Charlotte’s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Charlotte pulled it out of her purse. “Sorry Josh, I’m expecting an offer on a property.” She looked at the screen, “Well, speak of the devil,” she said and jabbed at the screen to take the call. “Hi, Meg.” She smiled into the phone.

  Josh watched Charlotte’s smile quickly fade and could hear Megan’s voice coming through the tiny speaker. She sounded panicked and Josh strained to make out her words. “Where are you?” Charlotte said into the phone. “No, don’t move. Stay there. We’re on our way.”

  Charlotte looked at Josh. “Get your coat. Megan’s in trouble.”

  Twenty-Seven

  Megan’s belly was cold, even through her down coat. Her teeth were chattering so hard that her chin was bouncing off the cold ice beneath it. All she wanted to do was curl up into a ball, but every time she moved, she heard the haunting groaning and creaking of the ice. Her jeans were frozen solid, and her legs felt like she had pins and needles in them.

  Stay calm, Megan. Don’t try to run for shore. She kept repeating this to herself when all she wanted to do was stand up and make a run for it. She wasn’t that far, but after barely being able to drag herself back onto the ice after crashing through, she knew she didn’t have it in her to heave herself out if the lake fractured and tried to swallow her whole again.

  After Charlotte had left the house, she felt like she needed to get out and clear her head. With Timber, she always walked the same trails that meandered through Sugar Peaks, but for some reason today she turned away from the subdivision and followed the trail through the woods. She had never been one for the outdoors until she met Josh and Timber. Now she took her time to appreciate the colors, smells, and sounds around her. She hadn’t realized that there were so many different types of snow, and today she felt like she was walking on snow cones, the snow squishy and sloppy beneath her feet as she walked. The trail ended at a big open field with cute little huts or shacks in the middle. The snow had blown across the clearing, making it a harder packed surface, something easier to walk on.

  She breathed deeply, feeling the cool air fill her lungs and making her cheeks flush. For the first time in years, she realized that no matter what happened to her, she was going to be okay. She was working through different scenarios in her mind, trying to figure out a way to win Josh back. She knew that he might not take her back but had decided that what they had was worth fighting for. If she lost him, at least she would have tried to save the best thing that had ever happened to her. She was imagining his lips trailing down her chest, his beard tickling her sensitive skin as he nipped at her breasts. She was remembering how good and how full he felt inside her. The rest of her daydream was interrupted when she heard a groan. It was nothing like she had ever heard before. She whipped her head around to try and figure out where it was coming from. It sounded near and far at the same time. She shrugged and then kept walking through the field until she noticed that her boots were starting to slip. She kicked away at the surface snow and revealed ice, clear ice that had bubbles underneath it. She whipped her head to the left and the right and it dawned on her, she wasn’t in a field, she was on Chance Lake. How could she be so stupid?

  A few years earlier Megan had watched a crack in her windshield spawn from a rock chip and snake its way across her line of vision as she drove. Cracks were forming beneath the soles of her boots, just like the one in her windshield. She heard the eerie groaning sound again somewhere in the distance, but this time it was accompanied by cracking sounds, and those were close - they were coming from the ice under her feet.

  Megan screamed and started to sprint back toward the shore, the ice creaking and cracking with every step that she took.

  “No, no, no, no, no,” Megan repeated to herself as she ran. When she felt her boots break through the ice she screamed, a guttural scream of terror. She caught the edge of the ice surface with her elbows as the lower half of her body plunged into the icy water.

  It only took a second for her boots to fill up with water and she clawed at the ice with her gloves attempting to pull herself out of the cold water. Her hands kept slipping as she clawed grooves into the snow-covered ice, trying to hoist herself free.

  She stopped and took a deep breath. That’s when it hit her. If she kept panicking, she would die. “Okay, Meg,” she said to herself. “You can’t get these boots off, and you can’t pull yourself out. You’ve gotta try something different.”

