He made her laugh.

Earlier she’d tried to cover her amusement with sarcasm, but lately Will had a cute way of getting back at her. She felt like a kid again, rather than the dignified woman she’d considered herself to be.

“You’re on,” she said. “If I love it here, I owe you something big. A seven-course dinner or...” She faltered, realizing she was having a good time.

“I’ll make that decision when I collect,” he said with a wink over his shoulder.

Above the roar of the engine, he hollered back his usual witty comments, his youthful spirit so evident as they soared across the snow. Youthful, yet he had depth, too, Christine had noticed. She watched the tenderness he had for her grandmother, and Christine also couldn’t help but notice how he studied her. She didn’t think he’d figured her out yet, but he would.