Page 14 of The Friendship Pact

Embarrassed, Kate straightened her sweater. “I’m so sorry.”

Nick had her arm in his grip to keep her from falling backwards, and he let go when she was steady on her feet.

How she wished he hadn’t. His touch sent shivers through her body. She ran a hand over her arm where Nick had touched her. Flustered, she bent down and collected the loose sheets. She reached for her grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe at the same time as Nick, and they knocked heads.

“Ow.” She rubbed her forehead and sat back on her haunches.

Nick extended a hand to help her up.

“I’m not usually such a klutz. Please don’t hold it against me,” she said.

Cole chuckled and handed her the papers he’d gathered.

The brothers smiled at her. “Never. You’re doing us a favor,” Cole said.

Nick cleared his throat. “I thought I’d stop by to see if either of you needed help today.”

“Thanks,” Cole said. “Let me get Kate situated, and I’ll take you up on your offer.”

He pulled a three-ring binder labeled “Santa Days” from the shelf above the prep area. “I spoke to Mom this morning, and she told me where to find this.” He opened the book and slid it closer to her. “Mom said everything you need to know will be in this book. She wanted to make sure I thanked you again and told you how much she appreciates you stepping in for her.”

“That’s sweet. Again, I’m happy to help.”

Nick observed Kate as she flipped through his mom’s notes. He wanted to tuck Kate’s silky dark hair behind her ear as it fell forward while she scanned the pages. Her lips, a shiny pink, puckered in concentration.

Kate’s V-neck sweater accentuated curves he hadn’t noticed until she bent forward, making it difficult not to stare. He glanced at Cole instead, and a smirk appeared on his brother’s face. Busted. Nick needed to stop this train of thought. No good could come of hooking up with the newest resident. He didn’t have time to date, and he sure wasn’t capable of a relationship. In his mind, being a cop had cemented his future of never having a family.

“Wow. Your mom’s really organized,” Kate said, continuing to page through the binder. “All the recipes and the daily schedules are here, leaving no question how to proceed.”

“Great. I’ll be around the lodge all day. If you need something, text me. My number is in the office,” Cole said.

“Perfect.”

Cole glanced at his phone. “Follow me, Nick, and let’s leave Kate to something neither one of us is any good at.”

* * *

Kate slipped her black “Sometimes you just need to eat a cookie” apron over her head and tied it around her waist. She inserted her wireless earbuds and went to work finding ingredients and cookie sheets. Within the hour, she had the chocolate chip and sugar cookies mixed. She’d roll out the cutouts tomorrow. The freezer would hold all the cookies she planned to make for Santa Days.

Removing the first two pans from the oven, she placed them on the cooling racks and moved to the music from her baking playlist, which ranged from Katy Perry to Stone Temple Pilots. The kitchen layout allowed her to bake in her own space while the other cooks were at the grill in a different section. Kate admired the design: two large stainless steel tables with all the kitchen utensils she needed, and her own wall ovens. She felt free to enjoy her designated area.

Nick inched his way into the kitchen so he wouldn’t startle Kate. When she tucked her hair behind her ear, he noticed the earbuds and understood why she hadn’t responded to his greeting. She turned sharply and bumped into him. Her hands rested on his chest, her palms fitting naturally against his pecs.

She pulled out one of the earbuds and placed it in the pocket of her apron. “We have to stop meeting like this,” she said and wiped flour from his T-shirt.

With Kate’s fingertips brushing his shirt, he wondered what they would feel like on his skin. “I don’t mind,” he said, his voice growing husky.

Kate took a step back and glanced over the dozens of cookies cooling on the racks.

Nick shoved his hands into his front pockets to avoid touching her. He cleared his throat. “I’m here to help. Put me to work.”

Her brow furrowed. “You bake?”

“I have, yes. Are you surprised?”

“A little. I was under the impression you didn’t spend much time in a kitchen.”

“While that’s technically true, it doesn’t mean I can’t cook or bake. You’ve been talking to my mom, haven’t you?”