He turned to his team and shook his head. “We need to double back and move in closer to the Chugach Mountain.” He glanced at Erika. She was nodding her agreement with everyone else.

Why in the hell was she out here in this unpredictable storm?

The entire four-hour trek, his instincts had been on high alert. He had to find Cassie and her group, but he also had to protect his own team...including the woman he was falling in love with.

He followed behind the rest and she walked alongside Tyler, who continued to quietly brief her on procedure and actions in the event that the mountains did give way. For the first time, jealousy wasn’t among his emotions. He knew how she felt about him and right now, they were all putting their lives at risk. They were all in this together. Tyler was the best instructor they had on avalanche safety.

As they moved farther south, toward the dangerous peaks, his radio sounded.

He held up a hand to halt the group.

“Wade, give me good news.” Was it too much to hope that the group had made it back via another route?

“We got a tip from air patrol. A signal flare just went up forty feet from Canyon Ridge...”

A flare. Good to locate the group. Not so great in an avalanche. His sister knew the risks of setting one off in these conditions so someone in her group must be hurt.

He quickly checked the camping file. Canyon Ridge was nowhere near the group’s planned course. What the hell was his sister doing? She lived out here in these woods and she knew the dangers. There was no way this was a mistake. She couldn’t have gotten turned around. Even in a snowstorm, his sister could navigate these backlands blindfolded.

“Okay, we are headed toward Canyon Ridge. We are going to have to start moving up the mountain, where the flare came from,” he told the group, falling into step next to Erika. He’d brought along an extra search and rescue jacket for her this time, knowing it would be warmer if they were still out there by nightfall. In it, she looked like part of the team. And while his protective instincts told him he could never handle her being on these missions all the time...he felt more confident with her next to him. If one of Cassie’s campers was injured, having her there would be an asset.

But his conflicted heart was something else he had to deal with. As soon as this was over and everyone was safe, they needed to talk.

* * *

THE FIRST SNOWSLIDE happened twenty minutes into the backwoods search.

Watching from fifty feet away, Reed held up a hand to halt the group as loose snow descended the mountain, a tidal wave getting wider as it traveled toward the base. “A sluff,” he told the group.