Seduced by Snowfall

by Jennifer Bernard

  “Turned out he had a warrant out on him, so good on her,” the trooper had explained. “But she had no ID, no money, no good answers about anything. Wasn’t until we threatened to call social services that she came up with your name.”

  As soon as she caught sight of Bethany and Nate, S.G. leaped to her feet. She launched herself across the room and threw herself into Nate’s arms. “Nate! You came.”

  “Of course I came.” He met Bethany’s gaze, his gray eyes bright with surprise. S.G. was usually more stoic than expressive. “How ya doing, kiddo?”

  S.G. let him go and hugged Bethany next. She staggered under the impact of the runaway’s strong little body. “We came as soon as we could, S.G.,” Bethany told her. “But there was a huge storm and we couldn’t get through the mountains.”

  The girl shrugged. “Let’s go,” she declared. “I don’t like it here.”

  She glared at the trooper as she marched past him, still limping on her sprained ankle. The trooper rolled his eyes. “See ya, kid.”

  He stopped Nate with a hand on his arm. “You need to let the authorities know about her. I did a search and found no official reports about her. But I been at this a long time and my gut says there’s a problem.”

  “Yeah, my gut says the same. Don’t worry, we got this. This is Dr. Bethany Morrison, she’s been monitoring her since she showed up in Lost Harbor.”

  That information relaxed the trooper. “I’ll be keeping an eye out.”

  Nate gave him a little salute, then shook his hand.

  The three of them trudged out of the trooper station. S.G. paused at the sight of the overnight snowfall. “Good.” She nodded her head with a satisfied expression. “No tracks.”

  Bethany exchanged a mystified glance with Nate. S.G. was the oddest girl she’d ever known.

  Safely in Nate’s truck, with S.G. buckled into the center of the bench seat, Bethany offered her a banana. The girl accepted it and unpeeled it carefully, as if the action was still new to her. Nate started up the truck and they headed back toward the highway.

  “Why did you leave the firehouse, S.G.?” Bethany asked her gently. “We were so surprised that you were gone.”

  “Ghosts,” she said matter-of-factly. “Many ghosts came to the firehouse. I saw ghosts outside the window too. It’s not safe to stay near so many ghosts. I had to leave.”

  Bethany met Nate’s gaze, and saw recognition dawn on his face at the same moment that she put it together.

  “Do you mean all the kids in costumes?”

  She shrugged and took another bite of her banana.

  “Those weren’t ghosts,” Nate explained. “They were just kids and maybe a few teenagers. It’s called Halloween. You dress up in a costume and go around the neighborhood asking for candy.”

  Her expression was so blank it actually made Bethany laugh. “I guess you’ve never heard of Halloween.”

  “I should have explained it to you,” Nate told her. “I’m sorry you got scared.”

  “I wasn’t scared. But it wasn’t safe. Ghosts are thieves.”

  “Is that right? We should have posted a guard at the firehouse.”

  She shot him a scornful glance, obviously picking up on his condescension. “You should learn about ghosts. Especially you, Nate.”

  Nate shot Bethany another mystified glance, but she shrugged. Who knew what S.G. was talking about?

  “He cleared his throat. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that the ghosts didn’t steal your stuff. It’s all still in your room back at the firehouse. But we have a problem now, S.G. I can’t keep you a secret anymore. That officer in Grandview knows about you and it’s just a matter of time before word spreads. I’m going to have to tell Maya.”

  “Maya?”

  “She’s my friend, and her job is to protect people. Protect and serve. She’s very, very good at it. She’ll help us decide what to do with you.”

  S.G. stuck out her lower lip. “I decide what to do with me.”

  “Right. Of course you do.” Nate shot a pleading glance at Bethany.

  “The thing is, S.G., you’re not used to this part of the world. You need guidance. Everyone does, or you might end up in bad situations. I’m so relieved that the police took care of you. Things could have been much worse.”

  “I have my knife.”

  It had taken some persuading, but the trooper had finally allowed her to take her knife back.

