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“Clint, this isRosalie,” she said, tipping her head inRosalie’sdirection. “She’swithCarrieClark’steam.”
Theman’s bushy eyebrows rose, almost disappearing into his knit ski hat. “Oh,CarrieClark!Well, why didn’t you say so?”
“Justdid,Clint,” saidIndy, glancing over atRosalieand rolling her eyes slightly.
“Right, right.Okay, head on in and use the main parking lot.Stickto the main paths, don’t go down near the creek.It’sfrozen over, but you know how slippery those rocks get.”
Indysaluted him. “Willdo.Thanks, pal.”Shepowered her window back up.Theydrove down a narrow road, gravel and snow crunching beneath theJeep’stires, passing by wide, open areas that were currently covered in snow, but probably ideal picnic spots in warmer weather.Indypulled theJeepinto a parking spot, cutting the ignition.
“Well, here we are,” she said, pushing open her door.Rosaliedid the same, stepping out into the cold.Immediately, the sound of rushing water filled her ears.Toweringpines soared up to the sky, clumps of white frosting the dark green branches.
“Itdoesn’t freeze?”Rosalieasked, followingIndydown a gently sloping hill and to a wide, paved path that was thankfully cleared of snow and covered in a mixture of salt and sand.
Sheshook her head. “Thecreek does, but the falls themselves don’t.They’re215 feet tall, makingGossamerFallstaller thanNiagaraFalls.Theforce of the water prevents it from freezing.”
Theywalked side by side, salt crunching beneath their boots, mingling with the sound of the falls, which grew louder as they approached.Aset of stairs opened on their left, andRosaliefollowedIndydown, clinging to the railing.Thelight felt…different here.Brighter, yet softer.Morediffused somehow.
Asthough she could read her mind,Indysaid, “Theair is damp here, especially in the winter.Themist from the falls crystalizes, giving the air that gleam you’re noticing.Someof the locals call it fairy frost.”
“That’scute,” saidRosalie, making a mental note to tellCarrieabout the fairy frost.Itwas exactly the kind of ephemeral alliteration the songwriter lived for.Sheopened her mouth to ask another question, but it flew out of her head as the falls came into sight.Thewater looked like a stream of silver pouring out from the jagged, snowy rocks, thundering down into the creek below.Thebasin wasn’t frozen where the waterfall landed, but the rest of the creek was, glinting in the light like a silvery ribbon.Baretrees swayed gently in the wind, frozen branches clicking together and adding another dimension to the sound surrounding them.
“Wow,” she said, a puff of white escaping her lips. “Thisis incredible.”
“Gladyou think so,” saidIndy. “We’venever had anyone film anything here, so if she decides to use this location,CarrieClarkwould be the first.”
Rosaliemade a mental note to tellCarriethat, too.Slippingoff her gloves, she pulled her phone out of her coat pocket and started snapping pictures and taking short snippets of video.
“Inbetter weather, we’re able to get much closer to the falls.Onthe night of the full moon, there are always people here, ready to get kissed by the mist and make their wishes for true love.”Sheturned toRosalie, an earnest expression on her face. “Iwant you to know that we’d be beyond thrilled to haveCarriefilm her music video here.Ifshe decides to come, we’ll make sure she has anything and everything she needs.Wecan have a local construction company build ramps to make it easier to get equipment in and out, have trailers in the parking lot, and work with local law enforcement to ensure she has the security she needs.”
Atthe mention of law enforcement,Rosalie’smind drifted back to the smoking hot officer she’d nearly run into earlier, replaying that flashing dimple, the flirty wink.Despitethe snow gusting around her, heat simmered low in her belly.
Rosaliepushed the thoughts away and nodded. “Noted.”Shelooked around again, sighing softly as she took in the sparkling mist, the gently swirling snow, the soothing sound of the falls, the crisp scent of the air.Breathingit all in, she couldn’t deny that this place was special.Shecould see why people thought there was magic in the air. “Ultimately, it’s not up to me, but if it were,I’dchoose to film here.Andhonestly,I’llbe shocked ifCarriedoesn’t feel the same way after seeing these pics and videosI’msending her.Knowingthat the town is excited to have us and willing to work with us is a big plus, too.”
Indytapped the tips of her fingers together in an excited little clap. “Excellent.Whateverwe can do to make it happen, just let me know.”
Theyspent a few more minutes looking at the falls, andRosaliemade sure she had plenty of images and video to send back toCarrie.Cloudseven darker than before appeared on the horizon, low and heavy.Thewind picked up, gusting snowflakes into her face, and she wrapped her coat tighter around herself.Achill that hadn’t been there before now permeated the air.Crunchingboots sounded behind them, and they turned to seeClint, the man from the guardhouse.
“Youall better head back,” he said, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. “There’sa weather advisory in effect, and we’re going to shut down for the day.”
Indynodded. “Noproblem.Ithink we’re just about finished up, right?” she asked, glancing over atRosalie, who nodded.Satisfied, he turned and headed back toward the main path, andRosalieandIndyfollowed, wind swirling around them.Bythe time they got back toIndy’sJeep,Rosalie’scheeks and nose were frozen.
“Listen,” saidIndyas she turned the car on and cranked the heat, whichRosaliewas grateful for, “if you want,Ican drive you straight to theShephardInn, unless you have something in your car you need to get?Idon’t think you should be on the roads in this weather.”
Rosaliehefted her large bag. “Thankfully, pretty much my entire life is in here.Andyeah,I’dappreciate that.Ithink you’re right;I’dbetter not drive back tonight.”Rosaliehated driving in the best of conditions—it was one of the many reasons she didn’t own a car.Theidea of white-knuckling her way back to the city through a snow storm was a hard pass.
Indynodded and carefully steered them back out to the road, snow crunching beneath tires, wind whipping snow against the windshield.Sheturned on the radio just in time to catch the weather forecast.
“…adjust your plans, or your driving if you need to be on the roads tonight.Roadconditions are deteriorating rapidly, with accumulating snow, and reduced visibility thanks to blowing snow.Ifyou’re on the roads, be sure to slow down, leave plenty of room between vehicles, watch for tail lights, and be prepared to stop.We’reexpecting a solid eight inches before morning.”
Indysighed, shaking her head. “IwishIwas expecting a solid eight inches before morning.”
Rosaliecracked up. “Right?Thatwould be amazing.”BecausewhileRosaliedidn’t believe in true love, and as a result didn’t really put much stock in serious relationships, she did like sex.Alot.Andit had been a while since she’d gotten off with another person present.Ithad been even longer since she’d hadgoodsex.Thekind that reminded you that you were alive.Thekind that felt like a gift.Thekind that left her sore and smiling.
“Amazing, miraculous, and pretty much next to impossible.”
“Itmust be hard to date in a small town like this,” she said. “AlthoughIdon’t know thatManhattan’sthat much better.Everyonehas this constantFOMOvibe, always on the apps, always stringing someone along while they wait to see if something better pops up.”Whichwas one of the many reasonsRosaliewasn’t interested in dating.She’dseen the shark-infested waters that made up the dating pool.Noway was she jumping in only to get bitten.Shewas smarter than that.
Indynodded. “Ican see how too many options can be just as paralyzing as too few.Andyou’re right, it is hard in a small town like this.Therearen’t a ton of single people, and having grown up here,Ican tell you that most of them are single for a reason.Oroff limits, like family friends, or whatever.”Shepaused, her fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel. “Plus, there aren’t exactly a lot of thirty-two-year-old widows in town, soI’ma bit of an anomaly.”
