03

03

Not thirty minutes later, the coffee shop was booming, so much in fact that Summer had to run out and buy more milk at the store. Everyone wanted their coffees with warm milk or cream since the weather had flipped to full-on winter over the night.

She was stuffing all the milk cartons and gallons of cream into the trunk of her car when the air shifted. A cold wind blew by and she shivered, but it wasn’t the wind that made her shiver.

She glanced sideways on instinct and saw him, Jack Frost, playing on the lawn next to the parking lot with a bunch of kids. They were in the middle of a mean snowball war, basking around in the ankle deep snow. Jack was grinning from ear to ear, making snowballs impossibly fast while somehow managing to keep his cane tugged under his arm. The kids were kids Summer knew well ; their mothers were customers of her shop, so she also knew that their kids always usually waited outside while their mom’s shopped. Obviously, they had found great company.

She found it a little weird, though. A fully grown man whom nobody really knew was playing in the snow with small kids between the ages of five to eleven. She didn’t think pedophile, she just thought it was… weird.

« Alright, I give up ! » Jack hollered when they all ganged up on him and shot him down with snowballs. « You win, you win ! I surrender ! »

They all happily cheered, proud to have defeated the big adult, while Jack stood up and brushed the cold snow off his thin jacket, the same he wore the other day. His silver hair was tousled from rolling around on the ground and his cheeks were stained a fresh pink color from the brisk wind.

Summer found herself having completely stopped in her tracks to look at him. She realized she was staring.

Just then, of course, their eyes met across the parking lot. Jack zoned in on her and flashed her smart grin, and Summer instantly blushed, having been caught in the act. She saw him wave goodbye to the kids before he begun trekking towards her in a steady pace, cane under his arm.

Summer quickly busied herself with stuffing away the rest of the milk when he stopped up next to her, not sounding at all out of breath as he should. « Hello again, Summer. »

She briefly looked up at him, but then looked away again when his blazing blue eyes were too intense and bright. « Hello, Mr Frost. »

« Jack’s fine, » He offered. « What are you doing here ? Shouldn’t you be at the coffee shop at this hour ? »

« I was, » She explained, closing her trunk. « But we were running low on milk. I might hate snow, but it’s good for business. Cold weather means warm drinks. »

« So maybe winter isn’t so bad after all ? »

She scoffed. « Oh, I still hate it with a passion. That won’t ever change, sorry. »

He sighed a little and leaned on his cane, but nonetheless gave a little smile. « That’s too bad. »

« You seem to love it, though, » She noted and glanced after the kids who had resumed their snowball fight. « Did you just start playing with them or… ? »

« They actually invited me. I get along with kids well, » He smiled and looked at the children howling with laughter as they basked in the fresh snow. A spark of adoration glinted in his eye. « I love how they love the season, all the happiness, you know ? Nothing is more real than the joy of a kid during Christmas season. »

« Agreed, » Summer testified. She used to love winter when she was a kid too, until her parents…

No. Don’t go there.

« Hey, aren’t you cold ? » She asked, clearing her throat to get rid of the lump that formed. Instead she turned her attention to Jack’s attire when she couldn’t help notice how thinly dressed he was.

« Oh, I never really get cold. » He replied with a casual shrug.

« Let me guess ; the cold never bothered you anyway ? » She deviously smirked.

He chuckled. « Very funny. Never heard that one before. »

Summer chuckled back. « Alright, well, I should get going. Do you want to come with ? » She offered. « Iced caramel latte on the house ? You can catch a ride with me. »

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but in that moment a shrill ringing sounded from his pocket. He closed his mouth and instead sighed as he pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. « I’m sorry, I’ve gotta take this. »

« Of course, no problem. »

Jack hit answer and then pressed the phone to his ear, turning away a little. « What’s up ? »

Summer waited a little while he talked, seemingly about something important. She tried her best not to listen and instead just focused on the ends of her scarf, but when he was just about to hang up, she couldn’t help but overhear.

« Tomorrow ? That’s a little soon, don’t you think ? Alright, well that’s your choice, man. See you then. »

When he hung up, he turned around to face her, an apologetic smile on his lips. « I’m so sorry. I’m going to have to raincheck you on that joe. My friend is swinging by tomorrow, so I need to finish some errands before he gets here. » He quirked a little suggestive brow. « Another time ? »

« Of course, no need to apologize, » Summer smiled. « See you around then. I mean, at the coffee shop. You can stop by any time. Any place. » Just shut up, Summer. « You can stop by whenever you want, if you want. »

« I’d love to, » He chuckled, the sound sounding so incredibly sexy in her ears. « Drive safely. »

« Sure. Will do. » She nodded. And then they parted ways.

