Chapter Forty-three

Jessie woke with a start, dismayed that the sun was already up. She hadn't planned on sleeping so long. She sat up quickly, then held her head. Too much wine last night. She pulled on sweatpants and hurried downstairs, smelling the sweet aroma of Irish crème coffee.

Annie stood at the counter, cup in hand, when Jessie walked in. She could tell by the look in Annie's eyes that she'd heard something.

"What is it?"

"I used your little phone there to call Roger. Phone lines are down. They've still not made any radio contact with them," Annie said. "He's sent Matt and Greg out on snowmobiles, although he's not sure how far they can make it. There's a lot of snow, Jessie."

Jessie looked out the window and for a moment, she forgot her worries over Chris. The scene outside was Christmas perfect. Pristine, still, the snow sparkling in the sunlight and all the trees hanging low, barely a green bough could be seen. Then she looked again, closer. The picnic table under the large cedar was nowhere to be found and Annie's bird feeder now stood barely two feet from the snow.

She turned back to Annie. "How much?"

"It's hard to say, what with the wind making drifts. Roger said there's a ten-foot drift in front of the ranger station. He thinks at least four feet in the mountains, maybe more."

"Jesus," Jessie murmured. "Well, I've got to do something. I can't just sit here without knowing."

"There's nothing you can do, child," Annie said firmly. "They'll be all day just trying to clear the roads. Now, have some coffee and I'll make you some breakfast." Jessie looked at her with dismay and Annie added, "It'll keep us busy, if nothing else."

Jessie sat down at the table and took the coffee from Annie. She tried not to think that she might not ever see Chris again. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep her tears away.

Annie saw her shoulders shaking and dried her hands and went to her. She stood behind her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, trying to find the words to comfort her.

"Jessie, do you believe Chris loves you?" she asked softly.

Jessie opened her eyes, turning the question over in her mind. Did Chris love her? She'd never said. She said she cared for her, but was that the same thing? Then she thought of the way Chris looked at her, the way she touched her, the gentle way she made love to her.

"Yes, I think maybe she does love me," she whispered.

"I think she does, too. And if she loves you, she would do anything she could to come back to you. You must believe that. I know Chris is okay. I feel it in my heart," Annie said. And she did.

Chapter Forty-four

They heard the roar of snowmobiles in the distance and they stopped, looking at each other and smiling.

"Never thought I'd love die sound of those damn things," Chris told Bobby.

He laughed. "And I never thought I'd hear you say it."

They had been on the trail three hours, but had only made it a couple of miles, at best. They had missed the Nevada Trail and had continued following the stream, or what they thought was the stream, for nearly a half-hour before turning back. The view of Sierra Peak was too visible for them to be on the right trail. From Nevada Trail, only the top of the peak would show. Chris dug her compass out from her pack and tried to get their bearings. They backtracked and she and Bobby went in opposite directions, looking for markers on the trees. They finally found one and climbed the long hill to the junction of the South Rim Trail, only to find that they didn't know where die junction was. They could find no more markers. All the trees were heavy with snow, their branches hanging low to the ground. Nothing looked familiar to them, so they simply walked up to the trees, sinking well past their waists. They used their ski poles to knock off snow until they found a marker. Once they were in the right direction, they took out the compass and map, trying to gauge where the trail was. Every several hundred feet, Bobby would go to the trees again to look for markers, just to make sure they were on the right track.

They continued on, listening for the approach of the snowmobiles. It was another hour before they spotted them and they hugged each other and cheered as Greg and Matt stopped just a few feet in front of them.

"Well, I'll be," Matt said. "Look at you! You're not frozen at all," he said and laughed. "Glad you're okay," he said seriously.

"Are we glad to see you," Chris said. "Snowmobiles and all."

"Did I hear you right, McKenna?" Greg asked, a huge grin on his face. "Thought you hated these damn things?"

"Yeah. And I can't wait to get on that damn thing."

Bobby took Kenny on one snowmobile and Chris, after kissing both Greg and Matt full on the mouth, took the other, leaving them behind to ski down. They radioed Roger with the good news, then followed the tracks of the snowmobiles down the mountain.

Considering how long it had taken them on die skis, it seemed that in no time at all they were at the trailhead. They followed the road into town, most of the buildings unrecognizable under the heavy blanket of snow.

"Look at that drift, McKenna," Bobby yelled, pointing to the pile of snow that covered the windows of the ranger station.

