Page 12 of The Northern Lights in His Eyes

The wind kept blowing, but it didn’t compete with the blood racing through him. “Are you okay?”

William hummed and closed his eyes once more. He was not going to tell Garvin that he was awake because his entire body was on fire for him. Garvin was his friend, but if he didn’t want anything more than that, then William wasn’t going to make a fool of himself. Finally, at some point, he fell asleep, only to wake when Garvin got out of bed. The fire had burned down, and he added more wood, building it back up.

“It’s cold again,” William said.

“I know. It won’t be for long.” He got the heat building and then joined William under the covers. “The wind is dying down, and it looks like much of the snow has ended.” He snuggled down under the covers.

William rolled over, pulling Garvin close to him, their heat combining.

“Hopefully the power will be restored tomorrow, but we’ll have to see.”

Part of William hoped the power stayed out. He could stay curled next to Garvin for as long as possible. But he made up his mind. No matter what, the first move had to be up to Garvin. If William made it, as he was tempted to do right now, he knew nothing would come of it. If William truly wanted a chance with Garvin, the decision had to be his. As hard as it was for William to be patient, that was what he had to do.

His mind made up, he closed his eyes and tried to fall back to sleep as a low rumble sounded—one he felt more than heard. Actually, William wasn’t sure if he felt it or heard it, but something had happened. “Do you think that was an earthquake?” William had felt plenty of those in California, though this felt different. Maybe it had been some kind of winter thunderstorm, though Garvin said that the storm was lessening.

“Not sure. We’ll find out in the morning.” Garvin settled under the covers, and William let himself try to relax into sleep, but a second rumble, this one more intense, shook him, rattling a few of the dishes in the kitchen. It lasted for a few minutes, not growing, but the sound ebbing and flowing before dying away. Garvin didn’t even wake, and once the sound had faded, he heard no more and finally fell to sleep.

THE ROAR of engines outside pulled him out of sleep. It was dark yet. Garvin still slept as William got up and added wood to the stove. The cabin was warmer, and the clock on the stove blinked. At some point in the night, the power must have been restored. That was good. At least they had basic heat and lights again. William went to the kitchen window to check out the noise and saw four men climbing off snowmobiles outside.

“Garvin, something is going on,” he called.

“What?” he mumbled. “What do you need?”

“There’s a group of guys outside.” Even though he knew they were there, the loud knock on the door made him startle. Garvin got up, and William hurried over and opened the door before stepping back out of the cold.

“Enrique, what’s going on?” Garvin asked.

“We need your help. There was a huge avalanche along one of the sides of the pass. Didn’t you feel it?” Enrique asked.

“I think I did,” William said. “I wondered if it was an earthquake.”

“It was. That started the avalanche, and it buried some people. There are still three missing. We’ll wait outside for you.” Enrique closed the door behind him as Garvin raced into the bedroom.

“Stay here and keep the fire going. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”

William followed him into the bedroom. “I’m going too.” He had no intention of staying here alone all day, and if he could be of some help, then he would be. He pulled on the long underwear he’d bought and then a pair of jeans.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. What do you know about winter rescue? About winter at all?” Now Garvin was being snide, and William glared at him.

“I know enough to keep my eyes open and watch for signs of people. You need to drive that snow beast, so I can be the lookout. Unless you want me to do the driving.” He instantly saw Garvin tense. “Okay, then. Don’t argue. You’re wasting time.” William pulled on a long-sleeve shirt and then a sweatshirt before stepping into his snow pants. He was already getting warm, but he got his coat on and then two pair of heavy socks before stepping into his boots and lacing them up tight. Finally, he pulled on the heavy hat he’d gotten and then lifted the hood from his coat in place. He probably looked like the kid from A Christmas Story.

“Fine. Wear these too. They will help you see and protect your eyes.” Garvin handed him a pair of goggles. Then he pulled the strings on William’s hood, bringing it closed, leaving just enough space for him to see and breathe. After doing the same for himself, Garvin told Sasha to be good, and then they tromped outside as William wondered what his impulsiveness and stubbornness had gotten him into this time.

Chapter 7

GARVIN HANDED William the helmet and had him put it on over his thick hat. Then he hurried back inside and returned with blankets, water, and rescue gear, which he placed in the insulated box. As soon as he raised his hand as a go signal, everyone took off. It had been less than ten minutes since that knock on the door, and he was damned impressed that William not only understood the urgency of the situation but got ready so fast.

“Where are we going?” William asked, holding him tightly around the waist.

Without slowing down, Garvin pointed toward the peaks just west and north of the trading post. When they reached the trading post, Enrique topped off all the tanks, and then they were off, screaming down little-used paths that got them to the base of the pass faster than if they had used the roads. Others joined them, probably from the forest service search and rescue.

“The missing people are the caretakers at a mining camp eight miles up the pass. The remains of the buildings have been found, but they were strewn over a large area.” Enrique spread a map over the seat of his snowmobile. “We need teams of two, and the areas have been divided. We’ll head up until this point.”

Garvin knew the area well and nodded, his mind already plotting the directions.

“After that, we’ll fan out. Go no farther than two miles, otherwise you could get too low on fuel. Return here after you’ve searched.”

Enrique passed out radios, and William took theirs. “Check in every fifteen minutes and report your position. This is dangerous, and we don’t want to add to the rescue. Does everyone understand?” He passed out maps as well. William tucked one in an outer pocket of his coat, shaking a little.

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