  She leaned forward onto the ice and straightened her legs out behind her and flutter kicked. She started to feel herself moving forward and wriggled and rocked, kicking her legs until she was able to roll away from the hole in the ice.

  She was gasping for air, but she didn’t feel cold. She put her hands on one knee to help herself to her feet. She stumbled forward another couple of steps, but then heard the groaning and creaking again. She dropped to the ice, figuring that it was better for her to spread her weight out, but this time the cracking didn’t stop. She felt the ice shifting beneath her and knew that she wasn’t going to be able to crawl, roll, or shimmy her way anywhere without going through again.

  She pulled her glove off her hand with her teeth and was able to reach her hand into her jacket pocket. Thankfully her phone hadn’t done the unintentional polar bear plunge with her. She tried to dial 911, but her fingers were so cold the phone wasn’t registering her touch. She did everything she could to warm them up but couldn’t get the phone to work. She punched the button on the side to activate the voice prompt, but the damn phone kept telling her that it didn’t have anyone named Nina Oneone in her contact lists.

  Megan screamed and then yelled into her phone, “Dial Charlotte.”

  When the phone replied, “Dialing Charlotte,” Megan’s breath heaved, and she choked out a relieved cry.

  Charlotte reassured Megan in the way a salesperson assures a nervous buyer, her voice all calm and caramel smooth. If there was anyone who knew how to take care of a situation, it was Charlotte.

  Now all Megan had to do was wait and hope that Charlotte would know what to do.

  To Megan’s surprise, instead of getting colder, she started to get warmer, the ice started to feel more comfortable than the Posturepedic bed she’d been sleeping on at Charlotte’s house. Megan smiled and laid her face down on the snow and marveled at the way the snow sparkled even at such a close angle.

  Then she closed her eyes.

  Twenty-Eight

  “Come on. We’ll take my truck,” Josh said and grabbed his keys from the workbench. “Did she say where she walked out onto the ice? Chance Lake is pretty big and if we get it wrong, we will have to drive all the way around. The ice isn’t thick enough for us to drive over it yet.”

  Charlotte hopped into the passenger seat of Josh’s truck and slammed the door. “She walked down the trail at the end of Sugarbush Lane.”

  Josh nodded and put the truck into gear. As they sped off from the main street, Josh turned on his CB radio and called in the emergency to search and rescue. The dispatcher said that they would have someone there as soon as possible, but there had been a big pileup on the west side of town, and the whole team, including the helicopter, had been dispatched to the scene.

  “Well, dammit. Call off some of the team and dispatch them, this is an emergency. If they don’t need the helicopter, call it to Chance Lake ASAP.”

  “10-4 J.J.,” the voice came through the crackling radio.

  “Is there someone else we can call?” Charlotte gripped the door handle as Josh drifted the truck around the corners on the snow-covered back road.

  “That’s everyone,” Josh said grimly.

  “But they will send someone to help, right?”

  “Yes, but we’re going to get there first. I’ve got ropes and an intensive first aid kit in the back seat. We are going to have to save her. Did she say how far out she was?”

  Charlotte’s voice cracked, “She said she was about a football field away from shore, but every time she tried to move, she heard the ice cracking.”

  “She’s smart to stay down on the ice and disperse her weight around. There’s a creek that runs into the lake by that trail, and the ice is never safe there – even in the dead of winter.”

  “What was she thinking?” Charlotte muttered underneath her breath. “I should’ve told her to stay put, I should’ve told her that I was going to make everything all better.”

  “You stop that right now,” Josh growled. “You’ll drive yourself insane if you keep up the ‘what ifs.’ This isn’t your fault. You didn’t walk her out onto the ice.”

  Josh’s stomach was contracted along with every single muscle in his body. He gripped the steering wheel as if the harder he held it, the faster he would be able to get to the lake. He switched the truck into four-wheel drive as they turned onto an unmaintained road. “Hold on,” he said.

  Charlotte reached for the handle above the door and braced herself as she was bounced around the cab of the truck. Josh pulled the truck up to the shoreline and he could see Megan’s body lying out on the ice.

