Going to her fridge, she retrieved the box of peppermint fudge Cassie had given her and carried it back to the living room. She picked up her honorary search and rescue member jacket—the best and only gift she’d received that year—and put it on, desperate to find comfort in the thing that tied her to Reed...to another possible future?

Turning on her television, she flipped the stations until she found It’s a Wonderful Life.

Perfect. The most depressing Christmas movie ever, her fudge and memories of the best week of her life.

Merry Christmas to me.

Chapter Twenty-Six

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CALLS HAD COME IN steadily since Christmas Day and by December 31, Reed was running on fumes. Unexpected ice storms and rain had made the ski slopes and hiking more treacherous, but the holiday tourists, the ones who visited the resort once a year, were ignoring the warning signs and venturing out in unsafe conditions anyway.

“Just once it would be nice if these jerks thought about what their stupidity meant for the people who have to come save their asses...” Wade muttered as he and Reed climbed the side of Canyon Ridge, heading for the spot where a cell signal locator had predicted two missing hikers would be. The call had come in an hour ago and they hadn’t covered much ground yet, the unpredictable terrain a concern.

Slow and steady. At least the avalanche warnings had been lifted.

Tyler, Tiffany and a new support member, Riley, were only a few feet behind with the litter and emergency supplies.

As he trod carefully on the icy, slippery terrain, Reed couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he would be just as happy rescuing and helping people in a city setting—heart attack patients, work accidents. Making a difference a different way.

So far that week, they’d assisted three ski patrol calls and answered two search assist calls from the state troopers’ office, and not one of the rescues had even thanked them. Not that he did this job for the praise, but getting yelled at by a man whose rescue had required outing his affair with his ski instructor was not exactly the motivation Reed needed to continue this job, especially when his heart was somewhere else.

Over the holidays, he’d spoken to his mother about his father. She’d been disappointed to hear that the man had checked out of rehab, but not surprised. She’d been more upset for Reed. Everyone had to stop worrying about him. He wasn’t a child anymore. He could handle life’s complications. If he was in Anchorage, maybe he could help. His father may not have been there for him, but Reed was strong enough to offer support if it meant getting back the man he’d once looked up to.

Though he knew it wasn’t his father’s being in Anchorage that was suddenly pulling him in that direction.