Snowbound

by MG Braden

  gone. She looked around to see if the skis or poles had fallen over and slid away.

  Then it hit her. That rat! Rick had taken her skis. Surely he wouldn’t strand her up here, even if he

  was angry. That was just stupid and dangerous. She looked in the bushes behind the cabin, to see if he’d

  just tossed them aside to tick her off. Nothing.

  “Well great. Now what am I supposed to do?” She went back inside the chapel to see if there was

  anything that might help. Upon seeing the broken glass, water and crushed flowers she started to cry, but

  then sucked it up immediately. You are better than this. Don’t let him get to you . She felt bad leaving the

  place like this, but she couldn’t even find a broom. Everything was probably in the locked storage shed

  she had seen behind the building. She tried that as well but since she wasn’t a lock picker that wasn’t

  working either. Suppressing more tears, she sighed heavily. “Fine. I guess I’ll just have to head down on

  foot. If I get going now I might be able to beat the sunset.” Although she was talking to herself, it helped

  her feel less anxious. The silence was slightly overpowering, so she kept muttering to herself as she

  headed off down the slope.

  Chapter Eleven

  Daniel read the note again. “Can’t make dinner. Have to meet Rick, not sure how long. I’ll explain

  later. Sorry. Cassidy.”

  He knew he shouldn’t be as disappointed as he was, but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t been able to

  stop thinking about her all day. For the first time since Natasha’s death he wanted to let someone in. He

  wanted to feel again. Last night after the hot tub, it was all he could do not to take her in his arms, kick

  open the door and rush her to bed where he would make love to her all night long. Feeling it was too

  soon, he’d settled for a chaste kiss at the door of her room. When she pulled him closer and really leaned

  into the kiss it turned anything but chaste. Still, he’d known walking away was the right thing to do. He’d

  thought there would be other chances. Even thought he may be ready to love again. He shook his head.

  Good thing this happened now, before he really dived in. He read the note one more time.

  “Daniel Robertson! What did you do to Cassidy?” Sandra startled him.

  “What do you mean, what did I do? I didn’t do anything. She’s—”

  “She’s checked out that’s what she’s done. Why would she do that?”

  “She checked out? Wow. I mean... I had no idea. We had a great time last night, but...I just got a

  note from her about meeting Rick.” He showed her the note.

  “Rick? He came back? How dare he? Why would she go meet him? How is she going to explain if

  she’s not here anymore?”

  “I don’t know, Aunt Sandra. I guess that’s the way it goes.” Daniel shuttered his eyes against her

  probing gaze. He knew Sandra would be concerned about him getting hurt.

  “It’s not right, it’s...Hold on a sec, Daniel. Janice, the desk clerk, is waving at me. Please, wait here

  for me, ok?”

  He nodded and paced in front of the fire, then noticed he’d crumpled up Cassidy’s note, which he

  still held in his hand. Throwing it into the fire, he watched it burn. He felt like he’d been burned, so why

  not? Yeah, buddy, that’s a bit extreme. Her boyfriend is here and she wants to see him. What’d you

  expect her to do? Daniel was angry. He couldn’t believe that jerk had come back. Or that, after the way

  the guy had treated her, Cassidy still went to him when he called. Unfortunately, while it was a fact that

  Rick was a jerk, he was also the jerk Cassidy had arrived with and had been in a relationship with for

  years. There was no competing with history. Daniel hoped that their time together would have at least

  shown her how she deserved to be treated. How I’d like to continue treating her.

  “We have a problem.”

  Daniel turned away from the fire and saw the agitation on Sandra’s face.

  “What?”

  “First of all, it was Rick who checked Cassidy out. She didn’t do it herself. I didn’t think she would

  leave without saying goodbye, but...” she shook her head and continued, “Apparently he reserved the Log

  Cabin Chapel for this afternoon and sent a boat load of flowers up as well.”

  “Sounds very cozy for them. I guess he’s finally going to make it right with her.” He tried to make

  sure his voice came out calm and even, as if he couldn’t care less, even though calm was the last thing he

  felt. “Where’s the problem?”

  “The problem is that Rick apparently talked our desk clerk into giving him access to the chapel

  when it was supposed to be closed. The whole back run has been closed for a few days as we are trying

  to do avalanche control back there. So far it isn’t stable and there have been reports of rumbling back

  there this afternoon.” Sandra sighed, appearing frustrated. “To top it all off that damned closed sign keeps

  falling off, so we don’t know how many skiers may be back there.”

  “Didn’t the desk clerk tell Rick the run was closed?”

  “Well she did, but I guess he was persuasive. I’ll be dealing with that later. Right now we need to

  get someone up there to make sure they get out of there safely.”

  “So send the rescue team. I’m sure they’re fine. How long does a wedding up there take anyway?”

  He looked at his watch. “The happy couple is probably on their way home as we speak.”

  “Who said anything about a wedding?” Sandra looked perplexed.

  “Why else would he book the chapel and send up flowers? Anyway, I’m sure it’s all good.” He

  paced again.

