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I took a piss, drank a bunch of water, and made myself a quick breakfast. While I ate, I checked emails, looked at the upcoming forecast, and scrolled through some surfboarding and snowboarding Instagram accounts I followed. Once I finished, I got my gear on and made my way inside the lodge. After all the water I’d downed—something I did every morning—I needed to use the restroom again.
Everything had been going according to plan, but when I walked out of the bathroom, prepared to head back outside to grab my board from the storage garage in the back of the camper, my plan went awry.
My eyes had been pulled to a sight at the far end of the lodge, and not only had it stopped me in my tracks, but I also couldn’t seem to look away.
Indy, the woman I’d met yesterday as the two of us stood together watching the avalanche, was sitting in the corner and looking out one of the windows. With her legs bent and her arms wrapped around the front of her shins, she seemed to be completely lost in thought. Sadly, it was clear from the look on her face that her thoughts weren’t necessarily good ones.
For some reason, even though I wanted nothing more than to be able to get in as much riding in fresh powder today as I could, I didn’t turn to walk out of the lodge to make that happen. Instead, I changed direction and walked toward Indy.
I didn’t know why I was doing it, considering I didn’t know the first thing about her. But something pulled me in that direction, something I couldn’t ignore.
She never saw me making my approach, her mind clearly distracted as she kept her focus on the snow falling outside.
“Indy,” I called out when I was just a few feet away.
Her body jumped, and she snapped her head in my direction. She offered me a curious look, and that’s when I realized she didn’t recognize me.
Ignoring how much that stung, I said, “It’s Griffin. We met outside yesterday during the avalanche.”
Indy shook her head, dropping her feet to the ground, turning her body in my direction, and sitting up a bit straighter. “Right. I’m sorry. I… I… it was a long night.”
I offered a friendly smile in return and insisted, “It’s okay. You’re here early.”
She sent a confused look my way. “Well, it’s not like I could leave, considering the access road is closed. I’ve been here since yesterday.”
Shaking my head, a small smile playing at my lips, I said, “You misunderstood me. I just meant you were here in the lodge early.”
“Oh, well, I mean, like I said, I’ve been here since yesterday. They left the lodge open for anyone who wanted to stay here, since so many of us are stranded.”
My brows shot up in surprise. I had assumed she’d gotten one of the resort rooms to sleep. “I guess that makes sense. Are all of the resort rooms booked?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“Didn’t you check?” I asked, feeling even more confused.
Indy shook her head. “No.”
When she offered no additional explanation, I decided it was best not to press her on it. If she had wanted to share more, she would have.
“I can’t imagine it would be comfortable sleeping in here. Were you able to get any rest at all?” I questioned her.
She forced a smile. “I wouldn’t say I was sleeping in the lap of luxury, but it was warm, so I really can’t complain. Why are you here?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
Indy waved her hand in the direction of the window and clarified, “Well, you’re asking why I’m here so early. I thought you had a camper here. Why didn’t you sleep there?”
“I did.”
Her brows pulled together.
Understanding her confusion, I explained, “I came in to use the bathroom. If I can avoid using the bathroom in the camper, I will. With the lodge being within reasonable walking distance, I decided to make the trek through the snow.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” she replied, her eyes returning to the window. A moment later, she said, “They weren’t joking about this storm, were they?”
“No. There’s quite a bit of snow on the ground already,” I noted. “It’s great.”
She sighed. “I have to disagree with you on that. I have no idea how I’m going to get anything out of my car, let alone be able to drive it out of here.”
