Just the two of us.

Her gaze met his, and he pushed away from the door frame.

“All this talk of wolves and danger has got my adrenaline racing. Are you ready for our date, Carpenter?”

“Date?” The invitation sounded personal, and yet his use of her name was impersonal. He left her feeling continually off balance. “What date?”

“Snowshoeing.”

“It’s not a date. It’s two people doing the same thing at the same time.”

“Isn’t that what a date is?”

“No. A date is stress and tension. It’s Do I like this person? Am I going to see them again, and if not how do I make it clear that this is it, and there is no point in them persisting?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m starting to understand why you don’t date much. That does not sound relaxing. Don’t you ever just have fun with someone? Share something you both enjoy?”

“Dinner. Drinks. Concert. Those are my usual dates.”

“You’ve never tried snowshoeing? Good. This is your lucky day.” He gestured to the closet. “Layer up. It’s cold out there. I’ll meet you by the door in five minutes.” With that, he turned away, reaching for his own luggage, unpacking clothing with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was going to need.

She dressed swiftly, using the same layers she’d worn to go hunting for Christmas trees. She was relieved Robyn had lent them appropriate outer clothing because she’d never experienced cold like it.

“Am I going to fall over?” She met him by the door. “Because my bruises haven’t healed from the last time I crashed to the ground.”

“You’re not going to fall. But if you do, the landing should be soft.”

They stepped outside, and he helped her with the snowshoes.

They felt strange and awkward. “Any tips for walking in these?”

“Yes. Pick your feet up.” He clipped into his own snowshoes. “They help spread your weight over the snow so that you don’t sink. Walk with your feet a little wider to leave room for them.”

“Are we going to get lost? Shouldn’t we have a guide?”

He straightened. “I’m your guide. I walked this way with Erik yesterday when you were playing with Holly.” He secured his backpack and handed her a pole. “Are you ready? I’m going to give you a quick lesson.”

He showed her how to navigate the deep snow, and after a few stumbling attempts, she managed to get used to the feel of it. Her confidence grew, and soon they were moving forward along the trail that led into the forest.

The freezing air stung her cheeks.

Even with the snowshoes, her feet sank into the snow, and she felt all her muscles working as she walked.

Zac glanced at her. “Okay?”

“Brilliant.” And it was. Not only the landscape, which was spectacular, but the stillness of it and the clean air. It was as if they were alone on the planet.

They walked through the silence of the Arctic forest, past trees transformed into frozen sculptures by the ice and snow.