.” I knew he'd been up to something special. His brother, Ruffian, had been visiting a few days in a row. And Ruffian sucked at hiding things from me. I didn’t know what it was, but he always acted like I’d just caught him stealing from a cookie jar around me.

  I was guessing this whole setup was a collaboration between the brothers. It made my heart swell. I loved that they were con
necting. The raccoon flipped over finally and started waddle-sliding himself across the ice.

  “Oh no.” Gaze pulled out his phone and hit FaceTime. I watched the scene from the blanket on the ice as Ruffian came into view on Gaze’s screen. “Look what was in the basket when I got here.” Gaze flipped the screen to show Ruffian the slovenly raccoon.

  “Oh crap. Did he get into the cake at all?” Ruffian was driving and I heard Teddi pipe up, “Aw, he’s so cute. He looks sick, though.”

  Teddi was Ruffian’s girlfriend/partner in crime. Well, actually the opposite of crime. They did good stuff together.

  “I’m on my way. Don’t let that raccoon out of your sight.”

  “You guys are pretty intense about this cake. We can get another one,” I said.

  Gaze shook his head and proceeded to skate-stalk the hairy little thief. “I have to keep that thing.” He was talking more to himself than to me.

  “Should I take off my skates and help you?” I kicked out my feet to start on the task.

  “No. Please don’t. Just sit right there and take in the scene. This romantic, memorable scene.” The raccoon audibly farted. “Seriously?”

  “He’s got a lot to process if he ate a cake,” I offered by way of defense for the little guy.

  Gaze concentrated on blocking the raccoon’s attempted escape into the surrounding woods. He was watching the lines the raccoon would likely travel. I started filming again, because I had nothing left to offer to him.

  Ruffian came out of the woods with Teddi close on his heels.

  “Bro.” Ruffian skidded across the lake.

  Teddi slid like she was wearing skates instead of Converse sneakers.

  “Dude, you said nothing would touch the basket. That clear ice is too scary for animals.”

  Ruffian made a face. “Yeah, I did say that.”

  Gaze made a frantic gesture at the raccoon.

  “I see him.” Ruffian pulled up to a stop and Teddi slid-skated next to me, sitting on the blanket.

  “How’s it going?” She tossed her long hair over her shoulder.

  “I guess it sucks?” I shrugged.

  “Oh, that's right, you don’t know.” Teddi patted my arm.

  “This day is getting weirder and weirder.” I recentered the camera on the boys.

  “Isn’t this the cutest setup, though?” Teddi smiled while she looked over at the LED candles and the blanket. “They had the hardest time making a heart shape.”

  “Aw, it’s a heart shape. You guys were pretty close to us?” They arrived like they had been waiting to do so.

  “Ruffian was supposed to run the drone they rented. But now we’re doing this.” Teddi put a mittened fist to her lips.

  “I guess we wait until it takes a crap?” Ruffian was squatting low and looking at the panicked raccoon.

  Gaze ran his hands down his face, pulling in his cheeks. “He’s a wild animal.”

  “That’s the tough part, for sure. At least we still have him. I guess we have to trap him?” Ruffian held up his hands in a defense type maneuver.

  “You’re supposed to be the wildlife expert, so do your thing.” Gaze was getting more frustrated with each passing second.

  “I never said I was an expert, just that when Mom and I lived in the woods, I knew a few things about it. Plus, he's got a collar on.” Ruffian took off his jacket and held it up like he might try to swaddle the fat raccoon.

  I made eye contact with Teddi. She had pulled off her mitten to scratch her nose. “Your nail polish is so cute.”

  The pale blue color had gold lines running through it.

  “Right? I was thrilled when I bought the nail polish stickers. So easy.” She held out her hand. “Depending how this turns out, I have a great red set for your nails. We can do it tonight.”

  I had no idea why a raccoon gorging on a cake had anything to do with me painting my nails, but sometimes Teddi was four steps ahead of a situation in her head, so I just nodded encouragingly.

  “What do you guys have in store for tonight? The big ol’ heart day.”

  Teddi crinkled her nose. “Just staying in today. After this.”

  “No one is making a whole lot of sense today. Did you notice that, or is it just me?”

  Gaze and Ruffian were now fight dancing with the raccoon. The beast seemed to have gotten some of his mobility back.

  “Oh, it’s not just you. Hang in there, pretty lady.” Teddi grabbed the overturned basket and righted it.

  Ruffian tackled the raccoon and swaddled him in the jacket. I made sure I was still videoing. Gaze pumped his fist and then seemed to think better of it. “Now what?”

  The raccoon’s little face peeked out from the material. He looked guilty but not nearly scared enough for a wild animal.

  “Peaches!” a woman’s voice echoed off the ice. “Hairy baby, where are you?”

