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Harry.
With his black-tipped ears, precious gray nose, and white cotton tail.
After a while, I can’t keep it to myself. “I feel sorry for him.”
“Me, too.”
His response surprises me, and I turn to look at his rugged profile. He’s a hunter, as rough and cold-blooded as they come. I imagine he’s killed a lot of critters in his life.
I expected him to be more insensitive about it.
“You’re pretty sweet, you know that?” A grin cracks my frozen face.
“Hm.” He grunts.
“Just a big squishy kitty cat.”
“Don’t ever call me that.”
“But you purr like a lion.”
He makes that sexy, rumbly vibration in his chest, and I feel it all the way to my toes.
It warms me for a while, that sound. But the longer I stare at the snow-white hills, the more I think.
My thoughts carry so much weight. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
“This?”
“Yeah. This. All of it. The abduction, the miscarriage, Monty’s affair, the cold, the hunger, the isolation, the bunny, and…” I press my chapped lips together and remember not to wet them. “Denver. He’s so evil and terrifying, and if I didn’t have you guys…”
“Shhh.” He tucks me beneath a warm, heavy arm and pushes my hat down my forehead. “I didn’t treat you right in the beginning, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I swear it, Frankie. We’ll get through this. I have an amazing life planned for us on the other side.”
“Tell me.”
“I’m going to get my pilot’s license and own an airport.”
“Yeah? Where?”
“Wherever you are. I’ll teach people how to fly and charter private aircraft to exotic places.”
“What about Kody?”
“He’ll open a distillery and sell his renowned vodka worldwide.”
“Of course.” I snuggle into his furs. “And Wolf?”
“I think a trip to Disney World will be his first stop.”
“Definitely.” I sniff. “We’ll go with him.”
“Yeah. Then he’ll go on to do something creative and eccentric. Like become an illustrious tattoo artist. Or open an art gallery. Or play the saxophone in those New Orleans jazz bands you talk about.”
“Or model for a fancy magazine in New York.”
“He’s destined for greatness.”
“I agree.”
“Will you return to the hospital? You don’t have to work because we’ll all be rich. But do you want to continue nursing?”
“Yes. Absolutely. When I got married, Monty begged me to quit. Didn’t like sharing me with the hospital. I refused to give in.”
“Good for you.”
“Yeah. I love healing people. I miss it.”
“You healed Kody. Twice.”
“I suppose I did.” I sigh. “Wish I could heal Wolf, but mental health is outside my wheelhouse.”
“We’ll get him the help he needs. When he gets out of here, he’s going to thrive.”
We don’t mention Denver and what will happen to him in our grand plan. Instead, we share a bag of salty nuts and talk about all the places we’ll visit, the food we’ll eat, and the homes we’ll live in across the country. We dream until our noses turn red and our muscles cramp from the dangerous cold.
He holds my hand as we talk, the worn pads of his gloves pressing against my palm. I peer closer, noticing the tattered seams around his fingers. His beanie and snow pants show the same wear.
Since he and Kody share most of their wardrobe, surely he could’ve found something less frayed.
“Your clothes are falling apart.” I press a suede-covered finger over a huge tear in his. “Your skin is exposed.”
“We need new gear. Denver promised he would take care of it on the final supply run this year.”
The supply run that he didn’t make.
“We can’t stay out here any longer.” He lifts the rifle from its resting place on his knee. “Temperatures are dropping and will continue to fall through the night.”
I don’t know how he knows day from night, but I don’t question him.
At least we won’t return empty-handed.
We have a rabbit and—
What on earth?
Harry is running straight toward us.
He leaps out of the shadows, flies across the snow, and snaps back as the rope goes taut. His paws scrabble on the ice, trying to get to us.
No, he’s trying to outrun whatever is chasing him.
“Leo.” My breath escapes in a cloud of dry ice.
He’s already standing, dragging me with him as a howl rents the air. Another follows. Then more howls and yipes echo through the hills. The terrible, beautiful chorus skitters down my spine.
“Safety’s off.” He presses my rifle against my chest. “If a wolf comes near you, you shoot. No hesitating. You blow through the magazine and grab the next gun.” He points to the two rifles beside me. “Empty those, too. Got it?”
“You’re going out there?”
“I’m coming back.” He messes with something on his gun.
No, no, no. I’m not okay with this.
The trembling starts in my throat and quickly overtakes my entire body. I shake to the point of nauseating pain.
