A/N: I recommend having some version of this song playing while reading this. Because it's amusing. And, before anyone says anything, yes this is a filler chapter.
The Perfect
Christmas
Chapter 9/25: Sleigh
Ride
Abby smiled at the young man sitting down on the bench in front of her, and held out the Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate with a grin. "You did this yourself, you know."
"I couldn't possibly have pushed all those buttons on my own," Riley grinned back at her, accepting the cocoa as she sat down next to him. "You were going down the other side, trying to beat me to the end. I saw you."
This was true, but it had been so funny to watch Ben twitch the first time Riley did it…she'd wanted join in the fun. "I didn't realize he'd actually send us both outside."
"You know, Ben. He likes quiet when he's trying to think." The younger man took a sip of his drink, blue eyes watching her the whole time. "As I'm sure you remember."
"I didn't realize he took present shopping so seriously. We should have listened to Dad and just stayed home."
"And miss the opportunity to make Ben loose his cool in public? Not a chance." Riley looked so pleased with himself that Abby couldn't decide whether he was joking or not.
"Well, now we've got at least an hour to entertain ourselves," she paused to take a long sip of the hot chocolate. It was a bit watery, but what did she expect for a dollar. "And we have to do it without leaving the park, because we told Ben we'd be here whenever he was done."
"Actually, he told us we'd better be here. It amounts to the same thing, though, I guess." He frowned down at the cocoa as he swirled the cup around. "I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly keen on just sitting her for the next hour. For one thing, it's cold."
"And for another, those kids look like they're ready to start the snowball fight of the century and we're in the line of fire?" Abby smiled, waving at the small faces that were peering around the tree.
"Exactly." Riley got to his feet and offered a hand to help Abby up, which she took. "What happened to the good old days when Ben wouldn't let us out of his sight for more than a couple of minutes?"
"I think you annoyed that desire out of him about two days after Ian went to jail." She laughed, pulling a tissue out of her pocket and using it to wipe some chocolate off the younger man's face.
Riley twisted away, trying to bat at the tissue to keep it out of his face. "Yeah, well, he was being a bit ridiculous. We were never in as much danger as Ben anyway."
"Ian wanted to shoot you."
"You'd be surprised how many people do. Remember how you came downstairs yesterday morning and there was the gun on the counter?"
Abby laughed, shaking her head. "Dad explained that. If you don't want to be suspected of robbery, don't dress like one."
"Sixty percent of my wardrobe is black. I can't help that." Riley was walking backwards now, grinning at her. "Besides, the look on Ben's face when he saw his dad and me decorating those cookies was so worth having a gun aimed at me first thing in the morning."
"That was really sweet of you," Abby laughed, tucking some loose hair back under her hat. "To make those cookies for Ben. He was so excited."
"Hey, look at all you guys have done for me the last week. After all the decorations and stuff you guys did, making cookies was a piece of cake." Riley grinned at her before chugging down the last of his hot chocolate.
"It hasn't all been just for you, you know," she leaned over and grabbed his cup, throwing them both into a near by trash can. "Ben and I have had just as much fun as you."
"Somehow, I doubt that."
Abby shook her head, looking around at the other people in the park. She smiled at a couple of little girls being pulled around on a sled by someone who looked like their father. This was why she loved Christmas. Everything was about family, the one night a year her father was guaranteed to be home.
She gasped as someone grabbed her wrist, tugging her forward and away from the nostalgic thoughts. "Riley! What are you doing?"
"I think I just came up with the perfect way to pass an hour. Come on!" Riley pulled on her hand, leading her up to an old fashioned sleigh, complete with a chestnut horse and sparkling silver bells.
"You've got to be kidding," Abby laughed, finally getting her hand free.
"Come on, Abigail. I've always wondered what this is like. It'll be fun!" Before Abby could brace herself, Riley stuck out his bottom lip and widened his eyes to the perfect level of pitiful. "Please Abby…"
She half-groaned, half-laughed, as Riley grinned and tugged her forward to where the driver was waiting by the horse. "Hey! How much for an hour's ride?"
The driver turned to look at them, looking surprised. He was a young thing, probably a couple of years younger than Riley. Abby was willing to bet this was a holiday job for him. "Uh…twenty dollars, just like the sign says."
"The sign didn't say how long," Riley grinned, digging into his coat for his new wallet. "We'll take a ride then."
"Okay, sure." The young man grinned, giving the horse a gentle pat before moving around to climb back up in the driver's seat and donning a ridiculous top hat that was too large for him. "If you and your girlfriend would just step this way."
"Oh, no, she's not my girlfriend. She's my sister." Riley grabbed her hand, dragging her excitedly up to sit on the red velvet seats. "I told you this is going to be fun!"
"What is it about hanging out with you and Ben that makes people assuming things about me?" Abby sighed, sitting down as the bells gave a jingle.
"It's not you Abby, it's us. We're just so irresistible." Riley ignored the roll of her eyes, bouncing in his seat and waving to the kids they passed. "This is awesome. It's like sledding, only better."
"And with a smelly horse," their driver yelled back at them over his shoulder.
"Ben's going to be so jealous he missed this just so he could keep a few presents secret." The young man grinned over his shoulder at her. "That's why he kicked us out, you know."
"Yeah, I know." Abby chuckled. "You were just giving him the excuse he wanted to get rid of us, huh?"
"Weren't you?"
Abby chuckled, grabbing the back of Riley's coat as he reached out to try and get a handful of snow from the tree. "He's determined to find you the perfect presents."
"Trust me, Abs; he'll do the same for you." He flopped back down in the seat, his hands full of snow.
"What are you doing?" Abby frowned down as Riley started forming the snow into a ball.
"Just watch."
She did just that, and laughed out loud when the younger man threw the ball, pegging Ben in the back of the head and yelled, "You're looking the wrong way! We'll be done in forty-five minutes, Ben. See you then!"
