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“Yeah, something like that. I’ve gotta run, but I’ll be in touch, all right?”

“Sounds good. Have a good one.”

I know better than anyone how quickly things can change, but they don’t always change for the worse. No, sometimes a conversation and the promise of seeing someone you care about is enough to lift your spirits.

THIRTY-FOUR

Ansel

Collins and I head out at first light to the head of the trail we’re going to take. Though this isn’t really her thing, she told me she visited The Main Outfitters store to get some gear. So she’s decked out in a one-piece black, bright pink, and bright blue suit with a matching helmet.

I told her I was happy to ask one of the guys at the fire station if I could borrow some of their wife’s gear, but she insisted that she wanted her own. Which makes me excited for future trips like this with her.

Once the sled is unloaded from the trailer and I’ve parked my truck, I walk back over to her. I pick her helmet up off the seat. “You ready for this?”

“All set.”

I have to say, she actually seems like she might not be dreading today.

I slide the helmet onto her head and do it up for her. The whole time, her wide, expressive eyes take me in. When I’m done, I lightly tap the top, then grab my helmet and slide it on. After I double-check that I’ve got everything I need, I take a seat and turn the sled on, then motion for Collins to hop on behind me.

“If I’m going too fast for you, just let me know,” I call over the engine noise.

“Do your worst, Mercer.”

When we shoot forward, she yelps and clings to me like a koala bear.

We spend the next several hours working through various trails in the forest. It’s late in the season and the conditions aren’t exactly the best they’ll ever be. This will probably be the last ride I get this season, so I go a little longer and take it all in.

Collins hasn’t said anything or asked me to stop, so I assume she must be enjoying herself too.

Eventually I find a spot to stop that doesn’t leave us in the middle of the trail. I bring the sled over to the side of the trail in a small inlet in the forest and cut the engine. Collins climbs off the back, and I miss the feel of her arms wrapped around me.

I get up off the sled and stretch my legs for a second, then remove my helmet. “You hungry? I packed some food for us.”

“Yes,” she says through the helmet, struggling to get it undone, so I step forward to give her a hand.

“Don’t worry, I’m used to undoing Baylor’s helmet. I’ve got you.” I undo the strap and gently slide the helmet off her head before setting it on the sled.

“Are you comparing me to a six-year-old?” she asks with mock exasperation. Before I can react, she bends down, grabs some snow, and tosses it at me.

It hits me in the face and leaves me sputtering and stunned. When I recover, I grin at her. “Oh, now you’ve done it.”

I charge forward, and she yelps but can’t get away from me fast enough. Bent at the waist, I pick her up over my shoulder with a battle cry and spin her around. She screams and laughs at the same time, trying to hold on to me for dear life.

When I finally set her down, I grip her waist in case she’s dizzy. But she just grins up at me, then her hands are in my hair, and she pulls me down to her, kissing me.

I wasn’t sure whether we’d get back here after she sat with everything she’d discovered, but I’m not an idiot, so I deepen the kiss. Both our noses are cold, and the air is crisp on our faces, but it doesn’t dampen the heat of our kiss.

When we pull back from each other, we’re both panting, clearly wanting more but unable to take it because of our surroundings. In the summer, that may not have stopped us, but I want to put on a good show our first time together, and the cold temperatures aren’t known to do much for the male anatomy.

Besides, she still has her checklist to get through. More than that, I want to be sure her head isn’t a mess over what’s going on. The last thing I want to be is Collins’s regret.

“Let me get the food out, and then we can sit on the sled and eat. I brought some sandwiches, soup, and some drinks.”

Twenty-five minutes later, we’re finishing up eating. Collins takes a sip from the Thermos and looks at me thoughtfully.

“What are you thinking?”