Their sledding adventure hadn’t turned out quite the way she’d planned. Mainly because she was hoping to have some alone time with Nic. But Nic had casually invited her mother to go along and to probably both their surprises, she’d accepted. So the three of them had bundled up and trekked down the forest road, their boots crunching in the snow as they pulled two sleds behind them. The meadow, with its gentle slope toward a beaver pond, was the perfect spot if you were looking for a very tame sled ride. If you wanted something with a bit more thrill, you had to climb up the hill beyond the pond, which normally required snowshoes to make it up. When she was younger, that was a trip she made annually. The last few years, though, she hadn’t given sledding much thought, opting instead to hit the ski slopes.

She was glad they’d chosen this activity, though. It was great fun and her mother looked like she was having the time of her life. Her mother did not ski so whenever everyone went to the slopes, she was left behind.

“Oh, what a fun day it’s been, girls, but I am exhausted,” her mother exclaimed as they trudged back up the meadow. “I need to do that more often. It’s great exercise.”

Abby turned to Nic. “And you?”

“I had a blast. Couldn’t you tell?”

“I can see your teeth chattering,” she teased.

“Wouldn’t mind taking a turn by the fire.”

“Oh, yes,” her mother agreed. “We’ll get it roaring and maybe sneak a glass of that sangria. We have an early dinner tonight, remember?”

“Yes. A tour of the lights,” Abby said.

While she loved that tradition, she was looking forward to the day being over with already. She felt a little bit wicked knowing the reason why. Whatever in the world was wrong with her? She’d tried all day to keep images of last night out of her mind, to no avail. They snuck in whenever Nic looked at her, whenever they touched, however innocently. And the one time they’d ridden together on the sled, she’d been nearly on fire having Nic between her legs. Who knew she would embrace the idea of having sex…just for the fun of it? She wasn’t in a relationship; she wasn’t involved with anyone. There were no feelings to consider, no complications. No strings, as Marcos had suggested. If she were honest with herself, it was rather freeing. Perhaps she was discovering a whole new side of herself.