Stars Over Alaska (Wild River #4) - Jennifer Snow Page 0,126

seeing someone else? The thought alone made his stomach drop—he’d never survive witnessing it.

“So you’d rather not have me in your life at all?” Her disappointment shattered him even more.

He hated hurting her, but if she could honestly say that she could be just friends, then she wasn’t feeling this connection the same way he was. Maybe he’d read this wrong. It was best to leave the weekend in the past and move on before either of them got hurt. “I know my limits and any attempt to be your friend—” he shook his head “—I think I’d just let you down.”

Her chest rose and fell on a deep sigh. One full of heartbreaking resolution. He released her hand and shoved his into his pockets. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed the experience.”

She looked ready to say something more, but instead she simply nodded, gathered her things and headed down the street, away from SnowTrek Tours and away from him. All he could do was watch her leave.

* * *

AS SHE CLIMBED the stairs to her apartment a half hour later, Maddie’s emotions were a mess.

The first time she’d ever met a guy who had her feeling all the feels in all the right ways and he was off-limits. The weekend had been amazing. Even the awkward tension at the beginning had signaled something, had foreshadowed an attraction. One she’d struggled to fight.

Not hard enough.

She could still taste Mike on her lips, still feel his beard tickling her skin... Still drown in the guilt of having made out with her sister’s ex. Slept in his arms last night. Years before she’d felt so betrayed by her best friend and boyfriend. She hadn’t understood that maybe the two of them had had a stronger connection, that maybe they’d been a better fit and that sometimes things just happened when you least expected them.

Now she was seeing things a little differently, occupying a different angle of the triangle. But unlike her former best friend, she’d chosen her connection with her sister above all else.

But damn, why had she let it go that far? Getting over him now would be torture. How was it possible that after only two days, he’d completely captured her heart?

No more. She had put an end to it before it could get out of hand...though neither of them was thrilled about it. The look on his face when she’d said they could be friends had broken her. She didn’t want to be just friends any more than he did, but the fact that he was turning down an opportunity to at least have that...hurt. A lot.

The sadness and disappointment in his tone as they’d said goodbye had made her stomach twist as though she wasn’t doing the right thing. But what else could she do? She couldn’t betray her sister.

Not for a man she’d known for only two days.

A man she’d fallen hard for in two days.

She unlocked the front door and dragged her duffel bag inside. Sighing, she leaned against it and fought the tears burning in the backs of her eyes.

* * *

AS MIKE UNLOADED the gear into the back room of SnowTrek Tours, he could hear the laughter and happy voices of the tour guests as they mingled at the End of Weekend event and filled out their evaluation forms.

Maddie hadn’t stayed to fill hers out.

And Mike hadn’t been able to stay out front with everyone. Their flirtatious gazes and praise of Cassie’s matchmaking skills were too much and he’d needed some space away from it all. He was glad everyone had a good time and the connections had worked, but his own bruised heart couldn’t handle being among the festivities.

“Hey, there you are,” Cassie said, popping her head around the corner.

“Yeah, just putting everything away.”

She entered the room and tapped him on the shoulder. “Well, good news—everyone rated you highly and the excursion was a success, so you can officially lead your own tours.”

At the start of the weekend, that had been the goal. He should be thrilled, and he was...or would be. Right now he could barely summon a smile. “Great. Thanks, Cass.”

She lingered. “So, were the fish biting?”

He nodded, not really in the mood to chat but unable to ignore his boss. “I think everyone caught at least one.” He hadn’t. With Maddie sitting on his lap, his attention hadn’t exactly been on the fishing pole. Her body so close to his, the sound of her gentle laugh, the moments of silence that