“Sorry, did we wake you?” I ask Chase, pulling the door open.
“Yeah, I heard Stone yelling. Is everything okay?” he asks, wearing Snoopy pajama pants I’ve seen a thousand times. Suddenly, I’m really grateful Chase is here.
“A group of backcountry skiers is missing. The team’s been called in to help with search and rescue. I’m going into the office just to stay in contact with Stone. You want to come? I could probably use thecompany.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll get dressed.”
My sweating palms are already telling me I’m going to need a stiff drink by the time this is over.
Five minutes later, we pile into Stone’s Tahoe, and I can’t stop touching him. Thankfully, he doesn’t make me.
The visibility is shit even down here at the base of the mountain, and the wind gusts shake the tall SUV. When we pull into the lot, the office lights are on, and several others are already here.
As the leader of the entire ski/avalanche patrol division, it’s Stone’s job to relay the plan and assign jobs.
The timing is terrible, but it’s really fucking hard not to notice how goddamn sexy my boyfriend is when he’s commanding this entire room. His thick, waterproof tactical pants make a satisfying swish as he walks back and forth in front of a whiteboard, drawing a diagram of the terrain.
He still has his beanie on, and the beard, coupled with the hard set of his jaw, makes him look every bit the badass mountain man he is.
“Deacon, Jeremy, Layla, and I will go out in the first wave,” Stone says, informing everyone of the plan. “The snowpack on the western ridge is unstable as all fuck, and the snowmobiles could easily set it off, but it’s the fastest way to get where we’re going.”
“That’s bullshit,” Logan mutters. “The fastest way to get where we need to be is the chopper.”
“I agree, but they’re not an option right now,” Stone says smoothly. “We’re going to meet up with S&R here,” he marks an X on the whiteboard. “From there, we’re going to see if any tracks are visible. If so, we’ll follow them as a group and descend in a line. Watch your step as you comb. Look for any cracks and fissures in the snow. And listen for any instability. We’ve all heard it. If you come across either, you announce it immediately and move in line behind the person to yourright. Once we lose the tracks, if there are any, we’ll fan out, heading southwest and southeast. It’s probably safe to assume that, despite the weather, they could still tell which direction was down. We have six hours before we rotate. Team Two, try to sleep if you can. Any questions?” No one raises their hands. “Good. Suit up.”
Chapter 37
Stone
It isn’t until I’m about to head out the door that I realize, in the chaos of the morning, I didn’t give Hanlon a proper goodbye kiss, and I can’t do it now. But I’ll be damned if I leave this building without at least hugging him and inhaling him one more time before I go.
I pull him to me, lingering longer than I should, but utterly unable to stop myself.
Over his shoulder, I see Logan and Chase, both watching us. Logan averts his gaze after being caught and turns his attention to Chase, probably wondering who the hell he is.
I return my attention to the only man who matters.
“I love you,” I whisper in his ear.
“I love you, too. Please be safe.”
“I always am,” I tell him, even though we both know it’s a lie. “I’ll see you when we get back.” Hanlon nods, but I can tell he’s choked up. “It’s going to be okay, Han. This is what I do,” I reassure him.
He gives me another nod and a broken, “I know.”
I cup his cheek with my gloved hand, and, fuck it, I press a quick kiss to his lips.
His eyes widen before they grow determined, locking in to help me through this however he can. He raises his chin and exhales because he knows I don’t want to leave him and go out in this weather. He knows how high the risks are. Hell, he probably knows the danger I’m facing better than I do. And he knows I need him.
“I’ll be watching the weather,” he says. “I’ll track the wind gusts and direction. Any changes, and I’ll have Jeremy report them over the radio.”
“No, fuck that.” Hanlon looks at me with a puzzled look on his face. “I want to hear your voice while I’m out there,” I tell him.
Turning to Deacon, I ask him to grab another mic’d headset.
“We’ve gotta go, man,” he says hurriedly.
“We’ll leave as soon as Hanlon has a headset,” I argue.
