Snowfall

by Lainey Reese

  “I had to hit you. You could have hurt that poor kitty cat.” All kidding aside, Poncho dropped to his knees beside him and looked him over for injuries with the care of the mother hen Jake always accused him of being.

  “I’m fine,” he brushed him off. “He couldn’t get a grip on me, thank God.”

  Poncho’s gaze met and held his. “She. She couldn’t get a grip on you.”

  With a dawning horror and a colorful curse, Jake struggled to his feet. “Females don’t get that big, amigo. No way was that a female.”

  “Look, you may be the babe magnet here, but I know a male from a female even if I haven’t had the pleasure of one in so long I’ve forgotten what to do with them.”

  “Shut up.” Jake swayed on his feet for a second. “Smart-ass.” He looked around, checking for damage to his suit and gear. Unless he had a hell of an adrenaline rush, he was pretty sure his body was intact—it was his gear he was concerned with right now. As he bent to check his camera he heard Ashley and his stomach dropped.

  “Apollo?” Her voice was frantic and full of worry, “Apollo, baby. Let me see. Dammit, Grover, get back. I need to see.” She wasn’t more than five three and couldn’t weigh more than a kid, but she shouldered the giant Irish wolfhound out of the way like Grover was a lap dog.

  Apollo. Her mastiff. Two hundred pounds of muscle and heart. He knew Apollo. All the dogs were loyal to her and she loved them all. But he hadn’t seen her without this one since they’d met and knew she’d had him since he was a brand-new pup. Damn dog went everywhere with her. He was lying in the snow, his massive side flexing with his breaths. Jake hadn’t seen him go down. Fighter that he was, he’d kept to his feet until his mistress had given the call. Jake and Poncho hurried to his side and watched with dismay as the snow surrounding Apollo turned crimson.

  Ashley fought to keep panic at bay and focus on what needed to be done. She tried to push away the fact that Apollo was her baby. The one who slept closest to her. The one who always knew her mood, would snuggle when she was feeling down or tug her into the yard for a tussle when she was restless. The one whose heart was so big and brave that he was always the first out the door when there was danger.

  The other two were whining and circling her. They knew it was bad. She could hear the frantic yips and scratching from the dogs still trapped inside. They all knew the leader of their pack was down and their cries were tearing through her resolve to stay calm and focused. She needed to do something, but she couldn’t think, couldn’t move.

  Her hands were covered in blood as soon as she tried to stem the flow from the biggest of the wounds. She pushed as hard as she could and prayed like she never had in her life.

  “Baby. Baby,” she sobbed, knowing he was dying and helpless to stop it, “Hang on, baby. Hang on, Apollo. For me. Plea— Please, Apollo. Stay with me, boy.”

  “Son of a—” Jake knelt down next to her and cursed when he saw the damage. “Let me help.”

  Ashley elbowed him. Hard.

  “Get away.”

  He wasn’t deterred and gripped her shoulders. “Poncho’s got a first aid kit. Let us help. Get out of the way and let us help him.”

  Ashley shook her head no, lost to her panic, thinking only that she had to stop the bleeding. Jake’s cold gloves grasped either side of her face. “Look at me,” he demanded with a rough shake when she still wouldn’t take her eyes off Apollo. “Go to his head. He needs to see you. If we can’t save him, you’ll want yours to be the last face he sees, won’t you?” Tears filled and fell from her eyes at that and she saw him flinch, then he pushed her toward Apollo’s head and started barking orders at Poncho. Ashley didn’t know what they said to each other, all her focus was on Apollo and his precious, trusting face. She knew he had to be in tremendous pain, but he only gazed at her with loving eyes and licked her when she leaned in close to bury her nose in his scruff.

  Jake blocked out the sounds of her tears. He would break if he didn’t. The cougar got a good swipe in Apollo’s belly. He was bleeding freely from two nasty gashes. Jake opened the wound to get a look at the damage. If the intestines were intact all they had to do was stop the bleeding. If they weren’t there’d be no use.

