Local Hero

look, Hester knelt in the snow. Mitch dropped the handful of snow on her head.
    “I figured that was the quickest way to get you to look at me.” She glared, then began to push the snow into a mound. “Problem, Mrs. Wallace?”
    Seconds ticked by as she pushed at the snow. “I got a copy of
Who’s Who.
”
    “Oh?” Mitch knelt down beside her.
    “You were telling the truth.”
    “I’ve been known to from time to time.” He shoved some more snow on the mound she was forming. “So?”
    Hester frowned and punched the snow into shape. “I feel like an idiot.”
    “I told the truth, and you feel like an idiot.” Patiently Mitch smoothed over the base she was making. “Want to explain the correlation?”
    “You let me lecture you.”
    “It’s kinda hard to stop you when you get rolling.”
    Hester began to dig out snow with both hands to form the legs. “You let me think you were some poor, eccentric Good Samaritan. I was even going to offer to put patches on your jeans.”
    “No kidding.” Incredibly touched, Mitch caught her chin in his snow-covered glove. “That’s sweet.”
    There was no way she was going to let his charm brush away the discomfort of her embarrassment. “The fact is, you’re a rich, eccentric Good Samaritan.” She shoved his hand away and began to gather snow for the torso.
    “Does this mean you won’t patch my jeans?”
    Hester’s long-suffering breath came out in a white plume. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    “Yes, you do.” Always helpful, Mitch packed on more snow and succeeded in burying her up to the elbows. “Money shouldn’t bother you, Hester. You’re a banker.”
    “Money doesn’t bother me.” She yanked her arms free and tossed two good-sized hunks of snow into his face. Because she had to fight back a giggle, she turned her back. “I just wish the situation had been made clear earlier, that’s all.”
    Mitch wiped the snow from his face, then scooped up more, running his tongue along the inside of his lip. He’d had a lot of experience in forming what he considered the ultimate snowball. “What’s the situation, Mrs. Wallace?”
    “I wish you’d stop calling me that in that tone of voice.” She turned, just in time to get the snowball right between the eyes.
    “Sorry.” Mitch smiled, then began to brush off her coat. “Must’ve slipped. About this situation . . .”
    “There is no situation between us.” Before she realized it, she’d shoved him hard enough to send him sprawling in the snow. “Excuse me.” Her laughter came out in hitches that were difficult to swallow. “I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t know what it is about you that makes me do things like that.” He sat up and continued to stare at her. “I
am
sorry,” she repeated. “I think it’s best if we just let this other business drop. Now, if I help you up, will you promise not to retaliate?”
    “Sure.” Mitch held out a gloved hand. The moment he closed it over hers, he yanked her forward. Hester went down, face first. “I don’t
always
tell the truth, by the way.” Before she could respond, he wrapped his arms around her and began to roll.
    “Hey, you’re supposed to be building another sentry.”
    “In a minute,” Mitch called to Rad, while Hester tried to catch her breath. “I’m teaching your mom a new game. Like it?” he asked her as he rolled her underneath him again.
    “Get off me. I’ve got snow down my sweater, down my jeans—”
    “No use trying to seduce me here. I’m stronger than that.”
    “You’re crazy.” She tried to sit up, but he pinned her beneath him.
    “Maybe.” He licked a trace of snow from her cheek and felt her go utterly still. “But I’m not stupid.” His voice had changed. It wasn’t the easy, carefree voice of her neighbor now, but the slow, soft tones of a lover. “You feel something for me. You may not like it, but you feel it.”
    It wasn’t the unexpected exercise that had stolen her breath, and she knew it. His eyes were so blue in the lowering sunlight, and his hair glistened with a dusting of snow. And his face was close, temptingly close. Yes, she felt something, she felt something almost from the first minute she saw him, but she wasn’t stupid, either.
    “If you let go of my arms, I’ll show you just how I feel.”
    “Why do I think I wouldn’t like it? Never mind.” He brushed his lips over hers before she could answer. “Hester, the situation is this. You have feelings for