the low light as an ache settled into her heart. She wanted to say something. Anything. I’m really falling for you, Easton. Do you think there’s a chance for this to work out? Could you maybe somehow believe in love?
The furrow in Easton’s brow, the intensity behind his eyes, said he was stuck in his head as well.
Her heart seemed to slow as she sensed he might pull away and put an end to their night completely.
No, Easton. Let’s not end it yet.
He blinked, ran a thumb over her lower lip, and looked into her eyes once again. “Ivy,” he said, and then moved in to kiss her once more. This time there was a certainty behind the strong lock of his lips on hers. In the way he tilted his head and deepened the kiss, showing confidence. Conviction. And sureness about what he wanted. And skill too. Always such mastered movements that, even now, pulled a whimper from her throat as she kissed him in return. So good.
Whether he was set on convincing her or convincing himself, Ivy sensed that Easton wanted to push past his struggle with love. The question was, would he really be able to do it, or was Ivy destined to suffer a broken heart?
Chapter 12
A series of loud and angry sounding thumps yanked Easton from sleep. His eyes shot open as he pushed himself off the floor. Instinctively, he darted a look toward the fireplace to ensure Ivy was safe. Once he caught a glimpse of her tucked into the sleeping bag, he turned to the door.
Another series of thumps came—knocks, he realized as he jumped to his feet. Ivy stirred in her sleeping bag. “What is tha—” But then she gasped mid-word. “A bear?”
“Take it easy, Goldilocks,” Easton said. “I don’t think bears knock.” He leaned toward the door, guessing at who it might be. “Hello?”
“Officer Freeman here with highway patrol,” came a voice.
He’d guessed right, which meant the canyon roads were officially clear. He glanced over his shoulder. “You decent?” he asked. “Want me to give you a moment to put your clothes back on, Goldie?”
She laughed. “Stop it. I’m dressed, of course.”
He chuckled too and twisted the knob. Cold air wafted into the yurt as he tugged the door open—a drastic change to the blustery blizzard. “How can we help you, officer?”
“I saw your Jeep up there, and the smoke from your structure here, and hoped you might be able to explain the SUV we found off the roadside midway through the canyon.”
“Oh, yes, sir. That belongs to my…friend. She’s right over there. In her very own sleeping bag,” he added.
“Hi there.” Ivy waved and came to a stand. “I got stuck on my way up the day before Christmas Eve, and Easton was good enough to come get me.”
The officer’s eyes went wide in question. “You two got snowed in up here, eh?”
“We did,” Easton said. “But I’m guessing the roads are open now?”
“We put our best plows to work, threw some salt and sand down too. The entire pass is good to go.”
Disappointment struck him at the confirmation. “That’s great news, officer.”
The man nodded, looking from Easton to Ivy, then back again. “Well, it’d be best if you could clear the stranded vehicle from the roadside within the next few hours or so.”
“Oh, we will,” Easton assured. He shouldn’t harbor any ill will toward the man for doing his job, but he couldn’t help but be irritated by the way he’d pressed about the SUV.
“Very well.” The man looked down at his snow-covered boots. “You don’t happen to have a pair of snowshoes I could borrow for the trip back, do you? I could lean them up against the lodge when I’m through…”
“Sure,” Easton said, lifting a pair off the hook and handing them over. “Here you go.” Under different circumstances, Easton might invite the man inside to strap them onto his boots. As it was, he didn’t feel like inviting the party crasher himself to barge in for the party’s final moments. “You have a good day.”
“You do the same,” he said with a nod. “And be safe out there.”
Easton returned the man’s nod before closing the door. It took him a moment to spin around and see, for the last time, the gorgeous sight of Ivy standing in the firelight. He spun slowly, his mind drifting back to the passionate moments they’d shared the night before. He hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her. And if Easton hadn’t