I grinned. “I love it. They’re crazy, but that’s part of the fun. One day, I want heaps of kids of my own. At least four.”
“Really?” She stared at me, apparently dumbstruck, but then a smile broke over her face. “Me too! I love the idea of having a big family, but it’s rare to find anyone else our age who agrees.”
We shared a moment of mutual appreciation. Her smile lit her features, and it would be so easy to lean over and kiss the tip of her nose, but I resisted.
Friends, I reminded myself.
Somehow, I had a feeling I was fighting a losing battle. But if Kennedy was as perfect as I was beginning to think she was, then maybe I’d be happy to lose.
“Should we start over here?” I asked.
She nodded and thrust her chin forward in determination. “I’m ready.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded again, but I wasn’t so certain. At least on a gentle slope like this, she should be safe if anything was to go wrong. I set off and waited for her to join me. She was unsteady but kept her balance well, so I relaxed. Perhaps I’d been mistaken about her level of experience. But then we reached the bottom, and she showed no signs of slowing.
“How do I stop?” she cried out, already far enough ahead of me that I couldn’t reach out to help her. She tumbled to her knees inches before hitting the railing at the end of the slope.
I rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”
She groaned and clambered awkwardly to her feet, testing each leg. “I’m fine.” She winced. “It’s mostly my pride that’s bruised.”
“Thank God for that.” I checked her over and agreed that she looked all right. “Form a pizza slice with your skis. That’s how you stop.”
Her blush deepened. “I should have known that. I guess this is the part where I admit I’ve never been skiing before.”
Yup. Called it.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m sorry, I know I should have.” She brushed snow off her sleeve with her other hand instead of meeting my eyes. “It’s just… Well… it was really nice of you to invite me, and I didn’t want to be a nuisance. Plus, I get the impression you can do basically anything, and I feel like a bumbling city girl by comparison.”
She was sweet, but misguided. I moved forward and clasped her gloved hands. “I’m flattered, but you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not. I don’t mind teaching you. I’d rather you were straight with me.”
“Okay.” She pursed her lips, her expression guilty. “I’m sorry.” She pulled one of her hands away and waved as if we were meeting for the first time. “Hi. I’m Kennedy Carter, hopeless city girl. I’ve never skied, and until this week, I didn’t know that chains existed other than in the context of jewelry or prison. I’m completely out of my element.”
I shook my head, amused despite myself. “Hi, Kennedy. I’m Liam. I’d love to be your guide to Destiny Falls and your teacher on the slopes. Especially if you let me show off my knowledge and maybe steal a kiss or two along the way.”
She smiled shyly. “If you play your cards right.”
Screw friendship.
I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. The kiss was chaste and sweet, but attraction zinged through my body, and the hairs on my arms stood up. Our connection was electric. I could only imagine how it would be if we were somewhere private. But there was no hurry. I wanted to savor this. My mouth curved against hers. Provided she felt the same, this would be the first kiss of many.
October
ChapterFive
KENNEDY
I scanned the items arrayed on the cottage floor one last time. “You’re sure that’s everything?”
“We’re fully covered,” Liam replied. “Food, clothes, emergency supplies. We’ve got enough to stay away for another day or two if anything goes wrong.”
Nerves blasted through me. After spending the past couple of months in Destiny Falls, I knew just how badly things could go wrong for hikers on the trails near the township. It seemed like a search-and-rescue expedition had to be mounted at least once every couple of weeks. Liam and I had been on day hikes before but not an overnighter. This would actually be the first night we’d spent together at all. Another thing to worry about. I’d never slept with a guy before. I knew Mom had been concerned about me making bad decisions with sex, so I’d just never gone there. Now, I was ready, but still nervous about taking the leap.
“Not that it will,” he added, catching sight of my expression and misreading it. “The weather forecast is good, it’s sunny, we’re both fit and healthy. Not to mention that you’ve got a local guide on your side.” He winked. “Relax, Kenz. We’re going to have a great time.”