A Dash of Spice

He had a respectable stack of split wood piled neatly beneath the shelter of the overhang of the outbuilding and was starting in on another round when he heard another vehicle approach. His head whipped up and he frowned as Ciara killed the engine on the Rubicon and slipped from the driver’s seat. Like JT, she stalked toward him in knee-deep snow.

“Why the hell do I go to the trouble of shoveling?” he mumbled under his breath. To Ciara, he said, “Y

ou shouldn’t be out in this weather and you sure as hell shouldn’t be driving on Avalanche Road when we’re getting hit so damn hard.”

“It couldn’t wait,” she said, her voice tight, fury flashing in her tawny eyes. “I mean, I tried to make it wait. I have a million things to do today, Scout, and I tried to just go about my business. I figured you’d come down from the mountain eventually, after Thanksgiving, and maybe say goodbye. I mean, maybe. That used to be something you did, Scout Winchester. Said goodbye before you walked out on someone.”

He hacked the axe into the stump of tree trunk before him and released the handle. He told her, “I can explain.”

Like with JT’s previous raving, she clearly wasn’t interested in letting Scout get a word in edgewise. She said, “And this morning, I really and truly wanted that explanation. But now that I’m here, I’m thinking not so much. You’re up at the cabin doing your Scout things and I’ve been going crazy in town wondering why, why on earth you would leave me in the middle of the night!”

She glared at him. Her chest rose and fell sharply. A light mist covered her eyes. Her cheeks were rosy and her expression was just painful enough to tear him up inside.

“Ciara—”

“Here’s your damn phone.” She thrust it at him.

Scout snatched the device and shoved it in his back pocket.

Ciara whirled around and headed back in the direction from which she’d come.

“Whoa!” he yelped. And lunged forward, capturing her at the waist. “Hold on there, babe. Not so fast.”

“Let go of me!” she cried out. “I am seriously mad at you, Scout. As in I may never speak to you again mad!”

His heart constricted. Panic gripped his very soul. “Hey, now. Don’t ever say that.” He set her on her feet, carefully turned her to face him. He knew the look he gave her was a grave one. “What I did was shitty. But you have to know it wasn’t intentionally shitty. It was… Necessary. I’ll tell you, I swear. Everything. I tried to find you at the house before I was due up here. I don’t have your cell written down anywhere and I couldn’t reach anyone who would know it. I figured when I got the chance to talk to Maddie, who’s also up here—though currently arguing with JT—I could probably get it from her. I was going to call you. I promise you I was.”

Ciara shook her head. Tears crested the rims of her eyes. “Why would you make love to me, Scout. And then leave me?”

“Aw, babe. I never would, except—”

There was a loud rumble in the air and the ground shuddered. Enough to cause Ciara to fall into Scout’s arms. Precisely where he wanted her, although…

His gut twisted tighter.

“What was that?” she demanded.

He yelled out, “Avalanche!” for everyone to hear.

“No!” Ciara shrieked. “I passed Gaby on the road. Like ten or fifteen minutes ago!”

“What the hell was Gaby doing on the road? Son of a bitch! She’s eight months pregnant!”

“She’s what?!”

He let out a low roar. Gaby must have taken off while he was in the shed.

A moment later, Hamilton whizzed by on a snowmobile. JT and Maddie were close behind.

He urgently said to Ciara, “Grab the emergency duffle bag from inside the shed. There’s blankets, flashlights, a first aid kit, water, ropes, spikes, the whole nine yards. It’s black. Hanging on the first hook next to the side door. I’ll get the picks and shovels. Go!”

She raced off and he collected everything mounted to the sidewall and protected by the overhang that also kept the woodpile dry. But something was missing.

What the fuck?

Scout spun around to search the immediate vicinity.

Where was the Winchester—