An hour later, he turns into a long, snow-covered lane. The headlights light up the tall evergreens on either side. Eventually, the trees clear, and he stops the truck in front of a small, dark cabin.
I glance around as he shuts the truck off, and everything goes dark. “Uh, what is this?”
Cole leans in the back and hands me a puffy coat and a pair of snow boots. “Put these on.”
I stare at him.
“They’re Hank’s, so they might be a little big, but they should work.”
He pushes the door open, but I grab his arm.
“Cole, what is this place? I can’t let you—”
He leans toward me, his fingers brushing against my cheek. He’s making it very difficult to do my job.
“There are no tracks in the snow. No one knows about this place. Plus, I’m sure you’re packing enough heat to take out a bear.”
He climbs out of the truck. “Hurry up. Put those on. You don’t want to miss this.”
I quickly tug on the boots, watching him climb the few stairs and unlock the door.
I hop out, shoving my Sig in my holster, and he waits for me. “Bears?”
He smiles, flipping on a light, and we step into an old, rustic cabin. A small kitchen is in the corner with a table and four chairs. Across from a large picture window is a couch with a flat-screen TV and a fireplace in the corner. In the back is a set of double doors that lead outside.
“What is this?” I ask, having never seen anything like it other than in the movies.
Cole sets his keys and a large thermos on the table. “I bought it right after I signed with the Stingrays.” He pauses, taking in the space. “I wanted a place to come home to that was my own.”
I survey the space again. Its hardwood floors and log walls make it feel warm and cozy. This is not where I would have ever pictured Cole living, and yet I can one hundred percent see it. It’s so completely fitting for this man.
“Well, it’s. . .nice, but what are we doing here?”
He laughs, reaching around me to grab a thick coat off the wall, then tugs a beanie down over his ears.
“I want to show you something, and if you’ll just be patient, I think you’ll like it.” He reaches over my head again, grabs another hat, and places it on my head, making sure it covers my ears.
He pulls a pair of mismatched mugs from a cabinet. “Come on.” He smiles that amazing smile and crosses the small space, opening one of the doors.
I follow him into the dark because it’s my job, but I also want to see what he’s so excited about.
The cold air stings my nostrils as I follow Cole to a bench resting against the cabin. There’s darkness all around us, but the bright snow illuminates the land and trees.
I sit on the bench beside Cole as he pours coffee and hands me a mug. I take a sip, still able to smell the pine over the steaming liquid.
Cole kicks his boots out in front of him, crossing his ankles and settling in, so I rest back, waiting to see what exactly we’re doing.
We sit in silence, drinking coffee, our warm breath billowing into the cold air. I zip my coat over my mouth and hunch down, the icy air biting my skin.
“You cold?” Cole’s soft voice breaks the absolute stillness around us.
It’s so quiet it’s almost too much for my system to handle, sending my senses into overdrive.
“My body isn’t used to temps below sixty.”
Cole slides his arm around me and pulls me to his side, sharing his body heat. “It won’t be much longer.”
I burrow into him as, bit by bit, the sky begins to waken, turning from purple to green to gray. I begin to make out a clearing in the trees before us.
