Page 12 of Snow Balled

“N-no,” I sputtered automatically. Then I tore my gaze away from the tall, dark, and handsome god of a man, and addressed Tristan. Who also was incredibly good-looking.

“No, I don’t need any breakfast. I just need… I need…”

Turning, I retreated into the little room I’d slept in and shut the door behind me, leaning against it as if I were being chased.

I needed to get the hell out of here. That was the only thing I needed.

6

SIERRA

“You’re kidding,” I said. It was either that or scream with frustration.

“No, Miss Brogan, I’m not,” Francine said. She was the manager of the cabin company. “I’m sorry for your situation, but we warned you that being cut off was a very real possibility. For most people, that’s a selling point. You can work in your cabin without distraction.”

“Except I don’t have a cabin anymore,” I said, not for the first time. I raised a hand to my forehead, fighting off the headache the woman from the cabin company was giving me. “And yes, I know I signed a contract stating I knew the risks of being cut off from grocery runs and the rest of the world, but it didn’t say anything in there about being homeless.”

“You’re not homeless,” Francine said with a maddeningly calm voice. “You said you’re staying with those nice gentlemen in the deluxe cabin.”

“I said they rescued me. I can’t stay with them—I don’t even know them.”

“They’re handsome young men, you have to admit that.”

If the publicity tour and premiere hadn’t been in my near future, I would’ve torn my hair out.

“Ma’am, it doesn’t matter what they look like. It matters that I don’t know them, and that I booked a cabin that I can no longer stay in. I need another cabin or a way out of here.” At this point, my preference was the latter.

“There aren’t any other cabins available. We’re booked to capacity, and there’s no way to get to you right now. I’m sorry.”

“What about that man who brings the groceries, Winston?”

“He can’t get through. There are branches down all over the place. But you should have enough food to—”

My face scrunched up as I held back a scream. But patience would get me further—hopefully—than frustration. “Please, Francine, there must be some way to get out of here.”

“There’s not at the moment,” she said, and for the first time, I heard a hint of sympathy in her voice. “I’ll let you know if the conditions change.”

I questioned her for a bit longer, using the most reasonable, calm voice I was able to muster, but it did no good.

After the call ended, I sat on the bed, trying to figure out my next move. Except, according to Francine, I wasn’t moving anywhere for quite some time.

As I mulled that over, I checked my texts. Alyssa had written back, begging for details about what had happened. She’d also apparently told our mutual friend Kylie that something was up, because Kylie had texted several times, too.

Kylie.

That was who I should talk to. She lived a few hours away in Denver, and she was absolutely crazy about mountains. I’d seen enough women drool over my male costars to recognize a fanatic when I saw one, and Kylie was that way about mountains. She absolutely loved them. Plus, she worked part time as a bartender, and that made her a really good listener.

Hoping that she wasn’t in one of her graduate school classes, I selected her number. The call went through immediately. That was one thing I had to give the cabin company. They sucked at extracting stranded guests, but they made damn sure the cabins had excellent reception.

Kylie answered on the third ring and bypassed a greeting. “Oh my god, are you okay? Alyssa’s super worried.”

“I’m fine. And I texted her.”

“What happened?”

Briefly, I recounted the events of yesterday.

“So, you’re just stuck there?”

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