by Anya Summers
“Just tell me you’ll think about it,” Mason said.
“I tell you what I’m thinking about. Making sure you go home a few hundred lighter in the pocket,” Cole said, shoving his way out of the truck with Alex cracking up.
Mia was a big shot author. Funny, when she had mentioned it, she hadn’t seemed like a big shot. She definitely hadn’t let the fame get to her head. If anything, she always looked a little wounded and a lot lonely.
And, somehow, she always made him yearn to pull her into his arms and protect her.
Chapter 12
A couple days later, Cole met Mia in the resort lobby just as the first rays of sunlight crested the eastern horizon in a stunning array of gold. He’d foregone his normal leather cowboy boots for sturdy hiking boots. With the trail they were taking today up the side of the mountain, they were more practical and just tended to work better. He had a backpack stuffed with boxed lunches from the restaurant, bottles of water, a first aid kit, rain gear, a SAT phone and a digital compass.
As much as he tended to eschew technology, mainly on principle, there were some items—like the compass and phone—that were beneficial. Not that Cole didn’t know every inch of these trails, the mountains, valleys, and waterways from memory. Or what to do should they come across wildlife. However, he always took into account that accidents happened, and if something untoward occurred to him and the people on the tour had to go get help without him, the technology was advantageous.
Mia looked as fresh as a newborn fawn in butter soft jeans that hugged her lithe legs and skimmed over her hips. The deep sapphire cotton shirt made her pearly skin glow. He approved of the black coat and hiking boots. She had pulled her hair up into one of those messy topknots again, with a few strands escaping their confines, and had a backpack with her as well.
All in all, she looked downright edible.
“Morning, city girl.”
“Cole,” she said, her face passive and unreadable. At least until he looked into her eyes. Her eyes gave her away every time. Some of the wounded, haunted look had disappeared. The smudges beneath her eyes were nearly gone. Not completely, but there was a lessening of strain. What would it take to heal what remained? Sometime over the last two days, since Alex had revealed who Mia was, Cole had made some decisions regarding her.
He wanted her, there was no denying that. But, unless she gave him the all ahead signal, he wouldn’t press for more than her friendship. He genuinely liked her. Her intelligence, her resolve, and her bravery were an enticing, endearing mixture. And he was making it his mission to ensure that, by the end of her stay, the wounded look in her gaze would be a thing of the past. He didn’t have an exact road map on exactly how to do that, but would take measured steps to make it so.
“Okay, couple of things. When it comes to hiking, because of the potential wildlife dangers we could encounter, when I ask you to do something, I need you to follow my directions to the letter. No arguments. No discussions or questions why. Understood?”
“Yep. It’s not a problem. I trust your guidance,” she said.
Warmth speared him at her words. She didn’t realize that there was nothing more satisfying for a Dom than having a woman grant him her trust. “Good. Also, we need to watch the weather. There’s a winter storm warning in effect for tonight. It’s not supposed to hit until late, but we need to pay attention all the same.”
“It boggles my mind that its mid-March and there’s a snowstorm in the forecast,” she said, adjusting her backpack.
He helped her finish her adjustments and said, “Let’s get a move on. We can talk as we walk.”
Mia saluted him with a sarcastic glint in her gaze and murmured, “Sir, yes, sir.”
The little brat. He hid his grin.
They left the lobby and walked side by side. Cole said, “As for the weather, around here it can be volatile. That’s what makes Wyoming an interesting place to live. There’s never a dull moment, even when it comes to the weather.”
The trail they were taking headed north, up past the main lodge building, past his house, which he pointed out to Mia as they strode by.
“It’s an unusual house—or different, at least, from all the other buildings on the property. Why is that?” she asked.
“My parents built that house the year they were married. And the design was all my mom. She moved out here from New Hampshire. And when my dad asked her to marry him and give up her life back east, he made a promise that he would build her the kind of house she’d always dreamed about.”
“It sounds like they really loved each other,” she said, and he didn’t miss the yearning in her voice.
“You sound surprised. Isn’t that why most people get married? What about your parents? Didn’t your dad ever do anything special for your mom?” he asked as the trail took a turn and started to ascend.
“I don’t know. My parents died in a car crash when I was five. I barely remember them. Just shadowy images and all. I have pictures of them, but my memories are hazy.”
Oh, baby. He curled his hands into fists to keep himself from reaching out for her and pulling her close. The need to comfort and protect her nearly overwhelmed him. “That couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t at the time, no. One day they were there and the next they were gone. But my Aunt Alice took me in and raised me. She was my mom’s sister—her twin, actually—and it helped that they looked so much alike, especially in the beginning.”
“Still, I’m sorry for it. I know without my parents, my brother and I wouldn’t have had the wherewithal to build this place. They gave us a solid foundation that, in many respects, I’ve always taken for granted. Even though I know not everyone had that.”
Cole helped Mia around a set of boulders as they climbed.
“Are your parents still alive?” she asked.
“No, unfortunately not. Mom had cancer and passed over ten years ago now. Dad followed not long after. As much as he loved us, he just couldn’t survive without our mom.”
