Page 79 of Stolen

“Got it. Sounds good.” I took a deep breath. “And you promise this isn’t going to end up killing me somehow? I know you said it’s accessible for a beginner, but what if I’m something a little less than that?—”

“Here you go. These should fit you just fine,” Jacob said, already handing me a pair of snowshoes.

“Yep. Thanks.” I tried and failed to keep my nerves out of my tone as I proceeded to put the snowshoes on my feet, my fingers slightly trembling.

It wasn’t asbad as I thought it was going to be.

And by that, I meant I’d somehow survived the trek in my snowshoes, so far. Jacob had been right beside me, guiding me as we made our way through the snow. Every so often, he’d stare over at me, his eyes filled with concern, like I was permanently at risk of busting my ass.

Although, he might’ve been right about that. Even though the trek had gone well so far, I couldn’t pretend like I was comfortable in my snowshoes, just yet.

Because there was a very good chance that I was never going to be.

“Are you okay?” Jacob asked, his eyes locked on mine. “Are you having a good time?”

“I am, actually.” I flashed him a warm smile before nodding up at Keith and Diego who were so far up ahead. “Maybe not as good of a time as they’re having, though. They look like they’re having the time of their lives.”

“As long as you’re having a good time, that’s all I care about.”

I suddenly felt warm, even though it was freezing cold outside. “Thank you. For making me do this. I don’t usually like being pushed out of my comfort zone, but this was worth it.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s worth it just yet.” Jacob took a few more steps as he spoke. “Not until you see this view. Come here.”

I hurried up beside him, my snowshoes crunching against the ground. When I finally reached his side, I realized that we were standing on a snowbank overlooking part of the city.

Whoa.

It was like staring down at a living snow globe, the city perfectly encapsulated on all sides by snow. There were cars on the mostly clear roads and bright lights twinkling from various homes and buildings, creating a glistening effect in the sun. A part of me wanted to reach out and shake the city, wanting to see more snowfall across rooftops and sidewalks, giving me a chance to appreciate its beauty in a new light.

“This is gorgeous,” I murmured, leaning my head against Jacob’s arm.

“Isn’t it?” He smiled down at me. “I had a feeling you might like it.”

“I can’t believe the rest of the guys are missing this view.”

“I don’t think they’d appreciate it, anyway.” Jacob lightly chuckled. “They seem pretty preoccupied with the rest of the gear.”

“Including Bradley and his snowmobile obsession,” I chuckled now, too. “Who knew your cousin had such a competitive streak? I feel like he and Chris have been going around these banks in circles trying to outrace each other?—”

My words were interrupted by my phone ringing in my pocket. It took me a minute to fish it out from behind the heavy fabric, but when I did, I saw that Brent’s name was flashing across the screen.

“Shit!” I blurted out before answering the call. “Brent! Hey! How are you doing?”

“Hey, Leo! Sorry about not answering all your calls. It’s just been a busy morning. I’m sure you can relate.”

“Of course. Totally.” I nodded as I spoke, the view of Roanoke still right in front of me. “Sorry for bothering you so much about it, anyway, but I wanted to see if you knew anything about the airstrip? Or if we’ll be able to fly out of here soon?”

“Yep! I’ve got great news!” Brent replied. “It looks like you guys cleaning up the airstrip was enough to get the workers to at least come take a look at it. And they’re saying, if all goes well and there’s no more snow on the ground tonight, you should be able to leave in the morning. You’re free and clear.”

“Oh my God!” I couldn’t help but pump my fist into the air in a mini-celebration. “That’s amazing, Brent! Thank you so much!”

“Don’t thank me. Thank yourself and the rest of the guys. You were the ones who made this whole thing happen,” Brent said. “I’ll call you back if anything changes. And let me know if you need anything in the interim. I’ve got to get going. I’m drowning in paperwork over here.”

“Right. Got it. Talk later, but hopefully not,” I joked, as I hung up the phone.

“Was that Brent?” Jacob asked. “What’d he say about the airstrip?”

“He said that everyone should be able to fly out tomorrow morning, barring there isn’t some kind of environmental disaster, AKA more snow on the ground,” I replied, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest.

---