“Now, Kevin I don’t want you to worry. Maybe it would be best if Jake took this call.”
“Tell me what the caller said.” he persisted.
“Well, that was Russell Fox over from Blackhawk. He spotted a car down the embankment where Highway 119 turns up to Moon Gulch Trail. He walked down as far as he could to see if anyone was hurt. The driver’s side door was open and he saw an indention in the snow where it looks like someone got out, but with the constant snowfall and wind it was hard to tell which way they headed.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked.
“The license plate. It was MISSLORI.”
Kevin felt the blood drain from his body as an icy chill ran through his bones. “Lori’s SUV?”
“I’m afraid so.” She stood up and gave him a sympathetic nod.
Reaching for his coat, Kevin grabbed the keys to his Hummer and made his way for the door.
“Hey,” Jake stepped in front of him. “Maybe it’s best if I take this one.”
“Step out of my way, Jake.”
“Look, man. I know she’s your ex. But, what’s the first thing they teach us in training?”
“Step out of my way!” Kevin insisted.
“He’s right,” Delores agreed. “You’re too close to this search. If you go out there and don’t have your head right, you could end up getting yourself into a jam as well. It makes more sense for Jake to go.”
"If Lori is out there I'm going to find her. Now, this is my team, and I'm going. Unless either of you plans on stopping me."
They both looked at him in defeat. Arguing with Kevin never did anyone much good. He was a stubborn son of a bitch at times and it was a trait he was damn proud of at times. It made him resilient in the field which was why he was the youngest to ever be in charge of their team.
Jake stepped out of his way. “Alright, man. Just promise me you’ll check in once you get to the car.”
“Yeah. I always do.”
“Be careful, Kevin.”
He heard Delores just before he closed the door to the command center. His heart pounded in rhythm with the icy blasts of snow hitting against his face. Fear and anger consumed him at the thought of Lori being out in this weather. She knew better.
It took far too long for him to brush away the snow that accumulated in the short time he’d been inside. By the time he’d finally managed to slide behind the wheel he couldn’t feel any of the cold.
He was numb with worry. No matter their months apart, he still couldn't imagine the world without her in it.
Damn it, Lori! He muttered. You better be okay, or so help me I’ll tan your hide!
Chapter Three
December 3rd, Six o’clock in the evening, Moon Gulch Trail in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains…
The valley had turned dark and the storm raged on relentlessly. Her sister had been right. She should never have gone out in this weather. She'd been so focused on getting Kevin back that she hadn't stopped to think how bitterly ironic it was that she had once again managed to behave in the exact same way which had caused their breakup in the first place.
While recalling the countless times she’d screwed up and refused to listen to anyone else’s better judgment, she stumbled in the snow and fell forward. Landing hard against a cluster of rocks beneath the surface she winced at the stabbing pain that worked through her head. She blinked away a trail of crimson fell past her eye.
Her fingers burned as she pulled off her glove to rub at the blood dripping down her forehead. The sleet felt like it was tearing through her skin, leaving her body raw and in agony. She had no idea how far she’d traveled since stumbling out of her truck, but the ache in her muscles told her that she’d never worked harder in her life.
All of the packing she’d done had been for nothing. Her suitcase was still sitting in the backseat of her Pathfinder and the extra layers she’d warn felt more akin to a bikini than thick winter clothing.
Putting her glove back on, she gave herself a minute to gather her strength. The cold was weakening her with every step that she took. Still, she knew she needed to press on and get to the cabin which stood hidden in the trees just up the mountain from Moon Gulch Trail.
Damn it, Lori. Why, oh why do you get yourself into these things?
Chapter Four
December 3rd, Six o’clock in the evening, Highway 119, Gilpin County, CO…
Kevin’s truck fishtailed on the icy road. Even with the added weight of sandbags and equipment in the back of his Hummer, he was barely managing to stay on course with the force of the gale winds whipping against the metal.
He rounded the bend where the highway met up with Gamble Gulch Road and was forced to slam on the brakes. The anti-lock brakes kicked into gear saving him from and the county’s newly donated SUV from slamming into the guard rail.
“Fuck this!”
Kevin refused to let this storm beat him. He knew these mountains like the back of his hand. Their terrain may be treacherous, but no more so than the winds which were sure to make his travel take twice as long up the windy mountain road.
He knew if he ever stood a chance of finding Lori it wasn’t going to be behind the wheel of a fifty-thousand dollar vehicle.
Pulling over to the side of the highway, he pulled some flares from his glove box and grabbed his backpack of supplies.
A blast of sleet pounded against him as he lit the flares and laid them around the perimeter. With the visibility getting worse by the second he prayed they were an unnecessary precaution, and that no one was foolish enough to be out during the storm.
At least no one as foolish as Lori, he thought.
Damn, if she didn’t find new and inventive ways to piss him off despite their being apart. She might have grown four years in age from the time he’d first laid eyes on that pretty little nineteen year old at her family’s Casino in Blackhawk, but she sure as hell didn’t show it with her actions.
