Alder

“ W e need to land. Now,” I say into my headset, sitting in the cockpit beside my co-pilot. The sound of the blades overhead and classic rock fade into the background as we turn all our attention to the task at hand. Dispatch received a call this afternoon that a man had decided to hike up the mountain without checking the weather. Now, he’s stuck up here, and the storm is bearing down on us ruthlessly as Nate, Griffin, and I focus on getting him home safely.

“We can’t land,” Griffin surmises.

“We don’t have the clearance, and we don’t have the time before things really start whipping up here,” Nate tells me. Shit. I make a split-second decision. I’m going to have to rappel down to him.

“Take over,” I tell him, already moving backward to let him grab the control.

“It’s not a good idea, ,” he tells me while I unbuckle myself from my seat and make my way into the cabin. He sighs, moving into my now-vacant seat.

“It’s all we’ve got. Get me as close as you can,” I say, clipping into my harness and securing it to the aircraft. I connect my rescue strap for our patient and run through my mental checklist twice. My supply pack, which will be our lifeline in case things go south, is secured on my back.

Our patient was able to make a call for help eleven minutes ago, so we’re operating on the assumption that he’s still unharmed. “All clear, Nate! Just a little closer!” I yell, and Griffin slides open the door until we hear it lock into place. Blinding light and air so frigid it steals my breath mixes in with the snowy mountains in the distance.

Feeding myself some slack, I swing my legs out into the wind and onto the slippery tops of the skid. Taking in a lungful of freezing air, I swing my body out until I’m facing Griffin. Leaning back into my harness, I wait for his all clear. Nate positions us just above where I need to rappel.

“Go.” I hear Griffin’s order, and as I look down, I feel muscle memory take over. Bending my knees, I push myself away from the aircraft while letting my line slide through my hands, sending me toward the ground. Years of training, experience, and discipline combine as I lower myself. The wind has picked up significantly in the last fifteen minutes. I’m descending swiftly while adjusting to the force of the wind and the sway of the helicopter.

The sound of crunching snow fills my ears as my feet plant into the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement; turning toward it, I see a man crouched over. He’s only wearing a long-sleeved tee and a pair of jeans. His shoes are basic tennis shoes. He isn’t prepared for this kind of hike or the harsh weather at all.

“I’m s-ss-so sorry,” he says through chattering teeth.

“It’s alright. You did the right thing by calling for help,” I tell him because he did do the right thing. Should he have prepared more before setting out? Yes, but he realized he was in a potentially dangerous situation and made the call. Some men would have been too prideful and decided they could find their way down on their own. “We’re gonna get you out of here, and you’ll be back at the resort with a hot drink in no time. What’s your name?”

“Th-that sounds good. I’m Shh-Sean,” he says, walking closer.

“Okay, Sean. Nice to meet you. I’m , and we’re about to get to know each other real well. I’m going to slip this over your head and strap you into the harness. It’s going to feel like you’re sitting in my lap, and that’s exactly what we want. Once we’re secured together, we can get the hell out of here,” I instruct him. “Ready?”

“Ready,” he confirms as I slide the sling up and around him, settling it over his hips and tightening the straps of the harness over his shoulders. I ratchet him up off the ground and get myself into position. “Alright, boys. We’re locked in and ready to come up,” I say into my headset.

“Copy. Starting the pulley system now. Hang tight,” Griff responds.

“We’re going up, Sean. Hold on,” I tell him as we’re lifted into the air. Immediately, there’s too much movement. Sean glances around nervously. We’re swaying. A lot. More than usual. More than I would like. I remain calm as we lurch with only fifteen more feet to go. We lose a couple of feet, and our ascent comes to a standstill.

“.” Griff’s voice is calm, but I can detect a small flare of panic as he says my name.

“Yeah, Griff?” I ask.

“The pulley stopped working.” His tone is practiced. Flat but urgent. That’s unfortunate. We need to move. And fast.

“Copy that,” I say into my comm.

“You can’t make the climb with him attached to you.” Nate chimes in.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Nathan.” I throw as much sarcasm as I can manage behind my words.

“What do you want to do here, Boss ?” he asks me. Think . Think. I run through our options, and I don’t like any of them, but we have to keep moving. There’s no way Sean can make it on foot long enough to get to a safer location down the mountain.

“You’re going to have to take us down like this—at least to lower ground. Find a place where you can let us down and land.” I relay my plan to my crew, and then to Sean, I say, “I’ll rappel us down, and we’ll stay clear for landing. Once Nate lands, we’ll take a helicopter ride to the hospital to get you checked out and make sure you don’t have frostbite.”

“That’s at least three full minutes with you guys out in this wind,” Nate speaks into my ear.

“They can make it,” Griff affirms. I reach into my supply pack and pull out a wool face mask and three packs of hand warmers, thankful I always keep it rescue ready.

“We can make it,” I agree. “We’re going to have to. Just go. Now.” And then we’re moving.

