CHAPTER 14
Kori followedWyatt’s footprints in the snow.
He’d pulled out Mackenzie’s shirt again and let Thunder sniff it.
Then the canine was back on the trail.
As they walked, she tried not to think about the fact they would have to walk this exact route on the way back.
Her legs burned. Her back ached. And she was cold.Socold. She could no longer feel her toes.
She kept pace anyway. She wouldn’t be the reason they slowed down.
At least on the way back, it would be downhill.
And the sun had come up and now peeked through the canopy above them. Maybe some of the snow would start melting as temperatures climbed. The hike would be wetter and muddier, but at least she wouldn’t be trudging through thick snow.
They continued, Wyatt moving through the trees without hesitation, and Thunder ranging in wide arcs, with his nose down, checking back with Wyatt at intervals.
Kori focused on keeping her pace and watching every step. She’d never admit how exhausted she was—but more thananything she wanted to rest. That was a luxury they couldn’t afford.
She had to keep moving—for Mackenzie’s sake.
Wyatt glanced back at her. “How are you doing?”
She gripped the straps of her backpack more tightly. “Fine.”
He reached into his pack and handed her a protein bar. “Eat this. You need to keep up your energy. And even though it’s cold out here, you still need to drink water.”
“Got it.” She took the protein bar and removed one of her gloves long enough to tear the paper off. Then she took a bite.
It tasted surprisingly good. Peanut butter and dark chocolate.
Wyatt looked at her a beat longer before turning back to the trail. “You said your sister works from home. Tell me why she chose to live in Blue Ridge Hollow.”
Kori was grateful for something to focus on besides her burning legs as she walked through snow up to her calves. This part of the trail was particularly daunting. A rock wall stretched high to her left, and on the other side was a cliff that plunged at least twelve feet. The ledge itself was narrow, barely wide enough to be comfortable.
She had to be careful.
“We grew up in Northern Virginia—Arlington,” she explained to Wyatt as she remembered his question. “After law school, I began dating someone who lived here. Flint, if you haven’t guessed that already. As Flint mentioned, we met at Virginia Tech. Anyway, when I came here to visit him once, Mackenzie came with me.”
She took another step—and the ground gave way.
Snow collapsed beneath her boot, and her leg dropped hard to mid-thigh.
Kori’s balance pitched forward. Her arms shot out as she stumbled toward the ridge, her boot finding nothing but air beneath the crusted snow.
For a split second, there was no ground—just a hollow space hidden beneath the surface.
Her stomach dropped.
Her breath came fast.
Had this happened to Mackenzie?
Had her sister taken one wrong step and fallen—and kept falling—with no one there to pull her back?
Kori’s body weight pulled her downward.
