Granite was already moving. They bounded down the hill, and she rode the drag to keep them from going over. As it was, the sled sunk into the snow, slow and arduous.

Dodge was out of the chopper by the time she reached him.

She dropped the anchor and didn’t care what she’d said to him before. Sure, she could take care of herself . . . but she didn’t want to. “Dodge!”

He caught her up as if she wasn’t wearing a thousand layers, his arms around her, pulling her to himself, lifting her into his embrace.

“E,” he said, his voice ragged. “You really freaked me out.”

He put her down, clasped her face in his hands. “I thought . . . I don’t know why, but I thought you were hurt or in trouble or—”

Yes, to all of it. But she didn’t correct him.

She kissed him. Just pulled him down to her and held on. Because he was here—of course he was here.

He tasted of coffee and smelled of his morning shower and was exactly the man she’d waited for. Needed.

And he kissed her back, diving in with a touch of relief, maybe even of possession.

Yes.

She grabbed his lapels. Dodge.

He finally pulled away. Met her eyes. Aw shoot, she was crying again. “I’m sorry I went without you. I should have waited for you—”

“Babe, what’s wrong?”

“It’s my dad. He’s been shot.”

The word changed him, right before her eyes. He let her go, started for her dad. “How bad?”

“He’s lost a lot of blood.” She followed him to the sled, mired now in the shoreline mud. The dogs were eating snow and lapping at a puddle of lake water.

Dodge pulled back the sleeping bag from her dad, took a peek at his wound, still bandaged. Pressed his fingers to his neck. “I’m not a medic, but he’s in bad shape. His pulse is thready.”

“I know. Let’s get him in the chopper.”

Dodge looked at the machine. “I’m nearly out of fuel. I followed you to your PLB, but you weren’t there, so I, uh, kept going. I don’t have enough to get him home. Or even down to Remington Mines.”

She stared at him, the realization creeping over her. “No—see, I told myself that this would work. That I could get him to the Cache cabins, and then . . .” She pressed her hands over her face. “This is my fault. I should have left last night, when it was still cold out, gotten help—”

She bent over, her breaths tumbling over each other—

“Echo!” Dodge grabbed her arms, pulled her up. “You’re hyperventilating. Breathe. Stop. I know you’re scared. Me too. Let’s just take a moment here.” He put his forehead down on hers, closed his eyes. “God. Please . . . help us.”