Once Upon a Snowball Fight

JACKSON

I stood there, thinking perhaps I had taken things too far. Sighing, I looked at Charlotte, who had retreated to her bed and was nervously chewing on her bottom lip. I wasn’t about to let her face her mother alone.

“Okay, shall we go down and I’ll explain to your parents who I really am? No doubt they will kick me out as soon as they find out,” I said, trying to lighten the mood with a smile.

This wouldn’t be the end of what had transpired in the truck. That kiss was unlike anything I’d experienced before. I had had my fair share of women throwing themselves at me, but none of them could even come close to how Charlotte kissed me.

It made me wonder how such a nervous, clumsy little bundle like her could be so confident in other ways. I held out a hand for her to take. She stood, and we headed down the stairs.

As we approached the kitchen, I noticed the door was ajar. “What makes her think she can just turn up with a stranger here?” Her mother’s voice was laced with anger.

“Honey, it’s her boyfriend. Maybe she didn’t have a chance to tell us. You know she hardly has time to leave her workplace.” Tom’s voice was softer, more understanding.

“She could have called. It’s very inconsiderate of her just turning up with him,” her mother retorted, her tone cold and bitter.

“You are just never happy with anything she does, are you?” Tom huffed out, clearly annoyed.

There was a huff from Patricia, then silence. I glanced at Charlotte, who had tears forming in her eyes. My heart ached for her.

There was nothing worse than a parent being disappointed in everything you did. I knew Charlotte as a child, and she was always a good person and sweet. She jumped whenever her mother asked her to do anything.

I placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my chest. I held her, rubbing her back.

“I’m here if you need me,” I reassured her. It was genuine, and as much as I loved winding her up and teasing her, this made me want to keep her safe—especially now.

The kitchen doors opened, and Patricia walked out. “Oh, you settled in then?”

I didn’t like the way she said it to us both. Tom came out with a tray of cups and pots of tea and coffee. He smiled at me, holding his daughter in his arms.

Patricia put on a smile and told us to all go through into the living room. Charlotte pulled away from me and was about to speak when I placed my lips on top of hers softly as I gazed into her watery eyes.

“Come on, beautiful, let’s go join your parents for a cup of tea,” I whispered in her ear. Her bottom lip quivered, and I rested my forehead against hers.

Tom poured the cups of tea and coffee, and we sat down. I placed my arm around Charlotte and kissed her forehead, as it felt so natural to me.

“So, I can’t remember how long you two have been together again? What did you say your name was?” Patricia sat, twiddling her teacup in her hand.

I cleared my throat. “It’s Jackson.” I thought the penny might have dropped when I said my name, but Patricia seemed oblivious to it.

Charlotte started rubbing my leg. She either knew or she was totally unaware of how close her hand and fingers were to my crotch.

I looked at Charlotte as she moved her hand up and down my leg. Patricia didn’t ask any more questions about us; instead, she went on to the things that seemed more important to her.

“What do you think of our lights this year? They are gorgeous, aren’t they? Tom worked hard putting them up.” She smiled, and I knew this was the battle between her and my dad.

“Dad, you really shouldn’t be climbing up ladders at your age,” Charlotte gasped.

“Nonsense, girl, he is very capable. I think we beat everyone this year,” Patricia beamed as if she had already won.

Charlotte’s mom was talking about the town’s best decorated house. There was always a competition to see who had the best lights up. One year when our house won, I remembered the uproar that Patricia gave as she thought her house was better.

Now I wanted to just get up and leave. Charlotte stood up. “Shall we go for a walk?” She must have been feeling the tension as well.

I thanked them both for the tea and left with Charlotte. At the door, we stood, putting our jackets on. Charlotte couldn’t get her zip up as it had gotten jammed, and she was ready to burst into tears.

I took hold of her hands and kneeled down so I could sort out the zip and do up her coat. Patricia came down the hall. “Charlotte, you have thirty minutes before I want you back in the house to help me with the dinner.”