Within minutes, they were standing in the warmth of the ranger station, telling their story.

"I've never heard of a cave being out there, McKenna," Roger said.

"Well, Jack knew about them," she said. "He took Jessie there when she was young."

"You're damn lucky, kid," he said, then hugged her for the third time. "How could you have lost the radio?"

"Oh, I don't know. There was a blizzard blowing, I was exhausted, my hands were frozen. Hell, how do you think?" she asked and laughed with him. It was easy to laugh now. They were safe.

He took her aside and put his arm around her. "I was worried sick, McKenna," he said seriously. "And you need to call Jessie. She's at Annie's. I called diem and told them we'd found you, but she was pretty shook up about it."

Chris nodded.

"Oh, and you'll have to use your cell. The phone lines are down."

"My phone is buried in my Jeep, Roger. At least, I think that lump out there is my Jeep."

"Mine's on my desk."

She closed the door behind her, relaxing for a minute before picking up the phone. She searched her memory for Jessie's number, then found it scribbled on a note on Roger's desk. The phone was answered on the first ring.

"Thank God, it's you. Are you okay? Do you still have all your fingers and toes?" Annie asked.

"All accounted for, although I'm still not completely thawed."

"A shot of brandy and a nice fire will do wonders. Now, let me get Jessie. She's been, well, she's been nearly out of her mind, thinking she'd lost you. Here."

Chris didn't have time for Annie's words to register. Another voice was calling to her.

"Chris ... sweetheart," Jessie whispered. "You're okay, right?"

"I'm okay."

"You know, McKenna, you missed our dinner date. One frozen pizza down the drain," she said lightly.

"Funny you should say that. Last night, while I was trying to sleep, I was thinking that I'd give anything to be sitting by a fire with you, eating that damn pizza."

"I was so afraid for you, Chris. Annie's had to put up with my fits of crying," she said. "I think she's ready for me to be gone."

"You were crying?" Chris asked. "Why were you crying?"

"I was afraid I'd never see you again. I was afraid you weren't going to come back to me, and there were still so many things I wanted to tell you. And I was afraid that I wouldn't get the chance."

Chris smiled, wondering if Annie was standing there listening. This conversation wasn't exactly between friends.

"We found your cave, by the way. It's the only thing that saved us."

"Chris, I..." She hesitated. The words she wanted to say weren't made for the telephone. Besides, she thought that Annie was enjoying the conversation far too much. "When can I see you?"

"I hope tonight, Jessie. I really want... need to be with you tonight," she said softly.

"I'll come to your cabin as soon as the roads are clear enough. And McKenna?"

"Yes?"

"There's really no need for you to dress," she whispered.

She sat there with a silly grin on her face when Roger stuck his head inside.

"Everything okay?"

"Everything's great, Roger."

He sat down in one of his visitor's chairs and studied her. She knew she must look a sight and she ran a hand through her disheveled hair.

"Jessie was over here yesterday. She saw your Jeep, thought you were here," he said. "She heard the last few radio transmissions and it shook her up pretty bad when we thought we'd lost you." He rubbed the heavy stubble on his chin, evidence that he had not gone home last night.

"It was stupid of me not to secure the radio, Roger, but it was pure hell out there," she said truthfully. "I don't mind saying that I was plenty scared," she admitted.

"I don't doubt it. We were all scared for you. You did a hell of a job, saving that man's life. He's damn lucky it was you out there and not Hatcher or someone else. They would have been more concerned about their own hide and the hell with a lost skier."

"Oh, I don't know. Bobby never once suggested that we give up. In fact, I asked him several times if he wanted to head back and he didn't."

"That's because you've taken Bobby under your wing and he idolizes you," he said.

"He does not, he just cares about things, you know. He's perfect for SAR." She leaned back in her chair and relaxed. "Roger, I want to put him on salary. Part-time, if nothing else. He does far too much to be a volunteer," she said.

"I know. I've already put in a request. With Hatcher out of here in a few months, we'll have room in the budget."

He stood up and smiled at her, then raised an eyebrow.

"I'm assuming you have plans tonight?"

"My plans include a hot fire, something alcoholic to drink, I'm thinking brandy. And of course, a very warm, very soft female body to kiss away my aches and pains."

Roger blushed scarlet and hurried to the door.

"Jesus, McKenna, I don't need details!"