“That’s awful,” she said.
“A search-and-rescue crew was put together to try to find them, but there was an avalanche in the area where they were last known to be searching. Communications were shit because there’s been some bad weather up in the mountains. So far, everyone on the team has been accounted for...except Everett.”
Georgia’s hand flew up to her mouth as invisible hands around her throat restricted her breathing. “Oh my God!” Gripping the edge of the seat with her other hand, she rocked back and forth, doing her best to replace the oxygen that had been expelled from of her lungs.
“Hey, are you okay?” Lucky glanced in her direction, his eyes flaring when he saw the state she was in.
Georgia turned her head to face him, tears rolling down her face. “Everett… Is he…” She wasn’t able to finish her question, the idea incomprehensible. After what had happened, she’d known she wouldn’t see him again in Hope Falls, but that was a far cry from this.
Lucky gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. “Don’t know. The weather up there on the mountain should clear in few hours, and then they’re sending more people out to look for him and the stranded hikers.”
“No, no, no! He can’t be. Not after the way we left things.” She sobbed into her coat sleeve, unable to control the devastating loss that consumed her.
“Hey. Hey now. I’m sure he’s fine. Everett’s a smart guy, and it’s not his first time on a mountain, okay?” He patted her knee, but it didn’t provide any comfort.
Her mind flashed to Everett stuck on a mountain, freezing to death under the wrath of a winter storm, then to him buried under an avalanche of snow in a frantic attempt to dig himself out, gasping for air. Lost in the dark recesses of her own mind, she didn’t hear Lucky saying anything until he raised his voice.
“Georgia!”
With red-rimmed eyes, she stared over at him. “Yeah?”
“Want to tell me what’s going on? What did you mean when you said how you left things?” His face was full of curiosity and concern.
Her bottom lip trembled as she looked at him. What did it matter now anyway? If he was dead, what they’d shared would be a moot point, and if he wasn’t, there wasn’t a chance in hell she was letting him walk out of her life again—whether he, Deanna, or anyone else liked it or not.
So she confessed everything to him—except the more intimate details, but she was sure he got the gist of it. Lucky listened as he navigated the snowy roads back to Hope Falls with care.
“All right, listen. They have a whole team of people headed out to find him. By the time we arrive back there, he might already be located.”
“And if they don’t find him?” she whispered, voicing her greatest fear.
He pinned her with an intense stare he’d used on his MMA opponents. “Then they’ll keep looking until they do. Don’t lose sight of hope, Georgia. Sometimes, it’s all you have to hold on to.”
She nodded, the determination to stay hopeful and positive permeating through the fear and loss. Georgia would do this. For Everett. And, once he was safely returned to her, she’d never make the mistake of letting him go again.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Georgia knew nothing about navigating through the mountain terrain, so she and Sue Ann had taken to feeding and watering all the search-and-rescue volunteers. The storm had broke, so the majority of people had already departed by the time she and Lucky had arrived back in Hope Falls. Those who hadn’t were sent off with thermoses of hot drinks and food to keep them going.
Hours passed without a word from anyone, and as the afternoon dragged on and the temperature plummeted, Georgia’s mind drifted to the fact that Everett had to have spent the previous night unprotected on the mountain—during a storm. If he’d survived the avalanche and survived the elements, what were the chances he could do so another night if they didn’t find him before darkness fell?
Fear gripped her as she paced back and forth across the fire station, where the search-and-rescue base had been set up. The minutes ticked by, feeling like hours, with no news from the teams up on the mountain.
“Hey.”
Her head sprang up as Lucky entered the common area.
“Any word from Deanna?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
She took the few short steps to the table and slunk down into the seat. Helplessness was difficult to accept. Nothing she could do would help or change the eventual outcome. Georgia knew this, but knowing it and accepting it were two very different things.
Lucky crouched in front of her. “It’s better than bad news,” he said, his voice rough.
She was sure he wanted nothing more than for Deanna to be back there, safe, and within sight. Georgia did as well—she just wanted Everett there, too.
“Why don’t we play cards while we’re waiting around? This is a fire station. There has to be some around here.”
She nodded, not actually interested. But maybe he needed this. He’d been so comforting and attentive to her, and she hadn’t thought about the fact that he had his own worries at the moment. Her friend really was marrying a great guy.
Forty-five minutes passed while they went through the motions of a few rounds of Crazy Eights. Then Sue Ann returned with supplies from her diner. She set a package of buns on the far end of the table and came to stand beside them, the corners of her mouth turned down.
“I heard some news from the chief as I was headed back in here.”
Georgia sprang up from her seat. “Well, what is it?” she asked with impatience.
“They found the snowmobile Everett was using.”
“That’s good news, then, right?” Georgia asked, looking between Lucky and the older woman.
Sue Ann bit her lip before responding. “A portion of it was sticking out of the snow where the avalanche hit. They dug it out, but there was no sign of Everett.”
Georgia stared at the woman, trying to process her words. She’d heard them, understood their individual meaning, but she couldn’t put the pieces together to figure out what Sue Ann was saying. It was almost as if she were outside herself.
