Page 49 of The Friendship Pact

“We’re just friends.”

His father relaxed back in the chair and stared out the window. “Past hurts have a way of sneaking back into our lives.”

“It’s not that—”

Nick stopped talking when his dad raised a hand.

“Look,” Jim said, “I don’t know what happened with Greta, and you don’t have to talk about it. I think friends is a great place to start. Just don’t deny your feelings because of your job or some perceived notion of not being able to have a family because of your profession. The right woman will understand the risks and will love you no matter what.”

Sitting forward, he looked pointedly at Nick. “You, son, need to decide if Kate is worth the risk. Answer this: do you love her?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Love always is.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Usually, Nick rode the trails to Ethan’s place, but his sled was in the shop. Even if he had it, he wouldn’t have made it in time to meet the group after stopping to see his dad. He’d borrowed Ethan’s sleds before. His friend kept his machines in good working order, and they were much newer than his own. Definitely not a hardship to use one of Ethan’s.

The snowmobiles were lined up and ready to go when he pulled into Ethan’s drive. The guys waved to him as they filed out of the five-stall garage. He grabbed his helmet from the seat.

“Hey, Nick. Glad you could make it,” Ethan said.

“Me too. Thanks for the invite.”

Paige, Maggie, Kate, and Hannah, all dressed in their winter gear, walked out of the garage, holding helmets.

Ethan quickly said, “We’re being ambushed. I hope you don’t mind. Paige and Maggie invited Kate, and Pete’s friend Hannah. I’m hoping Kate can ride with you, since she’s never been on a sled before.”

Did he mind? Hell yes. What happened to “a bunch of us guys”? Having Kate on the back of his snowmobile would be awkward. More like frickin’ uncomfortable, especially since he turned down her invitation to get together tonight.

Ethan placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. Are you okay with this?”

Nick unclenched his teeth and rubbed his jaw. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Okay. Let’s go. You guys take the Grand Touring Ski-Doo. Kate should feel safe on the back.”

Nick managed a nod when Kate came to stand next to him.

“I guess I’m stuck with you,” she said jokingly.

“Guess so.”

Kate’s brows quirked with concern. “You good with this? I don’t have to come.” She tucked her helmet under her arm. “Did you have a bad day at work?”

He needed to stop being such a grouch. “I’m good. Work was fine. I’m glad you’re here. This will be good—I can show you more of the trails.”

Kate smiled, and his mood immediately lifted. If she wanted to act as if the kiss hadn’t happened, he’d go along with it. He allowed his shoulders to relax. Disappointment set in, but he dismissed it because that’s what he wanted, right? They needed to remain friends. He needed to stick to their pact.

They all hopped on their sleds after discussing the plan to meet up for dinner. One by one, they took off into the woods.

Riding on the back of the sled, cuddled close to Nick, Kate didn’t want the ride to end. The group parked their sleds behind the Eagle’s Nest. Kate removed her borrowed helmet, exiting the snowmobile.

“So, what did you think?” Nick asked as he stood next to her, waiting for the rest of the group to disembark.

“Amazing! I’d really like to see the trails in the daylight, but seeing the starry night and the fresh powder glistening in the moonlight—breathtaking.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.”