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  Oh, God, was he coming to get her? Surely he would now. She would have to go back without a break. She felt like crying, but it was too much effort. So she let out a moan of dread.

  “Don’t take me back. I-I don’t wanna go.” But the words were just mumbled. A demand with no bearing. She was weak, too weak to fight.

  “Not much longer,” the woman yelled back.

  Ellie gripped her harder, making sure she was real. She could feel her body heat against her cheek. She wanted to crawl inside her where it was warm. And sleep. Yes.

  Where was she? She knew just a second ago.

  They rounded a corner and climbed a little. She eased her grip and took a better look. They were approaching a log cabin. It looked to be two stories. The ski lift chairs hung in the distance. She collapsed against her again, unable to keep her head up.

  Log cabin. Warmth. Mountain.

  Nothing else came. Her eyes fell closed again.

  Would Marco be waiting inside?

  Chapter Three

  The falling snow ate at Maggie’s face as they rode, the wind whipping and pushing. Maggie’s teeth chattered, and she tried not to imagine what the cold was doing to Ellie’s already frigid body.

  When she felt comfortable, she accelerated, and heavy trees flew by, two and three at a time. They had to climb, gradual but steady, parallel to the mountain. When the cabin came into view on a flat stretch of land, Maggie tried to smile with relief but she couldn’t. She was too worried about Ellie. The sky was now dark gray, night creeping in despite their plight. Somehow they’d made it back just in time. Luck was on their side.

  She pulled in next to the house and killed the engine. Ellie hung like a ragdoll behind her. Maggie tore off her goggles and carefully climbed off the machine. When she had good footing, she again lifted her and carried her toward the steps. She’d cleared them earlier, but they were already covered again.

  “Can you walk up the stairs?” She set Ellie down and held her steady by the shoulders.

  Ellie made a small noise and sank onto the bottom step. “Is Marco?”

  Maggie leaned in. “Sorry?”

  “Marco inside?”

  “No. No one is here.”

  Ellie seemed to relax. Her eyes, which were doe-like and glossy black, seemed softer. Maggie left her a moment to go cover her snowmobile with a tarp. When she came back, she helped her stand, then turned her gently, and held her around the waist.

  “Step carefully. One at a time.”

  Maggie helped support her, and they took it slow, one by one. When they reached the top, Maggie saw her Welsh corgi, Lincoln, pawing at the window in the mudroom. Ellie leaned into her, and Maggie opened the door. Lincoln did his usual dance of excitement.

  “Not now, boy. She needs help.”

  They shifted a few steps, and Maggie helped her sit on the wooden bench. As quickly as she could, she removed her hiking boots and her own pair of Sorels. Then she opened the door to the house. The heat from inside tried to penetrate Maggie’s skin, but it couldn’t seem to. They moved farther inside, heading for the bedroom. Maggie’s body began to strain with the extra weight, and she shuddered with cold. Riding without her thick coat had done a number on her, and she could only imagine how Ellie felt. She’d never had the misfortune of being stuck in the snow. She hoped she never would.

  Her large bedroom greeted her with its stone walled fireplace and king-sized bed. She managed to get Ellie to the bedside where she eased her down gently. She texted the word home to Frank then knelt to remove Ellie’s socks. She’d put on several pair, but they were so thin they’d been nearly useless in the cold.

  “Can you feel this?” Ellie’s feet were delicate and ice cold, but Maggie didn’t see any sign of frostbite. She breathed a sigh of relief, massaged Ellie’s feet a little longer to get the blood flowing, then rose to help her out of the jacket.

  Ellie tried to help, but Maggie told her it was okay to relax and she did, letting Maggie continue. Maggie tossed aside the jacket she’d put on her and then unzipped Ellie’s inner jacket. It felt damp, and Maggie felt her brow furrow with worry. After she tossed the jacket aside, she paused as her hands came to rest at the bottom of her sweater.

  “I need to get you out of these wet clothes.” She appeared to have on a sweater and then layers of T-shirts.