Her irresponsible and hasty behavior was exactly why he’d broken up with her in the first place. Being one of the richest girls in the county, and having a daddy that had spoiled her rotten up until his untimely death a couple of years ago had left little room for maturity and growing up.
Lori Hammond was a reckless, negligent, spoiled little brat. She’d driven him nearly insane from her continuous selfish acts. Sure she had been sweet, sexy and downright seductive, but damn if she didn’t test every amount of patience he’d ever had.
Kevin didn’t come from money. His family had scrimped and saved throughout the years to keep their land amidst the ever growing gambling towns of Blackhawk and Central City. Gilpin County might mean casinos, weekend getaways and party central to some. To Kevin though it was his home, and it meant more than the all mighty dollar, which was a lesson a trait that hadn’t been bestowed onto Lori.
As he trekked through the snow he thought back to their numerous arguments over what she always thought to be so trivial. He’d tried to be patient with her, knowing that it wasn’t entirely her fault. Being born with a Rocky Mountain golden spoon in her mouth didn’t exactly lend itself to hard earned life lessons or having to work for what she’d been given.
He sometimes wondered how Lori and her sister could look so much alike but be so completely different. And despite their almost mirror like beauty, it wasn’t the older, more responsible sister that he’d fallen for. It had been the younger, pain in the ass, drive him so damn crazy he didn’t know whether to spank her or devour her.
It was Lori.
It had always been Lori.
And fuck, if he didn’t still love her.
Chapter Five
December 3rd, Six-thirty in the evening, Moon Gulch Trail in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains…
Lori tried to blink as she saw the cabin in the distance. Her eyeballs hurt. She didn’t really think that was possible, but they hurt desperately. They were so cold and felt more like balls of ice than the squishy spheres of fluid she’d learned about in her junior year at Colorado
University. The anatomy classes had been the only ones that really interested her. She’d considered becoming a nurse at one point, but her dad had been against that.
Dad.
She missed him. When she and her sister were little he used to go out in the snow with them and build the best snowmen.
Stacey.
Lori knew she should have listened to her. Always the wiser and more responsible older sister, it was no wonder their mom had turned to Stacey for support when their father died two years earlier.
Mom.
She was the best mom a girl could’ve ever asked for, sweet, loving and oh so very pretty. Both herself, and Stacey had been blessed with their mother’s good looks. It was those traits that attracted Kevin to her in the first place.
Kevin.
Lori longed to see him again so badly, but she was so tired and the fluffy cloud she was standing on kept calling to her, begging her to lie down and take a nap.
Maybe if she just slept for a short while she could go see Kevin after. She thought about it for only a second before convincing herself that was exactly what she needed.
She fell onto the cloud. It was so soft and inviting. She almost hadn't noticed it was raining. Velvety orbs of shimmering cotton candy poured down on her as she stuck out her tongue to catch every last one.
A voice echoed in the distance and she wondered if it was her dad. He may have been a hard man at times, but she knew the softer and compassionate side. Maybe this was his cloud in heaven.
The crescent shape light in the sky had just winked at her when a dark shadow suddenly blocked her view.
Kevin.
She'd missed him so much. Her dad and Kevin had never much seen eye to eye, but here he was on her dad's cloud.
Her teeth no longer rattled against one another, and she was able to smile. He had always been so handsome.
He was talking to her, saying something that she couldn’t understand. She wanted to talk to him too, but she needed her nap first. Then she would tell him how much she missed and loved him.
She closed her eyes and allowed the comforting cuddle of sleep to blanket her soul in warmth.
Chapter Six
December 3rd, Seven o’clock in the evening, Dakota Hill in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains…
Kevin’s muscles burned as he carried Lori through the two feet of snow which was growing with every passing second. His pulse raced with both adrenaline and fear as he closed the distance between the trail and her family cabin.
When he’d first seen her lying in the snow he thought his world had come crashing down around him. Finding her eyes open and seeing her smile had allowed the breath to return to his lungs. She may have lost consciousness just seconds later, but her pulse was still strong and he didn’t have that much farther to travel.
With only a few yards left to go, Kevin could finally see the front door through the gusts of snow that had been whipping down around them. Each step that he took forced his body to fight against the fatigue which was slowing him down.
Jake and Delores had been right. Being too close to this rescue mission had gotten him out of his head and as a result, he'd wasted precious energy that he needed by running up the trail in efforts to find her.
He thanked God that Lori was if nothing else, highly predictable. He knew there could only be one reason that her vehicle was found down the embankment just at the turn to go up Moon Gulch Trail. She must have been on her way to her family’s cabin, a cabin that in many ways belonged to them.
It had been the first place they’d kissed, the first place they’d shared ‘I love yous’. It had been the first place that they’d made love.
As he stepped up the stone stairs to the porch he was forced to set her down in order to search her pockets for the keys. Finding them in her zipped inner pocket gave him a sigh of relief. At least she’d listened to him some of the time.
