Page 22 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
“Christ,” Jace says, raking his fingers through his hair. “What must she be thinking?”
“That you’re an ass,” Tanner quickly retorts.
“You’ve some nerve, man.”
“That’s enough, let’s go inside now. We need to apologize to her immediately,” Axel says.
“Fine,” Tanner replies, still scowling. “But for the record, you guys ruined our perfectly fine date.”
As we start to head back, I glance over my shoulder, hoping Emily’s made it to the lodge by now. She deserves better than to be caught up in all this drama. And maybe, if I’m being honest, I wish I was the kind of guy who could just go after her, like Tanner and Jace. But I’m not.
The four of us trudge back to the lodge, and none of us says a word. The truth is out in the open—even if they won’t admit it. They all want Emily, period, which is weird because none of us have ever gone for the same girl before.
As we reach the entrance, the warm lights of the lodge spill out onto the snow, casting long shadows.
I can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when we step into the warmth. The lobby is mostly empty, save for Collie, who’s stationed at the reception desk, flipping through a stack of papers.
“Collie,” Axel calls out as we approach. “Did you see Emily come in?
Collie looks up, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Emily? No, I haven’t seen anyone come in since you boys left. Are you sure she’s not in her room?”
Jace’s face goes pale, and Tanner’s expression hardens, the bickering forgotten in an instant. They both look at each other, then back at Collie.
“She’s not back yet?” Jace asks, his voice tense. “She stormed off a while ago.”
Collie shakes her head, still looking puzzled. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen her. If she came in, I would’ve noticed.”
Axel turns to us, his voice urgent. “We need to find her. Now.”
Tanner nods, already moving toward the door. “She could be lost out there,” he mutters, his earlier bravado replaced with genuine concern.
Jace, however, looks like he’s on the verge of panicking. “Damn it,” he mutters under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “She shouldn’t have gone off like that. This is my fault.”
“It’s no one’s fault,” Axel says firmly, trying to keep us focused. “Let’s just split up and look for her. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
Collie looks worried now, her hand hovering over the phone. “Should I call for help? Maybe some of the staff can join the search?”
“Good idea,” Jace replies, his voice strained. “But we can’t waste any more time. Let’s go.”
I nod, heading back out into the cold night with the others.
We let Raffle take the lead, his nose to the ground, sniffing the air. His ears are perked up, tail wagging with determination. The snow is coming down harder now, swirling around us in thick, blinding sheets. I can barely see a few feet in front of me, my flashlight cutting a narrow path through the dark, snowy night.
“Raffle, find Emily!” Jace shouts, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.
Raffle barks, then bolts off into the darkness, his form quickly disappearing into the storm. The rest of us spread out, moving in different directions, our flashlights bobbing as we search. My heart is racing, a tight knot of anxiety twisting in my chest.
I don’t understand this feeling. I haven’t had it in a while now.
I shine my light around, sweeping it across the snow-covered ground.
The wind stings my face, the cold biting through my jacket, but all I can think about is finding Emily. What if she’s hurt? What if she’s panicking, stumbling through the snow, trying to find her way back to the lodge?
The thought sends a surge of worry through me, and I push forward, scanning the ground for any sign of her. I can hear the others calling her name, their voices barely more than faint echoes against the wind.
“Emily!” I shout, my voice hoarse. “Emily, where are you?”
I think about the events that unfolded yesterday, how vulnerable and small she looked when Axel pulled her out of the car. We had gotten to her just in the nick of time.
