Annie nodded, for once at a complete loss for words. To say that Jessie's words had shocked her would be an understatement. She knew there was a familiarity between them, but still, she didn't think there had been enough time for them to explore this type of a relationship.

"Please say something."

"I know that Chris is a lesbian. She told me awhile ago. It just never occurred to me that you were, I guess. Or is this just because of Chris?" she asked hesitantly.

Jessie shook her head. "It's not just Chris, Annie. I've never had a lover before, I've just had sex partners. But always women."

Annie took a deep breath. "Because of Jack?"

Jessie shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I just have no attraction to men. But Chris broke down all my barriers, made me feel something, made me want something. She's given me hope that I might have love in my life."

"You're in love with her?" Annie asked quietly, not really understanding.

"I don't know what it feels like to be in love, Annie. I only know I hurt inside thinking she might not come back to me," she whispered.

Annie reached over and took her daughter's hand and held it gently.

"I don't know why I'm surprised. Chris has a way about her, she's such a charmer. And I've not been completely blind to the looks that pass between you two sometimes." She squeezed Jessie's hand. "I'm not too old to appreciate a good romance. So tell me, it was the other night when you had dinner here?"

Jessie blushed and Annie laughed.

"Roger couldn't find Chris the next morning. That's because she was with you?"

"Yes."

Annie smiled at Jessie's obvious embarrassment. She couldn't wait to get Chris alone. Oh, the teasing would be merciless.


Chapter Forty-two

They sipped hot tea while they waited for the water to boil for their dinners. Kenny was sitting with them by the fire, his eyes staring at the snow swirling around the opening to the cave. He knew he was lucky to be alive.

"Why isn't there more smoke in here?" he asked.

"It's not a real cave. It was formed by fallen rock, an outcropping. It's just rising up and slipping through the cracks," Chris said.

"It feels warm in here."

"The rocks absorb heat." She reached for her pack and read the temperature from the thermometer tied on the back. "A balmy thirty-three degrees, if you can believe that. It's probably in the single digits outside."

They were quiet as they watched the snow and listened to the wind howl. Soon, it would be too dark to see outside, but they were warm, they had food, and the fire kept them company.

"I think the water's ready," Bobby said. He took the pot from the small stove and set it on the ground. Chris held the flashlight for him and he opened two of the freeze-dried packages and dumped them in the water. Chris put another pot on to boil and Bobby covered his and set it aside. He glanced at his watch. Eight minutes to supper!

"This is ours," he told Kenny. "She's got some meatless pasta concoction."

It was completely dark outside by the time they finished eating, although it was barely after five. The dark clouds surrounded the mountain and the wind and snow continued pelting the rocks, but they stayed warm. Bobby gave up his sleeping bag to Kenny, who was already asleep. He would make do with his parka and the wool blanket.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah. Take him a few days to get his strength back. I'm surprised he was able to sit up as long as he did."

"Well, I know it's early, but I'm damn near exhausted," he said and he settled under his parka.

"I know. I feel like I could sleep twelve hours." She stood up and slipped her coat back on. "I've got to pee," she said.

"Don't go far," Bobby warned.

"Don't worry. I'll only go far enough to hang my butt out," she said and laughed.

Later, as the others lay sleeping, Chris added another small log to the fire and sat staring out into the night. The wind had subsided a little, but snow was still falling. She figured everyone was plenty worried about them. Especially Jessie. She cursed herself for not calling her before they left, but there had been no time. And for her to lose the radio. That was a stupid thing to do.

She finally crawled into her sleeping bag, letting thoughts of Jessie warm her. Was she with Annie tonight? Or had she stayed at her cabin, waiting? Frozen pizza. Chris smiled. She'd give anything to be sitting in front of the fire eating pizza right now. And then, later, snuggled under the covers. She closed her eyes and listened to the fire crackle, remembering Jessie's hands on her, eager hands that had nearly ripped the shirt from her body in their haste to touch. Soft hands that cradled her breasts, guiding them to a waiting mouth. Warmth settled over Chris as she thought of that mouth and all it would do to her.

She rolled over, trying to quell the ache inside her. What if she was never to see Jessie again? Never feel her touch? They could very well have frozen to death out there. She didn't want to think about how close they had been. If not for this cave .. .

Sleep finally claimed her and she slept soundly until dawn, when the morning chill invaded the small cave. She opened her eyes and Bobby was already trying to get the fire going again.

"Morning, McKenna," he said, his frosty breath swirling around him.

She looked at Kenny, who was still asleep, then sat up and grabbed the thermometer. Ten. When the fire died, it hadn't taken long for the cold to creep inside.

"You must have been cold without a sleeping bag," she told him.

"I slept like a log until about an hour ago. I was shivering and it woke me."

He had a small fire going in no time, adding what was left of the bark and small sticks. Then, he took out his small stove and put on water to boil for tea.

"I need to pee but it's too damn cold," he said. "You?"

"Yeah, but I can wait," she said. She lay back down and pulled her sleeping bag more firmly around her. "The snow has stopped."

"Yeah. It's clearing," he said. He stood up and held his hands over the fire for a minute. "Okay, I'm going out. Wish me luck."

She smiled and nodded, finally making herself get out of the warm sleeping bag. She went to the fire and squatted beside it, warming her hands. Kenny stirred in his bag and sat up.

"I thought I was dreaming, but I'm really here," he said, his voice hoarse from sleep.

"Oh, yeah, you're really here and we've got at least eight miles to go to get out of here. Hopefully they'll send someone to look for us," she said, looking towards the entrance. "And hopefully they'll be on snowmobiles, but don't you dare tell Bobby I said that. I normally hate snowmobiles."

An hour later, after hot tea and breakfast, they packed up. They gave Kenny a pair of snowshoes and Chris and Bobby would take turns on skis, breaking a trail. Bobby estimated that at least three feet of snow had fallen, and it would be slow going. Chris again hoped someone would be coming. She didn't think Kenny had the strength to make it eight miles.

"Ready?" she asked and they left the cave behind and ventured out into the cold.


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.