“What do you want, Todd?” Regan wanted to get this conversation over with so she could go to her sister. And Gavin. He’d watched her sit down with Todd, then turned back to Chloe, doing exactly what she’d asked.

“Regan.” Todd reached across the table and took her hand. “What you saw, it didn’t mean anything.”

She stared at him, incredulous that this was what he was starting with. “What I saw was you riding my co-worker like you were in the rodeo. There aren’t a lot of ways to misunderstand.”

“But it didn’t mean anything.”

Regan shook her head, unwilling to sit here and listen to him make the same excuses he’d made before. “What do you want, Todd? Why are you here?”

He dropped her hand and leaned back in the booth. “I thought if I gave you some space, you’d come to your senses and come home. I thought going to Costa Rica to help with the homeless would make you realize where you belong.”

“I was in Honduras. I did come to my senses, right before I filed for divorce. And I did come home.” She gestured around them, noting that Chloe, Mitch, and Gavin were no longer on the ground. In fact, she couldn’t see them anywhere. With a frown she focused on her ex-husband again. “None of your arguments are new. What do you want, Todd? No more apologies. No more excuses. Just tell me why you’re here so you can leave.”

He tightened his jaw in the way that told her he was going to be stubborn about something. It was a look that had always made her nervous, but she was relieved to realize she was simply irritated by it now. “I’m not giving up on what we had, Regan. I was stupid to agree to the divorce, I know that now. But you brought out the best in me and made me a better man. I miss you.”

“You’re so full of shit.” Regan felt her eyes widen as the words tumbled from her lips. He hadn’t meant to say them out loud, but she didn’t regret it. “Our entire marriage was barely about us. It was about you and what you wanted and how we could work to achieve your goals.”

“But I love you, Regan. That has to count for something, right?”

Grabbing her purse, Regan slid out of the booth and stood. “If you really felt that way, you never would have signed the papers. As much as it might not seem that way, we were on the path to divorce well before I walked in and found you with someone else. It’s time for me to figure out what I want. The only thing I’m sure of is that it’s not being married to you.” The churning in her gut settled as the words left her mouth. Without a backward glance she made her way to the kitchen where Lucy was working the grill. Alone.

“The big man just took Chloe home,” the woman said without looking up. “You want me to dump some coffee in your ex’s lap?”

Laughing, Regan shook her head. “Not this time, Lucy. But if he shows up again, feel free. You need a hand waitressing since Chloe went home?”

The old woman smiled, wrinkles mapping her face. “You’re a good girl, Regan. You go take care of your sister, I already got some help.” Just then Gavin stepped back into the kitchen, a long white apron tied around his hips.

“Hey,” he said, coming to a stop. “You done with the douchebag?”

She had to smile at his casually asked question, knowing if she had asked for him to step in, he’d do it without hesitation. “Yes, I’m done. I’ve been done.”

“What did he want?”

“I’m still not exactly sure,” she admitted. “He just offered the same excuses as he always did, then said I made him a better man. That he misses me.”

“That’s it?”

Regan shrugged. “That’s all I gave him a chance to say,” she admitted. “I meant it when I said I don’t have anything to say to him. I’m not sure why he won’t accept it.”

Relief was evident on Gavin’s face so Regan leaned in and gave him a light kiss. “You were worried?” she asked, unable to wrap her mind around that.

“Not really worried, but I can’t help but wonder at the timing of him showing up as all this stuff is happening. Do you think it’s possible he’s involved?”

“No. Todd is a lot of things, but he’s not a fighter.”

Gavin nodded. “Okay. If you say so, I’ll believe you. But I’m still going to have Connor check him out.”

“Knock yourself out,” Regan told him. “I’m going to check on Chloe, make sure she’s okay.”

Gavin pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her, just holding her for a couple of beats. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“I really am,” she assured him just as quietly.

Dropping a kiss onto her head, he stepped back. “Mitch took Chloe to Erin’s. You better go before Lucy fires me.”

With a laugh, Regan left the kitchen, happy to see Todd was no longer at the table. Hopefully he was on his way back to Chicago and she wouldn’t have to see him ever again.

Regan and Gavin fell into an easy routine over the next several days. She hadn’t seen him after leaving the diner, with her spending the day with Chloe at Erin’s grandfather’s house and him heading to work after waiting tables for a couple hours. Her phone had gone off non-stop with everyone sending her photos of him at the dinner. Consensus was he’d been a welcome addition to the menu.

She hadn’t realized exactly how appealing a man wearing an apron could be.

Gavin worked on the installation details for Erin’s grandfather’s house and Regan frantically winterized her small house, hoping to get all the outside work done before snow hit. She’d been lucky so far, but didn’t dare relax about it. The second she did they’d be hit with a blizzard.

