Page 23 of Tempted To Be Mine

“What if there’s turbulence?”

“Then we’ll hold on tight.”

“What if we crash?”

“Snow is soft.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

He laughed as we walked down the jetway and into the airport.

The bush plane was exactly as terrifying as I’d imagined. Small. Old. Propellers that looked like they were more rust than metal. The pilot was a weathered man named Frank who seemed completely unbothered by my obvious terror.

“Done this route a thousand times,” he said cheerfully as he helped us into the tiny cabin. “Smooth sailing today. Clear skies, light winds. You’ll love it.”

I did not love it.

Jeremy and I were thigh-to-thigh in the tiny back seat of the plane. If I’d known there was a bush plane involved, I would have packed lighter. They actually had to weigh our bags but not to charge us. They were making sure my extra pair of shoes didn’t sink us like a fucking stone.

Comforting.

The moment we lifted off, my stomach tried to exit through my throat. The plane bounced and shuddered, tossed around by air currents I couldn’t see but sure as hell felt. Below us, the landscape transformed from civilization to wilderness. Trees everywhere. Snow covering everything like a white blanket.

I looked over at Jeremy. He pretended to be cool, but I saw his stiff shoulders. He wasn’t looking at me, just staring out the window at the scenery below. His fingers curled around mine gripping my thigh.

It wasn’t romantic but it was exactly what I needed.

“Almost there,” Frank called back. “Five more minutes.”

The longest five minutes of my life.

But through some miracle, I didn’t throw up. Didn’t scream. Didn’t cry. I just held on to Jeremy’s hand and breathed.

When the wheels touched down on the landing strip, I nearly sobbed with relief.

“See?” Jeremy squeezed my hand before letting go. “Piece of cake.”

“I hate you.”

Frank taxied the plane to a stop. I finally allowed myself to look out the window. My breath caught.

The lodge sat at the edge of a vast frozen lake, surrounded by snow-capped peaks that seemed to touch the sky. Evergreen trees as far as the eye could see. The air was so clear that every detail was sharp, almost painfully beautiful. The lake itself was a mirror of ice, reflecting the mountains and the blue sky above.

The main lodge was a massive structure of timber and stone, with smoke curling from multiple chimneys. Smaller cabins dotted the property, connected by cleared pathways. It looked like something out of a postcard. Or a dream.

“Wow,” I breathed.

“Right?” Jeremy was grinning again, that boyish excitement back in full force. “I told you it would be worth it.”

It was beautiful. Stunning, even. The kind of place people dreamed about visiting.

It was also covered in snow. Surrounded by ice. Colder than anything I’d ever experienced in my life.

“It’s a beautiful place to freeze to death,” I said.

Jeremy laughed and grabbed our bags. “Come on, California girl. Let’s go get you warm.”

8