  “Well, yes, but that’s kind of my point. You can’t rely on your knife all the time. It’s only helpful in some situations.”

  “Yeah.” She looked thoughtfully out at the snow-laden forests. They’d reached the first uphill stretch of highway that would take them through the mountain pass. “I should have remembered my gun.”

  Even though she obviously didn’t understand why Nate and Bethany burst out laughing, she joined in.

  The roads were slower than normal, but also friendlier. Every driver they passed gave them a wave and a grin, as if to say, “yay for us, we survived the first blizzard of the season.”

  As they passed through Rocky Gulch, Bethany couldn’t stop the hot memories from last night. Would she ever experience anything like that again? Probably not, because things had shifted between her and Nate in a subtle way. She could feel it on her skin, in her bones. But she didn’t know what it meant.

  With her luck, it probably meant that he’d be putting an end to their fling at the first opportunity.

  If she was smart, she’d end it first. But she didn’t want to. And for once, she was going to do what she wanted.

  They reached Lost Harbor after dark. The town was snowbound, cocooned in white. Every spruce tree held burdens of snow in its branches. Every house had a layer of sugary fluff, as if a baker had gone overboard with the icing. The downtown streets and businesses looked both familiar and new, showing off their winter wardrobe of icy white.

  Deep in the hills above town, lights twinkled, the home fires keeping things cozy for man and beast.

  Since it was too late to bother Maya, they got S.G. settled into her little storeroom. She seemed delighted to be back in her familiar space. She sat cross-legged on her cot with the cheeseburger they’d bought her, and waved cheerfully as they left.

  “Think she’ll still be here in the morning?” Nate asked Bethany once they were outside in the snow-filled parking lot.

  “Actually, I do. I think she trusts you. She knows that she needs you.”

  “Us. She needs us.” He opened the door of his truck for her.

  “Of course. Us.” She liked the way that felt—us. She wasn’t used to a lot of “us” in her life. She slid inside, then waited until he sat beside her.

  This was probably it. Their paths were about to part. He’d take her home and that would be the end. “Thanks for the advent—”

  “How about some king salmon at my place?”

  “What?”

  “Dinner. My place. I only have a couple of hours because Chief Boone is furious that I missed the entire blizzard. I’m going to have work like, six shifts in a row. But I’m not ready to say goodbye yet. Are you?”

  His gray gaze captured hers, and she couldn’t lie. “No. I’m not. But I should check in with Gretel, and get some new clothes, and—”

  “Quick stop, then. After that, you’re all mine.”

  His wolfish grin thrilled her to her core. “All yours?”

  “Damn right. Last night was just the beginning. Are you ready for the next phase?”

  “The next phase? What are you talking about?”

  “Remember how you put me in charge? You keep saying this is ‘casual’ and I’m the guru of casual relationships. I’m saying I think we’re ready for phase two.”

  “What happens in phase two?”

  “Phase two,” Nate explained as he steered in the direction of her house, “is simple. I cook for you. We watch a movie. We cuddle. If we feel like it, we have sex. But it’s not urgent the way it is in phase one.”

&n
bsp; She wasn’t a hundred percent sure she was past phase one, but okay. “You cooked before. Those steaks were great.”

  “No, I grilled,” he corrected. “There’s a difference. Grilling is more social and involves more people. Firing up the grill doesn’t take much effort. But cooking king salmon in my secret Nate Prudhoe way, that’s different. I don’t do that for just anyone.”

  “You only do it in phase two.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Just curious, how many phases are there?”

  “Just watch and learn, Doc. Watch and learn.”

  Gretel wasn’t at the house, but she’d left a note. “Off on a weird adventure. Can’t wait to tell you about it. See ya soon!”

  Bethany crumpled up the scrap of paper and tossed it in the trash. Typical Gretel! No details, no hint about where she was or when she’d be back. Had she left the note before or after the blizzard? Why didn’t she answer texts like a normal person?