  “No one has seen them leave. Their hired car is still waiting on them—I checked. I’m not saying

  they are still up there, I don’t know. But, we need to make sure everyone is safe. The rescue team is

  already dealing with some crazy snowboarders who thought it would be fun to run some jumps in another

  closed and unstable area. As a result, there was a small accident. They are being brought down now.”

  Sandra reached out to him and stopped his pacing with a hand on his shoulder. “Daniel, you work on the

  rescue team part-time. You know this mountain. You know what Cassidy and Rick look like. Please, can

  you go?”

  He knew that the safety of the skiers and visitors to this resort was the most important thing. His

  feelings aside he knew that he had to do the right thing. “I’ll go.”

  Her eyes gaze flashed warmly at him. “You’re a good boy.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Man. I’m a man now,” he said. As he walked away, under his breath, “...and

  I’m not always so good.”

  * * *

  Cassidy grew colder. Her face was becoming wind chapped and she was tired. She tugged at her

  foot one more time. With mounting frustration because she didn’t have a clue what to do any more, she

  swore softly. Her foot would not come loose and the harder she tried the more it hurt.

  After she’d left the chapel she found it was hard going because the snow wasn’t hard packed. This

  run wasn’t used as often since the groomers didn’t come down the back run. According to the brochure

  this allowed for those who wanted a more natural skiing experience. More natural experience my ass.

  Looking back, she could still see the roof of the chapel so she knew she hadn’t gone very far. “Argh,” she

  yelled out at the world.

  With every step she’d t
aken her boot had sunk in to at least a foot of powder, sometimes more,

  sometimes less. She’d decided to walk closer to the tree line thinking she might be able to find a long

  branch or two to use as poles to poke ahead as she stepped to help her make her footing. Unfortunately,

  shortly after she neared the tree line her step had sunk her knee deep, jerking her entire body forward at an

  angle that caused her to twist and land oddly against a tree. The right half of her body was against the tree

  with her right leg stuck about half a foot back. Her left foot was flipped over the top of the right and

  planted another foot from that. She felt like she was playing a bad game of twister and tried to maneuver

  herself upright. She’d been able to free her left foot, but her right boot seemed to be caught on something

  under the snow. This is ridiculous. She shivered.

  It was colder along the tree line, where the sun didn’t penetrate the tall stand of trees. As she looked

  toward the run she could tell that the sun was dipping ever lower. It would soon be dark back here where

  there were no lights marking the area. Ever more frustrated, she tried to push off of the tree to get closer to

  where her foot was stuck. Maybe she could dig herself out. She succeeded only in burying the foot deeper.

  The movement caused a greater shot of pain to run up her leg. Not wanting to make it worse, she stopped

  struggling. Why didn’t she just stand Rick up? She could be getting ready for dinner with Daniel now.

  Sweet, wonderful Daniel, who would never dream of abandoning her without skis at the top of a

  mountain. The tears she had held back the whole time she dealt with Rick, and again at the top of the run,

  now came out in a flood of hiccups and sobs.

  The sobs tapered away quickly to some self-pitying sniffs as she watched the sky go darker. Every

  once in a while she would tug on her leg to see if it would become magically unstuck. Each time the pain

  would shoot up her leg and remind her why she shouldn’t do that. She could no longer feel her toes and

  her fingers and face were going numb as well. She was dressed for spring skiing, not for long contact with

  the snow. Therefore the cold was penetrating right through her suit. She knew she had to figure out a way

  to get out of here or she might freeze to death. Racking her brain, she tried to recall anything about cold

  weather or snow survival, but little came to mind.

  A loud bang startled her. She looked around in panic when the bang was followed by a rumbling

  noise. What the heck is that? The noise petered out and she relaxed. When she heard another bang with a

  rumbling noise she became aware that it had actually been happening most of the time she’d been stuck

  here. She’d been so busy worrying about everything else she hadn’t figured it out. They’re doing

  avalanche control—it’s no big deal—they only do that on closed areas. I’m sure it’s not close to here,

  even though it sounds like it. The rumbling carried on longer this time and it definitely sounded closer.

  That’s it, I have to dig myself out of here. I cannot sit here all night and worry about all the sounds

  I’m hearing. Though her fingers were stiff and cold Cassidy desperately dug around her foot. She had to

  see if she could move the snow enough to find out what her boot was stuck on.

  “I found her. I’ll let you know when we’re on our way down.”

  The voice sounded like Daniel’s. It was so close, yet she couldn’t see him in the fading light. She

  heard him ski in closer before she finally saw him. She’d never been so glad to see anyone and tried to

  launch herself at him, as much as she could with her foot stuck. “Oh Daniel. Thank God. Thank you.”

  Daniel pulled back and said, “What are you doing? Do you have an affinity for risking yourselves

  and others?”

