Page 80 of Forever Theirs

With a confirming grunt, he picked up his pace, every so often pulling out his compass and slightly adjusting course. “We’ll take turns carrying her while the other leads to ensure the path we’re walking is stable and not an ice shelf or something worse.”

“I’ve got her a little longer. You just get us there quick, brother.”

Despite our urgency and desperation to get Aspen somewhere warm, our pace was slow to make sure we all made it to the emergency shelter in one piece. Ice shelves up this high were a genuine concern and had injured or killed many hikers in the past.

When Miles estimated we were halfway, we switched responsibilities. He carefully seized Aspen from my arms, and I took the lead. When the small shed-type shelter came into view, my footsteps stumbled at the tsunami of relief that flooded through me. I wasn’t nearly as frozen as Aspen, but carrying her with her wet clothes seeping into my dry ones had dropped my body temperature, and I knew Miles was in the same boat.

Fingers wrapped around the thick wooden latch, I lifted the makeshift lock and jerked the door open. The inside was as basic as the outside. Rough wooden planks for a floor, unfinished walls exposing the insulation, an old-school furnace in the corner, and a few sealed tubs tucked in the back corner that I knew held several blankets.

Miles stepped in after me and squeezed around to the side, the shelter not giving us much room to move around. After making sure Jubie was okay—she was smiling while rolling around in the snow, so I took that as a yes—I closed the door to keep out the wind and swirling snow. When I turned, Miles placed a firm kiss to Aspen’s damp forehead and laid her trembling in my outstretched arms, then kneeled in front of the furnace.

After pulling open the small iron door, he peered inside. “There are a few scraps of wood in here.” Unbuckling his pack straps, he pulled it around and unzipped a side pocket, taking out a fire starter bundle and lighter. “I’ll get what’s inside started, then head out for more wood. Hopefully, I can find something not too wet.”

It only took a minute for him to get a flame going, the fire starter and old wood catching quickly. With a satisfied nod, Miles stood, dusting both hands on his waterproof trail pants, and turned, quickly surveying the shaking woman in my arms.

“We need to get her wet clothes off and her wrapped up in the dry blankets. It won’t take long for the fire to warm this small space.” Without a second look back, he pulled open the door and stepped out into the snowstorm. Jubie’s joyous barks sounded from the other side, followed by Miles’s voice calling her name.

“Is he mad?” Aspen asked, her teeth chattering, words slightly slurred. “At me?”

I shook my head and carefully lowered her to the worn floor. “He’s not mad, just very focused on that fire to get you warm. Let’s get these wet clothes off you.” Knowing her muscles were stiff from the cold, I carefully maneuvered the sweater and T-shirt over her head, leaving the dry sports bra on for now. My own fingers slightly numb, it took several tries to untie her hiking boots, but when I did, I cursed under my breath. “Fuck, Aspen, your socks are soaked through. I thought your boots were waterproof.”

Yanking both off, I tossed them aside and held up a single foot to assess the damage. A relieved breath brushed past my lips at finding her toes bright red and cold but no signs of frostbite. I made quick work of undoing her pants and tugging the damp material down her very pale legs.

“Let’s find those blankets and get you wrapped up. Can you scoot a little closer to the fire for me?” Without waiting for her response, I turned to the stack of tubs and ripped off the lid of the one on top. Coarse material bunched beneath my firm grasp as I hauled one blanket out, then another. “These aren’t soft but are no doubt effective.” Flapping one open, I wrapped it around her shoulders and helped her sit up to tuck the ends under her ass. I put the other one around her legs, securing the opening around her feet to keep out the chilly air.

The whole time, Aspen stayed quiet, watching me move about the space. Ripping off my coat, I hung it up on a loose nail and started draping her clothes over any available surface to help them dry.

“Aiden.”

Spinning on the balls of my feet, I faced the little Aspen burrito, fighting a grin at how cute she looked. “Yeah? You okay? Warming up?”

The blanket bobbed with her slight nod. “I’m sorry.” Tears welled in her lower lids. “I’m really, really sorry. I should’ve listened, but I thought…”

Forgetting the clothes, I moved to sit behind her, tugging her swaddled form between my legs and helping her lean back against my chest. Both arms wrapped tight around her, I rested my chin on her shoulder.

“You thought you could do the hike because you can, sweetheart.” Her body shook with a silent sob. “I’m not mad or frustrated or disappointed in you. Neither is Miles. But do you want to know what we are?” She shifted just enough to face me. “Fucking relieved. We didn’t know where you were or if you were hurt, and we freaked the hell out.”

She snorted. “Even Miles?”

I huffed and nodded. “Especially Miles. He almost killed us and a few unsuspecting pedestrians, driving like a maniac while we searched for you.”

Her bottom lip quivered, but this time, I knew it wasn’t because of the cold. “I should’ve left a note at your place or mine, but I really thought I’d be home before you were back.” A sliver of the earlier worry dissipated at her normal speech pattern, no more slurring from her numb lips.

“What happened? We found your pack ripped to shreds and everything in it.”

Panic filled her face, and she struggled against me. “My camera! I had it with me?—”

“It’s fine, sweetheart. We peeled it from your death grip and wrapped it up tight in your pack to keep it from getting damaged. You can check to make sure it’s all good once you’ve warmed up.”

With a reluctant nod, she relaxed against me and began explaining everything, from the time she left our place to when we showed up. My hold tightened, making her shift in discomfort, at the mention of Jasper. And to top it off, fucking Charles, and then the worst threat of them all: the bear.

“Pretty sure you described a teenage brown bear, Aspen.”

The door swung open, letting in a burst of icy wind and showering of snow before Miles kicked it shut behind him. He eyed us before stomping over to the stove and dropping the armful of wood onto the floor.

“You really think it was a brown bear?” she whispered, gaze locked on Miles, who stiffened at her words.

After shoving several thick limbs and branches into the fire, he shut the metal door and spun around to face us. “What did you just say?”

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