Chapter TwentySeven: Ross's P.O.V-
I kept Carter close by my side. I loved watching her with my younger cousins. I sat back on the couch and watched her play Monopoly with Boston, Gus, and Beauty. I offered to play with them but they said that wanted to play with Carter. Rydel came and sat with me.
"Sup little brother?" she had a plate of food in her hands.
"Just watching Carter play with the mini's." I smiled.
"They absolutely LOVE her!" Rydel said.
"I know," I felt Carter lean her head on my lower leg.
She looked up at me and grinned.
"I think Gus just won." Beauty observed.
"G's and B's come get some food." Aunt Shea said.
"Ok," the mini's said.
Carter pushed herself up next to me and leaned on my shoulder.
"Getting tired," I asked.
"Not really," she said.
"Come on," I stood up and took her hands "I want to show you something."
We walked outside to the back yard.
"What are we looking at?" She asked.
"Look at the sky," I pointed upward.
"It's too dark," She shook her head.
"Exactly," I said "It's going to snow any minute now."
My arms encircled her waist.
"Wait for it," I whispered into her ear "Wait for it,"
Small white puff's began to fall from the sky. Carter turned her head around to look at me.
"I've seen snow, but I've never seen it fall freshly before." She stepped forward in the fall line of the snow.
I watched as the snow flakes found themselves resting in Carters beautiful brown hair. She spun around and tipped back her head. She motioned for me to come out there with her. I took hold of her and spun her. She giggled slightly. I spun her back around to look at me. Our faces were growing closer, our hearts beating in sync. She held my face and pulled it down to her level.
I know what you're thinking, 'biggest cliche EVER' but it didn't feel cliche. I guess you had to be there; wrapped in the heat of it all. In a day or so, it would be Christmas and the day after Christmas we left and returned to our normal average everyday life. Where paparazzi swarmed like like bugs and everybody knew us as Roter. I savored as much of this moment as I could. I clutched her close to my chest and placed my hand under her shirt, on the small of her back.
"Save it for the mistletoe you two." I heard Rocky.
Within a second I felt a cold ball of snow hit my arm. Carter must have gotten hit on the spot of her back where my hand was sitting because she jumped and clutched me.
"Come on guys," I said, hooking my thumb on Carters back pocket "Just leave us alone."
"We would if we could but we can't so we shan't." Ryland said.
"Shan't?" Carter asked "Is that even a word?"
"I think so... One of my teachers said it at school." he shrugged.
While Carter had him distracted I balled some snow in my hand and put it down the back of Rocky's shirt. He jumped and whacked me in the ribs. This sparked an all out war. The whole family came out and divided into teams. Carter and I were on opposite teams and I discovered that she is RUTHLESS at snowball fights. She ended up nailing me in the face with one of the snowballs she threw. I pretended to fall on the ground. She rushed to my side.
"I'm SO sorry," she said "Are you ok?" she asked.
I put one of my hands on her back and with the other I took a hand full of snow.
"I think I'm fine," I said, in a forced voice.
"Just stay still," She said.
That was when I put my hand on the top of her jeans and dropped the snow from my other hand. Carter jumped off the ground.
"JERK!" She yelled at me "I'm not kissing you for a whole week." she crossed her arms in front of her chest and started walking away.
I crouched down, sprung up, and tackled Carter to the ground. Once she was down I pinned her arms above her head.
"Let me go!" she laughed.
"Not until you agree to kiss me." I said.
"Never!" she said "You dropped snow down the back of my pants and now you expect me to kiss you? NO WAY!"
"Fine I guess I'll use my torture tactic." I smirked.
Carter gave me a questioning look. I delicately kissed around the base of her neck and ran my nose along her collar bone. The farther I went the rougher I got. She giggled and tried not the squirm.
"Fine," she conceded "Just get off me!"
I stood and pulled her up.
"Thank you," she fixed her hair "I'm walking away now."
Carter flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked into the house. I ran after her.
"Carter," Aunt Shea said "Bauer is being fussy and I have some guests to entertain do you think you could calm him down and put him to sleep for me?"
"Of course," Carter smiled.
I watched as she walked up the stairs. I followed behind her and stood in the door way while she spent some time with Bauer.
"Alright," Carter picked him up "Let's try this,"
She held him against her and went to sit in the rocking chair. She rocked him back and forth and sang him lullabies till his little blue eyes fluttered closed she stood up and put him back in his little crib. I crossed my arms and leaned on the door post.
"You're great with him." I whispered and stepped inside.
"Shhhhh!" Carter said, pushing my out the door.
She closed the door behind us.
"Don't wake him," she said "That little guy is a stubborn sleeper."
"I know; I was watching you and you're great with him." I said.
"Thanks," she smiled.
I put my arm around her and we went back down stairs. We stepped on to the bottom floor when we heard people going 'OOOOOH'.
"What?" Carter asked.
Rydel pointed up at the ceiling. Carter and looked up and saw the green leaves of mistletoe. I smirked at her.
"Get your cameras ready cause this is going to be a good one." I said.
I took Carter in my arms and dipped her. I put my lips on hers and kissed her sweetly. There was camera flashes and ooooh's and ahhh's. This had to be the best Christmas I'd ever!