That evening as Summer walked home, the temperature dropped well below freezing point. Small snowflakes were dancing down from the dark sky, looking pretty in the light from the streets. Off in the distance, she could hear music playing from one of the bars ; they were playing an old, classic Christmas ditty.

Everyone loved Christmas, but Summer didn’t. The truth was, ever since her parents crashed in a car accident, skidding on the ice, she’d lost all the joys of Christmas. She missed going to their house, roasting marshmallows over the fireplace. She missed her mother’s homemade gingerbread, even though she had found the recipe after cleaning out their house, it just didn’t taste the same when she tried to bake it. She missed waking up on Christmas morning, to that glorious tree that they all decorated together. Her father would play the piano and Summer and her mom would sing the Christmas psalms.

All of that was ripped away from her, simply because of a little frozen water.

Summer was walking to her car when a movement by the park across from the coffee shop caught her attention. She could see someone walking around, calmly, steadily. Someone with a cane.

Jack ? She thought. What was he doing in the park this late ? More importantly, why was he… singing ?

Frowning, she decided to cross the abandoned road to the park. He hadn’t noticed her yet. Now that she was getting closer, she could just make out the words of his song.

« He’s nipping at your nose…

You can feel him in your toes…

A shiver and a tear…

Lets you know that Jack Frost is here… »

« Are you singing about Jack Frost ? » Summer couldn’t help but ask, biting her smile down when he turned around, surprise written all over his sculpted face. He instantly cracked a smile himself, showing off a set of pearly whites.

« I thought I was alone, but I guess I’m busted. You know the song ? »

She shook her head. « Don’t think so. I guess it’s my turn to ask what you’re doing here at this time ? Shouldn’t you be getting home or maybe to a hotel ? It’s freezing out here. »

« I know, » He nodded and leaned on his cane. « I’m just out for a walk in the moonlight. Care to join me ? »

She chuckled a little now. « In this cold ? I’ll have to pass. I can hardly feel my hands. »

« I’ll keep you warm then. » In three strides he was in front of her, dwarfing her a little with his height. Summer was five foot eight, so it wasn’t like she was small, but Jack had to be at least six foot two. At least.

He held out his hand for her, waiting for her to take it. Summer looked hesitantly up at him for a moment.

He was a stranger, and they were very much alone. In a park. A dark park. Taking him up on his offer could prove to be a very foolish idea. That was how it usually started, wasn’t it ? She wasn’t going to be naïve, not right up to Christmas.

« I’m sorry, I think it’s best if I go home. »

« Are you afraid of me ? » He bluntly asked. The question startled her so much, her mouth opened in a little ‘o’. She really wasn’t scared of him, it was just that she hardly knew him.

And maybe she was a little afraid… not of him, though, but she wasn’t ready for those thoughts yet. Not now. Not this moment.

« No, it’s not that, » She excused. « It’s just, it’s been a long day and I don’t really know you all that well… »

« Nobody does… » He sighed, suddenly lowering his head. He sounded like he was talking mostly to himself. « It’s alright, I understand. Drive home safely then. »

« Uh. Thank you, » She said, a little awkwardly. « Uh… I’ll… see you tomorrow then. If you stop by the coffee shop, that is. Not that I’m asking you to, just—« Oh God, why did she keep doing that ? « —I’m sorry. I’m really tired, I’m just gonna go home. »

To her surprise, Jack let out a soft, deep chuckle. « You’re sweeter and redder than a candy cane right now. »

Oh, of course ; She was ice frozen and running out of heat, but her body still found enough warm blood to make her blush. « Great. Wonderful. Now that I’ve embarrassed myself enough, I’ll just go home and bury myself in my bed. »

« Do call if you want company. »

She probably blushed again now. That dirty little smirk on his face, those icy, deep eyes, those devilishly inviting lips. Yeah, she’d better leave now before she accepted his silly offer of a moonlight walk. « Bye, Jack. »

She turned on her feet and begun waking back to her car. As she crossed the road, she heard his smooth voice softly continue singing.

« If you try to turn around…

When you hear his icy sound…

He’s sure to disappear…

But you know Jack Frost is here… »