* * *
AIDAN WATCHED SHELBY move unsteadily across the snow. They were cross-country skiing—a first for her. Her movements were jerky and uncoordinated. He had to admit that whenever they tried a new sport, he was always surprised by how badly she did. Oh, she tried and put her whole heart into it. But she lacked that innate athletic skill he would have assumed she had. After all, her brother was a former Olympic athlete. Of course, his father was a world-famous artist and he’d never gotten beyond stick figures. Genetics was a funny thing.
She continued to slide her legs back and forth while using her poles, the way he’d taught her.
“This is a great workout,” she said, her voice breathless. “I get that it will whip me into shape. The fun part is less clear.”
“It gets more fun as you get better at it.”
“Where have I heard that before?”
But she didn’t give up. She kept moving and after a few minutes, her stride evened out.
Despite the straps around his shoulders and chest to pull the small sled, he easily kept pace with her. Every few minutes he looked back to check on Charlie. The little dog was in a box on the sled, settled in a nest of old down coats Aidan had borrowed from the lost-and-found box at the office. Charlie had on his doggy coat and booties and seemed happy to watch the world go by.
Shelby moved a little faster. “Okay, I’m getting it.”
She barely finished speaking when she let out a little yelp and fell over sideways. Aidan helped her to her feet.
“Always graceful,” he teased as he wiped the snow from her side.
She laughed. “I know. Do me a favor, please. Tell everyone I was brilliant. It will make me feel better.”
She swayed as she spoke, as if she was about to fall again. He reached out to grab hold of her. She put her hands on his chest.
The pose was an odd combination of intimate and not. The layers of clothing and outerwear, not to mention the dogsled strapped to his body, kept them physically apart. Yet there was a part of him that felt he was touching her everywhere. Feeling her soft skin and kissing her as he...
He held in a groan and deliberately took a step back. He wasn’t touching her—that was just wishful thinking on his part. Instead he was left hard and hungry for something he not only couldn’t have, but something he knew he shouldn’t even be wanting. Shelby was his friend. He wanted her in his life, and friendship was the way to make sure that happened. Besides, they had a deal and he didn’t go back on his word.
He supposed he could find someone else and scratch the itch, but that didn’t seem right. Not only would it be disrespectful to Shelby, it would mean moving backward for him. He was a grown-up. He could deal with a few urges.
“You ready to try again?” he asked.
“Always.” She straightened her body and began to move forward. “Tell me when this gets fun.”
“Promise.”
She glanced at him. “People really pay for you to take them out and do this all day? Exercise in the snow? Because they could just get a gym membership.”
“Where’s the thrill of that? Out here, we’re in nature.”
“Cold nature.”
“Stop,” he told her.
She obliged.
He pointed up at the tall trees around them. The dusting of snow contrasted with the green needles and brown bark. The sky was so blue it almost hurt to look at it.
“You don’t get this kind of view in a gym.”
She nodded. “I’ll give you that, but you also don’t get frostbite.”
“I thought girls were supposed to be the romantic ones,” he complained and they started moving again.