Page 77 of Snow River

“Of course not.”Ani shook her head.“We’re happy.Bear is the one and only man I’ve ever known who comes close to deserving you.”

That heartfelt statement made Lila’s face warm.What would she do without her friends?For a moment, those old Fangtooth Gulch friends from the past flashed through her mind.Paulina, Nancy, Gwen and Allison.Their friendship had been formed by ice and snow and blizzards.It must have been a lifeline for them all.Whatever Nancy and Allison knew, surely Paulina would have known too?

Hiding.And biding.

She was still keeping secrets, out of fear or for some other reason.Lila was sure of it.

She shook off the thought, since she couldn’t follow up on it now anyway.

“That’s sweet, but I’m not sure where he stands.”

“Where he stands?I’m pretty sure he’ll stand wherever you want him to,” said Molly dryly.“That man has been eating his heart out over you from the very beginning.”

“He’s never said…” Lila screwed up her face in doubt.She knew Bear had feelings for her—that much was obvious—but they could be mostly lust or protectiveness.

“Bear doesn’t seem like a big talker.Gil’s a little like that too.”Ani’s smile radiated bliss and contentment.“But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have something to say.”

“I bet he’s unsure about you and your plans,” said Molly shrewdly.“Call that my lawyer’s intuition.I can read body language, you know.It seems to me that he’s holding himself back.”

That rang true to Lila.Why wouldn’t he be unsure about her plans when she never had any?All she knew right now was that she had to be in Firelight Ridge at least for the winter.“Do you guys remember when my hair turned this shade of white?”

“Of course.We had that slumber party for your eighteenth birthday.You went from blond to silver overnight.”Molly twisted a lock of her own merlot-colored hair.“I was jealous, it was the most gorgeous color.But why do you bring it up?”

“Because of the dream I had that night.”

Both her friends leaned forward, nearly breathless with fascination.“I had no idea you had a dream,” said Ani.“You never said.”

“No.I never told anyone, because I really didn’t know what it meant, but I knew it was important.I dreamed about…snow.”

“Snow.”Molly repeated after her and shared a glance with Ani.“Just snow?”

“So much snow.Endless snow.It was…breathtaking.And there was a bear.”

Her friends gasped.Even Lila got chills saying it out loud.This was something she’d kept to herself for so long.The first time Bear had introduced himself, she’d remembered that dream, then laughed at the funny coincidence.

But was it?

“A bear was walking through the snow, deep snow, up to his chin in it, and he saw me.He turned his head to look at me and I knew he needed me.But he kept going and disappeared into a valley.I started to fly across the snow after him—literally fly, with my arms spread—but I couldn’t see him anymore, and then I fell into the snow and everything turned white.That’s when I woke up.I knew something was different.I could feel it.I went into the bathroom and saw that my hair was white.”

Ani slowly shook her head.“That’s incredible, Lila.I don’t know what to say.”

“I do.”Molly shook herself, as if coming out of a trance.“Now I know why you came here.For the snow and for Bear.”

That was so close to what Lila had been thinking that she teared up.Molly always understood.Even though they were so different in so many ways—Molly was capable, logical, brilliant, decisive, confident—she got Lila and watched out for her and always had.

“Maybe it’s true,” she said softly.“But I think there’s something more.Something very wrong and bad happened here and that’s why I came here.”

Molly bristled.“Why is it on you to fix it?You shouldn’t put yourself in danger.That’s exactly why I came after you.”

“Molly, I know you’ve always been protective of me, and I admit that I needed it.You’ve covered my rent when I couldn’t quite do it, you’ve faked job references for me.”

“Shhh.”Molly glanced around the bar with a guilty expression.“I just got my Alaska bar license, don’t get me in trouble.”

“Sorry.Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that being here in Firelight Ridge has changed me.I’ve grown up a lot.Yesterday, I tied my record for longest time at the same job.Today, I broke it.”

Molly offered her a high-five, while Ani lifted her wine glass in a “cheers.”

“My whole life, I’ve never understood why I am the way I am.I’ve never felt like it helped me.”She brushed a fallen strand of hair away from her face.Partly white, partly her current hot pink.“It kept me from putting down roots anywhere, it kept me from having good relationships.”

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