A hot, tempting friend who smelled like vanilla frosting. He couldn’t figure where the smell was coming from exactly—her hair? Her skin? Her lip balm? His eyes fell to her glossy pale pink lips, and the urge to taste them to see if his suspicions were right made him clutch the wheel tighter and turn his attention to the road.

He cleared his throat. “Good morning,” he said as she clicked her seat belt.

“Hi.”

“Did Tank pick up Diva already?” he asked. His buddy had offered to take care of the dog while they were gone that day so they wouldn’t have to rush back. The day trip would have them on the slopes for most of the daylight hours.

“About ten minutes ago,” she said. “He seemed a little worried about this trip Cassie’s on... Is it dangerous?”

Reed shook his head. “Winter camping is always unpredictable, but Cassie knows what she’s doing.” He worried about her, too, but no one had ever been successful in telling his baby sister what to do. And she was a more experienced adventure guide than anyone else in Wild River.

Erika nodded. “So, where are we headed?” She frowned when he took the village exit onto the main highway.

Obviously she wasn’t one for surprises. “The best slopes are west of Chugach Mountain Range. I’ve arranged a day pass with Snowpeaks Powder Guides.” He’d spent the afternoon before arranging the details, wanting everything to be great. He’d never wanted to impress someone as much before, but Erika was used to the best. If she’d been planning this, she would have spared no expense, so that’s what he’d done. This time of year, he’d had to call in a few favors to secure the full-day ski and lunch on the mountain package, but he was looking forward to showing her the best heli-skiing experience of her life. Better than if she’d gone with Tyler. “It’s a full day on the slopes, so I hope you got a good night’s sleep.”

“Not really,” she said, biting her lip. Her hands were clenched tight on her lap.

Oh no. “You do know how to ski, right?” He took the highway exit and stopped at a light, glancing at her. If she’d allowed him to book an adventure designed for advanced skiers and had never been on skis, he was calling off the day. Cassie would kill him if anything happened to her friend.

“Of course I ski.” She was nodding but staring at him as though there was something she wasn’t saying...

But there was definitely something on her mind. “Don’t worry, these guides are the best and there are varying degrees of ski trails from beginner to extremist. Snow Trek partners with them all the time...”

“I’m not worried about the skiing.”