“Sorry. Although, in a way, I get it. When my aunt told me stories about my parents, she always said it was a blessing that they died together. That they loved each other so much, it would have been agony if one had survived while the other died,” she said and fell silent, minding her steps as they went around a rocky outcropping.
Cole wondered about the little girl who had been left behind, suddenly orphaned. “And what was your aunt like?”
A smile spread over her lips as they stopped for a water break. “She was rather unconventional. But super intelligent. She’s the reason I became a historian in the first place. She gave me a love of learning and reading.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, she was a professor of antiquities. By the time I was ten she already had me reading the Iliad. And I liked the ancient world, but I preferred the Americas, both pre-European discovery and after. It was one of the few bones of contention we ever had and made for some fairly lively debates.”
They started back up the trail and he asked, “Why did it draw you more than, say, Ancient Greece?”
“Because this continent with its native inhabitants was its own complex civilization which, while different on the outside from Europe, was just as intricate and advanced in many ways. The genocide that took place as European settlers claimed the land as their own, and how rapidly it spread, not to mention how settlers rationalized murder of the indigenous tribes, is fascinating to me. Did you know that the tribes in this area knew that the white man was coming from the arrival of bees in the area? It was one of the signs they had been warned to be on the lookout for.”
“No, I didn’t,” Cole replied, fascinated by the intricate workings of her mind. She was far more intelligent than he and he’d never considered brains a turn on. Yet he could listen to Mia spout facts in the sweet, dulcet tones of her voice for hours.
“Yep. But I like the continuation of knowing that even in times of strife, life in some form continues. Sometimes f
or good, sometimes for ill.”
Cole stopped them at an overlook and said, “Take a look.”
Mia turned. Her skin was flushed rosy from exertion. Chestnut tendrils had escaped their confines and blew wildly in the breeze. But it was the dazzling smile that spread over her generous lips that sucker-punched him in the sternum. “Oh, wow. It’s so beautiful.”
Never taking his eyes off her he said, “Yes, it is.”
She turned her face toward him and met his eyes. A simmering heat passed between them, making Cole ache—for her. Perhaps his brother was right. He wanted her with a desire that defied all reason and logic. She was only here for a short time, so anything between them wouldn’t be long term. But deep down, he knew he’d regret it if he didn’t take her to his bed.
And for all he knew, that might just be the ticket to getting her out of his head. Maybe all he needed was a night of uninhibited pleasure in her arms and this obsession would evaporate come daylight.
“Come on. We have a ways to go yet,” he said.
Mia nodded and followed him up the trail. The rest of the morning passed unhurriedly. Cole made sure to point out various animals they encountered or that they traveled past. They passed deer, beavers, and owls. Mia laughed at the antics of some chipmunks darting over the path.
He had them stop for lunch near a waterfall. The small rushing stream cut a swath through the pine trees. As they sat there companionably, he wondered for the hundredth time that day what she looked like naked.
And, somewhere along their hike, he’d made the decision to stop fighting his attraction to Mia and start acting on it.
Chapter 13
After lunch, they continued their trek up toward the summit. They were heading to the crest of one of the smaller peaks. The path forked onto other trails a few times. Cole’s cabin was located down one of the off shoots. He wondered what she would make of his cabin and the home he planned on building.
The shadows were leaving Mia’s eyes more the longer they hiked. She smiled more. Not to mention she was fascinating and intelligent. She knew all sorts of odd historical facts and had a rather wry sense of humor.
But what was more startling was watching her transformation. She’d barely been here ten days and already the tension and panic were melting away. Underneath was a blazing curiosity about the world around her and a willingness to experience things that were outside her comfort zone.
She was becoming more comfortable being outdoors. And, what was more, she was enjoying herself.
It charmed him. He was watching her come alive right before his eyes. It was intoxicating. She was intoxicating. When they reached the summit, they lingered. Mia happily took pictures of everything, including him. But then he forced her to sit for one.
“Let me get one of you. That way you can show your friends when you’re back in Chicago,” he said.
Storm clouds flashed across her eyes. But then she agreed and handed him her phone. “All right.”
She sat on one of the boulders overlooking the glen, the wind whipping against her, her smile forced. He was determined to uncover what it was about her home that brought such sadness to her eyes.
After he snapped the picture, the sunlight dimmed, and Cole glanced at the sky. The cloud cover he’d been watching all day had morphed from little white fluffy clouds increasing vastly in thickness and proximity to now, barreling toward them, a line of dark, angry clouds from the northwest. The front was moving in from Canada and supposed to wallop them with a foot or more of snow. He didn’t like the look of it. And they had a few hours to go on foot before they would make it back to the lodge.
“Mia, sorry to cut our time here short, but we have to go. Now,” he said. He’d seen these types of storms blow in before.
“So soon?” she asked, her teeth chattering. The higher elevations were always colder, but some of the wind cutting across the mountain was from the approaching storm.