Not a minute later Kevin had the door open and was hoisting her back into his arms. The spacious, yet rustic little cabin was probably a crisp fifty degrees at most, but it might as well have been an oven for the relief his body felt from stepping out of the ten-degree winter storm.
He laid her down on the couch and ran down the hall to the bedrooms. Grabbing the thick down comforter off the bed he hurried back to her.
After lying the plush blanket down in front of the fireplace he turned the switch on the wall to reveal a faux crackling in the gas fireplace. Kevin might not have agreed with her father on many things, but in that moment he was thankful to the old man for outfitting this cabin with all the luxuries of a city loft.
He made quick work of his jacket, boots and all of his clothing before turning his attention back to Lori. Her skin was losing color, reminding him of the corpses he and the team had found the year before when an avalanche had taken a group of adventurers just over Bobtail Hill.
The memory mixed with the almost lifeless body of the woman he loved left a nauseating pit in his stomach. He pushed away from the fear that was creeping through his very soul as he began stripping her free from the wet clothing.
She felt like ice as his hands met with her pale skin. Twice he’d stopped for a brief second to assure himself that her chest still gently rose and fell with every breath that she took.
After he’d stripped the final sock from her freezing feet he picked her up and hugged her body to his. He could have stood there, cradling her body against his for hours, but he needed to stay focused.
Gently he laid her down on the comforter and brought himself down on top of her. He grabbed the sides of the cover and fashioned a downy cocoon around their bodies.
With his arms propped up on his elbows, he cupped her frozen cheeks and dropped his forehead down against hers.
The feel of her bloodied and bruised forehead caused him to pull back up just a little. He cringed at the sight of the one inch cut. He’d seen enough injuries over the years to know that it was going to leave her with a scar. A small smile worked up the sides of his mouth as he recalled memories of her fussing over her appearance. She’d never seemed to see what he did in her. Her beauty didn’t come from her make-up and long hair. It came from her. She was carefree, irresponsible and yet utterly adorable.
“Come on, baby. Wake up. Wake up for me now.”
He pressed their bodies closer together, using his body heat to thaw her while blowing warm breaths onto her skin.
Probably only minutes had passed since they’d reached the cabin and he had gotten them out of the freezing cold, but it might as well have been hours. Her pouty and plump lips which had always set him on fire were still a terrifying hue of lavender.
“Come on, baby. It’s me. It’s Kevin. Just open up those pretty green eyes of yours and let me know you’re okay.”
Still, she didn't respond.
He’d helped dozens of hikers, tourists and even stupid locals who had managed to get themselves stranded in storms like this one over the years. Each of those times he had known exactly what to do, and act in an efficient manner to ensure their safety.
This time was different, though.
This wasn’t any ordinary rescue. This was Lori. His Lori.
She was the only woman he’d ever loved. The only woman who sparked a fire in him that despite their time apart had never been extinguished.
He could feel the warmth returning to his body as he continued his attempts at waking her. Their last words together hadn’t been pleasant. He’d been pissed off and fed up with her spoiled attitude. And now as he laid there, recalling all the things that were said in anger he wished he could turn back time and undo every single word.
“Lori? Can you hear me, babe?”
Without even thinking, he pressed his lips against hers and pressed firmly as they began to tremble. Tears stung at his eyes and he quickly blinked them away.
He’d never known fear like this before. He was good at what he did. He’d always kept a cool and collected head no matter what the rescue, but this time he w
asn’t just trying to save anyone. And his heart ached at the possibility that she may be added to the town’s memorial of those who had fallen from the harsh Rocky Mountain winter storms.
Lori moaned quietly and her eyelids began quivering. The tiny movement was all the reassurance Kevin needed as he continued with his efforts to warm her still icy skin.
“That’s it, baby. That’s it. Open your eyes. Let me see those pretty little eyes.”
“Kev…in?” Her question came out in a mere whisper.
“I’m here, honey.”
“I think I… saw you. Up in the clouds. My dad was there.”
“No, baby. It was just a dream.” He assured her, despite knowing that the chances were that it wasn’t a dream at all and most likely her state of confusion brought on by being very near to hypothermia.
“I’m cold.” Her teeth began to chatter.
His heart ached and rejoiced at the same time. The warmth returning back to her body was kicking it’s natural defenses into gear in an effort to warm herself even more.
“I know, babe. But I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay.”
In that moment Kevin would have done anything to turn back the hands of time and undo the months they’d spent apart.
Once they were no longer freezing and she’d had a chance to rest, they were going to need to have a long and serious talk.
He’d been ignoring her for months, avoiding all contact because he knew how easy it was for him to fall into the trap of her sweetness. But that had been his stubbornness doing the thinking for him. The man who’d found the only woman he ever loved lying in that snow that a completely different take on things entirely.
“Kevin?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I love you.”
Fuck if he didn’t love her too. So God damn much.
Whispers of Winter: A Limited Edition Collection of Winter Romances Page 2