The struggle to hold back tears was clear in Charlotte’s eyes, so I stepped in and spoke on her behalf. “I’ll have her back after our walk.” I didn’t bother giving her a time, just smiled at Patricia before opening the door and leading Charlotte outside into the snow.

The snow was still falling, and the place looked beautiful with all the houses lit up. I took her hand and led her straight over to my house. “Shall we?” I pulled her in and shut the door before she could change her mind.

Unzipping her jacket, I slid it off her shoulders and hung it up before removing my own. I shouted out to find out where my parents were. “In here, honey,” Mom’s voice rang back at us.

We went through to the living room where my parents were watching TV. Right away, they both got up and hugged me, all full of love.

“It’s good to be back. Mom, Dad, you remember Charlotte?”

“Oh my word, young little Charlotte? You have grown into a beautiful lady.” Mom embraced Charlotte in a warm hug.

“We wondered what happened when you arrived back, as you disappeared off.” Dad raised an eyebrow.

“Charlotte’s car broke down. She was lucky I was driving home when I was; otherwise, she would have been stuck out there,” I explained, rubbing her back.

“So, son, you picked her up and gave her a ride,” he finished with a wink.

I spanked Charlotte’s ass. “No, she gave me a ride when she climbed over the top of me to show me how to kiss.”

“Jackson,” Charlotte gasped in horror, then hit my chest as I embarrassed her.

“What, you can’t deny that you didn’t?” I raised an eyebrow and gave her a cheeky smirk.

“Well, if you showed a girl how to kiss in the first place, I wouldn’t have to.” The fire in Charlotte was coming back. Dad started laughing and slapped me on my back. Mom chuckled and offered us something to drink.

CHARLOTTE

When Jackson hauled me across to his house, I knew I was in for it. Frankie Forbes was a bit of a cheeky bugger, and I knew where Jackson got it from.

As it was alcoholic drinks being offered, I had to be careful. I wasn’t a big drinker and easily got drunk.

Only sipping the cocktail that Laura made, the conversation flowed easily between us. Frankie said he would ring Jimbo up, the local garage guy, to go pick my car up tomorrow.

“That is so kind of you. Thank you so much. You guys are so much more welcoming than mine,” I said.

Frankie laughed again. We had been neighbors for as long as I could remember. Mom always hated them, as she thought they weren’t good enough to live on the same street.

I found out that Frankie and Laura had worked hard to have the house of their dreams. Although they couldn’t afford much when Jackson came along, they were happy and enjoyed life.

A large payout from a car accident that Laura was in helped them to pay off the house. The money they now made allowed them to do all the same things that the other families could do. I think that pissed my mom off even more.

“Bring your keys around in the morning and I’ll get that sorted for you,” he winked.

The moment I glanced at the clock, a gasp escaped my lips. “I’d better go,” I jumped up.

That nervousness came back, and I chewed my bottom lip and twiddled the ring on my finger.

“Hey, you don’t have to rush off,” Jackson stood and captured my arm, then he moved a piece of my hair back. He took my hand and said he would walk me back across.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to pose as my boyfriend. I’ll just tell them who you are.”

Frankie started laughing again. He was full of it. “I bet that didn’t go down so well when sourpuss found out who you were?”

“She didn’t recognize me even after I told her my name,” Jackson chuckled.

That made Frankie laugh even harder. Once he stopped, he hugged me before I left and told me I was welcome anytime at theirs.

Jackson walked me back across the road. “I’m sorry. My dad can be a little full of it,” his cheeks flushed red.

I smiled. “Well, I know where you get it from then,” I stared into his eyes.

My jacket was open, and Jackson slid his hands in, holding me closer to him. My heart raced even with the little time I had spent with him.

I enjoyed every minute. He showed me warmth and genuine love—something Scott never managed either.

God, I was so blind with him. I gazed up into his eyes and played with his hair on the back of his neck. “So what happens now, then?”