  Then she noticed Gretel’s battered blue cell phone on a chair. She flipped it open. Dead, of course. So she had absolutely no way to find her sister.

  Maddening.

  On the bright side, she didn’t have to make up a lame explanation for why she was going to Nate’s tonight. She could do whatever she wanted, go wherever she wanted. She didn’t owe a single damn person an explanation—except the hospital.

  As she stripped off the clothes she’d been wearing since yesterday, she dialed the administrator. “It’s Dr. Morrison checking in. Do you need any extra hands?”

  Please say no, please say no.

  “No, we’re in good shape. It’s quieter than usual, as a matter of fact. Often happens during snowstorms.”

  Great. No responsibilities whatsoever. She could fly to the hilltop with Nate without a worry in the world. It might be the most free she’d ever felt.

  After a slow drive up the freshly plowed road, when they finally stepped into Nate’s house, he took her by the hand and led her to a set of stairs. “Want to see my favorite place to watch the snow?”

  “You bet.”

  She followed him up the steep stairs. He pushed open a trap door and pulled down a collapsible ladder. One by one, they climbed it and stepped into the glass cupola.

  Her breath stopped.

  She’d seen it from the outside, but never imagined it was a functional room. It held no furniture, and barely had room for them both to stand, but none of that mattered.

  Flecks of snow swirled past the windows, as if they were dancing with the air currents. In the dark, with all the lights off, the tiny flakes would have been invisible if not for the rising moon. Far below, a silvery covering of luminous white softened the landscape. What if they could float from here, spin with the dancing snow, and land in a pile of fluff?

  “The wind blows the snow off the gables and the roof,” said Nate in a hushed voice. “Like fairy dust.”

  Holding hands, they took in the whimsical sight with silent wonder.

  It felt so perfect to stand here with him. Timeless and magical.

  But one worry kept tugging at the back of her mind.

  Last night, Nate had turned his back on her in bed. She knew why, too. Because she’d stepped out of the boundaries of a “casual thing.” She wouldn’t make that mistake again. With Nate, things were nothing but light and fun—which was exactly what she wanted from him. Never forget that.

  But there was a problem.

  As the snowflakes performed their glittering, carefree pirouettes, she kept remembering the way Nate had tried to shake her awake. The panic in his grip, the catch in his breath. Even if he’d been dreaming at the time, he’d been truly terrified. She had no doubt about that.

  There was so much more to Nate than his jokey side. So much more than his ride-to-the-rescue side. And she wanted to know that part too. She wanted to know it all.

  After a while, she excused herself to visit the bathroom. On her way down the hallway, she examined the family photos lining the wall. The Prudhoe family was filled with laughing, vigorous, attractive human beings with variations of blond hair and gray eyes. She scanned the photos of touch football games on the hilltop lawn; fishing trips in the river, waist deep in hip-waders; unrecognizable kids bundled into snowsuits, posing with a snow-moose.

  And there, in a tiny square silver frame, she found what she was looking for. A photo of a young Nate holding his baby sister. She was bundled into a fluffy yellow crocheted blanket and gazed up at him with a wondrous, awestruck expression. Nate was making a goofy face at her—of course. His hair stuck up every which way, as if he’d done that on purpose to entertain her. His protectiveness shone through in the old photo. It was crystal clear from the careful way he cradled her.

  So much of the grown-up Nate was already there in the photo. His desire to make his little sister laugh. His protectiveness. His big heart.

  Nate has a broken heart.

  Mrs. Bellini’s words came back to her. Now that she knew Nate better, she agreed. He did have a broken heart.

  She touched the photo, her own heart aching for the little boy whose world would soon be shattered.

  Yup. Face it. She sucked at casual.

  Even worse, she was in love.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Digging out from the snowstorm took some time. Nate had a standing arrangement with a buddy who owned a plow truck, and always plowed his ridiculously long driveway as soon as the first snowfall hit. But Nate dealt with the rest of the property himself, digging out paths between the woodshed, the well house, and the workshop.

