“How about yes, I know how to use this gun, bro?”
She nodded. “I’ve gone to the firing range a few times with Brette.”
“Really?”
“She’s into self-defense. She has her reasons.” She scooted toward the door, holding her flashlight. She hoped he didn’t chase down an explanation.
Instead he ran down a different path. “So, you and Gage spent the last two days together?”
The way Ollie said it . . . but no, he couldn’t know the stirring in her heart at just the mention of Gage’s name. She kept her voice even. “Like I said, he knows this mountain.”
“Hmm . . . does he know you have a wicked crush on him?”
She glanced at Oliver. “What?”
“Hello. Posters? And because you went out to Outlaw three years ago to watch him freeride? Or even the fact that you still have his number in your phone?”
She said nothing.
“Sis—”
“Okay, yeah. He knows I like him. And I think he likes me back. I mean, I’m pretty sure—”
“Describe pretty sure.”
She sighed. “He kissed me.”
“Whoa.” Ollie sat up.
Yeah, whoa, because suddenly the past twenty-four hours felt a little like she had while standing at the apex of Angel’s Wings—a fast and dangerous slide into the unknown.
What exactly was she expecting? For Gage to follow her back to Vermont?
For her to stay in Montana?
“So, is this true love?” Ollie said.
“I don’t know. Let’s just pray he gets back in one piece. Then we can think about—”
This time, the feral moan was joined by a chorus of high-pitched, skin-prickling whines.
She unzipped the tent, shone the light into the darkness.
There, a form, a flicker of light.
What did they say about wolves’ eyes in the darkness? She stood up, held the Maglite in her mouth, pointed the gun.
Movement in the woods, just on the outskirts of her light. She wanted to scream, but the light gagged her. She took the light out of her mouth.
“Go away! Shoo!”
And then, just to add emphasis to her words, she lifted the gun over her head and pulled the trigger.
The sound cracked the night, resounded through the forest, echoed against the dark vault above.
In its wake, a terrifying yell came from the woods, and the light flickered through the trees. “Yah! Git!”
Gage?
She grabbed the flashlight, shone it into the woods.
The stream of light fell on a figure running on what looked like skis through the woods, his head lamp illuminating his path.
“Gage!”
“Get in the tent!” He cleared the edge of the clearing, just ten feet away, and that’s when she saw the dark form of a wolf dart behind him, into his path, snarling.
She screamed, lifted the gun, and only then realized someone had grabbed it from her.
“Get down!”
Not her voice, but Ollie’s, next to her. Gage dove for the entrance of the tent just as Ollie squeezed off a round.
The night exploded with a flash of light, and a dog howled in pain, whining.
“I think I hit it!” Ollie said. He was holding his side, crouched in the snow.
Gage struggled to get his boards off. “Get in the tent right now!”
But Ollie didn’t move. “Hurry up, man!” Ollie shouted.
Ella wanted to launch herself into Gage’s arms, but really, that was simply adrenaline.
And joy. Because he’d come back for her.
Gage got his boards off and scrambled to his feet. “Get inside!”
Ollie scooted back inside, and Ella felt Gage’s hands on her, guiding her in. She let him push her, turned, and saw him plop down beside her, pull his feet in, and zipper the door shut.
Then he just sat there, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling in great thunderous gulps.
She had no words as he unclipped his helmet, dragged it off. Then he turned and looked at Ollie, at Ella, then back to Ollie.
“I thought you were supposed to be dying or something.”
Oliver nodded. “I get that sometimes.” He looked pointedly at Ella.
But Ella’s gaze was on Gage, so much relief coursing through her she could hardly breathe. Ice encrusted his dark beard, the ends of his hair, tendrils around his face, framing his cold-reddened cheeks. He looked like some winter explorer back from the far reaches of the earth.
“You came back,” she whispered.
“I told you I would.” And for a long moment, his eyes held hers, so much warmth in them she felt it through to the core of her body.
In fact, she just might burst into flames.
Then he smiled. “Got any of that chili mac left?”
Brette eased herself back onto the bed and pulled the cotton blanket up as the nurse finished checking her vitals.