“I don’t know how much further we can go. I can barely see in front of us,” Matt yelled over the howling wind.
“What are we going to do?” Nicole shouted back.
“It’s too dangerous to keep going, but without shelter, we’ll freeze to death out here.”
Fear seized Nicole’s heart. Was this all her fault? Had she let ambition get in the way of common sense? Was her need to prove herself going to cost them all their lives? Silently, she sent up a prayer, asking God to help them find safety before the storm killed them all.
She opened her eyes and looked around, wishing for anything that would be a lifeline in the frigid storm. Off to the side in the distance, she saw a flicker of light. Was she imagining it? She concentrated even harder, hoping her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. When she saw it flicker again, relief filled her heart. “I think I see a light,” she yelled.
“Where?” Matt asked, looking around.
“Over there.” She pointed to a light off to the right of them, that had gotten brighter from when she first saw it. “I don’t think it’s very far—the light has gotten stronger as I’ve watched it.”
“We don’t have a choice; we need to head towards it.”
Matt turned the steering wheel, adjusting the direction of the snowmobile. They had to slow down to make sure that they didn’t end up crashing into a tree.
They reached the light, which turned out to be attached to a small cabin, just as the snow made it impossible to see five feet in front of them. The trio climbed off the snowmobiles and shuffled towards the door while holding onto each other.
“Is everyone okay?” Matt called out over the howling wind.
“I’m fine,” Britney shouted.
“Me too,” Nicole echoed.
“I don’t know what kind of reception we’re going to find on the other side of this door, but let’s hope they’re a big fan of yours, Nicole.” Matt lifted his gloved hand and knocked on the door.
There was barking from the other side, then the sound of footsteps before the door swung open to reveal a towering, shadowy figure glaring at them.
5
“Who are you? What do you want?” James growled out, shifting his stance and revealing the shotgun by his side for the first time.
“We’re from a movie set that’s been filming nearby. We were trying to make it back to Clear Mountain Resort, and got lost in the storm,” a tall man with mocha skin and black hair, wearing an expensive snow jacket and boots, explained in a frantic tone. “We saw your light and hoped you might let us wait out the storm here.”
“We’re desperate,” the redheaded woman next to him begged. “Please don’t turn us away.”
James wasn’t pleased at all to see the unwelcome strangers. It was bad enough that José showed up right before the storm hit, pretending he was checking on him. James suspected, however, it was simply because he didn’t want to get stuck at the resort with a bunch of nagging guests who hated being trapped there.
All James wanted to do was hide out on the mountain by himself, and not have a group of tourists show up on his porch begging for reprieve from the elements. He was tempted to turn them away, but the rescue officer in him couldn’t do it, especially when he knew that if he did, it would be sending them to their death. There was no way they could safely make it back to the resort with how dangerous the storm had gotten over the last half hour.
“Come in,” James offered with reluctance, stepping aside to let the strangers pass.
The man entered first, followed by the redhead. The third person in the group surprised James. He hadn’t expected to see the blonde actress from the day before. What was her name?
“Nicole West,” José roared as he came in the living room from the kitchen. “What on earth are you doing here? When I heard that pounding on the door, I had no idea we were going to have a celebrity walk through the door. I’m not sure if I’m more surprised you’re here, or James let you in his cabin.”
All eyes turned to look at him as he rolled his shoulders. “I’m not going to apologize for liking my space.”
“I feel like I’m at a disadvantage.” Nicole looked from José to James, and back again. “You know my name, but I don’t know who you are.”
“I’m José Gomez—I’m in charge of the ski patrol for Clear Mountain. This is Master Sergeant James Franklin, formerly of the Colorado National Guard, and a current rescue officer and instructor for Disaster City Search and Rescue.”
“A rescue officer, you say? Well, I suppose it means we’re in good hands,” the man said with a nod. “I’m Matt Gibson, Nicole’s manager, and that’s Britney Jones, her stylist.”
“And best friend,” the redheaded woman added with a smile. “I know all Nicole’s secrets, and would die to keep them.”
James walked over to the fireplace and moved the logs to keep the blaze burning. “It’s going to be a long night. I suggest all of you take a seat while I prep the rest of the cabin.”
“What do you mean, ‘prep the cabin’?” Nicole asked with confusion.
“Aren’t we safe in here?” the redhead asked with concern as she glanced around.
“For now, but I just heard on the radio, the winter storm was just upgraded to a blizzard,” James explained. “Even the best-built cabins can use a little help when the temperatures get below zero. We need to put blankets along the cracks of doors and over windows to keep the heat in.”
“He’s right, and we need to keep the fireplace burning so the flue doesn’t get clogged,” José added. “Even with the generator running the heater, we need the extra heat from the fire.”
“You have a generator?” Matt asked with relief. “That’s good.”
James nodded. “This place is completely self-sufficient. I also have plenty of food and water, along with batteries, flashlights, and candles stored in my pantry, so we’ll be fine waiting out the storm here.”
“That’s such a relief to hear.” Nicole sighed as she sat down on the couch. “I was really worried we might die out there.”
“You’re lucky you found my cabin when you did. There’s no way you would have made it back to the resort safely.”
“Wow, you really don’t know how to be tactful, do you?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.
He chose to ignore the barb, but couldn’t help but notice that Nicole was even prettier the second time he saw her. Her hair was up in a ponytail this time, showing off her gorgeous face and eyes, and then there were her lips. They were the most kissable pair he’d ever laid eyes on. For a split second, he wondered what it would be like to kiss them. Frustrated with himself for letting his mind go there, he pushed the undesired thoughts away. He needed to keep his head clear and work through whatever was bothering him. His goal was to go back to his work, not focus on a pretty woman that was going to only be in his life for one night.
James spent the next half-hour with José placing blankets and towels around the cabin to block out the cold. When he walked back into the living room, he noticed that the Hollywood group looked like a mix of uncomfortable and bored.