Chapter 1

GARVIN HARVERTON woke knowing something wasn't right, but damned if he could figure out what. He had a knack for things sometimes, which meant whatever it was would reveal itself in time, or maybe it was just his imagination running on overtime. Still, it made him wonder what was in store for him.

The electric clock with battery backup glowed that it was almost seven in the morning, but it was still almost completely dark. He got out of bed and slid his feet right into heavy slippers before making his way to the wood stove in the next room. He'd been up in the middle of the night to add more fuel, but he didn't remember doing it. The action had become a habit after the hundreds of times he'd done it over the years. Heck, Sasha, his Samoyed, who slept near his legs, never raised his big head. At least when he flicked the switch near the door, the lights came on. That was an improvement over the past few days at least. He had a propane heater and used it to provide a base level of heat in the house, but anything above that came from the wood he felled, cut, split, and stacked beside his cabin. Garvin added more wood to the stove, and the fire flared to life. That was one chore done. He scratched his backside and headed for the bathroom.

All the pipes that ran under the cabin were well insulated to keep them from freezing, though it did happen on occasion. But as long as he kept the house warm, he was generally okay. Fortunately, this morning he even had hot water, and he relished a very quick hot shower. Then, after shaving, brushing his teeth, and checking to make sure his hair didn't look like Grizzly Adams's, he left the bathroom door open so heat could circulate. He dressed quickly, fed Sasha, and made a rough but hearty breakfast of oatmeal with some bacon and the last of the ham. Ready for the day at just before eight, he logged on to his computer, brought up the conferencing application, and watched as, one by one, bleary-eyed kids logged on for school.

Sasha poked his head into the camera frame and got greetings from Garvin's students before lying near his feet .

These were bush kids. They lived with their families in the rough wilderness areas of the state. Garvin worked with their parents and state officials to help ensure that they got an education. The faces were familiar, but always seemed to vary, since the kids were spread over a wide area and sometimes had power issues, just like he had had the past couple of days. Still, Garvin went through the lesson, making it as engaging as possible. He always assigned homework of a sort, and the kids emailed it in or sent him pictures of their artwork and stuff. At the end of the day, he said goodbye and signed off. Before getting up from his desk, he made sure that he had the rest of his lessons planned and sent his missing students a link to the recording of their class. They would need to watch it and complete the work once they were able to. He also graded all the assignments he had and sent them back before feeding the fire again and making sure the stove was closed up. It had been days since he had seen anyone in person, and he was starting to go a little stir-crazy.

"Do you want to go to the trading post?" he asked Sasha, who perked up immediately. Aside from the part where he greeted the kids, class held no fascination for his dog, but the trading post did. "Then let's get ready."

Garvin got out his winter gear and dressed in layers that started with thermal underwear. By the time he was in his heavy snow pants and parka, Sasha was prancing at the door. He knew the routine and was anxious for some fun. After checking that the fire was banked, Garvin left his home and started the snowmobile, then climbed on. Sasha was ready to go, and they took off with Sasha running behind him.

Garvin's cabin was one of less than two dozen on the road around the south side of Willow Lake, about seventy miles north of Anchorage. The road itself was covered in snow but had been plowed recently, so he and Sasha had a relatively easy trip. They made it to the main road and then went left to travel a quarter mile before turning into the trading post. Garvin parked next to four other snowmobiles and headed inside.

Warmth assaulted him, and he pulled off his heavy outerwear and hung it on one of the hooks near the door.

"Afternoon, Garvin," Angie called. She managed the trading post bar and always greeted him with a smile. "I have some fresh moose stew if you want some." She looked over the bar. "Sasha, go find your place. "

Sasha loped around to the corner and lay down in the dog bed. Most dogs in the area were working ones and didn't come inside. Angie made an exception for Sasha.

"Sounds good," Garvin said as he took a stool at the bar. He ordered himself a light beer and settled in for a few hours of community news and fellowship. "Thank you."

"No problem." She got his beer, then headed to the back and returned with a large bowl of hearty stew that smelled amazing. Out here in the cold north, it took a lot of calories to keep a body going. The first bite warmed Garvin from the inside out. There was nothing bland about this stew. Angie always added a little chili, so it had a kick of heat to add to the warmth.

"What's new?" he asked, looking around.

"Claire is having another of her library nights on Tuesday. Supposed to be clear, so it could be a good aurora viewing," Joe said from next to him. They were neighbors of a sort, though if Garvin thought about it, nearly everyone was a neighbor out here in one way or another.

