It was impossible to know how much time passed and Lucy would have very happily retired to any of the rooms—upstairs or down—to take advantage of their solitude, but Will broke the kiss, panting slightly, and pressed his forehead to hers.
Had she done something wrong? Lucy stiffened, still caught in Will’s embrace, but unsure what to do next. What was the right thing to do after a kiss like that? From the recesses of her mind came a realisation. She had no idea how to answer that, because she’d never had a kiss like that before. No, she realised with some disdain, she’d got to the age of thirty-three without having any kind of true passion in her life. No wonder Will was backing away. Clearly, he was overwhelmed by how needy she was.
“Lucy, god, I want you so much …” Or not! “But … we’ve got that snowmobiling and snowshoeing thing.” Was he serious? He wanted to forgo making love to her to go bloody snowshoeing?
She pulled out of the embrace and smoothed down her hair. “Oh, quite right.” Will looked crestfallen, but how was she supposed to act? She’d thought that her sexy fantasy was about to come to fruition. Instead, she would be donning the giant eggplant snowsuit, possibly the least attractive article of clothing ever invented, and going out into the snow. The snow that she had travelled across the world to see. She bit her lip, cross with herself for being so petulant. There was definitely an unease between them now.
“Well …” Will shook his head, a bit like a cartoon character trying to set his mind right. “As soon as we’re ready, we’ll head out.” He gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and Lucy instantly decided to enjoy every ounce of their snowy excursion. It was obviously important to him.
She reached out and squeezed Will’s hand. “I’ll go and get ready.” She ran up the stairs without waiting for him to reply.
*
There was no way Lucy could have known just how perfect Will’s plans would be. After she’d bundled herself up in that wretched snowsuit and all the other cold-weather accoutrements, she’d met him outside where he stood next to a giant red and black snowmobile. She realised that she’d only ever seen one in films. It looked a little terrifying, as though a motorcycle had eaten a tractor.
Her open book of a face must have revealed her terror, because Will laughed. “It’s completely safe, I promise. And I’ve been riding one of these since I was twelve.”
“All right. I believe you.”
He climbed on and patted the seat behind him, and she clambered aboard the motorised beast.
“Here.” He handed her a hefty black helmet, before lowering his own onto his head and fastening the strap. Lucy fumbled with her helmet and had to take her gloves off to secure it. “Okay?” Will asked swivelling to get a look at her. His eyes dipped to the fastener as though to check it and he smiled before lowering his face shield. She lowered hers, just as he started the engine. “Hold on to my waist,” Will called out above the engine. She did. “Ready?” he called. She didn’t know if he’d be able to hear her, so she squeezed his waist tightly and then they were off.
It was thrilling to fly along the narrow trails, a plume of snow following them, the rev of the engine beneath them, and Lucy laughed gleefully almost nonstop as they rode deep into the woods. It was the most fun she’d ever had outside—even better than skiing.
Will was a good driver, too, and despite the proximity of the trees to the trail, she never felt scared, trusting him completely. As they rounded bends, she leant when Will did, all the while clasping his waist tightly. When he came to a stop, she was breathless from laughing and a little disappointed.
He turned off the engine and flipped up the visor on his helmet. Lucy reluctantly let go of him and climbed off the snowmobile to make it easier for Will to do the same. “Was that you laughing the whole time?” he teased. She nodded, her head still ensconced in the helmet. She flipped up her own visor. “Yes,” she replied, still catching her breath, “it was just brilliant.” They grinned at each other.
“Awesome. That means, you won’t dread the return journey then.”
“Hardly.”
“So, are you ready for the next part of our excursion?” He pulled off his helmet and placed it right side up on the seat of the snowmobile, and Lucy did the same with hers. Will had strapped the snowshoes to the side of the snowmobile with bungee cords which he released with a snap. He helped her put on her snowshoes and while he was outfitting himself, she walked about trying them out. They were less cumbersome than flippers, although she did have to walk with her feet further apart than normal. It certainly wasn’t the most elegant way to get about.
“Ready?” he asked, as he slung a backpack over his shoulder. Lucy nodded and Will took off down a small trail she hadn’t yet noticed. She followed closely, loving how still and silent the forest was around them, the only sound the light crunching of their snowshoes against the snow.
“How deep is it here?” she asked after a few minutes, her voice low and quiet in reverence of their surroundings.
“The snow?” Will asked, turning back towards her.
“Yes.”
He stopped walking and looked around. He regarded the nearest tree, looking up at the trunk, then glanced at the other trees next to the trail. “Hmm, best guess is