“Oh, honey.” Sue Ann wrapped her arms around her with tears in her eyes.
“What’s the plan now?” Lucky asked behind her.
Still embracing Georgia, Sue Ann answered with, “Two options. Either he was swept away in the avalanche and is buried out there somewhere.”
Dead. What Sue Ann hadn’t added on to that sentence was that he’d be dead if that were the case.
“Or he avoided the avalanche and is still out there. They’re going to continue their search until it gets dark in case it’s the latter.”
Georgia pulled away. “So, they’re still looking for him?”
Sue Ann nodded.
“Good. Good… They’ll find him, then. They’re going to find them all, and then everything will be okay.” Her hands began shaking.
Sue Ann led her over to the couch the firefighters used to watch TV. “Lucky, can you grab Georgia a blanket, please?” she asked once she was seated.
Sometime later—it might have been a minute, or it might have been an hour—someone threw a blanket around her shoulders. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she realized she was in shock. She sat there, numb and unspeaking, hearing the voices around her from time to time but not understanding what they were saying.
Eventually, her lids grew heavy, and though she fought to keep them open fatigue won out. She leaned over to lie on the couch determined to close her eyes for only a brief moment. The last thing she thought before sleep claimed her was that Lucky was right—sometimes, all you had was hope. She wasn’t going to give up on Everett. Not yet.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Georgia woke to the sound of a commotion on the floor below. It took a moment for her to process her surroundings, but once she had, the whole terrible situation slammed right back into her.
She sprang up off the couch, frantically untangling herself from the blanket and then tossing it down. When she spun around to head for the door, Everett was standing there—slumped and leaning against the frame for support.
“Everett! You’re alive!” Georgia raced across the room and embraced him in a hug, squeezing him as hard as she was able.
His arms came around her as tears of joy fell from her eyes. He was there. Alive.
She pulled away to examine him. The skin on his face was red and looked sore, and dark bags were under his eyes. It was clear he hadn’t slept in some time, but none of that mattered. Her hands traced all over his body—his face, his shoulders, his chest. Everything was where it should be, but from his slumped shoulders and the mixture of fatigue and sadness in his eyes, she knew he’d probably been through hell.
“Georgia.” His voice was raspy.
“No, no, wait. You need to sit.”
He didn’t argue, and she helped him over to the couch. He wasn’t limping, but he walked more slowly than usual, gingerly taking his steps.
“Where is everyone else?” she asked, her gaze darting over to the doorway. She expected half the population of Hope Falls to be there to greet him.
“When Lucky said you were here, I asked them to give us a few minutes alone.” He took her hands in his and squeezed.
“I was so scared, Everett. I’m so glad you’re okay!” She used her shoulder to wipe the tears from her face, wanting to maintain their physical contact.
“I will be. I’m exhausted, a little dehydrated, but it could be worse.”
She ripped her hands from his and hugged him again. “Sorry. I just can’t believe you’re here. When I heard they found your snowmobile and not you…” She let out an involuntary cry before pulling away. “What happened?”
He brushed hair from her cheek, tucked it behind her ear, and ran his thumb along her hairline. “My snowmobile was acting up on me and conked out. When I couldn’t get it running again, I decided to continue on foot. Figured I’d call it in and let base know then worry about fixing it later. The radio wasn’t working. I’d just stepped into the tree line, heard some rumbling, and before I knew it, the avalanche had swallowed it up. I was so lucky, Georgia.” He rested his forehead on hers for a moment. “Thirty more feet out of the trees or a minute earlier and I would’ve been in the path of that avalanche.”
She ran her hand along his face, unable to stop touching him now that he was with her again. “You were so lucky. If something had happened…” She broke down again.
Everett embraced her, tugging her to his chest. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’m okay,” he said.
Once she’d composed herself, he continued.
“After the avalanche had stopped, I heard people yelling for help. The weather was moving in by then, and it took me a while to locate them. The two of them had decided to look for powder and skied off the trails. One of them ended up in a tree well. Thankfully he wasn’t face down, or he’d be dead right now. The girl wasn’t able to dig him out on her own and wasn’t sure what to do, so she stayed there figuring help would eventually arrive. Radio still wasn’t working. I helped dig him out, and we hunkered down there until search and rescue found us.”
She shook her head. “I don’t even know what a tree well is, but I’m so relieved that you’re okay.” Georgia ran a hand over his face, needing the confirmation—again—that he was real, alive, and sitting right there in front of her. “How did you survive the night?”
“I had most of my survival stuff on me. We dug a hole in the snow to stay warm, shared the survival blanket in my pack, and consumed what little food and water I had. The guy had injured his leg, so he was in no condition to be moved, or we would’ve tried to walk it out of there come morning. I knew, as soon as the storm had cleared this morning, they’d be back out looking for us.”
A tear slipped down her cheek at how close he’d come to death. Feeling silly, she went to brush it away, but he beat her to it, bringing his thumb up to swipe it. Then he cupped her face with both hands.
