Ben would be thirty-four if he had lived. The same age as Scott. The two men were nothing alike—except that they both loved dogs and snow.
It was getting colder. She tried to hide her discomfort, but doing a poor job. “You’re shivering,” Scott said. “Let’s turn in. We’ll be warmer inside.”
“I hope so,” she said, and followed him into the snow cave.
She had been nervous about sharing the close quarters, but there was nothing intimate about curling up in a crinkly Mylar blanket while wearing all her clothing. The dogs settled between them. Lily pulled a knit beanie down low over her forehead, gripped the blanket with mittened hands, and waited as warmth gradually seeped into her body and she drifted to sleep.
WHEN SHE WOKEit was still dark. Her whole body ached with cold. Disoriented, she groped beside her, startled to find herself alone. As sleep receded, she sat up and found her headlamp and switched it on. A figure darkened the doorway of the snow cave and she gasped.
“It’s just me,” Scott said. He crawled past her. The dogs followed and curled into tight balls, tails over noses. “I’m sorry I woke you,” Scott said. “Go back to sleep.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to sound bossy.”
“I get it. You’re used to giving orders.”
“I guess that’s true.” Order or not, she wasn’t going to be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Her head ached—probably from a combination of schnapps and not enough water. She found her water bottle, but the contents had frozen.
“Here.” Scott passed over his. “You have to keep it tucked in next to your body or it freezes.”
She should have thought of that. “Thanks.” She drank, greedily, then passed it back.
He drank also. The gesture struck her as intimate, even though he was only being practical.
“I should have asked earlier,” he said. “Do you have someone who will be worrying about you—a romantic partner, or your parents?”
“My parents are in Vermont. And I don’t have a partner. What about you?”
“My parents are in Utah.”
“That must be nice, having them so close.”
“I guess. I don’t really see them much.”
There had to be a whole story there. She was debating whether to ask when he said, “I broke up with my girlfriend four months ago.”
His tone of voice made her think the breakup hadn’t been his idea. “Rough,” she said.
“She said she couldn’t see a future with a man who had so little ambition.”
“Ouch.”
“I get it. Working resort maintenance and ski patrol isn’t going to pay for a six-figure lifestyle. For what it’s worth, my parents agree with her. They think I’m throwing my life away.”
Ouch.“There’s something to be said for enjoying the work you do,” she said.
“Oh, I think those guys drawing six-figure salaries probably enjoy their jobs, too. I’m just not them.”
She understood. The thought of spending every day in an office made her anxious. “Not every woman sees things the way they do,” she said.
He didn’t answer, except for a soft exhalation of breath that told her he was asleep.
SCOTT WOKE, ONHIS SIDE,his arm draped over someone soft and warm and definitely female. He smiled to himself and moved closer, until he was pressed against her back. She stirred againsthim, and awareness edged out sleep as he realized this wasn’t Madison, his former lover. He froze, and other facts became clear. He and the woman were both wearing a lot of clothing, and lying on the ground.
He sat up and switched on his headlamp. Lily turned onto her back and looked up at him, eyes wide.
“I’m sorry,” he said, dread hollowing his chest. “I was asleep. I didn’t realize.” If she complained to management, he’d be out of a job, the avy dog program ended permanently.
