“Hmm, I’ll take that as a guarantee,” Ginger replied, climbing into the cab.
Chance steered the truck around and returned to the road which soon started to snake up a steep grade. It didn’t take long for her to realize he’d been right about the views. The river valley stretched out behind them, and snowcapped mountain vistas were visible on either side. It was absolutely stunning.
They chatted for nearly three hours, the usual small talk. Ginger purposefully avoided discussing her sad childhood history of playing musical foster families, only leaving it with Sofia’s family was the only one she ever really knew.
She liked the fact that Chance seemed to know everyone at Black Paw, not because he was a nosey guy, but because he had a genuine interest in their well-being.
“I really like the sense of community here. But since Lars and Sofia seemed to have set us up, more or less, I guess I just need to come out and mention the elephant in the room. Small town stuff. You know, how do you deal with relationships? Everyone here seems to be finding their mate. And let’s face it, that’s supposedly a rare occurrence, like getting struck by lightning. Are you ever worried about being in a relationship with someone from the pack, then suddenly finding your mate in someone else? Everyone knows each other here! It just seems like a recipe for disaster. Or at least a reality show gone wrong.”
Chance sucked in a deep breath. He knew exactly what she meant. “Yeah, it’s a reality for any wolf. Even more-so within a tight-knit pack like ours. It could happen at any time, and it’s a chance we all take just by being who we are. Maybe that’s why everyone seems to be understanding, discretion is the key.”
“So, no drama? I don’t buy it for a minute.”
“Oh, we have our fair share. Personally, I avoid it,” he said.
Ginger laughed at his confidence. “Okay, Mr. I’m-above-the-drama. But I don’t know if hooking up and sneaking around helps one avoid drama.”
“And what is your secret?”
“Me? To not be so impulsive as to look for hook-ups,” she said, smiling at how they danced around the topic of what could potentially happen if anything were to spark between them.
Still, the more she thought about his answer, she realized something he said rubbed her the wrong way. She was no prude, but the topic was about actual relationships, and his first response was about how to handle a hook-up or a friend-with-benefits. She wondered, was that the type of arrangement he hoped to find with her?
“Oh, and full disclosure? I’m here to spend time with Sofia and get to know what it’s like at Black Paw. I’m not looking for anything more than that. I’m sure I can find those other sorts of things back in Crescent Bay. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page,” she said, possibly with a sharper tone than she wanted to use, but she wanted that out there. She didn’t come to Black Paw looking for a one night stand or anything like that. Ginger had never really been that kind of girl, and she didn’t plan on being that way any time soon.
But Chance’s mind had already changed focus to the sudden arrival of snow and the quickly deteriorating roads.
8
By the time afternoon had rolled around, the mountains which previously provided them with a beautiful landscape had disappeared behind snow squalls sweeping down from the North.
“Damn, I had hoped this weather would hold out a little longer, but it’s not looking good for us.”
“How much further is the cabin?” Ginger asked.
“It’s not too far. We would’ve already been there if it weren’t for this snow,” he replied.
Ginger checked her phone, hoping to get an update on the weather conditions. “I don’t have a signal.”
“Yeah, you can forget cell phones up here. People in the cabins up here still rely on radios. And even those can be iffy when bad weather hits.”
“If we weren’t hauling all this stuff our wolves wouldn’t have a problem with this at all, and they’d probably love it,” she said.
The truck skidded as the road descended into a hollow. She spotted a cabin nestled among a patch of thick evergreens. Flickering light from the window seemed to be inviting them to warm up by the fireplace.
“Finally. Better late than never,” Chance said.
It was like Ginger could see the stress and tension melting away from Chance the second the cabin came into view.
An elderly woman stepped out onto the porch, shielding her face from the stinging ice and snow. “You made it. When Grace radioed and told me they’d sent you up here, I got a little worried. This weather is going from bad to worse in a hurry. Now get in here and introduce me to your mate!”
“Your mate?” Ginger whispered.
“Don’t look at me. I didn’t give her any ideas,” Chance laughed off the suggestion of Ginger being his mate.
Once inside, they were also greeted by an elderly man. He used a pair of crutches and his leg had been bound up in a homemade splint. “Long time, no see, Chance. Who’s this poor unlucky lady?”
“Ginger, meet Hal and his wife, Siggy.”