  He also had to free his other vehicles from their cages of snow. His four-wheeler, his backup car, his trailer. After the first big snowfall of the season, it always took a few days to get functional again.

  And the fact that he also had to deal with an unhappy fire chief and an incredulous friend-slash-police officer made for a rough few days.

  He told Chief Boone first. He still didn’t know the chief well—he was only a few years older than Nate, but he was a highly experienced and decorated firefighter from Texas. No one knew quite why he’d left El Paso to take the top slot at the Lost Harbor Fire Department. But he’d quickly won the crew’s respect.

  “So.” Chief Boone fixed his eagle stare on Nate. “Let me get this straight. You let a minor hide out in our firehouse for, what, a couple of weeks?”

  “About that.”

  “Do you have any idea what kind of liability we could be facing? What if her parents show up and accuse us of kidnapping her?”

  Kidnapping? Whoa. That must be the chief’s big-city background talking. “She came here all on her own. And I don’t think she has parents. I think she has an abusive…guardian of some sort.”

  The chief’s expression changed into something more fierce. “Can you get his name? That sounds like a matter for the police.”

  “They’re my next stop. And no, she hasn’t said his name. She didn’t even have a name of her own. She told me her name was ‘Girl.’ We’ve been calling her S.G., which is short for Spruce Grouse.”

  One of the chief’s eyebrows lifted. “Spruce Grouse.” He rubbed his forehead. “I need to talk to our legal counsel.”

  “We have legal counsel?”

  “Fuck if I know,” muttered the chief.

  Nate hid a smile. Welcome to Lost Harbor, Chief, he thought to himself. Things were a little different here.

  He took Darius to meet S.G., and they seemed to hit it off well enough. Darius’ no-nonsense fairness struck just the right note for the girl. She didn’t even protest when Nate said goodbye and walked to the other side of the fire and police building.

  There, he had to cool his heels while Maya finished a discussion with Lucas Holt, new head of the Harbor Commission and Nate’s old hockey buddy. It was one of the most powerful positions in town, and Lucas was the perfect guy for the job. His mission was to make the harbor more sustainable in the face of climate change, which was happening right before their eyes in the form of mel
ting glaciers across the bay. Lucas had all the right tools to lead their little town into the future.

  Lucky fucker.

  The thought slid into Nate’s head without warning.

  Lucas was lucky. Since coming back to Lost Harbor, his entire life had transformed. He’d fallen in love and gotten engaged to Megan Miller, who had a young daughter. Recently they’d been talking about expanding their family.

  While Nate was still the “king of casual.”

  That was how he wanted it, he reminded himself. Exactly how he wanted it.

  Finally, Lucas wrapped up his meeting. While shaking hands with Nate on the way out, he offered an invitation to the Holt homestead for dinner and a sauna.

  “Sounds good, soon as I finish digging out from the storm.”

  “Bring a date. Or a friend, or anyone you want.”

  Bethany would get along great with Megan, the thought flashed through his mind. A doctor and a bird scientist, both so intelligent and kind.

  Stop it.

  He told Lucas something noncommittal and strolled into Maya’s office to face the lion.

  “You what?” she exploded when he’d told her the story. “Have you lost your entire-ass mind?”

  He held on to his cool as best he could. “You would have done the same thing, Maya. She was this close to running away, and I didn’t want her out there on her own. I handled it the way I thought best, and it worked out. She’s still here. She’s safe. She trusts us.”

  “Us?”

  “I brought in some medical help,” he admitted. “Bethany Morrison checked her out. S.G. had an injury beyond my skill level. But that’s irrelevant.”

  “Is it? Bethany is legally required to report any issues involving a minor. You made her break the law. I thought you liked her.”

  Nate winced. Maya was right, strictly speaking. But she was missing the big picture. “I do like her. We’re—” What were they exactly? Was it something he could share with Maya? Better not.

  “Anyway, that’s not the point. We don’t even know if S.G. is a minor. She doesn’t know how old she is. But I do know she’s safer here than out there.”