Page 22 of Frostbite & Mistletoe
The easy banter they’d shared earlier had evaporated, leaving a tension that made the cab of the truck feel too small, too intimate. Her wolf paced restlessly beneath her skin.
The loaded truck bed rattled behind them with the parts that would save her business. Not only that, but Gabriel’s buddy Allan had given her a big discount.
She sneaked another glance at Gabriel. His large hands gripped the steering wheel with unnecessary force, knuckles whitening beneath his tanned skin. Whatever warmth he’d shown her during their shopping trip had disappeared the moment Allan mentioned“Electric Blue.” Gabriel’s expression had shuttered, his shoulders tensing as if bracing for a blow.
Her wolf nudged insistently, wanting to comfort him. Kymberlie pushed the urge down. Whatever was happening between them, things were complicated enough without letting her wolf take the lead.
“Weather report says snow’s coming in earlier than expected,” she said, just to break the silence.
Gabriel nodded once, a clipped acknowledgment.“We’ll make it through the pass before the worst hits.”
His voice sounded the same as when he’d slapped that closure notice on the club’s door last Friday. As if this morning’s laughing, talking, and sharing music had never happened.
Fine. If he wants to pretend nothing changed between us, I can match his energy.Kymberlie turned back to the window.
Halfway up the snaking switchbacks to the pass, the first snowflakes appeared as delicate, sporadic dots against the windshield. Within minutes, they multiplied. Gabriel scowled and flicked the wipers to a faster setting without comment.
“Doesn’t look too bad,” she offered, hating the silence but keeping her voice neutral.
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly.“We’ll make it back before the worst hits.”
As if he’d just jinxed them, the wind picked up, howling around the truck’s frame. The snow thickened, no longer falling but driving sideways across their path. By the time they reached the top of the pass, visibility had shrunk to a swirling white wall that made Kymberlie’s stomach clench.
“Maybe we should pull over,” she suggested, unable to keep the tension from her voice.
Gabriel shook his head.“No shoulders along this stretch. Stopping would make us a target for anyone coming up behind us.”
Wind buffeted the truck, shoving it toward the guardrail. Gabriel corrected smoothly, not even flinching. They continued their cautious crawl forward.
“Almost to the summit,” he said, voice low and controlled.“Downhill should be easier.”
Fifteen minutes later, his headlights illuminated a massive shape lying across the road ahead. Gabriel swore, easing his truck to a stop on the side of the road.
“Downed tree,” he said, already reaching for his phone.“Perfect.”
As he called 911 to report the incident, Kymberlie peered through the thickening snow. The tree blocked the entire roadway. It would take heavy equipment to move it.“How far are we from town?”
“About thirty miles. Too far to walk in this weather, even in our beast shapes.” Gabriel drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, thinking.“There are vacation cabins all around here. Let’s find one and wait out the storm there.”
He executed a careful three-point turn and backtracked slowly until a narrow dirt drive appeared on their right. The truck lurched up the driveway, headlights cutting through swirling white to reveal a tiny wooden cabin, dark and silent.
Gabriel pulled up close to the porch.“Wait here.”
Before she could protest, he was out in the storm, snow immediately coating his shoulders and hair as he trudged to the cabin’s door. Kymberlie watched as he tried the knob, then disappeared around the side of the building. Moments later, he returned, flakes clinging to his eyelashes as he yanked open the passenger-side door, letting in a blast of freezing wind and swirling snow.
“It’s unlocked. There’s firewood stacked under the eaves.”
From experience, Kymberlie knew that nearly everyone in this area left their cabins stocked and unlocked in case someone needed shelter in the middle of winter. Some people even set up their wood stoves so that a person with frozen hands or numb fingers could easily start a fire.
Her wolf perked up at the prospect of spending the night with Gabriel, but Kymberlie squashed the reaction.Don’t get any ideas, she warned it.
“I’ve got some cash on me,” she offered. “We can leave it, plus a thank-you note, for the owners.”
They hurried inside, where it was cold and drafty, but dry. Gabriel’s flashlight beam swept across a simple, rustic space: a main room with a wood stove, a small kitchenette, a basic bathroom, and a double bed tucked into a corner opposite the kitchenette.
“Power’s out. I guess that tree took down some lines. Start checking cupboards for candles or lamps,” Gabriel instructed, already moving to the wood stove.“I’ll get a fire going.”
Kymberlie found a box of matches and several thick emergency candles in a kitchen drawer. Even better, she spotted a battery-powered camping lantern sitting in plain sight on the counter.