"I'll think about coming up." Lord knows he needed to get out every once in a while. "You know what that's about?" He nodded toward where Enrique and his partner, Devon, were talking to a state trooper off in the corner.

"Nope," Joe said and turned back to his beer. "Fucking winter. Sometimes I look forward to it, and then I remember how damned cold it is and I wish…."

Garvin laughed. "That you went to Florida?" It was an old joke. Every February for the past few years, Angie threw a big tropical-themed bash just to try to coax the sun and a little warmth farther north, if only in their minds. "Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt." Garvin finished his stew and then downed the last of his beer before slipping off his stool to wander over.

"Hey, Devon." He shook hands with the man who to the outside world was a famous artist, but to all of them was another member of their year-round community.

"Garvin, did you see anyone on your way in? Trooper Nelson here found a car."

"Abandoned a few miles south. No driver, which means they got out, and God knows how far they made it. Worst thing possible to try to make it out on foot out there." Especially since it was twenty below last night and it wasn't going to warm up much. "Just hoping you might have seen something."

"No, sorry. Sasha didn't either, or he would have reacted. And I didn't see footprints heading toward any of the summer cabins. Are you going to organize a search party?"

"We can't. There's another front heading in. The temperature is supposed to rise, but that means plenty of snow and wind, so visibility is going to be terrible," Enrique explained. "We'll all keep our eyes open, but there isn't much any of us can do."

"I'll take a drive back down that way, see if I can find anything. I was hoping he might have wandered in here and found shelter. There isn't much out where we found the car." The trooper stood. "It's possible they called for help and someone picked them up, but I thought I saw the remnants of a trail in the snow. After the wind last night, it's hard to tell."

"We'll call if we find out anything," Enrique said, standing when the trooper did. "Get yourself a mug of coffee to go."

"Thanks." The trooper stopped at the bar, got his coffee, and headed out into the afternoon. The sun had barely made an appearance and would set again in a few hours. It was nearly one, and by five it would be dark again. Just one of the joys of Alaska—the sun barely set in summer and barely rose in the winter.

Garvin sat down with Devon, and Sasha wandered over and sat next to him, leaning against his leg.

"There are times when I wonder why I put up with all this cold," Devon said. "Then it warms, the snow melts, and spring bursts into life and color like nowhere else on earth. All the beauty gets packed into a few months, so it puts on one hell of a show."

"You working on anything right now?"

Devon nodded. "I've got about four things going. One I need to finish soon, and the others I've gotten started, but I need to wait for spring to finish them. I want to capture that moment when everything bursts out all at once. I started them last year and ran out of time. Why? You need something? "

"Yeah. My kids are as cooped up as we are, so I thought that maybe a special art lesson would be fun. Maybe with a little art history thrown in. It would be online, so we could do it from your studio. The kids would love to see that."

"Sounds good. Set it up and we'll do it." Devon was always great to work with. He leaned over to Enrique, sharing a smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder. Garvin looked away, not because he was embarrassed, but to give them a little privacy and to tamp down the swell of jealousy. They were good friends of his. He wasn't attracted to either man, though they were handsome. It was the fact that they had found each other out here and were building a life together. Garvin had had that once, seven years ago, before Alaska… but a defect in John's brain that had been there since birth had taken him away, leaving Garvin alone in little more than the time it took to flip a light switch.

Devon stared at Enrique for a few seconds, almost as if he were seeing to the core of him. Then, without a word, he went on through to the back, where he had his studio, and closed the door quietly. Garvin had seen that look enough to know it meant that inspiration had struck.

"Four hours," Joe said from the bar and pulled out a tablet. Multiple five-dollar bills settled on the bar as others called out times. Apparently they were starting a pool on how long Devon's work jag would last.

"I'll take six."

"Hah, only three. Then he'll lose the light and stop," Jessup added, tossing in his five.

"Guys…," Enrique said, hitting them with a glare.

"Come on. We've got to have some fun," Joe said, and Enrique shook his head. "If anyone needs supplies or wants to place orders, you need to get them to me in the next hour." He sat down at his desk, and Garvin pulled out his list of goods. He got them and paid, trying to decide if he wanted another beer before heading home. He settled for a water and sat in one of the chairs in the side room with Sasha resting his head on his lap. After finishing his drink, he started the process of putting on his gear. Then he got his supplies, said goodbye to everyone, and he and Sasha headed out into the growing twilight. He stowed his supplies in the insulated box strapped to the back of the snowmobile and started the engine, and then he and Sasha headed for home.

