Page 57 of Out of the Cold

His heart tore a little bit at how hard she was trying. “Everyone could use a little help now and then.”

“Even you?”

“Hell, I’m beyond help.”

Maybe she could tell it wasn’t entirely a joke, because she didn’t smile. Those dark, serious eyes seemed to see everything.

“Okay, I’ll keep them. Thank you for thinking of me.”

He was always thinking about her. “I think I got the right sizes, but let me know if something doesn’t fit.”

“Okay.”

“There’s one other thing.”

“Are you going to tell me about another thing that could get me killed?”

“Yes, actually. Now that you’re going out into the backcountry, you need to understand about avalanches.”

Going over to his bookshelf, he pulled out a folded map of the area and spread it on the table.

She came closer and peered down. “Where are we on this?”

He grabbed a pen from where he’d been working earlier. “We’re here,” he said, drawing an X. “You can’t tell from this map, but we’re actually in a valley. Len bought the property because there are no steep slopes for about fifteen square miles.” He traced the border of the valley along the map in blue pen. “The one caveat is the hill behind this cabin. It’s not that big, but it’s steep enough for an avalanche if you’re on it at the wrong time. I know how to test for dangerous snowpack, but you need to talk to me before you go up that way.”

She was biting her lip and frowning at the map. “I had no idea this was something I needed to worry about.”

“Anytime there’s snow on the ground, there’s the chance it could be become unstable. If that happens, it can trigger an avalanche. There are a lot of complicating factors, but my point is that as long as you stay within the borders I’ve marked, you’ll be fine. You’ll run into gentle hills with slopes you can climb or descend in your snowshoes, and those aren’t dangerous.”

She nodded and bent closer to the map.

“I’m serious. People—” he broke off as his voice shook. “People die every year in avalanches.”

She stood up straight and looked at him like he was crazy. “I would never ignore your advice.” She worried her lip some more. “Maybe I should stick to the road.”

He looked down at the boundary he’d drawn to indicate where she could safely go, the X he’d marked for their cabins, and said nothing. If he agreed, he wouldn’t have to worry every time she headed out.

But that wasn’t fair. He knew better than anyone the pleasure being in the backcountry could bring, and he couldn’t deny her that.

“You don’t need to do that,” he finally said, folding the map. “Avalanches happen in specific conditions and terrain. Knowing the conditions is pretty involved, but if you stay away from the terrain, you’ll be fine. And in the area I drew, you can enjoy your hikes without worrying.”

It wouldn’t completely stop him from fretting, but he would have to live with that.

“Hang on a second. I have something else for you.” Going into his bedroom, he opened the pack he used for overnight hikes and pulled out his satellite phone.

Lucy looked up from the map as he came back in. “Here,” he said, handing her the phone. “Take this when you go out, just in case.”

“Why would I need a phone? There’s no cell service out there.”

“This operates using satellites, not cell towers. It’ll work wherever you go.”

“Do you really think I’ll need this?”

“No, but it would make me feel better if you carried it with you.” He turned it on and checked the charge, then programmed his numbers into it. “Now you have my cell and landline, as well as all the emergency numbers you would need,” he said, showing her the screen. “Plus, it has GPS. I’ll pin your cabin so you can use it to get back if you need to.”

“But what about you?”

“I’ll get another one. We sell them at the store.”

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