by Jenna Brandt
The trio climbed onto the vehicles and headed back towards the resort. As they made their way, however, the snow started falling harder and more rapidly, and the wind kicked up. Within a few minutes, it was pounding against them, causing Nicole to tuck her face against Matt’s back. Maybe it was a bad decision to stay out as long as she made them.
“I’m going to have to slow down. I can barely see in front of me,” Matt yelled over his shoulder. “I don’t want to hit a tree or a snowbank and flip the vehicle.”
Nicole knew he was right, but with every minute they were out there, the storm was getting worse. If something happened to them, it would be all her fault for pushing them to stay. Donald told them not to be out too long.
They continued down the road that led back to the resort, or at least, Nicole hoped it was the road. She wasn’t sure where they were with how much snow was blinding their path.
“I don’t know how much further we can go. I can barely see in front of us,” Matt yelled over the howling wind.
“What are we going to do?” Nicole shouted back.
“It’s too dangerous to keep going, but without shelter, we’ll freeze to death out here.”
Fear seized Nicole’s heart. Was this all her fault? Had she let ambition get in the way of common sense? Was her need to prove herself going to cost them all their lives? Silently, she sent up a prayer, asking God to help them find safety before the storm killed them all.
She opened her eyes and looked around, wishing for anything that would be a lifeline in the frigid storm. Off to the side in the distance, she saw a flicker of light. Was she imagining it? She concentrated even harder, hoping her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. When she saw it flicker again, relief filled her heart. “I think I see a light,” she yelled.
“Where?” Matt asked, looking around.
“Over there.” She pointed to a light off to the right of them, that had gotten brighter from when she first saw it. “I don’t think it’s very far—the light has gotten stronger as I’ve watched it.”
“We don’t have a choice; we need to head towards it.”
Matt turned the steering wheel, adjusting the direction of the snowmobile. They had to slow down to make sure that they didn’t end up crashing into a tree.
They reached the light, which turned out to be attached to a small cabin, just as the snow made it impossible to see five feet in front of them. The trio climbed off the snowmobiles and shuffled towards the door while holding onto each other.
“Is everyone okay?” Matt called out over the howling wind.
“I’m fine,” Britney shouted.
“Me too,” Nicole echoed.
“I don’t know what kind of reception we’re going to find on the other side of this door, but let’s hope they’re a big fan of yours, Nicole.” Matt lifted his gloved hand and knocked on the door.
There was barking from the other side, then the sound of footsteps before the door swung open to reveal a towering, shadowy figure glaring at them.
5
“Who are you? What do you want?” James growled out, shifting his stance and revealing the shotgun by his side for the first time.
“We’re from a movie set that’s been filming nearby. We were trying to make it back to Clear Mountain Resort, and got lost in the storm,” a tall man with mocha skin and black hair, wearing an expensive snow jacket and boots, explained in a frantic tone. “We saw your light and hoped you might let us wait out the storm here.”
“We’re desperate,” the redheaded woman next to him begged. “Please don’t turn us away.”
James wasn’t pleased at all to see the unwelcome strangers. It was bad enough that José showed up right before the storm hit, pretending he was checking on him. James suspected, however, it was simply because he didn’t want to get stuck at the resort with a bunch of nagging guests who hated being trapped there.
All James wanted to do was hide out on the mountain by himself, and not have a group of tourists show up on his porch begging for reprieve from the elements. He was tempted to turn them away, but the rescue officer in him couldn’t do it, especially when he knew that if he did, it would be sending them to their death. There was no way they could safely make it back to the resort with how dangerous the storm had gotten over the last half hour.
“Come in,” James offered with reluctance, stepping aside to let the strangers pass.
The man entered first, followed by the redhead. The third person in the group surprised James. He hadn’t expected to see the blonde actress from the day before. What was her name?
“Nicole West,” José roared as he came in the living room from the kitchen. “What on earth are you doing here? When I heard that pounding on the door, I had no idea we were going to have a celebrity walk through the door. I’m not sure if I’m more surprised you’re here, or James let you in his cabin.”
All eyes turned to look at him as he rolled his shoulders. “I’m not going to apologize for liking my space.”
“I feel like I’m at a disadvantage.” Nicole looked from José to James, and back again. “You know my name, but I don’t know who you are.”
“I’m José Gomez—I’m in charge of the ski patrol for Clear Mountain. This is Master Sergeant James Franklin, formerly of the Colorado National Guard, and a current rescue officer and instructor for Disaster City Search and Rescue.”
“A rescue officer, you say? Well, I suppose it means we’re in good hands,” the man said with a nod. “I’m Matt Gibson, Nicole’s manager, and that’s Britney Jones, her stylist.”
“And best friend,” the redheaded woman added with a smile. “I know all Nicole’s secrets, and would die to keep them.”
James walked over to the fireplace and moved the logs to keep the blaze burning. “It’s going to be a long night. I suggest all of you take a seat while I prep the rest of the cabin.”
