Snowed In

Crouched beside a boulder, she looked back toward the ledge. In daylight, she would have had a clear view. She saw the beam of a flashlight and pointed. “They’re coming.”

Emily ducked down beside her. “What now?”

“Stay quiet.”

The flashlight beam bobbled along the path. When he passed the boulder where they made their desperate slide, her tension lessened. Maybe he wouldn’t notice their escape route. Maybe they’d be safe.

The beam scanned the forest. Though she knew the light wasn’t powerful enough to penetrate this darkness, she crouched lower, wishing she could disappear.

The light came back toward the granite boulder.

“Emily?” a deep, male voice called out. “Emily, are you out here? It’s Blake.”

Blake—the hulking, angry ranger—had come to their rescue. Sarah was so relieved that she almost burst into the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Chapter Two

Blake Randall hadn’t expected to start his duties as best man by rescuing the bride and her very attractive maid of honor, but tonight’s action felt a lot more natural than getting decked out in his dress uniform and making a champagne toast. When he spotted the two women at the foot of the cliff, he anchored one hand to a tree at the edge of the path and threw down his belt for them to use as a climbing aid.

Emily grabbed his belt and scrambled up the steep slope and onto the path, where she threw her arms around him for a hug. In spite of the cold and the discomfort and a smear of mud on her cheek, she flashed a bright smile. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was afraid something terrible would happen.”

“Something terrible did happen,” Sarah growled from the bottom. “Four masked men with guns tried to kill us.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Emily called down to her. “I don’t know why they were there or what—”

“Step aside,” Blake interrupted her as he got into position to help Sarah. Though the threat had been handled for the moment, he couldn’t be sure that they wouldn’t be attacked again. It was imperative to get the women to safety as quickly as possible.

Sarah had removed her gloves to get a firm grip on his belt. As soon as she latched on, she climbed with sure steps. Her boots kicked through the crusty snow and found footholds. As soon as she was within his reach, he grasped her wrist to help her up the last few steps. Her arm slung around his neck. He felt her muscles tense. If they hadn’t been dangling off the edge of a cliff, this hold might have counted as an embrace.

When she stood beside him on the path, she avoided his gaze. “Thanks, Blake.”

“You could have made it on your own.”

“Climbing uphill is easier than coming down.” She straightened her shoulders. “We should get out of here.”

“Agreed. My rental is in the clearing.”

“Is it safe to go back there?” she asked. “How do we know they aren’t waiting to ambush us?”

“We don’t,” he said, “but I doubt they’ve had time to regroup. I got in a couple of good hits before they drove off in their van.”

“You shot them?” Emily squeaked.

Though he was certain that he’d wounded two of the men, he didn’t intend to give her a recap. Emily was so bighearted that she’d want to seek out their enemies and offer aid.

Sarah was different. Her voice was calm as she said, “A couple of good hits, huh? Thanks, again.”

“Let’s go.” He drew his Beretta and snapped a fresh clip into the magazine.

With the two women following, he moved quickly through the trees and back toward the clearing. Staying in the cover of the surrounding forest, they made their way toward the SUV he’d rented at the airport.

“Wait,” Emily said.

“Keep moving,” he said.

“We’re going to be okay,” she said. “Wait a minute.”

His buddy Jeremy truly loved this woman. Blake found her unrelenting perkiness to be somewhat annoying. “What?”

“I see my cell phone over there. Can I get it?”

The bubblegum-pink phone struck an oddly feminine note amid the heavy-duty equipment and pipes. Leaving it behind would provide information to their enemies. He needed to secure the phone but didn’t want to send Emily into an open area where she’d be an easy target if there was a sniper hiding in the trees. He handed his car keys to Sarah. “Get in the vehicle. I’ll grab the phone and join you.”

He watched as the two women climbed into the SUV. He hadn’t expected Sarah to take the driver’s seat, but that was what she did. Then she started the engine and drove toward him, providing additional cover. It was a smart move. He liked having her on his side.

In a few strides, he scooped up Emily’s cell phone and dove into the passenger seat. The road leading away from the drill site was single lane for about a mile before it intersected with a regular two-lane road. If the guys in ski masks were planning to stop them, this would be a good place for an ambush. “I’ll drive,” he said.

“I’ve got it,” Sarah said.

“There might be a need for evasive driving.”

“Then you’d better fasten your seat belt.”

She wheeled the SUV around and drove out of the clearing at top speed, which is exactly what he would have done. The headlights slashed through the dark as she expertly navigated the bends in the road. In seconds, they were approaching the intersection.

At the ninety-degree turn onto the more traveled road, the SUV fishtailed, but Sarah maintained control. On the two-lane road, her boot pressed down on the accelerator. With Sarah at the wheel, the boxy vehicle flew like a sports car, zooming through the trees.

Blake was impressed. “Where did you learn how to drive?”

“Mountains, high trails and frozen lakes,” she said. The lights from the dashboard illuminated her grin. This was a woman who enjoyed going fast—his kind of woman. “I know my way around a skid.”

“At the main road, go left.”

“But the B and B is to the right,” she said.

“I’m taking you ladies into town. We’ll get a hotel room for the night and come back in the morning.”

“I don’t think so.” Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. “I won’t leave my property unprotected.”

From the backseat, Emily piped up, “Is there anybody else staying at the B and B?”

“The last couple left this morning,” Sarah said. “The whole place is reserved all week for the wedding party.”

Belted into the passenger seat, there was nothing Blake could do when Sarah took a right turn and headed toward her bed-and-breakfast. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. He was accustomed to giving orders and having those orders obeyed. Keeping his voice calm, he reminded Sarah of the danger. “They could already be there, waiting for us.”

“You’re right.” She eased off the gas and pulled into a wide space on the road where the snow had been cleared. “We need to call the sheriff.”

“I have it covered.”