close the Jeep’s hatch when he paused, narrowing his eyes at the trees closest to the driveway. Somethinghad shifted in the corner of his eye, a shadow drifting behind the trunk of a tree. Glancing up, he watched an army of clouds speed across the sky, the breeze making the trees creak and sway. The sun blinked on and off like a strobe, throwing the pines into shadow one second, brilliant light the next.
“Did you see that?” he asked, motioning to where he’d seen the shift.
“What?” Ryan asked.
“Something was moving around back there.”
“Deer,” Ryan announced. “Lauren and I saw a family wandering around just before you guys pulled up.”
“Just like old times. You sure you can let this beauty go?” Sawyer asked, nodding toward the cabin. “Good memories, great location…”
“I couldn’t buy the house even if I wanted to.”
“Don’t screw with me.”
“It’s already sold,” Ryan confessed. “I checked the listing on a whim, called up the Realtor because I was feeling nostalgic. Someone’s already bought it.”
Sawyer stopped where he was, blinking at his best friend. “So, what, is it empty inside?”
“Everything’s still there. They’re waiting to close the deal—but once they do…”
“So, wait a minute…we’re, like, staying in somebody’s house right now?”
“Technically, no.”
“
Technically?
Dude.”
“Don’t say anything,” Ryan warned. “If Jane finds out…”
“If Jane finds out she’ll fucking flip. Maybe this isn’t a good idea. What if someone shows up to look at the place? Maybe we should get a hotel or something, play it safe.”
“A hotel? You mean a
motel
—one of those roach-infested ones. You don’t think Jane will flip out
there
?”
“Maybe, but imagine her in a jail cell.”
“Nobody’s going to jail,” Ryan assured him. “Besides, it’s an honest misunderstanding. The dick didn’t bother to tell me, and I still have a set of keys. How was I supposed to know?”
Sawyer considered the plausibility of Ryan’s story, then raised his shoulders in a shrug. “It’s your ass, not mine.”
“We’re a million miles from anywhere,” Ryan said. “It’s just us and the trees. Nobody will know, because nobody knows we’re here.”
CHAPTER THREE
T he guy working the ski lift held up his hands.
“Sorry, folks.” He tried on his best look of sympathy. “No more going up today.”
“Oh, come on!” Jake shoved the sleeve of his jacket up his forearm, checking the time. “It’s two minutes till four, man. We’ve got sixty seconds until the cutoff.”
Tara stood uncomfortably next to Jake, rubbing the back of her neck with a gloved hand, her eyes fixed on the board strapped to one of her feet. They were coming up on their two-year anniversary, but she still hadn’t gathered the nerve to tell him she hated snowboarding—hated everything about it, from the bitter cold to getting off and on the lift. Every minute spent standing in line to get on that confounded thing gave her an anxiety attack, because getting on the lift meant getting off, and getting off meant eating it at the top of the hill. This was only her second season, and she already knew boarding wasn’t for her. But there was something to be said for keeping up appearances, especially for a guy who was as fanatical about winter sports as Jake.
“Hey, let’s just go to the lodge,” she suggested. “Get something to drink; I want cocoa.”
But he wasn’t satisfied with her suggestion. They’d paid good money for their lift tickets and he was determined. “I have a better idea,” he said, pulling the glove off his right hand and shoving it into the pocket of his waterproof pants. “Here.” He held outa crumpled twenty-dollar bill. “Get yourself a beer, huh? Let us on.”
The operator frowned at the money, hesitating, and eventually gave in with a sigh. “Fine,” he said. “But up and down, all right?”
Jake held up his hands, as if to say
“Did you see that?” he asked, motioning to where he’d seen the shift.
“What?” Ryan asked.
“Something was moving around back there.”
“Deer,” Ryan announced. “Lauren and I saw a family wandering around just before you guys pulled up.”
“Just like old times. You sure you can let this beauty go?” Sawyer asked, nodding toward the cabin. “Good memories, great location…”
“I couldn’t buy the house even if I wanted to.”
“Don’t screw with me.”
“It’s already sold,” Ryan confessed. “I checked the listing on a whim, called up the Realtor because I was feeling nostalgic. Someone’s already bought it.”
Sawyer stopped where he was, blinking at his best friend. “So, what, is it empty inside?”
“Everything’s still there. They’re waiting to close the deal—but once they do…”
“So, wait a minute…we’re, like, staying in somebody’s house right now?”
“Technically, no.”
“
Technically?
Dude.”
“Don’t say anything,” Ryan warned. “If Jane finds out…”
“If Jane finds out she’ll fucking flip. Maybe this isn’t a good idea. What if someone shows up to look at the place? Maybe we should get a hotel or something, play it safe.”
“A hotel? You mean a
motel
—one of those roach-infested ones. You don’t think Jane will flip out
there
?”
“Maybe, but imagine her in a jail cell.”
“Nobody’s going to jail,” Ryan assured him. “Besides, it’s an honest misunderstanding. The dick didn’t bother to tell me, and I still have a set of keys. How was I supposed to know?”
Sawyer considered the plausibility of Ryan’s story, then raised his shoulders in a shrug. “It’s your ass, not mine.”
“We’re a million miles from anywhere,” Ryan said. “It’s just us and the trees. Nobody will know, because nobody knows we’re here.”
CHAPTER THREE
T he guy working the ski lift held up his hands.
“Sorry, folks.” He tried on his best look of sympathy. “No more going up today.”
“Oh, come on!” Jake shoved the sleeve of his jacket up his forearm, checking the time. “It’s two minutes till four, man. We’ve got sixty seconds until the cutoff.”
Tara stood uncomfortably next to Jake, rubbing the back of her neck with a gloved hand, her eyes fixed on the board strapped to one of her feet. They were coming up on their two-year anniversary, but she still hadn’t gathered the nerve to tell him she hated snowboarding—hated everything about it, from the bitter cold to getting off and on the lift. Every minute spent standing in line to get on that confounded thing gave her an anxiety attack, because getting on the lift meant getting off, and getting off meant eating it at the top of the hill. This was only her second season, and she already knew boarding wasn’t for her. But there was something to be said for keeping up appearances, especially for a guy who was as fanatical about winter sports as Jake.
“Hey, let’s just go to the lodge,” she suggested. “Get something to drink; I want cocoa.”
But he wasn’t satisfied with her suggestion. They’d paid good money for their lift tickets and he was determined. “I have a better idea,” he said, pulling the glove off his right hand and shoving it into the pocket of his waterproof pants. “Here.” He held outa crumpled twenty-dollar bill. “Get yourself a beer, huh? Let us on.”
The operator frowned at the money, hesitating, and eventually gave in with a sigh. “Fine,” he said. “But up and down, all right?”
Jake held up his hands, as if to say
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