Page 65 of His One True Wish

“I do what I’m told, which was to do nothing more than broker the deal.”

“Why would Gran rent to Axl and keep it a secret?”

“Do I look like a man who understands women?”

I snorted. It was so like Mason to cut the tension with a truth bomb. “Good call, and you do not.”

“Did you tell Mom about him?”

“I did when I called, because I didn’t want her worried that you were at the house all alone.”

I exhaled, eyes closed, trying to imagine how this conversation played out without my mother freaking out.

“How did that go?”

“I told you, I clearly don’t understand women,” he said. “Your mom was pissed off at me, which isn’t new — ”

“And let me guess. She was probably worried that I was at the cabin with a stranger?”

“Well, why do you think Ethan and I are riding goddamn snowmobiles out here to check on you.” He sat back in his chair, arms crossed.

I glanced up to see Ethan holding court as Axl listened — or pretended to listen.

“So … you two have been getting along, it seems?” Mason said, eyebrows raised.

“I suppose.”

“I mean, I guess you would have called me on the ham earlier if there had been a problem.”

I crossed my arms. “It just started working. Like Axl said.”

Axl and Ethan joined us at the table. Mason stood first. “Okay, you two. Gear up, and let’s get out of here.”

I reached for my purple coat, but Axl stopped me. “You should use this one,” he said, taking the long black coat off a rack in the back. I had a feeling it had belonged to someone else, maybe Bear Coat, but I also knew that wasn’t any of my business. We all had exes, and it would be stupid of me to give up warmth, though it felt a little odd to be wearing another woman’s coat.

Before we left, Axl put some scrambled eggs in a bowl for Cam and took her outside to pee. She jumped in the snow around the snowmobiles. There was no way for us to take her with us, and I knew we’d be back for her.

The wind had died down and the snow continued to fall, but standing outside with Mason, Ethan, and Axl, I couldn’t help but feel that as the weather changed, something was also shifting inside of me.

“All right,” Mason said, standing between the two blue-and-white machines. “Ethan and I will take this one, you two follow behind. We have a good path lined up back to the field.”

“Sounds good,” Axl said, his voice low. We were both bundled up in all black.

Ethan pulled two face masks out of his pocket. “Put these on,” he said. “The wind chill sucks ass.” He and Mason put on helmets and pointed to the two extra sitting on the second sled.

I pulled on the neck gaiter and the helmet, grateful for the extra protection.

Ethan and Mason climbed onboard their snowmobile, Mason in front.

Axl pulled his black hat down over his head tight. Then he tugged on my helmet making sure it was fastened tight. “You don’t want that blowing off. These sleds go fast,” he said.

“I am aware,” I said, slightly annoyed and also touched by the fact he cared about keeping me warm.

“I’ll drive,” he said.

“I am capable of driving.”

He sighed. “I weigh about twice as much as you. I can’t be on the back of the sled.”

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