“No. At the hotel you can receive incoming, but you cannot make calls. There will be people around you, so don’t any of you try it. Don’t make me sorry I agreed to this outing. Is there anything else?”

“Massages, facials, manicures, pedicures. Waited on hand and foot.”

“Not a problem.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed. She wondered what he would do if she jumped his bones. The only problem was they were both wearing too many clothes.

She smiled.

He smiled.

Pappy’s smile slowly faded. Was she laughing at him? “Something funny?” The minute the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. A lawyer once told him never ask a question unless you already know the answer.

Sam winked roguishly. For some wild crazy reason she felt the need to get under Pappy’s skin the way he was under her skin. Since the kiss in the snow, he was all she could think about. How could he not react to that kiss that had sizzled and smoked. Well, there was only one way to find out. “Sort of. I was wondering what you’d do if I jumped your bones right there on your comfortable couch.” She shook her head, clucked her tongue, and moved toward the door. “The only problem is,” she called over her shoulder, “you’re wearing too damn many clothes, and it’s against the rules. Your loss!” She tossed a cookie from her pocket to Alpha, who caught it in midair.

“AWK!” was the sound Sam heard when she closed the door behind her. She giggled all the way back to the barracks.

“Son of a bitch!” Pappy marched back to the bathroom to take yet another shower. Alpha barked and barked at these strange goings-on.

“Go eat your damn cookie, Alpha!” Pappy snarled as he turned on the cold water tap.

It was snowing the following morning when Teams Three and Five trudged out to the helicopter pad. The women were all chattering, except for Sam. The men talked among themselves in low voices, just as excited but in a more subdued way.

In one respect, Sam couldn’t wait to board the helicopter, but in another way she longed to stay and didn’t know why. Off in the distance she could hear Alpha howling. The sound was somber and mournful. She shivered. She did her best to stare through the swirling snow that had just started to fall.

Sam was last in line to board. Four others were ahead of her when she heard the sound. The others stopped in their tracks. And then the wind kicked up but it wasn’t a wind, it was Alpha who created the noise and the breeze. The wolf-dog skidded to a stop at Sam’s feet and started to whine. Sam dropped down to cuddle the big dog just as Pappy came on the run. She looked at him curiously.