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“Isn’t it?” Patrick agrees with a grin, gesturing to the view.

The valley spreads out below us like a Christmas card. The forest stretches in every direction, and other mountains rise in the distance, their peaks sharp against the blue sky.

“Holy shit,” I breathe, moving closer to the edge of the trail to get a better look. “This is... I have no words.”

Scotty comes to stand beside me, so close our shoulders brush. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Nothing quite like Vermont in winter,” Patrick agrees, coming up on my other side. “Well, except possibly the Rockies. Maybe next year we can do that?”

I turn to look at Scotty and see his eyes dim momentarily, so I slide my gloved hand into his and give it a squeeze.

“All of us,” I whisper to him, and he turns to smile and nod.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Scotty starts. “Both of you. This whole trip... it’s been more than I ever expected. Much better than getting drunk alone on my couch in an attempt to skip the holiday.”

Patrick reaches over and puts his arm around Scotty’s shoulder on his other side. “We’re glad you’re here, sweetheart.”

We stand there for a moment, the three of us in a row, just taking it in. The silence up here makes it feel like we’re the only people in the world. My heart is still racing from the ride, but it’s more than just adrenaline now. It’s this—this moment, this postcard view, these two men beside me.

Something about it all makes me feel like we’re unstoppable. Inevitable. That we can get back to New York and we’ll be just fine. I don’t know if it’s just wishful thinking, but in this moment, it feels possible.

“Come on,” Patrick says, breaking the silence. “Let’s get back on before we all freeze our asses off.”

The mood lightens, and we return to our snowmobiles.

We head back down again, and when we reach the base of the mountain, the rental shop comes into view. We pull into the small facility, kill our engines, and climb off, leaving the key in the ignition like they instructed. My body aches in the best way.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in years,” Scotty exclaims as he strips out of his snow gear. His hair is matted down, cheeks bright red, and he’s wearing a massive grin on his face. “Right?” Patrick agrees with an equally big smile, already heading over to talk to the workers.

I watch Scotty as he stretches, rolling his shoulders and flexing his fingers. He catches me looking, and his smile widens. He seems so sure, so confident in this moment—I’m reminded of his comment about losing his carefree nature, but the man before me seems like the Scotty we knew before Harry. The uncertainty about his place in our lives is nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, let’s get you guys warmed up,” Patrick calls as he heads toward the car, and Scotty and I exchange an excited look before we both eagerly follow.

21

The heater is blasting, but I can still feel the cold radiating off all three of us as I navigate the winding mountain road back to town. My fingers are stiff on the steering wheel, and I flex them a few times to get the blood flowing again. In the rearview mirror, I catch Joey rubbing his hands together, trying to warm them up.

“You doing okay back there?” I ask, glancing between the road and the mirror.

“Fucking freezing,” Joey admits with a laugh. “But it was so worth it.”

“Absolutely worth it,” Scotty agrees from beside me in the passenger seat, even though he’s got his hands pressed against the heating vents.

As we get back into town, I spot a café that’s still open. It looks like a rustic mountain cabin with warm light glowing from its windows and smoke curling from a massive stone chimney. A hand-painted sign out front reads “Mountain View Café.”

“Hey,” I say, already slowing down. “What do you say we stop and warm up properly before heading back? I could use some hot chocolate.”

“Oh my god, yes,” Scotty agrees immediately.

Joey’s eyes connect with mine in the rearview mirror, and he nods. “Sounds perfect.”

I pull into the small parking lot, which is mostly empty this late in the afternoon. The three of us climb out of the car and hurry toward the entrance.

The café’s vibe is everything I’d hoped for, with exposed wooden beams, flames crackling away in a stone fireplace, and leather couches and armchairs arranged in cozy clusters with tables between them. Christmas decorations are tastefully scattered throughout with garland along the mantel, a small tree in the corner, and white lights strung along the beams. Guess it can’t be totally perfect.

“Wow,” Scotty breathes, stopping just inside the door to take it all in.

“Damn. This is perfect,” Joey adds, already gravitating toward the fireplace.