“Anyway, once he started volunteering on the S & R team, there was no dragging him away. He’s one of their best. I, for one, feel better knowing he’s out there.”

Erika, too. There was no doubt in her mind that if she was in trouble, he’d find a way to help her. She swallowed hard—the damsel in distress, needing to be rescued feeling was one she rarely entertained. She was strong, independent and didn’t rely on men for anything, yet the idea of Reed being equally as strong and independent was sexy. “Are there many rescues during the year?”

Cassie nodded. “The team responds to an average of three hundred a year. Ski patrol requiring assistance, like yesterday, happens a few times a week. Missing hikers, who’ve gotten turned around or followed the wrong trail, are common but longer searches are rare.”

“Hardly a dull moment around here, huh?”

“We keep busy and the adrenaline fuels us, binds us all together. Living here, you come to see everyone as family. We look out for one another. You must remember that,” Cassie said, reaching for more fudge.

Reed had expressed something similar the night before and Erika felt an odd sense of longing for that kind of community. After her mother died, Cassie’s family had been the closest thing to a support system she’d had—her father burying himself in work to dull the pain. After graduation, Erika had followed her father’s footsteps, throwing herself into her studies, then work. She’d traded friendships and connections for long hours and getting ahead in her career.

And she’d been okay with that. Until she was suddenly faced with an up-close look at the other things in life she’d never thought she’d needed.

Cassie’s cell buzzed with a new message and she read it quickly. The dreamlike expression in her eyes made Erika suspect it was from Tank.

She was right.

“Tank. Thanking me again for hanging out with Kaia last night.” She replied to the text quickly, then tucked the phone under her leg on the couch.

“So, what’s the deal with you two?” Obviously Cassie had feelings, but did Tank see her as just a babysitter and someone he could count on? Or was there more to the relationship?

“Wouldn’t I love to know?” Cassie said, popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth and chewing furiously. “There’s attraction there and we are best friends, and I love Kaia...” She shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

“The situation or Tank?” Erika had only seen the guy briefly, twice. He seemed nice enough in a quiet, mysterious sort of way and she wondered if Cassie had yet to solve his mystery.

“Both. Kaia’s mom left them when she was a baby. Kaia doesn’t remember her and Tank straight-out refuses to talk about her. No one has a clue who she is or where she is or what the circumstances are. And we all respect Tank’s privacy enough not to ask.” She sighed. “He’s very...cautious about bringing someone else into their lives.”