“The entire time I was out there, all I could think of was you and the awful way we ended things. I promised myself that, if I made it out of there, I’d tell you exactly how I feel.”
Georgia’s stomach did that squishy thing, and she held her breath, waiting for him to continue. His gaze searched her face, and she nodded for him to go on.
“The past couple of weeks without you have been hell. I’ve never felt so lonely and miserable. You have to understand, I’ve been alone for three years now, but I’ve never felt lonely. And I’ve never felt lonely because I’ve never had anyone I wanted to be by my side that wasn’t there. Until you. I was miserable because I knew I was the one to blame. I let what happened to Jake stop me from living, from making new attachments, and for caring about someone.”
He leaned in and kissed her lips—tenderly but with purpose. His lips were rough from having been out in the elements for so long, but it was still one of the best kisses of her life.
“I was so afraid that, if I allowed myself to care about anyone, I’d be faced with that kind of loss again, so I pushed everything away. I don’t want to feel that way anymore.” He shook his head. “No, now I want to feel, and I haven’t wanted that in so long, Georgia. You made all the difference. You were like an electric jolt to my unbeating heart.”
Georgia brought her mouth to his for a quick kiss as joy swelled in her chest like she was a helium balloon about to take flight.
“What I’m trying to say, even though I know it’s crazy because we haven’t known each other for that long, is that I love you. I love you, Georgia, and I’m not going anywhere. I know I fucked up, but I’m staying in Hope Falls, and if you’re not ready to forgive me, that’s fine. I’ll wait and I’ll be here, working to rebuild your trust in me until you do forgive me, because what we have is special. I want to explore where it might lead.”
A smile so big that if felt as if it might split her face in two spread across Georgia’s face. “I love you. So much. I realized it when we were apart, and when I’d heard what happened, I vowed I wouldn’t let you get away again. You’ve saved me and you a whole lot of time and effort on my part.”
He laughed then dipped his head, taking her lips for a sweet yet savage kiss. She loved how he was able to stake his claim while, at the same time, make her feel like a delicate flower.
Georgia’s body heated as it always did when his lips were pressed to hers, and she deepened the kiss before she heard his name being shouted from the doorway.
“Everett!” Deanna raced into the space and launched herself at her cousin, who’d only just managed to stand from the couch before she reached him.
Lucky followed behind her. “Sorry, guys. There was no way she wasn’t coming up here when she returned.”
“Hey, cuz,” Everett said, hauling her into an embrace.
“I couldn’t get back here fast enough when I’d heard they’d located you on the radio. You big oaf. You gave us all a scare!” She stood back from the hug and inspected him from head to toe. “You’re okay?” she asked.
“I am,” he said with a small smile that said he was happy to have someone else who cared enough to be concerned.
“Great.” Deanna put her hand on her hips and leveled all three of them with narrowed eyes. “Now, does someone want to explain to me exactly why my cousin and my friend were kissing when I came in?”
The three of them erupted into laughter and her friend grinned.
The idea of confessing her feelings to Deanna no longer seemed like the hardest thing in the world to do. She knew now that living without him would be the hardest thing of all. Thank God she wouldn’t have to know what that was like. There were no guarantees of where the two of them would end up, but like Lucky had said: Sometimes, all you have is hope.
A Note To Readers:
One of the best ways to support an author is by leaving a review! If you enjoyed Everett and Georgia’s story I’d app
reciate it if you’d consider leaving an honest review. I’d be extremely grateful!
If you’d enjoy small town romance and want to get to know the small town of Saltwater Springs, North Carolina where Georgia hails from be sure to check out my novel, Built To Last!
OTHER BOOKS BY ELISABETH GRACE
Saltwater Springs Series – Small Town Contemporary Romance
Built To Last (Saltwater Springs #1)
The Limelight Series - New Adult Romance
Rumor Has It (Limelight #1)
Picture Perfect (Limelight #2)
Collateral Damage (Limelight #3)
The Maine Attraction Series – Erotic Romance
Indecision (Maine Attraction #1)
Indiscretion: Volume One (Maine Attraction #2)
Indiscretion: Volume Two (Maine Attraction #3)
Indiscretion: Volume Three (Maine Attraction #4)
Indiscretion: Volume Four (Maine Attraction #5)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today Bestselling Author, Elisabeth Grace has a soft spot for happily ever afters and a hot spot for alpha males. If she’s not curled up somewhere with a romance novel in one hand and chocolate in the other, you can probably find her typing madly on her keyboard creating her next story. She currently lives outside Toronto, Canada with her husband, two small children, and killer cat.
Let’s Connect!
I love to hear from readers! Feel free to connect with me via e-mail at [email protected] or via anyone of these social media platforms. I love talking books – even if they aren’t my own!
Website: Elisabeth-Grace.com
Facebook Profile: facebook.com/Elisabeth.Grace.790
Gabbing With Grace FB Group: facebook.com/groups/583755438400847/
Twitter: @1elisabethgrace
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