Page 48 of Just One Kiss

"I get it. You have to do what's right for you. Like you said, it's not on you to absolve everyone else of their sins."

"Right?" She felt a little better that Gianna got it. "I will say this, though. I can see that Jake is a better man now. He has built a good business, and he puts his life on the line to rescue people he doesn't know. He's certainly been very supportive since my sister left Brett with me, so I'm trying to let go of the past and see him as he is now. Beyond that, I don't know."

"Well, you don't have to know yet. See how things go. And maybe…just let yourself have some fun. The other thing I remember about you and Jake before the big breakup was how much fun you had together."

"That is true," she admitted.

A shrill clanging bell interrupted their conversation and the rest of the group came back as the announcement for the beginning of the snowman competition played across a speaker.

"I think we should split into teams," Keira said. "Make a friendly wager on who gets the highest score."

"That works for me," Justin said, putting his arm around Lizzie. "We'll take anyone on."

"We're in," Zach said, speaking for Gianna and Hailey.

"I'll team up with Chloe and Leo," Keira said.

Hannah sighed as Jake looked at her. "I guess you can do it with me and Brett.”

“But I want to build the snowman with Hailey," Brett announced, clinging to Hailey's hand. "Can I? Can I?"

While she would have preferred to have Brett as a chaperone, she could hardly deny the request. "Of course you can," she said.

As they headed toward the meadow where the snowman-building competition would be taking place, Jake walked alongside her.

"You didn't do any sledding," he said. "Why is that?"

"I had fun watching all of you and taking photos."

"But you can't come to a snow park and not sled." He suddenly stopped walking and put a hand on her arm. "Why don't we concede on the snowman competition and take the lift up to Grizzly's Peak?" He tipped his head toward the advanced run that was not for kids.

"I should stay with Brett," she protested.

Jake smiled. "I hate to break it to you, Hannah, but Brett has a big crush on Hailey. And he's very happy to be hanging out with her. I'm sure Zach and Gianna will watch him."

"I suppose," she muttered, torn between what she wanted to do and what she should do.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"It wasn't a—" Her words were cut off as Jake yelled to the rest of the group that they were going to pass on building a snowman and hit Grizzly's Peak.

Her traitorous friends just grinned and told them to have a good time. And then Jake's hand was on hers, spinning her around so fast she felt dizzy. Although, she suspected that the dizzy feeling was more from Jake than anything else.

His inviting smile was too sexy to refuse, and she didn't even pull her hand away as they walked toward the lift. They'd ride a chair up to the top of Grizzly's Peak about 200 yards, then grab a sled and come down the steep and icy slope. She felt both nervous and excited, which was pretty much how Jake always made her feel.

As they got in line, she saw a couple come flying down the mountain, crashing in a somewhat spectacular fashion at the bottom. But they picked themselves up with a laugh, brushing the snow off their clothes.

"Let's not do that," she told Jake.

"Amateurs," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Trust me. Our ride will not end like that."

"It already did," she couldn't help saying.

He frowned. "This ride will be different."

"I hope so." They stepped into place and then sat back in the chair as the lift swept them upward. As they rose up over the trees, they had a beautiful view of the park and the surrounding mountains. It was a gorgeous day, no trace of the storm that had kept them in the cabin all night together or the one that was forecast for later in the week. It was a perfect moment in time, and she was just going to enjoy it.

"You look happy," Jake commented.

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