Then she thought of Cassie. Her friend led groups out here in the wilderness all the time. She obviously knew how to be prepared and how to handle these elements, but still Erika worried about her. She’d be glad when Cass was home.

In silence, listening for any sound near or in the distance, they continued to comb through the dark, eerie trails. As night had fallen, the temperature had plummeted and the only saving grace was that it was too cold for the forecasted snow to start and hinder the search further.

As she scanned the woodsy areas on the left, she forced herself not to think about the what-ifs in this situation or how worried the parents must be with every new hour that passed.

Instead, she allowed herself to think about the man next to her. The brave, intelligent, sexy man who only appealed to her more and more as she spent time with him, got to know him. She was glad he’d allowed her to come along on the rescue, otherwise she’d be worried to death about him by now.

Was his chosen profession another reason he was still single? She could understand if it was. Being in a relationship with someone as selfless as Reed could make for a lot of sleepless nights. But she understood that drive to sacrifice oneself. While her career wasn’t as dangerous as Reed’s, she understood sacrifice for the greater good.

Their personalities couldn’t be more different, but they were a lot more alike than either of them would have predicted. Alike in ways that mattered...ways that just might be enough for a relationship to survive.

Relationship? She glanced at him quickly. If she’d ever contemplated having one, it was now. With him. But would she still feel the same when she returned to her life in Anchorage?

A moment later, Reed’s radio sounded with the words everyone had been hoping to hear. “Teenagers located on south side of High Ridge.”

She breathed a sigh of relief along with several other support team members. Reed continued to communicate with Wade, getting the exact coordinates before turning to them. “About a mile south of here. All four are safe. Minor injuries.”

The look of relief on his face tempted her to reach out and touch him, but they had an audience and teens who still needed help.

* * *

THE OUTCOME OF every rescue was always uncertain. Weather conditions, how long the search went on, the preparedness of the people who were lost—all played a role in whether or not it was a success. This time it was, and Reed’s energy shifted from anxious adrenaline to a steady determination to get the teens out of the cold and back to safety as quickly as possible.