  “Shouldn’t we get him inside?” Poncho was crouched next to him, field kit at the ready.

  “No,” he replied, “The cold will help slow the bleeding.”

  Poncho nodded and started pulling out the necessary items. “Good. I don’t think we could lift him anyway,” he murmured, then the two worked side by side in synchronized silence to save the dog that had been willing to lay down his life for them. Ashley cradled his massive head in her tender arms and wept into his neck.

  Chapter Five

  “Misery.” Jake looked at Ashley and couldn’t keep the smile off his face as she walked away from the TV. “Now that’s just mean.”

  “What do you expect? Want me to put on Fried Green Tomatoes instead?” He threw a pillow at her and just missed as she went to check on Apollo. The valiant mastiff seemed to be doing okay, but his worried mommy was checking on him every ten minutes anyway.

  “Hey cool,” Poncho exclaimed from his seat on the other side of the couch, “I never saw this movie. Didn’t what’s her face get an award for this?” Poncho dug into the homemade chicken pot pie that hadn’t burned while they’d all been out in the snow.

  He watched as what’s her face—Kathy Bates—proceeded to beat the crap out of a stranded and hurt James Caan. As the movie’s plot unfolded, Poncho understood why Jake had given Ashley a bad time about it. It was too similar to the situation they were in. A man stranded in a snowstorm and depending on a crazy woman to shelter and care for him until the roads were clear enough to get out.

  “You got a pretty mean streak in you, little lady,” he admonished as she sat between them. “That’s not funny. I’m gonna lock my door tonight now.” Both Ashley and Jake snickered, but Poncho was serious. “I mean it. I’ma have nightmares about waking up with a crazy-ass Ashley standin’ over me with a sledgehammer.”

  The snicker turned to a full-out laugh when Poncho scooted farther into the corner of the couch and stuffed a throw pillow between him and Ashley.

  Ashley did her best interpretation of crazy eyes at Poncho then shoved to her feet again. “Ashley.” Jake caught her hand. “He’s fine. You’ve checked him eight times since the movie started. Let him sleep.” He looked from her wide eyes to their clasped hands. He’d touched her before and always it was like a low-level current. Electricity would run from the point of contact to his gut and lower. This time was no different. Except for the first time, he got the feeling that she felt it too. His fingers were long, enveloping her small hand so that some of his fingers were lying on her delicate wrist, and he felt the increase in her pulse. He froze for half a second in wonder. Then he decided to test her. He tugged, she stepped closer and the pulse kicked again. He slid his hand over hers until his longest finger was in the warm pillow of her palm. He stroked there, and her pulse went into over drive just before she snatched her hand back with a scowl and marched out of the room.

  Well, well, well, he thought. The ice queen wasn’t quite as indifferent as she’d like him to believe. With his thoughts turning to what he was going to do about that he was unprepared for Poncho’s yelp.

  “What the hell? Crazy bitch. Aarrgh!” It was at that moment Jake discovered why his best friend never watched scary movies. Poncho was one hundred and sixty pounds of mean scrapper. He’d had his college tuition paid in full on a wrestling scholarship and right now he was hiding his face in a pillow over a Stephen King movie.

  “Poncho.” He leaned over and whispered around the pillow, “Man, I’m never letting you forget this.”

  Ashley stood on the other side of the wall and willed her heartbeat to return to a normal level. Once she was sure her legs could carry her, she went to her bedroom and knelt by Apollo. She would have put him in the bed and slept in one of the guest rooms or even the couch if
it came to that. Unfortunately the other dogs wouldn’t leave him alone and she didn’t want them to jostle him as they bounced on and off the mattress.

  He was cinched up tight with bandages around his middle and looked to be in no pain thanks to the meds they’d given him. Fortunately, she kept a variety of supplies around for the dogs. The other dogs were keeping vigil in a circle around him and as a unit they lifted their heads to look at her as she knelt among them to stroke Apollo’s head. “You still okay, big guy?” she murmured. Grover, the Irish wolfhound and second in command, nudged in next to her and laid his head on her lap while Bernie the St. Bernard stayed where he was stretched along Apollo’s side. The smaller dogs, Lucy and Ethel, were huskies. They whimpered, scooted closer to Apollo and laid their heads on his paws. These were her pack, and without a doubt they all knew that they had almost lost their leader today.