Then he’d gone out of town for two days and their phone calls had turned into late-night chats. She’d never felt so close to someone in such a short period of time. Was she setting herself up for heartbreak? Regan was driving Chloe crazy, so she’d abandoned their movie night and tried calling Gavin, but he hadn’t answered. Leaving him a message, she decided to stop worrying about it and climb into bed.

Hours later Regan cracked her eyes open to find Gavin leaning over her, gently running his hand up and down her arm. His breath was minty, his touch sending a shiver up her spine. This was a most excellent dream.

She reached for him, expecting to encounter warm skin she could glide her hands over. Skin she could lick and nuzzle, and work him into a frenzy. It was her turn.

Instead, she wound up with a hand full of flannel.

“Wait, you’re here? What time is it?” she asked, trying to make sense of her dream, which didn’t appear to be a dream at all. Gavin was there, in her bedroom, her hand wrapped around his shirt. “How did you get in? What are you doing here?” Her voice was husky with sleep, sounding erotic to her own ears. And seeing how his eyes darkened, he thought so too.

“Your locks suck,” he told her without any heat in his words. “We’ll fix them this weekend. And it’s two o’clock in the morning. Come on, you need to get up. We’re going to be late.”

“Late for what? It’s the middle of the freakin’ night. When did you get home?” Sleep was tugging her back under and she burrowed deeper into the mattress, trying to drag him down with her. “If you aren’t here to have your wicked way with me, you should leave. My dream was more interesting than going anywhere out in the cold.”

She shrieked as the blankets were tugged back and the cold air hit her bare skin. The tank top and boxer shorts had seemed like plenty of cover when she snuggled under several blankets and a down comforter, but now it didn’t seem like the smartest plan she’d ever had. “Okay, I’m up. Geez.” Regan reached down to tug the blanket back up to cover herself, but Gavin held firm. In a huff she flopped back. “Why are we awake? And if we’re awake, why aren’t we sharing body heat?”

“It’s snowing,” he announced with the excitement of a child. “Big fat flakes that are sticking so we need to get to the meadow.” He pulled open one drawer after another in her bureau until he found whatever it was he was looking for, the excitement still rolling off him in waves. She fought back a smile.

He turned, long johns bundled in his hands. “It’s time for the Snow Bowl.”

“Skiing?” she asked, referring to the local ski resort. “Are they even open in the middle of the night?”

“No, not skiing. Football. Football in the snow. The Snow Bowl.” He shook his head and thrust the thermal underwear at her. “We started doing it in high school and thought we were being clever with the name. It was the Super Bowl in the snow.”

“Awww. I sort of remember that.” She drew the sound out, gripping the thermal underwear to her chest. “Okay, so why do I have to go?”

“All the girlfriends and wives go. Always.” He paused, some of his excitement fading from his eyes. “Don’t you want to go?”

Warmth flooded her at the mention of girlfriends. Did he think of her that way? Did she want to be thought of that way? Before she even finished the thought she had her answer. Yes, yes she did. There was nothing she wanted more.

Whoa, when had that happened? She offered him a smile, hoping to see the excitement come back into his face. “Yeah, I’d like to go. If you really want me there.”

Smooth. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at herself. Could she be more wishy-washy? Pulling the thermal underwear over her head, right over the top of the tank she was sleeping in, she slipped her legs over the side of the air mattress and stood. “Do I play, too? Or is it a guy thing, where the girls just come to cheer on their men?”

The fleece-lined jeans she bought the other day were thick and instantly encased her legs in soft warmth. The desire to try to talk Gavin into climbing back into bed with her caught her by surprise. It was one thing to be a girlfriend, she told herself, but she would not be needy. She would not lose herself in a man, no matter how sinfully sexy he was.

“Anyone can play,” Gavin said, answering her question, “but most of the time the guys play and the girls…do something else.”

His vagueness gave her a moment of alarm, but then he grinned. “I can leave you the keys to the truck,” he promised, before she could ask him what exactly it was that the women did to occupy themselves while the players romped in the snow. “If you want to leave, I’ll catch a ride back with one of the guys. No issues.”

Again, warmth filled her. “That’d be great,” she said, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, but hitting his mouth when he turned his head at the last second to capture her lips. She let the moment drag on, enjoying the touch. When he finally lifted his head she struggled to remember what they’d been talking about. Oh, right. Her leaving if she got bored. There wasn’t a chance, but she smiled mischievously. “If I do decide to leave, I’ll be waiting to warm you up when you get home.”

His grin was wicked. “That sounds perfect.”

She bundled up and he hustled her to his truck and drove through the icy roads with an easy competence. The mountain roads could be treacherous in the best of conditions, but the fresh snow was slick and Regan found herself holding her breath more than once. By the time they pulled up to the clearing—it was an abandoned campsite that had been taken over by the locals—several vehicles were already parked around the perimeter, all with their lights on and aimed into the clearing to illuminate the field. The snow was falling rapidly. Big, fat flakes that shone brightly in the headlights, nearly obscuring all the men standing about in the center.

