Saturday night came with a crisp bite in the air, the kind that promised the temperature would plunge even lower before morning. Grace stood just behind The Spruce, breath misting in white puffs as Jess and Elena rolled three snowmobiles into the open space.
“You know how to operate one of these?” Jess asked, her gloved hands casually tossing Grace a helmet.
Grace snorted, her pride warming her against the cold. “Please. My entire childhood, there were always at least two snowmobiles in the garage. I practically learned to ride before I could drive a car.”
Jess grinned at that and nodded. “Good. Because we’re going up into the mountains tonight.”
Excitement curled low in Grace’s stomach as she snapped the helmet into place. She’d told herself she could handle this—she wasn’t a stranger