  She knew she wasn’t going back out there tonight, not after Jake had pulled that touchy-feely act, so she got comfortable and started singing. She was sure her voice wasn’t awful, after all dogs howled when you couldn’t sing, right? Nevertheless she hoped the guys stayed put because her pack were the only living beings she sang for and tonight they all needed it. She picked one of her favorites, “Will the Sun Ever Shine Again” from the Disney cartoon Home on the Range. It was a sweet but melancholy ballad that seemed to fit her mood right then so she forgot about everything but the comfort of her beloved dogs while she stroked their pelts and let the music come from her heart.

  Jake stood outside the door and felt his eyes sting. Her voice was rich and smooth. She sang with a surprising alto that flowed like honey and made everything in him loosen with pleasure. He’d never heard the song before but knew it was now his favorite. She sang to those dogs like they were her kids, and he sent yet another thank you to God that Apollo had been spared.

  He waited until the last haunting note faded before he pulled himself away to head for his guest room. Tomorrow was soon enough to start testing the waters. For tonight he would let her song be the good night he’d been going in search of. It was more than enough.

  Chapter Six

  “Grover.” Exasperation was loud and clear in Ashley’s voice. “If you don’t get out of my way you won’t get your breakfast.” She looked at him with his tongue hanging out in an expression that clearly told her he had no idea what her problem was. He underlined that by sitting right in front of the pantry door where his breakfast was stored. With a laugh and a grunt she shoved until she was able to get the dog out of the way.

  “How can you get them to obey you outside like they did yesterday but you can’t get them to listen to you in the house?”

  Ashley froze as tingles ran from her toes to her ears and every place between. His voice was deep and gravelly from sleep, and it awakened things in her she didn’t want to name. Without turning to face him, she scooped up enough food for the dogs, then headed toward the line of raised bowls under the kitchen windows. “They are trained. It’s my tone of voice and specific commands that they obey. If I don’t give them directions they know, they just do what they want.”

  As soon as the kibble started to hit the bowls, barking and the thunder of running dogs filled the room as the others came scrambling in. With one exception, they each sat in front of a bowl waiting in quivering anticipation. Apollo was still zonked out on whatever it was Poncho had given him to help him sleep. She looked over her shoulder and winked at her houseguest after she’d filled each bowl, then went to put the scooper back in the food bin. As a whole the dogs stared with laser focus at their food, waiting for the command that would release them to eat.

  “How long will they sit there?” Jake asked, obviously impressed.

  Ashley heard the grudging wonder in his voice and felt a nice dose of pride in her pack. She turned to look at them waiting and staring at their food, Grover drooling like a garden hose was pouring from his mouth. She crossed her arms and bragged, “They won’t move until they get my signal. They’re good dogs.” Taking pity, mostly to save the patch of floor underneath Grover, she gave the signal and they dug in.

  “Now, to feed the uninvited humans.” She turned back to the pantry and hauled out a bag of potatoes. “Start peeling, stud. This isn’t a restaurant.” Jake took the ten-pound bag with a grunt.

  “You think I’m a stud, Ash?” He snagged one of her hands and tugged her back to him since she had immediately dove back into the pantry.

  “Slip of the tongue.” Ashley tried not to let it show that her heart just took off like a jackrabbit. “What I meant was schmuck.” He had a great mouth. Why hadn’t she ever noticed that about him before?

  Maybe it’s because it had never been this close, she thought as he leaned even closer and whispered, “Slip of your tongue, huh? I’d like to see just how slippery it is.” Then his mouth sealed on hers, and she forgot her own name.