“Unless you want to be out here when that snowstorm hits, but I wouldn’t recommend it. And we’re going to need to move fast, faster than either of us would like.” Cole cursed himself for not paying closer attention. His focus had been on Mia’s enjoyment. But he’d also thought the storm wasn’t supposed to hit until late tonight.
She clutched her coat tighter. “No, let’s go.”
Cole led them down as fast as he dared. There were parts of the descent where, if a person wasn’t careful, they’d go tumbling down the side of the mountain. Even though this was one of the more moderate trails, it could still prove treacherous.
The sky around them continued to darken as the clouds rushed overhead. They had barely walked a half a mile before the clouds were directly on top of them. The wind gusted and howled, the temperatures that had been moderate when they began their hike, plummeted. They’d only descended another quarter mile when the first white flakes blew past his face.
Shit.
This wasn’t good. Damn storm was blowing in faster than anticipated. Cole kept them going another fourth of a mile, hoping that the snow would stay light enough until they could make it down. But it didn’t. It blew fast and furious, like the sky had opened up and was raining buckets down on them. The snow fell in thick sheets. He held Mia’s hand as the ground turned into a slippery quagmire.
He didn’t like the situation. They had miles—hours—yet to go before they reached the lodge. From what the weather channel had indicated, once the storm began, it was going to carry on for the better part of twenty-four hours.
They had another option. Mia wouldn’t like it, but it was the safest route to proceed at this point.
“Okay, new plan,” Cole said, turning to Mia and assessing her from head to toe. She was frozen, from the looks of her. Her hair was a wet mess and she was visibly shivering.
“What?” she asked, her teeth still chattering.
“This storm is moving in faster than anyone predicted. I don’t like it. We won’t make it back to the lodge before the brunt of the storm is upon us. Out here, that could be deadly. Do you understand?” he said. He didn’t want to scare her but he wouldn’t lie to her either.
Her eyes widened. “What do we do?”
“We head back up the way we just came, back to where the path forked, and we take the fork. About a half mile down that trail is a cabin we can weather the storm in,” Cole said. It was his cabin, which he maintained. And he could only be thankful that he’d restocked the supplies yesterday.
She chewed her lip for a moment, blinked as she looked up at the storm, and then nodded. “I trust you. If you think that is what is best, I say we do it.”
“Good. Keep your hand in mine. I’m going to move us at a brisk pace,” he instructed.
They headed back up, toward the summit. The wind shears increased and battered them. They plodded through the snowfall, which was getting so thick in places, it was like whiteout conditions. Cole had to focus on the path, squinting against the onslaught of snow and ice.
He never let go of Mia’s hand. They reached the fork in the trail and already there was a good inch of snow covering the ground. The path sloped downward in a gentle descent but with the ground growing slick, it had become treacherous fast. Cole was as pleased as punch when they rounded a hairpin turn and it opened up into the small meadow. In the middle of that meadow was his cabin.
It wasn’t much, but it did have a generator and running well water.
Mia was dragging beside him, struggling in the storm. “Come on, city girl. We’re almost there.”
She lifted her head and gave him a halfhearted smile. They trudged through the snow as thunder rumbled overhead. Yeah, this storm would be deadly, had they continued to walk in it. Never a good sign when there was thunder with snow.
Cole always carried the key to his cabin with him, for just in case scenarios. Pulling it out of his backpack once they were on the miniscule front porch, he unlocked the door and ushered Mia inside.
By the time they made it inside the cabin, the snow
was falling in thick sheets of blinding white. If he didn’t know these mountains intimately, they never would have made it.
Chapter 14
Mia thought she’d been cold after the fiasco when they’d gone fishing. But over the last hour she’d turned into a damn icicle. She had seen storms like this blow into Chicago—from the safety and comfort of her apartment. She’d never been out in the middle of one as Mother Nature decided to unleash her fury upon the world.
It had come upon them so fast. One minute she’d been smiling, enjoying her outing with Cole. Glad that there wasn’t any awkwardness between them. Thinking that something had changed, what with all the heated glances he tossed her way. And the next, the world had turned nearly upside down as they were pelted with snow. The easy dirt path had run slick with mud and ice.
But Cole had been her beacon in the darkening world. His iron grip never wavered. He never faltered but had pushed ahead, towing her behind him.
The cabin had been a welcome sight. With the wind and snow raging about them, the golden wood structure had emerged like a warm fire amidst the fury. She shuffled inside with little prodding, thankful just to be out of the cold.
Her hair was drenched. Rivers of moisture traveled from her sodden hair down her neck and beneath her coat. Her jeans were soaked through; her feet, frozen blocks of ice.
Cole shut the door behind them and then moved around her, going over to what looked like a closet. Inside was a large machine. He punched a few buttons and the lights came on.
The interior was nicer than she would have imagined. In fact, it was similar to the cabin she was in at the lodge, only smaller. It was basically one big room, like a studio apartment, with the kitchen in the front with a wooden table and all the amenities. In the middle was a couch and cozy chair with a coffee table, and even a small television hanging on the opposite wall above the fireplace, which was where Cole was currently.
