Reed was waiting at the truck. His gaze took in her formal coat and impractical boots and something in his expression told her she was already almost unrecognizable to him. The reality of it sucked the wind from her lungs. Reed had fallen for the person she’d been able to pretend to be while on vacation—carefree, relaxed, fun, adventurous...in real life, she was none of those things.

Hurrying up the stairs, he smiled as he took her suitcase. “Need me to carry you?”

“I think I can handle these—I’m sober today,” she said, carefully descending the grate staircase.

At the bottom, he opened the passenger-side door for her. “I’m shocked Cassie let you go.” He nodded toward his mom’s car parked in front of Snow Trek Tours.

“She begged me to stay,” she said.

He swallowed hard and simply nodded as he closed the door.

She forced a breath as she watched him cross in front of the truck. In tight-fitting jeans and a bomber-style winter jacket, a search and rescue logo baseball cap on, he looked like the last thing on the planet she wanted to walk away from. Maybe having him drive her to the train station was a mistake. Taking a cab would have been better.

Easier.

Leaving that morning after the intimate moments they’d shared in his bed would have been a better way to remember him...

Tears burned in her eyes. This wouldn’t be as easy as they’d tried to make it sound the night before.

He climbed in behind the wheel and immediately reached for her hand, holding it tight as they drove along Main Street in silence.

Taking in the holiday decorations in the village—the storefront displays and the large center square Christmas tree they were lighting that evening—only depressed her further. Holidays here would be magical. Spending them with Reed would have been amazing.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” started to play on the radio and he quickly reached forward to shut it off.

Nope, there would be no listening to romantic, depressing Christmas carols for her that season either.

She stared through the window, her time in Wild River on replay in her mind. So short, yet it felt like a lifetime.

The train station platform came into view a lot quicker than she would have liked.

What was the worst thing that could happen if she stayed? If she told her father she was taking the extra time off as planned and she’d see him next week?

She’d piss him off and in a week, she’d only be feeling this way all over again.

No. Like a Band-Aid.

When Reed turned into the parking lot, she shook her head. “No, please don’t stay. This is hard enough...” Her voice broke slightly, so she just pointed to the drop-off zone.