The wind howls between the buildings, carrying fresh snow across the street. The road is almost gone now.
She exhales slowly.
"One night," she says. "Until the roads clear."
Relief hits harder than it should.
I nod once. No grin. No victory.
"Grab what you need."
She moves toward her truck, and I let myself breathe again.
Dean nods once and guides Harper toward his truck. They pull away fast. Smart.
Madison moves quickly after that, grabbing a bag, her phone and charger, a laptop case, and—of course—a cooler.
"What’s in the cooler?" I ask.
"Inventory."
Of course it is. I take her cooler from her without asking. She starts to protest.
"I’ve got it," I say. Because I do.
The wind hits her hard as we move toward my truck, and without thinking, I shift my body slightly in front of hers. Blocking the worst of it. Automatic. Instinct. Not something I think about. Not something I question.
I help her into the passenger seat. Shut the door. Circle to my side. By the time I start the engine, the street is nearly invisible.
She looks out the window once, watching her truck disappear behind falling snow. I pull the truck forward. Not down the mountain. Up. Toward my place.
I don’t bring women there. Ever. I don’t blur lines. I don’t complicate my life. But the storm’s closing fast. And there is no version of tonight where I let Madison drive that road alone. Not after what happened to Dad.
The snow thickens. Wind howls across the windshield. Beside me, she grips her bag like it contains national secrets. I glance at her once.
Wild dark hair. Bandana slipping slightly. Eyes bright with defiance and nerves and something else.
I think I’m in trouble.
Chapter 3
Madison
The truck climbs higher into the storm, and I'm starting to wonder if Jake Morgan is secretly a supervillain with a lair on top of a mountain.
"You okay?" he asks, glancing at me.
"Fine. Just mentally preparing for the part where you reveal your evil plan."
His mouth twitches. "What gave me away?"
"Remote mountain location. Convenient storm trap. Suspiciously helpful behavior. Classic villain setup."
"If I were a villain, I'd have better timing. This storm wasn't in my schedule."
"That's exactly what a villain would say."
He laughs — low and warm — and I look out the window before I do something reckless like stare.