  Maggie looked in her eyes, and Ellie nodded her permission. Maggie lifted the sweater and undershirts up and off. Ellie trembled a little, avoided eye contact, and seemed to focus on her hands where she tried to open and close them. She didn’t try to remove her bra, which was red lace, and Maggie forced her eyes away and went to the dresser where she retrieved a thermal undershirt and a sweatshirt. She brought both back to the bed and helped Ellie into them.

  “We need to remove your pants,” Maggie said. Ellie was wearing jeans, and they were nearly frozen solid.

  Ellie looked at her for a moment and then nodded again. She tried to undo her pants herself, but she couldn’t. Maggie did it for her, gently, carefully.

  “Can you stand or do you want to lie back?”

  Ellie braced herself against Maggie and stood. Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat and lowered the jeans. She kept her eyes down and knelt to help Ellie step out of them. Then she rose and eased her back onto the bed. She noticed the matching panties but averted her gaze. She went into her closet and brought back the smallest pair of sweats she had, along with thermal underwear.

  Maggie knelt and maneuvered both on, helping Ellie stand to do so. When she finished, she helped her into a thick pair of socks. She stood and looked at her. Ellie was still virtually limp, but her face didn’t look as pale and the blue in her lips was diminishing.

  “Ready to get under the covers?”

  “Yes,” Ellie said and stood carefully once again. Maggie tugged back the goose down comforter and flannel sheets and Ellie climbed in, again bracing herself on Maggie. She made a small noise and inhaled deeply as she relaxed. Maggie covered her and tried not to notice how beautiful her raven dark hair looked against the white of her bed. Instead, she got to work, removing her own Henley shirt and undershirt and slipping into two new ones. Normally, she wouldn’t change in front of a stranger, but Ellie had already closed her eyes, and it only seemed fair considering Ellie had had to do it. Maggie thanked the stars above she’d found her because she would’ve surely frozen to death in her light clothes.

  Maggie slipped out of her snow pants and retrieved a pair of flannel pants and long johns. She slipped into both and threw more logs on the hungry fire. Lincoln stood at her feet and wagged his tail when she looked down at him. She knew he wanted on the bed.

  “Go on,” she said, nodding toward Ellie. Lincoln ran and jumped and snuggled in next to her feet.

  Maggie watched her sleep. She was gripping the covers to her chest, and her lips were moving as if saying a soft prayer. Maggie touched her forehead. It was still cool and her hands still felt frozen. Carefully, she pulled the covers back and crawled in, knowing her own body heat was the best way to heat her up. She eased in next to her, and Ellie turned and embraced her, and shuddered. Maggie covered them and breathed deeply, trying to relax. Soon their breathing synchronized.

  Maggie allowed herself to think freely then, to feel freely. She’d been in rescue mode since the phone call. Firing on all cylinders, searching and adapting and reacting. Now it was still. Now she had to wait to see if Ellie was going to be okay. Her petite body was cold and weak against hers. She looked so peaceful, like an angel. A snow angel. Never in a million years could she have imagined this scenario.

  Yet here she was. Ellie Falcon, nearly frozen to death in her arms. It felt strange but not just because it was Ellie Falcon. It was because it had been years since she’d had someone in her life. She recalled how the years had gone by, painfully slow at first, but then they flew by rapidly as she’d adjusted to being alone. And there was a time not so long ago when tears would’ve nipped at her throat in thinking about being alone
. But not now. Now she was strong and steady, and at this moment, someone needed her.

  That someone was Ellie Falcon.

  Maggie angled her head and studied her. She’d always found her alluring, and she enjoyed her show when she came across it, but she realized she didn’t know much about her. Her beauty was radiant, even more so in person. It was as if ancient sculptors had created her, pained over the perfection of their task. She was classically beautiful with high cheekbones, full lips, and a crooked smile that captivated millions. And when she laughed she lit up from the inside out.

  She truly was one in a million.

  “Just rest,” Maggie said. “You’re warm and safe.” And as the words drifted from her tired mouth, she closed her eyes and melted against her.

