Cooper scratched the trail of hair below his navel and said nothing. But it was obvious he was irritated.

“And we haven’t got a lot of supplies left, Coop.”

“We got plenty.”

“Well, it’s getting colder, then.”

“Anythin’ else?”

“Yes. There are people back on the lake counting on us and we’re not there for them.”

Cooper crouched down, grabbed a fistful of snow and proceeded to wipe his pits with it. He washed his face before swiping what was left of the slush across the flat of his stomach and waited for Peter to finish his thought. Peter’s chest heaved rapidly now his nerves were racing and just for a moment, he hated Cooper. He hated him for knowing him so well. For standing there so easily, arms at his side with his beauty right on show for all the world to see. Waiting so patiently for him to say what was really on his mind.

Peter took a deep breath. “Are you going to stay on the lake when we get back? For the whole winter. Without leaving me, I mean?”

Cooper’s face scrunched up like someone squinting in the sun. “Huh? Why would you think I wouldn’t?”

“But are you?”

“Course. But again, why would you get it into your head that I would leave you?”

“Because you don’t wanna go back.”

“That ain’t right.”

“You want to stay out here. When we’re done searching, I mean.”

“Nope,” said Cooper. “I just wanna explore a bit more.”

“But you must’ve spent plenty of time out here already. Before us, I mean.”

“No. I never did. Not this far out.”

“But I thought you had.”

“Nope.”

“Oh,” said Peter. Then, “Why not?”

“Because of you.”

Peter looked up, startled by his answer. But surprise didn’t cross Cooper’s face once.

“But we’ve only been together a short while.”

“It don’t make no difference,” said Cooper digging both fists inside the seat of his jeans pockets. “I never could stray too far from the lake, even before we was together. I mean, I wanted to. I wanted to real bad. I knew about the Yellowstone since I was a nipper and dreamed of seeing the Earth breathin’. But even though we weren’t together then or nothin’, you always pulled me back to the lake like you already had a piece of my heart. I’d only get so far away. Then it just started hurtin’.”

“I never knew that.”

“Well, now you do.”

“I just thought you were happier out here.”

“I am,” said Cooper.

“Right.”

“But only cos I’m with you.”

Cooper’s dark eyes held Peter’s as was often the way when he wanted to make sure that when he spoke plainly it didn’t go unnoticed. Peter cleared his throat and felt a sudden lightness in his heart he realized had been missing until now.