“Damn, everyone’s here already,” Gavin muttered, the excitement pouring off him. He threw the truck into park and leaped out, tossing his coat into the driver’s seat, leaning in and giving her a hard kiss before hurrying across the clearing.

Regan shook her head. He’d gotten her bundled up to come up here and watch him play football. In the middle of the night. In the snow. And here he was, stripping out of his own layers. She dipped her head so her breath blew into her scarf and warmed her face. It was warm in the truck, but she was getting cold just watching him stomp around in the freezing weather.

She shook her head again as she watched him run across the field to meet up with the other players. They were obviously giving each other a healthy dose of crap, but she was too far away to hear what they were saying, even if she’d had the windows open. Regan peered through the gloom and tried to make out who the other players were. Connor, with his big build, was easy to identify. And the other one still wearing the coat might have been Mitchell, but she couldn’t be sure because he also had a scarf wrapped around his neck that obscured most of his face. She leaned forward to try to get a better look and nearly smacked her head against the dashboard when someone knocked on her window.

“You scared me to death,” Regan accused Bethany when she pulled the door open.

Bethany tugged her out of the truck before closing the door again. “I’m so glad you decided to come to the Snow Bowl,” she exclaimed as she led Regan through the other trucks and SUVs parked around the clearing. “I was hoping you’d be here. I almost called Gavin to make sure he was going to bring you, but Connor told me to mind my own business.”

“Since when have you ever done that?” Regan asked, trying to keep up with the petite woman. The snow was thicker here up the mountain than it had been in town. Funny how she hadn’t noticed exactly how much heavier it was falling up here until she’d stepped out into it.

“I know, right?” Bethany asked her before she paused in front of an extended cab Silverado and pulled the door open. “Look who I found!”

Poking her head into the vehicle, Regan saw Gwen and Erin huddled in the back seat sharing a blanket and a large Thermos. Something she had to assume was pretty potent, judging by the goofy grins on their faces. “Hey, guys,” she greeted.

“Regan!” Gwen exclaimed, swaying slightly. “So you and Gavin are going steady now. I knew it would happen when you came home.”

“Hoo boy,” Bethany breathed, reaching around Regan to open the back door. “Out you go, home girl. I have a feeling you’re going to need to visit the bushes before the night is over. You need to be near the door.”

Erin started laughing as soon as Bethany said “home girl” and sprawled across the seat when Gwen climbed out to visit the little girls’ bush. “That was funny,” she announced, still lying prone on the seat.

“What have you guys been drinking?” Regan asked, looking at her carefully.

“Spiked hot chocolate. It’s super spiked, so be careful,” Erin warned. “I’m going to have to go running to burn off all the calories from both the chocolate and the spiked stuff.”

Regan raised a brow. “Did you eat anything before you started drinking?”

“I had a salad for lunch. And a shake after rehearsal since I’d worked so hard.” Her words were starting to slur and her eyes were drooping.

“This one too,” Regan announced, reaching in and grabbing Erin’s arm. “You can’t sit back there and pass out with no way to the bushes if you need them.”

“I’m not going to pee in the woods,” Erin told her, somewhat stiffly as she climbed from the back seat. “What would people think?”

“I’m not talking about peeing,” Regan responded, keeping a firm grip while Erin found her footing. “I’m talking about the other option when you drink too much.”

“That’s not going to happen either,” Erin told her. “The tabloids would have a field day with photos of me throwing up in the woods.”

“There’s no paparazzi here,” Regan soothed. “And I won’t let anyone take any pictures of you.” Regan knew from when they’d gotten together last year that one of Erin’s friends had suffered at the hands of the paparazzi while she’d been trying to go through rehab and get her life together.

Having seen some of those tabloids at the checkout stands and believing at least part of what they’d been reporting, Regan had felt ashamed of herself. Fame wasn’t an easy burden to bear. She couldn’t imagine living under the type of strain that Erin placed on herself day in and day out.

“You promise?” Erin asked, sounding so incredibly vulnerable Regan’s heart clenched.

“I swear.”

Erin smiled as Gwen and Bethany returned from their brief sojourn into the woods. “Is this it?” Regan asked. “The four of us?”

“There are the girlfriends of some of the other Peaks guys in one of those trucks,” Bethany indicated with a wave of her hand. “But I wanted us to have some time to catch up.”

They all piled back into the truck, Bethany in the driver’s seat, while Gwen and Erin were strategically placed so they had access to the doors if they needed them. Bethany handed them each bottles of water and placed another Thermos on the center console. “Just because I don’t want you to throw up in my truck doesn’t mean I’m going to break tradition and not let you guys get completely hammered.”