“What do you mean, ‘prep the cabin’?” Nicole asked with confusion.
“Aren’t we safe in here?” the redhead asked with concern as she glanced around.
“For now, but I just heard on the radio, the winter storm was just upgraded to a blizzard,” James explained. “Even the best-built cabins can use a little help when the temperatures get below zero. We need to put blankets along the cracks of doors and over windows to keep the heat in.”
“He’s right, and we need to keep the fireplace burning so the flue doesn’t get clogged,” José added. “Even with the generator running the heater, we need the extra heat from the fire.”
“You have a generator?” Matt asked with relief. “That’s good.”
James nodded. “This place is completely self-sufficient. I also have plenty of food and water, along with batteries, flashlights, and candles stored in my pantry, so we’ll be fine waiting out the storm here.”
“That’s such a relief to hear.” Nicole sighed as she sat down on the couch. “I was really worried we might die out there.”
“You’re lucky you found my cabin when you did. There’s no way you would have made it back to the resort safely.”
“Wow, you really don’t know how to be tactful, do you?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.
He chose to ignore the barb, but couldn’t help but notice that Nicole was even prettier the second time he saw her. Her hair was up in a ponytail this time, showing off her gorgeous face and eyes, and then there were her lips. They were the most kissable pair he’d ever laid eyes on. For a split second, he wondered what it would be like to kiss them. Frustrated with himself for letting his mind go there, he pushed the undesired thoughts away. He needed to keep his head clear and work through whatever was bothering him. His goal was to go back to his work, not focus on a pretty woman that was going to only be in his life for one night.
James spent the next half-hour with José placing blankets and towels around the cabin to block out the cold. When he walked back into the living room, he noticed that the Hollywood group looked like a mix of uncomfortable and bored.
>
“Great, no cell reception,” Matt whined with irritation as he tapped the screen of his phone.
“What did you expect? We’re in the middle of a blizzard,” James pointed out sarcastically.
Matt’s hand froze over his phone as his eyes slowly rose to glare at James. He opened his mouth to form a rebuttal, but Britney reached over and patted his arm.
“Since it sounds like we’re going to be stuck here for a while, what’s there to do around this place?” Britney asked, glancing across the living room of the cabin. “Do you have a gym, maybe a sauna?”
James frowned with irritation. “This isn’t the Ritz—I keep it pretty basic. When the weather is good, I hike or fish. When I’m snowed in, I read or play solitaire.”
“My brain is fried from everything that happened today. Is there anything else to do that doesn’t take so much energy?” Britney whined.
“We could watch a movie—that would take way less energy,” José suggested, pointing to the TV.
“I hardly ever use it, but sure, have at it,” James said with a shrug, taking a seat in his recliner as the rest of the Hollywood group gathered on the couch and two other chairs.
José picked up the remote and clicked the button. The TV turned on, but the screen was static. “Do you have cable, satellite?”
James shook his head. “I’ve never seen the point. I think there’s some DVDs on the bookcase though.”
Britney stood up and joined José, where they thumbed through the offerings.
“I can’t believe you have this one,” Britney exclaimed as she pulled a movie from the shelf. “We have to watch it.”
José looked over Britney’s shoulder, then let out a laugh. “You’re right; we totally have to watch that.”
Britney plopped the DVD into the player and a few moments later, the dashboard lit up, revealing an image of Nicole leaning on the shoulder of a man. The title at the top of the screen read, “My Best Friend’s Reunion.”
“Oh no, I never watch my own movies. Please don’t pick that one,” Nicole begged from her spot on the couch. “Anything but that.”
“No way, this is too good to pass up,” José pointed out as he sat down beside her. “We can’t pass up the chance to watch the movie that earned you your very first number one spot at the box office while snowed in with the star.”
“I find it odd that you would know that, José,” James stated with mockery.
“Is it? You know how much I like pop culture. Besides, you’re the one that has this movie. I thought you said you didn’t know who she was,” José challenged as he took a seat on the couch.
“I didn’t, and the movies aren’t mine. My mom bought them before—“ James didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t want to talk about his parents’ death with a bunch of strangers. He quickly changed the subject. “Just hit the button already, José. All I ask is that you don’t repeat every line while we watch it.”
“I’ll make no such promise. I can’t help it if I love the magic of movies.”
“You know, if you ever come out to California, you should look me up. I’d be more than happy to give you a tour,” Britney offered with a flirtatious smile as she took a seat beside him.
“I think I’d like that,” José replied with his own sexy grin.
The movie started to play, and within a few seconds, a younger Nicole with shorter hair appeared on the screen. She was hanging out with her best friend and discussing how he wants to get revenge on everyone at his high school during the reunion.
James didn’t want to admit it, but the movie was actually pretty funny, with slapstick comedy and silly jokes; he found himself steadily laughing as the movie progressed.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Nicole was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Her arms were folded across her chest and she had a frustrated look on her face. Every time someone laughed, she jerked slightly.
