“Stop, drop, and roll!” Bree kept yelling to Jessie as he shrieked and panicked…doing all the things one was not supposed to do in the presence of an apex predator. “Don’t climb the tree! People, Jessie climbed the tree.”

Ben stood there, fingers wrapped around the bear spray in his hand, looking concerned for the first time that day. “Dude. That’s a great way to get eaten.”

“No one will eat Jessie,” Bree decided as the bear gave them some serious side-eye before lumbering away. “There’s not enough to eat.”

As Jessie and Bree immediately started arguing about who had the better survival instincts, River glanced at their guide.

“We’re not making it off the mountain alive, are we?” River asked him as Jessie started to climb down from his tree.

“You will,” Easton said as he rose to his feet. “No promises on the rest of them.”

• • •

Easton didn’t know when the marmot started following them.

Marmots tended to be shy creatures, similar in appearance to beavers and cute as could be with their tiny faces and mass of fluffy fur. The movement of this one caught his eye as they hiked, but Easton was used to seeing marmots in the bush. They tended to live at or below the tree line, but sometimes they lived higher. He doubted one would be camped out on the summit waiting for them, but they were as likely to hang out at high elevations as Dall sheep.

He figured it would disappear at some point, but for some reason, it paralleled their path as they passed through the tree line at eleven thousand feet. Here the world was ice and snow. Still, it hung close, at first staying even with Ben, then moving up to Bree. It tried Jessie, then River, but like Goldilocks and the three bears, apparently Easton was just right.

The marmot stayed with him.

Easton tried to ignore it when the thing started making chittering noises at him. Because, well, it kind of sounded like the marmot was talking to him. Which was weird. What was weirder was when it decided to walk closer, keeping up the running commentary.

“What’s with the furball?” Ben called up. “I’ve never seen a marmot this friendly.”

“Yeah, Easton,” Bree said. “I think someone has a crush on you.”

“Don’t tease him.” River pointed at the marmot. “Tease him and film it. Come on, people. This is gold.”

Easton stopped in his tracks, well aware of the camera on him as he turned to look down at the animal at his feet.

“What?” he asked the marmot. “Did you need something?”

Apparently, it needed to be acknowledged and maybe a hug, because it scooted nearer and all but stood on his foot, gazing up at him with beady, soulful eyes.