12. Enjoy The Ride

12

Enjoy The Ride

Ivy

After lunch, I meet Zane at the snowmobile company's storefront, which sits at the very end of the main street. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. What was I thinking, inviting him? We had fun at the wine tasting, but that was a one-time deal. He has a life. I can’t expect him to join me for every activity I have planned for my vacation. Yet here he is, looking glorious as ever, even if this is the first time I’ve seen him wrapped in so many layers. He seems to have doubled in size beneath his thick coat, gloves, and a beanie .

“That’s a lot of clothes,” I joke as he strides up to me.

“Snowmobiling is even colder than sledding,” he says, looking me up and down. “Are you sure you won’t get cold in that?”

Not if you keep looking at me like that, I won’t. Of course, I don’t say that out loud. Instead, I chirp, “Yep. I have thermal clothing underneath.”

His eyes darken, but he doesn’t say anything more.

“Let’s go, I guess,” I say with a shrug.

He frowns. “You don’t sound very enthusiastic.”

I try to smile, but it comes out as a grimace. “That’s my ‘scared-to-death’ tone.”

“Why would you book a snowmobile ride if you’re scared?”

“It’s . . . Um, I didn’t choose this one.” Why does Dan always sneak back into my thoughts? Haven’t I suffered enough?

A short silence falls between us.

“Right. Good thing I’m here, then.” He winks, and I roll my eyes. “I knew you’d need me. Don’t worry. We’ll have fun.”

He pushes the shop door open, and I follow him inside.

A man with black hair and deep blue eyes pops up from under the counter. There must be something in the water here, or maybe it’s my hormones, but Winter Heights men are incredibly attractive. “Zane! What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Ethan,” Zane says, walking toward him and shaking his hand. “Just here with a friend.” He glances at me, and my insides burn. Friend? He views me as his friend? I guess we are kind of friends now. The sound of my name pulls me out of my thoughts.

“Hi,” I say, shaking Ethan’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Ethan glances between Zane and me curiously. “So, you want to ride?”

“Yes,” Zane says. “Ivy has a booking, actually.”

Ethan’s eyes light up. “Oh, yes. My two o’clock. I didn’t know it was with you. Well, this changes things. If you guys want to go on your own, you can.”

“On—on our own?” I sputter, trying to hide the terror in my voice. Snowmobiling is the one thing I dreaded on this trip. I don’t like motor engines, especially loud, fast ones. But Dan was so enthusiastic at the idea that I reluctantly agreed. It was a trip for both of us, after all. Or so I thought.

“I usually come along,” Ethan says. “I take you on a trail, and you follow me. But Zane here knows the mountain as well as I do, maybe better, so you don’t need a guide. ”

“We’ll be fine,” Zane says, slapping Ethan’s back. “But maybe we should just take one snowmobile?” He glances at me.

I nod, relieved. “One. Yes, I think it’s better if I’m not driving.”

“Are you sure?” Ethan asks. “I can easily give you two. You only need a driver’s license, which I already have on file, and you booked for two.”

“I’m positive. You can keep the money for the second one, it’s fine. I’m more comfortable as a passenger.” After coming to Winter Heights, I decided to do the activity just to prove to myself I could, and that I didn’t need a man. But in this instance, I’m glad I have one.

“All right. I’ll go get it ready for you. Zane, can you find helmets for the both of you?”

Zane nods, ambling over to the helmet wall on the side of the shop and surveying the sizes.

Once Ethan steps outside to get the snowmobile ready, I walk up to Zane. “So, you and Ethan are friends, huh?”

“We go way back. He was born in this town, just like me. He’s one of my brother’s best friends. Here,” Zane says, tucking a helmet on my head.

“Thanks.”

He grabs a second one for himself, and we meet Ethan outside. The snowmobile is bigger than I imagined, and somehow that makes it a little less scary. At least it should be stable.

“I don’t need to tell you the rules,” Ethan says to Zane. “Just be careful, okay?”

“Of course,” Zane says, hopping on the engine.

Ethan retreats into the shop, and I stay frozen, looking at the snowmobile and the spot right behind Zane where I’m supposed to sit. Suddenly, this snowmobile doesn’t scare me nearly as much as the butterflies swarming in my belly. I’m going to be holding on to Zane, wrapping my arms around his waist.

Zane pats the spot behind him. “Hop on. It’ll be fine. I won’t go fast, I promise.”

I swallow hard. That’s not what I’m worried about. I straddle the snowmobile a few inches away from him, only placing my hands on his waist.

He turns around and shoots me a curious look. “Are you going to tickle me, or are we going for a ride?”

I shake my head. “What?”

“You can’t go snowmobiling with a weak grip like that. If you don’t hold on, you will fall, and you’ll most likely die.”

My eyes widen, and he laughs. “Come on. Hold on tight.” He grabs my hands and snakes them around his waist, forcing my body to connect with his. Sure, we’re both wrapped in thick layers of clothing, but it still feels incredibly intimate. Or maybe it’s just my messed-up brain talking.

After all, Zane looks perfectly relaxed. There is no flirtiness in his attitude. I’m the only one who’s getting all worked up.

He puts his goggles on. “Ready?”

“Just be careful, okay?” I plead, doing the same.

“Don’t worry.” He pats my hand gripping his stomach. “It’ll be fun. Hold on; we’re going now.”

“But you didn’t—”

The snowmobile departs, making zero sound. “Wait. It’s an electric engine?”

“Yeah,” Zane says. “The only ones allowed in our town. We have to preserve all this beautiful nature.”

The fact that there’s no motor roaring and vibrating beneath me makes the experience a lot less scary, and I love that they’re enforcing these kinds of changes to protect the environment. I didn’t even know this was a thing.

Zane was right—snowmobiling is fun. After riding a few miles in a half frightened-to-death, half awestruck state, I’m finally able to relax and enjoy the scenery. We reach a trail, and suddenly, I’m back in my enchanted forest from the sledding trip yesterday. How cool is it to have the chance to experience this? The snow-capped trees whiz by us, and as they become a blur with the speed of the engine, a freeing sensation overpowers me.

The snow is untouched for miles, and right now, it feels like we’re the only ones in the entire world. The only sound hitting our ears is the rustling of dead leaves clinging to the bare branches and the swoosh of the snow below us. Zane speeds up, but I don’t mind. It’s exhilarating. He was right, it does get chillier on the snowmobile. But with Zane acting as my own personal heater, I barely notice the cold. I tighten my grip around his waist and press my cheek to his back, enjoying the ride.