Chapter 18
Nick
Nick sat in his SUV outside Gina’s house, hands still gripping the steering wheel even though the engine was off. He could still taste her kiss, still feel the way she’d fit perfectly against him on the porch.
For the first time in over a year, he could see a future that looked like something worth building.
He’d told her on the porch about starting the remodeling business, about staying in Irma, about making something permanent. Now, sitting alone with the late afternoon sun warming the dashboard, the reality of what he’d committed to settled over him. Not with dread, but with something that felt like relief.
He had work to do—a business to start, a life to build, and relationships to nurture. It would take time to get the business built up enough to make a living. He’d probably pick up odd jobs and keep staying with Brooke for now. But that was okay. He had a plan. More importantly, he had a reason to execute it.
Brooke had mentioned wanting to do work on the coffee shop. That could be his first project. Family rates, sure, but it would be a portfolio piece, proof he could deliver. She wouldn’t want to start anything until after the race—she’d still train like a maniac even at the shorter distance—but that gave him time to get things lined up.
Joe would probably stick around too. He’d found his story, but more than that, he’d found his place. He wasn’t an outsider anymore. The way he’d stepped up had earned him a spot inthe group through shared danger and mutual support. Besides, someone needed to keep them honest when he wrote about all this.
And Kelsey...that was going to take time. Maybe a long time. But she’d saved their lives in the end. That had to count for something. Legal proceedings, media attention, the slow process of rebuilding trust—it would be complicated. But they’d survived worse than betrayal. They’d survived actual mortal danger together, and that kind of experience created bonds that were hard to break.
They’d figure it out. All of it. Together.
Nick pulled out his phone and texted Brooke:How’s the shop look?
Her response came almost immediately:Coffee shop looks good. Thinking about the changes we talked about. Maybe you could give me a quote? Do the work after tourist season ends?
He smiled as he typed back:Absolutely. Sounds like the perfect winter project.
He started the engine, Gina’s smile still vivid in his mind. Tomorrow night. A real date. A chance to prove this was more than adrenaline. More than survival. Maybe this time, it could be love that lasted.
There was a time he’d thought he had his life figured out. But when it all fell apart, he’d assumed he was broken somehow, that he’d lost his ability to build anything lasting.
Maybe he hadn’t been broken after all. He’d just needed to find the right person to build a life with.
Epilogue
The late afternoon sun blazed over the Moose Range Run finish line as Gina scanned the trail for any sign of Brooke. They’d been waiting for hours, and runners were starting to arrive more frequently.
The leaders had finished long ago, and the mid-pack was finally hitting its stride. Now that Brooke had entered town and once again had phone reception, Gina was able to track her on the app and expected her to appear at any moment.
“There!” Joe pointed down the trail with his camera already raised. “Red shirt, blond ponytail?”
Gina squinted against the afternoon sun. “That’s her!”
Even from a distance, Brooke’s determined stride was unmistakable. She looked tired but strong, her form still efficient after fifty-two grueling miles through the rugged Wyoming mountains.
“About time,” Nick said, slipping his arm around Gina’s waist. “I was starting to worry she’d gotten lost.”
“Brooke doesn’t get lost,” Gina replied, leaning into his warmth. “She just takes her time when she wants to.” She yelled Brooke’s name and told her she looked great.
Brooke smiled and raised a hand as Gina thought about all the ways things could’ve ended differently—how close they’d come to never seeing this day. Gratitude and disbelief tangled in her chest, and she felt Nick’s hand brush hers as if he’d read her thoughts.
The past five weeks had flown by in a blur of police interviews, media attention, and the slow process of returning to normal life. Or what passed for normal after surviving what they’d been through at Bearwater.
Kelsey was gone. One day she’d been there, participating in the investigation and preparing for the legal proceedings ahead. The next, her apartment was empty and her phone was disconnected. She’d left a brief note for Gina and Brooke, apologizing again and saying she had to go away for a while to “make things right.”
Joe had written a follow-up article after her disappearance, quoting someone from the Department of Criminal Investigation who said Kelsey was “cooperating fully with ongoing investigations.” When Gina had pressed him for details, Joe had shrugged and said he suspected witness protection, but they may never know for sure.
It hurt, losing a friend that way. But Gina had come to terms with the fact that Kelsey’s choices had consequences that went far beyond their small running group.
“She’s really moving,” Joe said, snapping photos as Brooke rounded the final curve. “Look at that kick she’s got left.”