  Charlotte jumped out, “Megan,” she screamed. Megan didn’t move.

  Josh grabbed Charlotte’s arm. “Keep the truck running. Get the blankets out of my first aid bag.”

  Charlotte nodded and pulled the duffel bag out of the back seat. Josh grabbed two coiled up ropes and tied a bowline around his waist and attached the other end to the winch on the front of the truck.

  “Charlotte. I’m going to go out on the ice and get Megan. I need you to stay here and get ready for when we get to shore. When I give you the signal, you flick this switch.” He pointed to a switch on the dashboard of the truck. “This operates the winch. When I wave to you, all you have to do is flick that switch. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Charlotte nodded and turned up the heat in the truck. “Be careful.”

  Josh stepped out onto the ice and began moving toward Megan in a low crawl. He kept his eyes trained on her, his eyes looking for any sign of life, and his ears alert for any signs of the ice giving out from underneath him. As he neared Megan’s lifeless body, he heard the sound that he was dreading, the distinctive cracking of ice under too much load. He dropped down to an army crawl and continued forward.

  “Megan,” he shouted and practically screamed for joy when he saw her look up and meet his eyes. She grinned widely and tried to stand up.

  “No! Don’t stand up. Stay there and don’t move.”

  “It’s so beautiful out here Josh,” she smiled at him and tried to stand up again.

  “Meg. You need to look at me,” Josh continued his army crawl and was within ten feet of Megan. “You have hypothermia and I’m going to get you to safety, but you have to do exactly as I say.”

  “I love you, Josh.”

  Josh had been to plenty of cold exposure rescues and knew that hypothermia caused delirium. He knew that he loved Megan but wasn’t sure if it was her or her hypothermic brain talking to him. Either way, he felt a warmth rise inside of him but kept his focus on Megan.

  When he reached her side, he slid the other rope under her body and secured it into a harness. Before he waved to Charlotte to signal her to activate the winch, he leaned in close to her ear and whispered. “I love you too. Now, hold on to this rope. You’re going to get towed to shore, but I need you to stay calm and as still as possible. He waved his arm in the air and saw the rescue rope become taut. He kissed Megan on the cheek, “Hold on, baby.”

  Josh kept a fair distance from Megan while army crawling parallel to her. He could see that she was holding on and he knew that she was going to be sore tomorrow from being dragged along the uneven ice and snow. When she reached the shore, Josh crawled to her side and undid the ropes. He picked her up in his arms honeymoon style and rushed her to the truck and put her in the back seat.

  “Get in the back seat,” he barked at Charlotte and jumped into the driver’s seat, gunning the engine and heading off to the main road, snow spraying out behind them as he left the shoreline. “She needs to get out of those wet clothes. Get her undressed NOW.”

  “Really, can’t I just wrap her in blankets?” Charlotte asked.

  “Charlotte, get those clothes off of her right now,” Josh yelled as he maneuvered the truck onto the main road.

  Charlotte unbuttoned her friend’s jeans and pulled them from her body, surprised at how heavy and cold they were. She unzipped the down coat and pulled Megan’s long sleeved shirt over her head.

  Josh looked in the rear view mirror, “Underwear too.”

  Charlotte raised her eyebrows at him but obeyed, sliding Megan’s soaking wet panties from her body. “Meg, honey, can you reach your bra?” she asked. Meg nodded and unclipped her pink bra. Charlotte pulled it off her arms.

  “Now wrap her in every blanket you’ve got.”

  Charlotte fully mummified her naked friend. Megan was laughing, “Charlotte, I never knew that you wanted to get me undressed. Is this why you’re single?”

  “You wish,” Charlotte replied, trying to keep the atmosphere light, knowing that her friend wasn’t out of the woods yet.

  “There are some hot pockets in there, crack them open and put them in her armpits, but not directly against her skin. Charlotte complied and noticed that Megan was starting to shiver.

  “She’s shivering!”

  “That’s good,” Josh said. “That means she’s warming up.”

