Undercover Refuge
Page 25
So do I, he thought wryly.
The rocking motion gradually slowed and Max let out a sigh of relief. It was hard to think when the world was constantly moving. Once the carriage was still, he slowly got to his feet.
Visibility outside the gondola was bad. The air was filled with a fine powder from all the snow—it was like they were in the middle of a cloud. Gradually, though, some structures could be seen through the haze.
“The Lodge is still there,” Molly said, her relief plain.
Max squeezed her hand as he looked down the mountain. “And I can see The Chateau,” he added, referring to the French-inspired luxury hotel at the bottom of the mountain. “The path of the avalanche seems to have angled just enough that the place was spared.” Which hopefully meant the gondola cable supports were safe, as well.
But just as he began to relax, a sharp crack filled the air. The carriage dropped again, only to jerk to a sudden stop once more. Molly’s cry sounded like a sob, and Max reached for her as the gondola began another stomach-lurching parabola.
“It’s okay. We’re okay,” he muttered, repeating the words in the hopes of convincing himself as much as Molly.
“Max, there’s something I need to tell you.”
The cables groaned under the weight of the carriage as it swung back and forth. Fear gripped Max’s heart in a cold fist, and he fought the urge to panic. He took a deep breath, drawing on his Special Forces training to remain calm.
Even though there was nothing he could do.
Or was there? He glanced up, wondering if there was some way they could climb out the top of the carriage. Maybe they could hold on to the cables until rescuers arrived? No, not likely, he thought, dismissing the possibility as he turned his gaze down. Just how far of a drop was it? It looked like soft snow underneath—could they try to jump for it? What were the odds of a safe landing?
“Max.” Molly’s voice was insistent. He looked back at her, surprised to find her blue eyes full of determination.
“What is it?” His thoughts continued to whirl. How long until the rescuers would arrive? How much damage had been done by the avalanche, and would the rescuers even be able to reach them soon?
“I’m pregnant.”
It took several seconds for her words to sink in. But when he finally registered what she was saying, his heart skipped a beat.
“What?”
She smiled nervously. “I’m pregnant,” she repeated. “And it’s yours.”
Copyright © 2019 by Harlequin Books S.A.
ISBN-13: 9781488041341
Undercover Refuge
Copyright © 2019 by Melinda A. Di Lorenzo
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com