  His lips didn’t coax or tease, he just took, the way she was learning he did everything. As her knees melted she gave way and opened to him. Letting his taste fill her, she let his breath become hers and kissed him back, withholding nothing, because he would accept nothing less.

  The potatoes fell with a thump as he wrapped his arms around her and hauled her against his hard body. Ashley groaned at the feel of him, all muscles and ridges. He swept one hand up her back to fist in her hair, angling her head for a deeper kiss while his other hand went south and grabbed on to one butt cheek. When he used that grip to lift her higher and grind her into the ridge between his thighs she tore her mouth away with a gasp and arched back.

  She was wearing thin cotton sleep pants and a tank top. Plastered as she was to him, she didn’t notice that when she’d arched back one of her breasts had popped free. He did. With a groan Jake leaned down and engulfed the rosy tip in the melting heat of his mouth, sucking and tugging with lips and tongue.

  Ashley wasn’t prepared. It was shocking, intense, way too much, way too soon. She felt her body gear up for an avalanche of an explosion and wrenched herself free before it could happen.

  “No,” she panted, one hand covering the exposed breast, the other extended to ward him off. “Stop. I can’t do this.”

  Jake stood there and stared at the vision in front of him. His body was on fire. He still felt the echo of her vibrating against him in need. She stood less than three feet away, one small hand covering the nipple that he’d just been tasting. Her streaky blonde hair was tousled around her flushed face and her green eyes were as bright as polished glass. He took a step closer, intending to give them both what their bodies were demanding. It took a second for the panic she was feeling to register in his lust-fogged brain.

  “Ashley,” he had to take a breath before he could continue, “Fix your shirt or I’m going to think you want me to finish this.” He had to close his eyes and take some deep breaths as she did. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this close to losing control.

  Eventually he unclenched his fists and bent to pick up the potatoes. As he carried them to the sink, she came up behind him. “Ashley,” his voice was harsh with pent-up desire and stopped whatever she’d been about to say. “I’m one touch or word away from dragging you to the floor. Give me a minute. In fact, why don’t you go shower and get dressed. I’ll make breakfast.” He felt her hesitation, the indecision keeping her rooted before she sighed and turned to leave the kitchen. “Ashley?” He turned and looked over his shoulder at her. “Do me a favor and wear something baggy. Maybe a muumuu if you want me to keep my hands to myself.” She shook her head at him, and he heard her mutter that he was an idiot as she continued on her way. He looked back at the spuds and thought she was probably right. Any man who let her walk away when she was so obviously turned on was an idiot.

  Poncho came in five minutes later and started helping. As he cracked eggs he looked pointedly at Jake’s waistline. “You know you’re supposed to call a doctor if those last longer than four hours.”

  Jake threw a dishtowel at him
. “Jackass.” But the humor helped to bring him out of the erotic scenarios that’d been swirling in his mind.

  Over omelets and country-fried potatoes, the three discussed plans for the duration of the winter.

  “After yesterday you’ve got to know we need to be here.” Jake motioned with his fork. “That cougar was huge. And fearless. Way out of character and proportion. We have got to find out why they are so big up here and what is it about this mountain that makes them go against their natural instincts.”

  “I know,” Ashley said as she forked up a bite without meeting his gaze. “I never disagreed with the need to study them. I only didn’t want you here while you did it. This is my home, and I like my solitude. The winters are the only time I get for myself. The rest of the year I’m swarmed with tourists and campers needing a million things a million times a day.” She slapped Poncho’s arm when she caught him trying to sneak food to one of the dogs, then continued.

  “Well, that’s over now. You’re here and even if I wanted you gone, the storm we have coming would keep you here anyway. So, what’s the plan? Are we splitting up? If we each have two dogs we will be pretty safe. You guys saw for yourselves, my guys wouldn’t let us get hurt.” She reached down, gave a loving tug on Ethel’s ears and looked expectantly at the men.

  “Poncho and I are going out as a team. You are staying the hell away from those woods. You’re right about the dogs though, after yesterday I don’t want you even in the yard without at least two of them with you. Not even on the porch, you hear me?”