  Josh pulled up in front of his cabin.

  “Where are we?” Charlotte asked.

  “This is Josh’s cabin,” Megan said, her voice slurry.

  Josh ripped open the truck door and pulled Megan’s cocooned body out of the truck and carried her inside.

  “What are we doing here?” Charlotte asked, following him into his cabin.

  “We need to get her warm. This is the closest place to do it. Get some more blankets out of that cupboard,” Josh ordered, pointing at a glass front cabinet full of quilts.

  Megan complied, pulling out a stack of handmade quilts. “Shouldn’t we take her to the hospital?”

  “We will, but first we need to get her body temperature up. The ride to the hospital is too far and without a chopper, we would be risking her life attempting to get there – especially with the storm coming in. Now get those blankets on her.” Josh lit a fire and within minutes it was raging, lighting up the cabin with its yellow glow and crackling as the bark burnt. “There are some hot water bottles in the bathroom and there is water in the kettle.” Josh pointed to the kitchen and Charlotte ran to light the propane stove to heat the water.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Charlotte asked as she clicked on the burner.

  “I think so,” he whispered. “As long as her body temperature keeps climbing, she’s going to come through this with only some bumps and bruises. When she gets warm enough to transport, we can take her to the hospital to get a once-over, but I think that she’s going to be okay.”

  “Thank you, Josh.” Charlotte pulled Josh in for a bear hug. “I hope that you two can work everything out.”

  Josh didn’t mention the I love yous that had been exchanged out on the ice. He chalked them up to a very intense moment. They could easily be taken back. He looked over at Megan, wrapped up in the comforters, one of his mom’s hand-knit stocking caps on her head, and realized that he didn’t want to take them back. He loved Megan.

  “I hope so too.” Josh squeezed Charlotte back. “You were very calm under pressure today. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “Same,” Charlotte smiled and then jumped as the kettle started to whistle. She pulled it off and filled up the hot water bottles.

  “I’ll take over,” Josh said and took the bottles from her hands. Charlotte yawned. “Why don’t you go and get some rest? I’ll take care of Meg.”

  “I know you will,” Charlotte replied and patted Josh on his sturdy shoulder. She climbed the ladder into the loft and Josh could hear the bed creak as she laid down.

  He knelt on the floor in front of the couch and removed the now cold packs from Megan’s underarms and replaced them with the warm hot water bottles. Megan was murmuring incoherently, and Josh leaned closer to try to decipher what she was saying. He pushed her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears. He kissed her on her forehead and held his face next to hers. It was still cold but felt like skin again, not a hard-frozen surface.

  “Josh, I’m cold,” she whispered.

  “I know, Meg.”

  He reached his arms around her to hold her and then noticed that her teeth were chattering. The hot water bottles weren’t going to cut it. He thought back to his first aid training and knew that skin to skin contact was one of the best ways to warm someone up.

  “Megan,” he whispered.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when she opened her eyes and they focused on him. “I need to get in the blankets with you to keep you warm. Is that okay?”

  Megan nodded.

  “Megan. I need to get in without my clothes on.”

  She grinned, and he noticed the sparkle coming back to her green eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “It’s not like that Meg,” he smiled. It was a good sign that she was getting her sense of humor back and that she seemed to be fully coherent.

  “Too bad,” she murmured. “Take off your clothes and warm me up mister.”

  Josh didn’t need any further permission. He stood up and glanced over his shoulder, hoping that Charlotte wasn’t looking over the loft railing. He dropped his pants and pulled off his thermal shirt. He peeled off his boxer shorts and then pulled the quilts back and slid in behind Megan. Her body felt like meat that had been taken out of the fridge, cold, but not frozen. Megan turned to face Josh with her rock-hard nipples pressing against his chest. She nuzzled her head into his neck and he pulled the blankets tightly around their bodies, forming a tight double mummy wrap. He pressed his hands into her back, effectively holding her body tightly against his. He could feel her cold nose against his neck and her warm breath rasping at the hair on his neck.