Collin tossed a stick for River’s dog. “You’re completely insufferable.”
“Oh, but it’s all true,” Nic said proudly. “Backs of her thighs—softest skin I’ve ever touched.”
River groaned. “Please. Spare us the anatomy lesson. I’m the doctor here!”
Aries laughed, then he leaned toward the fire. “So tell me—how do you get her in the mood when she’s not into it?”
Nic shrugged. “Sometimes she’s tired or shy. I’ve learned to go slow. Or give her a massage. That works wonders.”
“She talks to you about that?” Collin asked.
“She doesn’t need to,” Nic said with a wink. “But yeah. I ask her to tell me what she wants next. She likes that. Makes her feel in control.”
Aries nodded thoughtfully. “Hadria gets distracted sometimes. Talking helps.”
“Funny,” Collin said, twirling a stick between his fingers. “For all your bragging, I’ve heard you and Helen haven’t... actually done it.”
Nic flushed slightly, but he didn’t deny it. “Not yet. Not because I don’t want to. I just want it to be right. She’s sweet. She deserves more than a dusty workbench and sneaking around.”
For once, Nic wasn’t hiding behind a joke or a boast, There was no wink, no grin, just quiet truth. And in that truth, Collin saw something rare, restraint, tenderness, even growth. Maybe.
There was a brief silence before River spoke. “I wonder if I’ll ever have someone to share that kind of connection with.”
“You will,” Aries said. “You’re kind. Women notice that.”
Nic sat up straighter. “You just need confidence. Look her in the eye, don’t fidget. Smile like you mean it. Drop your voice, say her name—‘You are just so beautiful.’ Works every time.”
Collin couldn’t suppress his laugh. “Is that what you said to Helen the first time?”
Nic scowled. “No! That’s different. She’s a goddess. Talking to her requires finesse.”
They all laughed. The fire popped, throwing sparks into the cold air.
“What are you most afraid of?” River asked suddenly, his eyes on Nic.
For a moment, Nic didn’t move. And then he jabbed a stick in the fire like a spear and grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m terrified of vulnerability. Anyway, Collin—tell them about your beautifully narrated dreams about drowning and betrayal.”
Collin rolled his eyes. “Blood. It makes my stomach tern.”
Nic cackled. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “I can skin a deer, climb a cliff, walk on ice—but get me near a gushing wound and I can’t—"
River folded his hands. “Losing a patient,” he said quietly. “That’s my biggest fear.”
Everyone turned to Aries. He hesitated.
“I... don’t know.”
“Oh, come on,” Nic said. “Everyone’s afraid of something.”
Aries shrugged. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
Collin thought he knew a few things that terrified his best friend. Aries used to be afraid of mice in the shed and stepping on snails in the garden. He grinned. “I bet he’s afraid of Hadria.”
“Not everything is about her,” Aries snapped, though the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Maybe you’re afraid of her falling for me,” Nic said smugly.