Garvin went at a moderate speed, with Sasha easily keeping up. That dog loved being outdoors, and the cold had no effect on him. By the time they reached the cabin, the sky had purpled and the first stars began coming out… and it was still just after five. Garvin put the snowmobile next to the overhang for the ATV and his four-wheel-drive. Sasha stood at the edge of the yard, staring off into the trees. Garvin followed his gaze and then shook his head. "Come on, boy. Let's get where it's warm."

Sasha turned away and headed to the door. Garvin let him inside and got the supplies before following him. He closed the door and took off his outer gear. Before getting too comfortable, he built the fire back up and put some water on the propane stove to heat. As the room began to warm, he slipped off another layer before feeding Sasha and making sure he had plenty of water.

Garvin expected Sasha to lie down and nap for a while, but he hurried to the door and sat there as though he expected something to happen. The dog sat there for a few minutes, then came over, whined a few times, and hurried back to the door. Garvin didn't want to go back outside, but he knew well enough that something had upset Sasha. After pulling on his coat, he opened the door and stepped outside just in time for a man to stumble under the carport and collapse onto the ground.

"Sasha, get back inside." Garvin hurried to the man, got him up, and lifted him into his arms. He was almost more than Garvin could carry, but he managed to get him inside and the door closed.

Every bit of skin he could see was red. He peeled the coat, which was too thin for this kind of cold, off of him and then laid him on the sofa by the fire. "Can you hear me?" Garvin asked.

"Yes," the man answered before shivering violently. Garvin knew that shivering and movement were the body's way of trying to warm itself, so that was a good sign. He took off the man's gloves and hat, groaning when he got a good look at his features. He had never expected to see that face again, and now the ass had nearly gotten himself frozen to death.

"That's good. Now, when you can talk, you can tell me what the hell you're doing out here and what you thought you were doing traipsing through the damned woods."

"I came here to try to find you," William said, and all Garvin could do was shake his head .

"Why?" He probably should be concerned about whether William had frostbite, but he was more worried about why he was here and what he might have brought along with him, figuratively speaking. William had a habit of getting himself into trouble. He never meant for things to happen, but they did, and it always seemed to catch William by surprise and affect the people around him. Before moving north, Garvin had cut ties, and he thought he had made a clean break from William.

"I wanted to see you." William continued shivering.

Garvin spread a blanket over him. "You need to lie down and stay still. Let your body warm up gradually." Even though he wanted answers, now wasn't the time to press. Leaving William on the sofa, he made some tea and brought William a mug. "Sip this. It will help warm you on the inside. Take a few drinks, but not too much all at once."

William's hands shook a little as he took the mug and sipped. "I thought I was going to die."

Garvin looked into William's eyes. They had once been close friends, but Garvin had needed a break from him. "You came very close to it. Was it your car that broke down on the main road?"

William nodded and took another sip of the tea, shaking less as his body warmed. "Yes. I knew I was close, so I used my phone to lead me here. But I guess it was so cold the battery died. I tried to remember the right direction and kept going. I followed the road part of the way but thought the woods would be faster."

Typical William. He floundered his way into a situation, made all the wrong decisions, and hoped he'd come out all right. "You should never leave your car like that, not up here. The police would have found you hours ago and helped you. They were in the trading post looking for you earlier today." Garvin shook his head, trying not to show his frustration and annoyance at this man.

The thing was that William had the eyes of an angel, and his innocent face had everyone thinking he needed their help. William knew it all too well and played on that. He could slip into the "help me" act faster than anyone Garvin had ever known. "I know that now. I thought I could get here, and I didn't realize how cold it really was until I had gone part of the way, and then everything started to hurt. I walked faster, hoping to make it, and…." He lowered his gaze. "My feet re ally hurt."

Garvin sighed. "Okay. Let's get these wet clothes off so the heat can get to you." He only hoped William hadn't gotten frostbite or worse. There was still something about William that made Garvin want to help him, and as angry as he was for falling into old habits, he couldn't just leave the guy on his own. "I'll get you something warm and dry to wear." He left the room as William undressed. He reached his bedroom door before glancing back, groaning to himself because he told himself he wasn't going to look, and yet here he was, staring at the bare backside of the man he knew he should not be looking at, no matter how stunning he was.