“When did this tradition start?” Regan asked, peering through the windshield trying to catch a glimpse of Gavin. The men had started playing and were covered in mud and snow, laughing. “They’ve got to be freezing.”

“The stupid lugs love it,” Gwen reported from the back seat, sounding a bit more sober than she had a few minutes before. “They started this in high school. Senior year?” She directed that question to Bethany.

“Junior year,” Bethany said.

“Why did I never hear about it?” Regan asked, wincing when Gavin took a particularly hard hit that sent both him and Connor sliding across the snow.

Bethany laughed. “You didn’t hang out with these idiots in high school.”

True. Regan had been focused on getting out of Sapphire Creek and out from under the thumb of her parents. She had studied, played softball, and done everything within her power to make sure she’d get the scholarships in order to leave.

Glancing around the cozy interior of the vehicle, she couldn’t imagine why she’d been so eager to leave her friends behind. She’d missed them without even realizing it. Yet another part of her she’d sacrificed in her bid for independence.

“Gavin said that the wives and girlfriends come to watch. Who do you usually hang out with?”

Bethany smiled. “Depends on the guys who are around and what their taste in women is like. But the game didn’t happen for a long time. Really only started up again when Gavin moved back to town a few years ago.”

“Why’s that?” Regan was trying to listen to her friend, but couldn’t pull her eyes off the men slipping and sliding around the meadow. What had once been pristine white snow was quickly becoming a mud pit.

“Well, Connor was in the Army for a few years, you know that. Gavin moved to Missoula for law school, then met Kathy. My brother is still active duty and stationed over in the Sand Box. The rest moved, got married, started families. You know the drill.”

Gwen leaned forward and snagged the Thermos. “After his divorce, Gavin insisted that they start it up again and brought in some of the guys from Peaks to get enough players. Then Brandon came back too and they got really serious about it.”

Gwen poured some cocoa into the lid of the Thermos and handed it over to Regan. “You need to catch up.”

“Yeah,” Erin said, resting her cheek on the cold glass of the window. “Catch up with us. No one should drink alone.”

“You haven’t been drinking alone,” Bethany told her, trying to hold back her laughter. “You’re not going to fall asleep, are you?”

“No,” Erin replied, not moving from her relaxed position. “This is just so nice, having this time together.”

Regan twisted around to look at her. “You didn’t have girlfriends in LA that you got together with like this?”

“Sure, but it’s not like this,” she confessed. “There everyone is always so…on, if that makes sense.”

Regan had to feel sorry for her friend, who’d left Sapphire Creek when they were sophomores in high school and had quickly became a singing sensation. It had always seemed so glamorous, but she had never stopped to wonder about her friend being lonely.

“Well,” Bethany announced, pulling Regan from her thoughts, “I have an issue I could use some help with.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Squeals and laughter erupted throughout the truck as both Gwen and Erin drunkenly tried to get into the front seat to give Bethany hugs.

“Congratulations!”

“That explains why you won’t drink with us.”

“I’m so happy for you!”

Regan smiled as she watched her friends gushing, unable to hold back the dull ache of jealousy. And where was that coming from? She wasn’t ready to settle down again, not after what had happened with the butthead.

“How did Connor react? And Andy?” Regan asked, referring to Connor and Bethany’s son, who was twelve.

Bethany paused, the smile dimming a bit before she rallied. “He doesn’t know yet. I haven’t told him. Either of them.”

“Why not,” Erin asked, taking another gulp of spiked cocoa and wrapping her arm around the headrest of Regan’s seat so she could lean forward. “He’ll be thrilled!”

“Will he?” Bethany asked, tears in her eyes. “What if he doesn’t want another baby? The whole reason we got married is because I was pregnant with Andy. It’s why he went into the Army when he did, so he could make some money for us, so he could pay for school. So we could have a future. He gave up everything for us.

“What if he doesn’t want to be with me, but did it because it was the right thing to do. Maybe he was just biding his time. Now, having another baby and he’ll feel stuck. I don’t want him to feel stuck.”

“Oh honey.” Gwen leaned forward, wrapping Bethany in a hug from behind. “He doesn’t feel stuck, he loves you.”

“It’s obvious,” Erin told her. “He’s just as crazy about you now as he was when we were kids.”

“Why would you think he feels stuck?” Regan asked. “I haven’t been back for long, but from what I can see, he’s not a man who acts like he’s stuck.”

Bethany just shook her head.

“Okay, it doesn’t matter why you think it. What we need is a plan,” Regan announced.

What type of plan?” Gwen asked, reaching over and stealing the cocoa from Erin.

Regan couldn’t hold back her grin. “A plan to make Connor remember how much he loves Bethany so when she finally tells him about the baby there will be no question in her mind that he’s staying because he wants to.”