I nodded. “You look great.”
“It’s easier to ski than walk on this ankle. I can hardly feel it. The tight ski boot will help with the swelling too.”
I nodded again.
At some point overnight my fear had shifted to anger. I couldn’t do anything to prevent him from leaving, but I wanted to.
“Are you going to check that cabin in the valley first?”
Tav swiped the backpack full of supplies he’d packed last night and heaved it over his shoulders. “Car first, maybe I’ll luck out and the bridge is open.”
“You think?” My eyes fell on the fresh powdery snow that’d fallen all night.
“Maybe I can get the satellite phone to work.”
I nodded.
“It won’t take me more than a few days.” He paused to look at me then. “I’ve got enough beef jerky to last me a month in this pack, you’ll be home in your bed before then.”
“Our bed.” I mused, missing home.
“You’re strong, Frey—you can do this.”
Do what, exactly? Survive?
“You remember how to tune the weather radio?”
“It won’t do me any good if I can’t call out to report an emergency,” I breathed.
“The satellite phone isn’t working, I don’t know what else to do.”
“Then why are you taking the phone if it doesn’t work? And your laptop?”
“Jesus, we talked about this. Maybe it’s this peak, maybe we’re obstructed by cloud cover. Maybe I don’t know, but I do know leaving it does neither of us any good. If I can get to another peak or position on the island I might be able to call out of here. Dammit, Freya, when did you stop trusting me?”
I let his words hang.
His eyes were glossy with the cold before he pushed down his polarized lenses and obstructed his gaze from me.
I miss him already.
He leaned close, lips pausing at my earlobe.“Anyone but the lawn guy, aren’t we both better than that?”His words froze me cold. “Be safe.”
I watched as he skied down the driveway we’d hiked up just days ago.
Had I heard him right?
Anyone but the lawn guy.
Bradley.
He meant Bradley.
Was Bradley a target, or was my mind playing tricks on me again?
Tav disappeared over the slope, the breadth of his frame growing smaller the further he skied away from me. It was then I realized the space between us had already turned frigid.
Thirteen