  “What? No. I’m stuck. My foot is stuck. I’ve been trying forever to get it out.” Cassidy puzzled at

  the tone she heard in Daniel’s voice. He sounded distant and cold. Then she heard the rumbling again and,

  this time, it wasn’t her imagination that it was closer. He reached down through the snow and unbuckled

  her boot, yanking her foot out despite her cries of pain.

  “Are you nuts? My ankle could be broken!”

  “Better a broken ankle than being buried alive in an avalanche.” Daniel’s walkie-talkie squawked

  to life and he stopped to listen to the message. She watched him look around, up the hill and back down.

  She wasn’t sure what he was looking for. How can he even see in this light? There were no lights back

  here to reflect off the snow and it wasn’t late enough for the moon to be up. He squinted up the hill once

  again and then spoke into the walkie-talkie. “We’ll have to take cover in the chapel. She’s injured and we

  won’t make it down. I’m not sure anywhere else is stable. Keep looking for Rick.” He looked at her.

  “You’ll have to get on the rescue board. We have to get to the chapel. Without a boot, and with that ankle,

  you won’t make it on foot.”

  “But...” She protested, and then heard the rumbling again.

  “Get on the board, Cassidy. Now!” He lifted her up and strapped her on.

  She didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She was mortified that he had lifted her and was now trying

  to haul her across and up a ski slope. How was he going to get back to the chapel? It was uphill and,

  although it wasn’t that far, she was certainly no light weight. She could hear him grunt with effort as he

  side stepped up while pulling her behind him. This was ridiculous. Surely they could get to the bottom

  much more quickly than this? She tried to peer around Daniel and was surprised to see the chapel only ten

  feet away. It amazed her that he was that strong.

  “If you would stop moving this would be easier,” he grunted. A few small waves of snow went by

  them, then trickled to a stop. Daniel dropped the board, unstrapped her, hoisted her over his shoulder and

  all but ran the last few feet into the chapel, kicking the door shut behind him. “Get under the table.”

  Cassidy didn’t argue. She did what she was told. The chapel shook before she heard the noise. The

  sound of cracking and rumbling became urgent. Cassidy knew that the avalanche was upon them. Choked

  with fear, she felt it hit the chapel, heard glass break, the entire building shaken to its core. It felt as if it

  would come loose from the side of the mountain. The noise was so intense that it sounded like she was

  trapped inside her own private wave at the ocean. The wall of sound flooded her senses, distracting her.

  She could feel Daniel tucked in beside her, his arm around her as if to protect her. As the rumbling

  continued, she tried to think happy, positive thoughts. She felt warmth for Daniel fill her heart. Once again

  he had saved her. Comparing him to Rick would be like comparing apples and oranges. She wondered if

  they were even the same species.

  Chapter Twelve

  The noise stopped. It was eerily silent. The building stopped shuddering, although it was still

  creaking, which worried her. Daniel crept out from under the table. “Just stay here. I want to check and

  see if we’re stable.”

  While she knew she should stay put, her eyes narrowed and she contemplated arguing with him just

  for the heck of it. He was being pretty demanding and rude. She’d definitely had enough of that for one

  day.

  “Well… there’s broken glass and flowers everywhere, as well as snow that
came through the

  windows, but for the most part I think the inside is secure so you can come out,” Daniel said, reaching

  down to help her.

  Ignoring his outstretched hand, Cassidy crawled out from under the table as best she could with her

  wounded ankle. She hobbled over to one of the chairs, turned it back upright and sat down.

  Daniel continued to walk around the chapel. “Our problem is that we are surrounded by snow and I

  don’t have anything in here to dig us out. On the plus side, I told the rescue team we were coming here so

  I’m sure they will arrive as soon as they can to get us out.”

  Putting her head in her hands, she was immediately overcome by cold and hunger, which warred

  with the pulse of pain beating from her ankle. She wearily looked around the room. It sure looked

  different than it had only a few hours ago. The snow had left a path of destruction, which overshadowed

  the damage already done by Rick. The fire had died, the candles knocked all over the place. The warmth

  had completely left the room in more ways than one. Daniel was still talking to her in strange, clipped

  tones. He seemed very impersonal, as if she was a stranger.

  “I’m going to get a fire lit. We have to keep warm. The fire will help melt the snow and, hopefully,

  dry it out in here but there’s only so much firewood inside. I don’t know how long it will last.” Daniel

  pulled some matches out of his ski pack, which had been wrapped around his waist. Shivering, she

  watched him as he placed logs and kindling into the fireplace and set it alight—she hoped it would warm

  up soon.

  “Let’s get a look at your foot. I have my smaller first-aid kit with me, but I think there is a tensor

  bandage in there.” He peeled back her sock, pressing gently on her ankle and foot in various spots. “As

  far as I can tell, it is just sprained. The cold is helping to keep the swelling down a bit which is good for

  now. I’m going to wrap it, but I don’t want to put the sock back on until it dries off. I’ll put it near the fire,

  which is where you need to be too. Do you need me to carry you or can you make it?”

  Cassidy almost stayed silent. She wasn’t sure she’d been able to say one word since he’d rescued