On the Line [Run Cold Book Two]

3: Changes

Up too early to have gotten much beauty sleep, Einar and I made a breakfast from handfuls of trail mix and a pair of apples. The resort buffet didn't open until seven and I wasn't about to put anyone out by demanding they make an exception for me, even though the staff had made it abundantly clear that this was acceptable behavior for a queen.

I took a quick shower, threw my hair into a loose braid, and we were off. A little before five we hustled into the suv, not that Uli was a concern. The Engen ranch was nearly impossible to reach in the winter months and closed to the public year round. Between the skiing and cozy chat, I suspected she'd gotten enough to spin any story she wanted. My dates with Nik were public knowledge. With Marcus tucked away in his corner of the world all winter, the rumor mill hadn't exactly been churning out stories concerning the two of us.

As my mileage ticked higher and a layer of fresh powder forced my pace slower, I wondered what price Uli'd pay to learn that my northerly friend was the only reason I couldn't look Nik in the eyes last night.

Absently I adjusted the length of cord around my neck; even in my prettiest gowns I'd kept the bear claw close, be it wrapped into a little anklet or tucked away in a dazzling clutch. Wearing it around Nik when he knew quite well that Marcus had given it to me wasn't exactly considerate, not when he was waiting patiently for our relationship to resume, but it carried too much meaning to cast aside.  

Despite the pride I felt at remembering my survival of Kasper and Queen Joronn, the necklace bore a lot of guilt, too. When would I be ready to press play and pick up where Nik and I'd left off?

In the pit of my stomach I knew I couldn't make that determination without seeing Marc again.

*

At the closest town to the ranch, more of a one-lane village if you asked me, a general goods store shared a winter business of snowmobile and ATV rentals with an adjacent auto body shop. Marcus waited outside the brick buildings,  browsing vehicles in the half-interested way I walked through candle stores while waiting for Becky to find a scent she liked.

The first time I'd been to the ranch, we'd bypassed this quaint place in favor of trails better-suited to the horses. Folks around here were charming and close-knit, I was sure, but from the lack of foot traffic and inns I hadn't missed out on much more than a clean cot in someone's attic.

I pulled into a deserted parking lot a few stores down.

Einar headed into a store to find an owner to talk about leaving the car overnight a few days, when in reality I was confident that he was trying to avoid being an awkward third wheel. Uninterested in my woes though he was, I'd held several one-sided discussions over the past months in an effort to break ground between us.  Cramming the keys into my jeans, I snatched my duffel bag from the trunk and tried to keep the bounce out of my step.

We were cool. We were friends. I'd just left a date with Nik.

Marcus had bent to read a price tag on a windshield when I ducked underneath his arm and squeezed my arms around his chest. "Hey, you."

He straightened at my touch, but his sharp turn-of-head softened into a tiny nod when he recognized the messy blonde who'd invaded his personal space. The arm I'd scooted under pulled my shoulders against his dark leather jacket, where the faint scent of cedar and straw clung. 

"Allison!" His low voice held more warmth than the sunshine melting icicles off nearby awnings. "It has been a long time."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," I said, backing off to get a good long look at him. He was a little scruffier than I remembered -hadn't shaved in a few days, not that that was a sin- but winter looked good on him. From weathered boots to slick jeans to the fitted gray henley exposed by his unzipped jacket, he was the sort of man you'd want carrying the wood to your fireplace.