About twenty minutes into the movie, Nicole stood up and stated she had to go to the restroom. She exited the room quietly, but James wasn’t buying her excuse. He was certain she took off because she was upset with the group watching her movie. James wasn’t sure why he cared, but he found himself following her out of the room, hoping that maybe he could help her deal with whatever was upsetting her.
6
Nicole couldn’t stand being in that room one more minute. Having everyone laugh at her, including the guy who treated her with contempt the previous day, was more than she was willing to tolerate. Their comments on how silly the movie was, made her angry. She’d worked hard on that movie, and though it wasn’t the deepest of content, she’d did her best with what she’d been given. She knew it wasn’t Oscar-worthy; none of her rom-coms ever had been. Those movies did earn her a solid fan-base, a healthy income, and steady work, all of which many actors struggled their whole careers to obtain.
“You seem upset. What happened in there to make you run off?” James asked as he came into the kitchen.
She was leaning against the counter, her shoulders slumped forward. “What do you care? You haven’t liked me from the moment you met me.”
“That isn’t true. I’m just not great with people,” James explained as he leaned against the opposite counter. “It’s why I picked a career where my co-worker is a dog.”
Nicole was intrigued by the man in front of her. She looked up and let her eyes meet his, wondering if there was more to the man than the gruff exterior. He couldn’t be all bad if he chose to work with animals, could he? “Well, that explains the Alaskan husky you had with you at the resort, as well as here at your cabin. How long have you been a K9 handler?”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I have to admit; I’m impressed you knew the correct term.”
“I did a cop rom-com a few years back. I was a street cop and my love interest was a K9 handler. I did a lot of research for the part, even though most of the scenes got cut. They cared more about showing the jokes and the romance than they did about showing the cop tactics.”
“I notice that happens a lot in the movies,” James observed. “It’s probably why I don’t watch many.”
“And why you didn’t know who I was when we bumped into each other yesterday,” she joked. “It’s been a long time since someone didn’t recognize me.”
“Did it bother you?”
“Not as much as it was surprising. Of course, I prefer your reaction over the ones I get from people who treat me like the characters I play in my rom-coms. I’m not a vapid airhead, whose whole life revolves around finding love.”
“Is that why you’re out here filming your new movie?”
“You know about that?” Nicole asked with astonishment.
“José couldn’t stop talking about the detective thriller you’re filming here on the mountain. He said it’s quite a change from your normal roles.”
She nodded. “I could hardly believe it when Donald Henderson offered me the role three months back. I’ve always wanted a chance to dive into meatier roles, but once my name was tied to rom-coms, no one wanted to offer me anything else. They said it was too much of a gamble at the box office to take a chance on my pulling off a drama role. Even my ex-husband didn’t take me seriously. He told me I was stupid for taking this role and I was going to ruin my brand by doing it.”
James snorted and shook his head. “He sounds like an idiot. You should follow your dreams and go after what you want. Anyone that tells you differently, isn’t worth your time.”
Nicole was stunned that a man she’d known for less than an hour could see her life more clearly than friends who had been in it for a decade. “I don’t know if anyone has ever told me that. Everyone I know just tells me what they think I should do. They don’t take what I want into consideration.”
“Then it sounds like you’re surrounding yourself with the wrong people. It’s better to be alone than trust the wrong person.”
“Is that why you’re up here on your own?” Nicole probed, wanting to under
stand the man who seemed to be able to peek into her life and pull out truths she didn’t even know were there. “Did you trust the wrong person?”
James eyes darted away, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s a story for another time. We were talking about you.”
“You’ve done a great job of listening to me; I don’t mind returning the favor.”
“How about I make you coffee instead,” he offered. “I’ve learned over the years how to make a great pot.”
“Sounds good,” she said with a smile. “I’m a sucker for good cup of joe.” Then she glanced around and asked, “Do you have pancake mix?”
James brows came together in a furrow of confusion. “I do, but that’s a rather odd request at eight o’clock at night.”
“Well, we were out on the set until we got here. I’m starving, as I’m sure Matt and Britney are. I was thinking I could make pancakes—I love breakfast for dinner and it would go great with coffee.”
“Sure, I think we can manage that.” He pulled out the supplies they would need. “We can even cook some bacon and eggs to go with the pancakes.”
They spent the next hour cooking together. They talked about how she started acting as well as his career with his K9 partner, Siku, who was waiting by the side of the stove for any scraps that happened to fall from the pan. When James wasn’t watching, Nicole, with a wink, would sneak a whole piece of bacon to her new, furry friend.
“I could have sworn we had more bacon than this,” James mumbled to himself as he picked up the plate of bacon and glanced down at it with confusion.
Nicole had to keep herself from laughing. She picked up the stack of pancakes and coffee pot, knowing that at least three pieces of the bacon had made their way into Siku’s stomach by her hand.
They exited the kitchen and took the food over to the nearby dining area. “If you haven’t already figured it out by the smell, we have food,” Nicole called out across the room.