  At that point, the raccoon almost scurried free. I noticed his collar had what looked like an Apple Air Tag on it. It made a beeping noise. Ruffian scrambled to keep a hold on him.A high-pitched whine came from the raccoon and the screaming lady got closer.

  Ruffian tilted his head. “Um, this thing is making noise.” He pointed to the tag around the raccoon’s neck.

  A woman in high boots and a blue fuzzy robe slid into our scene. “I’m so sorry. Did Peaches get into your food? She’s just awful.” She put out her hands and Ruffian let the raccoon go. It waddled straight to the woman and climbed her like a tree. “Oh, you got into something, all right.” She held out a sticky hand covered in frosting. The raccoon licked the woman’s face.

  Ruffian and Gaze crowded the woman and drenched her in hushed whispers. She looked alarmed, but also amused.

  “Oh no. That’s awful.” She tilted her head until she made eye contact with me.

  “This has to be the weirdest date Gaze has ever taken me on.”

  Teddi lifted something out of the basket and then palmed it before I could see what it was. “Interestingly, this would not be the weirdest date I’ve been on with Ruffian.”

  Before I could ask her to explain herself, Teddi got up and slid to the boys and the lady. She put her arm around Ruffian and his head dropped to look in her outstretched hand. Then Ruffian yanked on Gaze’s sleeve until he looked in Teddi’s hand. Gaze’s shoulders dropped in what seemed like relief.

  The raccoon lady started laughing and jiggling the raccoon in her arms like it was a baby.

  It all hit me at once. The candles, the drone, the picnic basket. Gaze was trying to propose to me, and everything had gone sideways on him. Oh, my poor guy.

  Gaze

  I took the sticky ring from Teddi’s hand and slipped it into my pocket.

  Ruffian whispered in my ear, “Check it out, the little bastard didn’t eat it after all!”

  I’d been so tense thinking about how screwed up my proposal had gone, that having the ring back was like a sign that everything was going to be okay. I felt my spine unclench.

  “I need a new plan. I can’t salvage this. I don’t want Pixie’s proposal story to at any point include my talking about sifting through a domestic raccoon’s litter box.”

  Teddi’s smile got bigger somehow, and I could tell Ruffian was holding back a laugh out of sheer willpower.

  Teddi leaned forward to whisper, “How about tonight at the party? Instead of an engagement party, it could be a surprise, you're about to be engaged party.”

  Ruffian shrugged and then sped forward to help the raccoon lady across the ice. “I don’t want her to slip carrying this guy back.”

  I nodded at my brother, grateful that he had the sense to be the gentleman while I was still trying to figure out my life.

  Teddi touched my shoulder, having to reach up because of our height difference. “It’ll be great. My friends and I will help. You know we can throw a hell of a party.”

  “Okay. That’s going to have to do.” I turned to face Pixie Rae, who was sitting completely amazed on the blanket. Maybe she k
new? Maybe she figured it all out?

  I ran through the events of the last hour. I could maybe just make this about ice skating. And let Teddi and her buddies do their work. They were excellent at pulling off last-minute parties. She had an entire charity that helped families grant wishes for kids in need. Adjusting a few things for tonight’s party would be a piece of cake for her. Undigested by a raccoon cake, I hoped.

  After the raccoon and its owner were off the ice, Ruffian came back. “Listen, you guys hang out here for a little while longer, then come on out like we planned.” He held out a hand to Teddi, who took it.

  Finally, I was able to sit with Pixie on the blanket. She rubbed my back.

  “Everything okay?”

  She was so pretty, the sunset throwing colors all over the glass ice to try to dazzle her.

  “Yeah. Everything’s perfect.” I cuddled her to me and we listened to Ruffian and Teddi drive away. The chill picked up even more when the sun slipped below the trees, so I took a few minutes to clean up the candles and baskets. After I helped Pixie up, I jammed the blanket into the basket with the candles.

  Once we were ready, I held out an arm to Pixie. She clamped on tightly. As we glided slowly, Pixie gasped.

  “Check it out. It’s like we are skating on the stars.”

  She was right. The ice was working like a mirror, reflecting the night sky as we cruised over it.

  I thought about the diamond in my pocket and contemplated doing it here. But the sticky icing made me stop. I wanted Pixie to have a shiny ring. So instead, I just pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

  Gaze

  Maybe I was stressing too much. I bet that’s what Pixie would tell me. She and Teddi were off getting dressed for what Pixie thought was a dinner reservation with my brother and his girlfriend for Valentine’s Day.

  Austin was washing the engagement ring in the sink over a colander.

  I was standing by watching like he was diffusing a bomb.

  “So, are you one-hundred percent sure this ring was never in a raccoon’s digestive tract?” He was wearing latex gloves, just to be sure.