Page 23 of The Friendship Pact

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Kate sat in the passenger seat, craning her neck to look at all the storefront Christmas displays as they drove down Main Street. Nick tried not to notice her floral scent or the strands of hair she tucked behind her ear. His gut tightened with inconvenient lust.

Kate removed her mittens and said, “Tell me about the gun range.”

“It’s not far, just outside of town. It’s run by a former classmate of mine. He added an indoor range this past summer. He’s had the outdoor range for years.”

“Can I rent a gun?”

“No need. I brought two with me. My service weapon, which I’ll use, and I brought my personal pistol, a Glock 19. I think you’ll like it.”

Kate listened as Nick pointed out different landmarks. She noticed the sign for the Lucky Lure Resort. “Is that the resort Maggie and Owen own?”

“Yes. Maggie inherited it from her grandfather. She and Owen live on the property, on the family homestead. Roman lives across the street, and Ethan lives on the other side of the resort.”

“I don’t think I’ve met Roman yet.”

“Roman is the oldest son of the Reynolds clan. He owns a landscaping business.”

Nick glanced at her. “What are you thinking about?”

“Oh. How nice it would be to have siblings and live close to them.”

“It is. But it can also be a bit much.”

“Oooh, do tell, or do I have to ask Chloe to paint a picture of you as a reckless teenager?”

“Who, me? Reckless?”

Nick pulled up to the large red pole barn that housed the indoor range. The building sat amongst a stand of birch and poplars. There were a few cars in the lot. “I reserved two lanes, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be a problem.”

They climbed out of the truck, and Nick grabbed the range bag from the back seat. He placed a hand on her lower back as they walked. Kate pulled the door open and waited for him to enter first.

“Hey, Nick,” greeted the man behind the desk.

“Hi, Mark. I want you to meet Kate Davis. She’s renovating the old church into a coffee shop and bistro.”

Mark shook Kate’s hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m planning to be a regular. I heard you’re quite the baker, helping the Reids and all.”

Kate’s brows furrowed. “Thank you. Yes. We’re all set for Santa Days this weekend.”

“My son loves visiting with Santa at the lodge.” Mark turned his attention to Nick. “How’s your dad?”

“Grumpy, but doing well. He was lucky Jake was at the lumberyard.”

“Are you taking over Santa duty?” Mark asked.

“Me? No. Not a chance. Cole will.”

Mark checked them in and walked Kate through safety protocols and commands. She was attentive and asked a few questions. Before long, she was laughing and joking with Nick’s friend. After a few minutes, she excused herself and walked toward the gift items. Mark stood next to Nick and whispered, “I like her.”

The smile that broke free on Nick’s face surprised him.

Kate returned. “Ready?”

“You’ll be in lanes five and six.”

“Thanks, Mark, it was nice to meet you,” Kate said.