“Finally,” Joe breathed as the old hotel materialized out of the whiteout conditions.
“Never been so happy to see a bunch of old buildings,” Kelsey added, though her tone remained oddly flat.
“Let’s go inside,” Gina suggested. “Assess the situation.”
Brooke shook her head. “No. Let’s go. If we get off this hill and back home, I can still get a decent run in.”
Gina shook her head. “I don’t think so. With this weather, the river is going to be running too fast. We’re going to have to wait it out.”
“Nick’s SUV can make it.” Brooke picked up her pace.
“Joe’s can’t,” Gina retorted.
Nick took a breath. Could his SUV make it? Maybe. Maybe not. He was leaning toward not. And Gina was right. Joe’s pickup didn’t have the clearance, and his tires weren’t designed for off-roading. Though four-wheel drive, Joe had what Nick thought of as a city truck, designed more for good fuel mileage than adventure.
“We stick together,” Nick said.
Gina gave him a nod and a slight smile while Brooke muttered something he was glad he couldn’t decipher.
That smile did something to him. It was approval, yes, but also something more. Recognition, maybe? Like she saw him as an equal. Like he was capable, reliable, and worth trusting?
It made him want to be that person. Not just for today, but beyond it.
The thought should have terrified him. Instead, it felt like possibility.
Nick took one last look at the trail behind them before they reached shelter. Visibility had dropped to near zero, the world reduced to a few yards of swirling snow and vague shapes.
The bear was out there somewhere, along with whatever other predators called these mountains home. But more immediately concerning was the weather itself, which showed no signs of letting up.
As they stumbled into the shelter of the old hotel, Nick caught Gina’s eye. Whatever plans they’d had for the day had just been completely rewritten. Her poise under pressure pulled him in, even as he convinced himself she was far beyond his reach.
But maybe being out of reach didn’t mean impossible.
He’d faced down a five-hundred-pound grizzly today. Compared to that, asking a woman if she wanted to grab coffee sometime seemed almost easy.
Almost.
Chapter 3
Gina
Gina entered the heavy wooden door of the old Bearwater Hotel, grateful to escape the driving snow. The interior was dim and musty, but it was shelter. Behind her, the others filed in, stomping snow off their boots and shaking ice from their light jackets.
“Well, this is cozy,” Joe said, his voice echoing. He was still breathing hard from the trek down, his face flushed with cold and exertion.
She’d hold off for a few minutes before running another med check, counting on getting out of the weather to improve his condition. When she’d checked him earlier, he didn’t seem to be in any real danger, but she knew he wasn’t accustomed to the altitude or the weather.
The hallway of the hotel stretched before them as the wind picked up outside. “We made it just in time,” Nick noted as the building shuddered around them.
“This is as far as I’m going,” Brooke said with a shiver.
Gina rolled her eyes, not that her friend could see the gesture in the darkened area. “It’s fine, Brooke.”
“Look, I know I’m being difficult about this,” Brooke added, softer. “I just...these buildings mess with my head.”
Gina understood; her friend had good reason to be spooked about Bearwater’s old structures, even if the ghost stories seemed far-fetched.
“I’ve been wanting to check this out,” Joe said as he flicked on his headlamp. “Figured maybe I could write an article about it.”
