By the time they made it back to the lodge, Charlotte’s senses were filled with Ryan. He smelled like soap and woodsmoke. She felt safe behind him.

Safe and content. Not only was she attracted to him, she genuinely liked him. He was kind and thoughtful.

She’d never had a guy help her get into her coat. Such a little thing, but it showed her he was thinking about her and not just himself.

She opened her eyes when he turned off the motor. The sun was ducking behind the trees now leaving everything in a hazy glow.

He steadied her arm as she got off the snowmobile. “Not so bad, huh?” He asked.

“No bad at all. You’re a pretty good driver.”

He chuckled. “Good to know. Maybe you’ll come fly with me some time.”

She was on the ground now. Something in his words or maybe in the way he said them, made her stop and look up into his eyes. As they gazed at each other, she forgot that her fingers and toes were freezing. She forgot everything except the world in his blue eyes. The way he was looking at her – as though there was no one else in the world that mattered.

When he leaned toward her, her eyes fluttered closed.

He kissed her on the forehead. With his hands on her elbows, he kept his lips there - pressed against her forehead. She held onto his arms and leaned toward him. This. She sighed.

Then her teeth chattered and the mood was broken. “We should get inside before we freeze out here.” He took her hand and led her up along the path to the back deck of the lodge.

Once inside, they noticed a group of guests standing in the lobby, all wearing their heavy outdoor gear.

“How was your snowmobile ride?” A woman Charlotte recognized as one of the staff walked up to them. Her name tag identified her as Skylar. “Did you find the tavern?” She smiled brightly as she looked from Charlotte to Ryan.

“We did.” Ryan said. “Thank you for the recommendation.

“No problem. We’re getting ready to go out for s’mores.” She gestured toward the basket under her arm. “Would you like to join us?”

Ryan looked questioning at Charlotte. She shrugged. “Sure.”

“Are you sure? It’s cold.”

“Brayden is out back building a huge warm fire.” Skylar said, still smiling.

“We’re already dressed.” Ryan rubbed his hands together and began putting his gloves back on.

Charlotte leaned and whispered so only he could hear. “I need a restroom break.”

He nodded. “We’ll catch up.” He told Skylar.

Charlotte darted off to the restroom. She was still a little unbalanced from Ryan’s kiss on the forehead and the way he had held her hand coming into the lodge. She’d never expected to spend the day with him. But they’d gone horseback riding, snowmobile riding, and she’d kicked his tail at pool. And now they were going outside to make s’mores by a bonfire. For just a little while, she’d bee able to forget out some of the stresses of real life.

A few minutes later, she rejoined him in the lobby.

“Ready?”

“Yes.” She stuck her hands in her pockets as they walked toward the door.

The fire was easy enough to find. Brayden already had it blazing. Someone had pulled some stumps around for seating. Some guest had already found their seats and were waiting for Skylar to pull the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars out of her basket.

Ryan and Charlotte found a place in front of the fire to warm up before sitting.

Skylar set up the food and laid the branches next to it. “Okay everyone.” She announced. “Come get your marshmallows and get started on the yumminess.”

Charlotte smiled. Skylar definitely had the right bubbly personality to do this. She and Ryan hung back and went last. There were three other couples, two teens, and three children. Ryan put enough food on a plate for both of them and grabbed two of the branches. “Have you ever done this?” He asked.

“Of course.” She slid her marshmallow onto the tip of the branch. “Who hasn’t?”

“I just thought I’d better ask. Just to see if you’re a ninja s’more maker or a novice.”

She glanced at him as she put her marshmallow in the flames. “Neither. Just a regular girl.”

“I think there’s anything regular about you.”

She scrunched her nose. But didn’t answer.

“Here hold mine for a sec.” He got their graham crackers and Hershey’s chocolate squares ready while she held the sticks in the fire.

“I think they’re ready.” She said.

“Yeah? They are looking a little black around the edges.”

“Do you think they’re ready?” Charlotte asked the teenage girl standing next to her.

The girl nodded. “Definitely. They look perfect. Charred on the outside and gooey on the inside.”

Ryan leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Ninja.”

“Ha.” She held the sticks while he pulled the gooey marshmallows off and put them on the graham crackers.

“Here you go. Perfection.” He handed her the s’more.

She nibbled a bite of marshmallow and leaned toward him. “I think we’re the s’more ninja team.”

He grinned. “I think you’re right. Between the two of us, there’s nothing we can’t do.”

The middle-aged woman to his right laughed. “How long have you two been together?”

Ryan glanced at Charlotte. She hoped the heat from the fire masked the heat she felt on her cheeks.

“Not very long.”

The woman nudged her husband. “Bobby and I have been together for thirty years this May. Our first day was at a campfire just like this.” She sighed. “There’s nothing more romantic than an evening by the fire.”

Charlotte’s cheeks were definitely on fire now. Was this a date? If so, just like the older woman, it was her first day with Ryan. She glanced at the teen on her left. Would she be saying the same exact words to someone her age one day?

The whole idea was unsettling. Mostly because she liked the idea. She was flooded by warm feelings.

Skylar walked by. “There are places to sit over there, you guys.”

“Come on.” Ryan picked up the branches and led the way to an empty log stool. It was a little off to itself, but still close enough to have warmth from the fire.

“You can sit.” She said. “I’m good.”

He put the plate of s’mores on the ground and sat, then took her hand and pulled her into his lap. She giggled. But he wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head beneath his chin. “We should eat these marshmallows.” He reached down and picked up the plate.

Charlotte took her marshmallow sandwich and took a bite. So many years since she’d made s’mores by the fire.

So many years since she’d sat in a guy’s lap.

Never like this.

He playfully bounced on knee and her hand jerked swiping her marshmallows onto her chin. She groaned and swiped at her face.

He chuckled and wiped the marshmallow from her chin. Snuggled against him, she looked into his eyes. He sucked the marshmallow from his thumb. She swallowed thickly as she imagined those lips on hers.

Instead, he kissed her cheek and held her close.

In that moment, Charlotte was content. She couldn’t think of anywhere she would rather be than here in Ryan’s arms in front of a fire in Colorado.

But tomorrow they had to return to Dallas.

The thought dampened her good mood and she sighed.

“What troubles you?” He asked.

“It’s nothing.” But in truth it was everything. While she was here sitting in Ryan’s lap enjoying the warmth of the fire, her sister’s life hung in the balance as she waited for a kidney donor.

Charlotte hated the guilt that came with thinking about her sister’s illness. She knew it wasn’t right to put her own life on hold. But it was so hard not to. Her justification was that Noah was paying her to be here this very moment. Money she could put toward her sister’s health care.

She didn’t want to put all this on Ryan. She wouldn’t. They were just now getting to know each other. She couldn’t tell him about her problems. She wouldn’t. It would mute the magic that she was feeling.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow they would be back in the real world.

But this moment – just this moment in time – everything was perfect.