“I’m going to put two of these in your shirt, and I want you to cross your arms over your chest. I’m also going to put this over your head,” I yell to Sean. “This isn’t going to be pleasant, but we have to beat this storm.” He nods at me, and I do as I told him I would. The wind is painful now anywhere my skin is exposed. It feels like needles pricking my face where my goggles don’t cover. I see where Nate will land and say a silent prayer and a thank you that we’re almost out of the elements. We’re slowly lowered down until I’m standing.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed this connection we’ve shared, I’m going to untether us so we can move away from the landing site. Okay?” I look at Sean, who nods at me and, through chattering teeth, says, “Kkkkay.” I unhook myself from Sean and move us a safe distance away so Nate has enough room to land. Once the helicopter is on the ground and it’s safe, I help Sean into its open door. Nate and Griffin take on Sean’s weight, and together, they get him in. After securing Sean into his seat, I make sure to pull in the rest of the rope manually. I add a note under Griff’s logged events in the flight manifest while he shuts the door.

Turning my attention to Sean, I say, “Well, that was one way to get the blood pumping. Next time, just ask me out, Sean,” I tease. “I’m assuming you didn’t think a helicopter rescue would be necessary when you started your hike today,” I say as I get my medic bag to check his vitals. Griff grabs a blanket, throws it over his shoulders, and sits back in his seat.

“Acc-tually,” he starts, “I was hoping to be engaged by…th-the end of the day,” he tells us, still stuttering slightly as he warms up. He pulls a small box from his pocket. “I was trying to set up a sunset proposal before heading back to our cabin rental for my girl, but I guess Mother Nature had other plans. ”

“No kidding. Are you still going to ask her to marry you?” Griff asks.

“Oh absolutely, I’m locking her down the minute I see her.” His voice is so sure. I check his vitals, and after seeing his blood pressure and checking his fingertips and toes, it looks like he may just end up with some altitude sickness. He calls his girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancée, and he hands me the phone to relay the information about the hospital we’re arriving at, then I give him his phone back. By the time he’s off the phone, we’re almost there.

On the hospital's roof I hand him off to a team of doctors, passing his chart to one of them. Marigold Levinson, head of general surgery, is among them.

“Isn’t it a little early in the season for you to be playing hero, ?” she asks, her dark-blonde brow raised, voice teasing.

I place my hand over my chest. “Never, and who’s playing?” I ask with a wink and step out of the helicopter, looking over my shoulder at Nate and Griffin. “Nice work out there.”

“Never a dull moment with you around, ,’ Griff says, getting out and walking toward the hospital doors. “See you guys later!” he calls.

“See ya, Griff!” I wave.

“No offense, man, but I’m really hoping I don’t have to witness your heroics again for a while,” Nate tells me, and I chuckle.

“You can pretend our love doesn’t mean anything, but I know the truth,” I tell him solemnly and wave. “See you around, Nate. Get some rest, and don’t forget to tell Sarah how heroic and handsome I was today,” I remind him.

“I’ll be sure to mention it,” he tells me with his middle finger raised and an annoyed head shake. They’ve been married for two blissful years, and now they’re expecting their first kid in just a few months. I’m still laughing when I turn around and see they’re starting to wheel Sean inside.

“Thank you! I won’t forget this or you saving me today,” he yells.

“The pleasure was all mine. Maybe next time you decide to take a sunset…or any type of hike, you check the weather before starting out, yeah?” I say it lightly, but he knows I mean it. Safety isn’t a joke to me. Making sure people are safe is one of the biggest reasons I do this job.

“Of course. I will. Thank you again,” he says and extends his hand to me.

I take it and shake. “Now go get the girl. She’s probably so worried about you that you’ll get her to say yes pretty easily,” I tell him, and he chuckles. His team takes him down the hallway, and I walk the opposite way to the elevators. Once inside, I let my shoulders relax and take a few deep breaths to center myself. My blood is pumping so hard I can still hear my heartbeat. I ride the elevator to the bottom floor and walk out to the lobby. The storm is just starting to make it into town. Luckily, we were able to beat it here. I know the roads up the mountain will be clear by morning, but there’s no reason to risk it tonight—even though being in my own bed sounds really great right now.

It looks like I’ll be hitting up a hotel room tonight or possibly crashing with one of my siblings. That’s just another great thing about living up the mountain from a small town filled with your family. Being one of four gives me options. I send a text to the sibling group chat that I titled The Holloway Heathens.

Guess who just saved a hiker from what was surely imminent death?

Texts that highlight my heroics are my favorite texts to send. The alternative is bleak and brings down the vibe considerably.

Here’s a hint: He’s got a great ass and a charming personality too.

Fine! I’ll tell you. It was me. Your favorite brother.

Baby Lo

Are you ok? Are they? I thought Rhett was the favorite.

Rhett

Atta boy! Proud of you! Correct, Baby Lo. I am the favorite.

I’m fine. The hiker’s fine. Actually, he’s getting ready to propose to his girlfriend in the hospital as I type this out. Rhett, you are absolutely not the favorite.

Knox

What a typical Knox response. I roll my eyes.

Winnie

Mare texted me. She said the guy was lucky! