Entering the room, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but he didn’t hug her back. “She’s gone,” he said and she sensed he wasn’t talking to her. “She’s really gone.”

Fresh tears had burned her eyes as she’d squeezed his neck. She’d never seen him so destroyed, so heartbroken, so lost...

But a moment later, he untangled her arms from around his neck, cleared his throat and stood. “I need to go into the hospital for a while.”

“Today? But I thought you had some time off...”

He shook his head as he reached for his coat. “Time off won’t bring her back.”

He’d left the office and Erika knew she was alone to deal with her grief. Her father had decided the only way he’d survive his was to bury it with her mother.

Reopening the email from Snowpeaks, she stared at the image of her smiling at Reed. Her father was right. Time off couldn’t bring her mother back, give her back what she’d lost, but she had nine days before she returned to reality and she planned to make the best of them.

Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

HIS PAGER SOUNDED just as Reed hit Send on the text to Erika letting her know he was leaving his place and would be there to pick her up in five minutes. It was four thirty, a little earlier than they agreed, but damn, if he didn’t see her soon, he’d go crazy. Since she’d left him that morning, he’d thought of nothing else.

Shaking off the news of the body that had been found had taken a bit of effort and seeing her would help erase it from his thoughts. Erika Sheraton had turned out to be one hell of a surprise. And he wasn’t quite sure what to do with that just yet.

Glancing at the pager, the distress call on the display told him he wouldn’t get the chance to find out anytime soon.

A quick call to the station while he dressed in his search and rescue gear and he had all the details. A group of teenagers was hiking in avalanche territory and they hadn’t been heard from since the morning before. They’d been scheduled to return yesterday evening and no one had been able to reach the group by cell phone. The state troopers’ office had requested help in launching a search immediately.

He dialed Erika as he climbed into the truck, his chest filling with emotion at hearing her voice.

“You can’t be here that fast,” she said.

“Unfortunately, I need to cancel. I just got an emergency call.” He felt horrible. It was the first time he was annoyed by the demands of his job, and having to cancel their date at the last minute. He reached for his seat belt and secured it as he pulled out of his driveway.