  Chapter Four

  Ellie awoke to movement. She blinked several times, eyes adjusting to the gray light. A dog licked her chin and wagged a tail. She touched his head and sat up. The room looked familiar, but she couldn’t place why.

  She was in a log home; she could tell by the walls. To her left was a stone fireplace with a southwestern style rug draped before it. Cut wood was stacked to the left of the hearth. In front of her was a beautiful antique dresser and to her right were two doors. One was cracked open and must lead to a hallway of some sort and the other she guessed was a closet. She looked back to her left where she saw another door nestled in the corner, to the left of the dresser. A bathroom.

  She swung her legs over the bed and stood carefully. Her legs trembled a little and she decided against trying to make it to the bathroom. Instead, she sat and loved on the dog. He was a corgi, a breed she’d always adored. She loved the short legs and the soft ears.

  Her heart kicked a little quicker as she continued to look around, trying to place where she was. It wasn’t Frank’s cabin. His wasn’t as roomy and his furniture wasn’t antique. She scanned the mantle above the barely breathing fire. A painting hung center flanked by books on either side. She recognized the series as one of her favorites.

  “Wherever I am, it can’t be half bad,” she said.

  She tried again to stand, and this time she managed to without trembling.

  “Ellie?”

  Ellie turned and saw a woman step just inside the door. She was tall, maybe about five eight with an athletic build. Ellie quickly took in her short, wavy hair and piercing eyes. She felt weak and sat again on the bed.

  “Mmm?” She wasn’t sure what to say. Who was this woman?

  “How are you feeling?”

  Ellie licked her dry lips. “Where’s Marco?” Surely he was there. Her heart sank at the thought.

  The woman entered, though slowly. She stood at the foot of the bed as if Ellie were a wild creature and easily frightened.

  “My name is Maggie Douglas,” she said. “You’re in my home. No one else is here.”

  Ellie met her gaze. “Maggie,” she said. She saw the green of her eyes then. “Ireland.”

  “Sorry?”

  Ellie broke the gaze, embarrassed. “Nothing.” Her mind raced. “Why am I here? Who knows where I am?”

  “I found you in your SUV. You’re in Flagstaff. At the base of the San Francisco Peaks.”

  “Arizona,” Ellie said. “I was going to Frank’s.”

  Maggie nodded and smiled a little. She sank strong looking hands into her loose jeans.

  Ellie waited for the fright to come, the anxiety of being with a stranger in a strange place, but it didn’t happen. In fact, she felt reasonably calm and even a little… stirred. She cleared her throat, unsure what that meant or where it came from.

  Maggie sat. “You’re okay. You’re safe. And only Frank knows you are here.”

  Ellie stared into the waning fire. It was good news and she was so relieved she almost teared up. But she never showed emotion in front of people. Not real emotion anyway.

  “Thank you,” she said. “For helping me.”

  “No thanks needed,” Maggie said.

  Ellie pushed out a breath. “I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I can.” Just as soon as she could stand and walk.

  “I’m not worried about that. You’re welcome here for as long as you need.” She paused and then stood to approach a window. Ellie could see the snowfall from where she sat. “By the look of things, you will be staying a day or two at least.”

  Ellie stood, a little panicked. This wasn’t her plan. She wanted to be at Frank’s. Needed to be at Frank’s. Alone.

  Maggie continued. “We may have a break at some point, but the storm is here to stay for a while.”

  “Are you saying I’m stuck here?” Ellie felt herself warm with irritation. She didn’t like losing control. It terrified her. Which was exactly why she’d needed to get away in the first place. She’d lost control of her life and it was spinning madly out of control.

  Maggie turned and looked at her as if struck. She recovered quickly though and smiled as if to reassure her.

  “We’re at the mercy of the weather up here.”

  Ellie shook her head. “Can’t I get to Frank’s during that break?”

  Maggie appeared incredulous. “I’m not sure that we’ll get a break. Even if we do, it would be risky. The path to his place is snowed over, and we’d have to shovel our way in once we arrived. Not to mention get you up and running once we got inside. By the time we got all that done, the storm would probably catch me on my way back.”

  “So then you would be stuck with me?”

  “Yes.”

  Ellie ran a hand through her hair. She’d kill for a long, hot bath and a chai latte.

  “I don’t like this,” she said. “This wasn’t my plan.”

  Maggie looked away, appearing a little nervous herself. “I’m sorry.” She crossed the room to the doorway. “I’m going to start breakfast. Is there anything you need?”

  Ellie wanted to ask for help, but she never did such things. She tried to never show weakness of any sort. So she shook her head and sat in silence, wishing like hell that her life were different.

  Chapter Five

  Maggie left the room feeling a bit lost. Ellie was obviously upset, and she wasn’t sure how to make her feel at ease. She’d rescued a few others before—hikers who’d been caught in a storm, other motorists stuck on the road—and they had all been extremely grateful. Ellie only had to stay for a day or so, maybe a little longer, then she could take her up to the ski lodge where her vehicle waited or she could try to get her in at Frank’s.

  She felt her phone vibrate as she headed for the kitchen.

  “Hello?”

  “Maggie, it’s Frank. How are you?”

  She debated how to answer. “Well, physically, I think we’re fine. Ellie’s safe and sound, and we both got some rest.”

  “Good, good.”

  Maggie stared out the nearby window. Weak light filtered in, and the wind whistled a little as it pressed against the house.

  “Listen, Frank, I think she’s really uncomfortable at being here.”

  “She wants her privacy. Insists on it. Always has.”

  “This isn’t an average situation though. She’s going to need to stay here for a little while. There’s the storm and her fragile state. I don’t think she’s eaten in a while. She’s a little...”

  “Gaunt?”

  Maggie sighed. “She looks like she needs food and rest.”

  “She usually does. Sometimes she shows up looking like a sack of bones.”

  “Is she overworked?”

  “I’d say. But she rarely talks about it. Like I said, she’s very private.”

  “Doesn’t she have family? People who care about her? Won’t they be worried?”

  “I don’t think she has family. No one she’s close to anyway. As far as people worrying, she usually tells them she’s going somewhere else. And she usually keeps them at bay by using that cell phone of hers. She’s usually glued to it.”

  “Friends?”

  “She has plenty of those, but again I think
she keeps everyone at arm’s length. She always insists that no one know where she really is.”

  “She ever show up in a storm before?”

  He seemed to think a moment. “No, never in a storm. But she showed up unannounced one time. Just right out of the blue on my doorstep, looking like death warmed over.”

  “When was that?”

  “When she filed for divorce.”

  “She was married?”

  “Yes, but she never talked about it.”

  Maggie thanked him and signed off. The wind whistled and the sky was now blue-black against the falling snow. She turned away from the window. Who was Ellie Falcon? Was she remarried? Did she have children? About the only thing she knew was that Ellie was the star of the number one show on primetime. Her face was everywhere. Billboards, buses, magazines. Maggie lived in a remote mountain cabin and watched very little television, but even she knew who Ellie Falcon was. She saw the magazines at the grocery store. The commercials for makeup and beauty products. Ellie was everywhere. And now it seemed she wanted to be nowhere.

  Maggie put a kettle on the stove. Her own body was warm again, but she felt cold inside. Uneasy. Something strange was going on and she was now caught up in it. Things like this weren’t supposed to happen to her. She had protected herself from people and the drama they brought with them. She’d dropped everything and moved up here for peace. Now it seemed as though trouble had found her once again. And once again, it came attached to a beautiful woman.

  The kettle whistled, and she poured the hot water into two mugs. She unwrapped her cinnamon tea pouch and dipped it inside. She allowed the dipping to mesmerize her for a while. Then she took a careful sip and headed back to the bedroom with the other mug. She knocked on the door, and Lincoln lifted his head from the bed. He watched Maggie, but he didn’t budge.

  “I see you’ve made your choice,” she said under her breath.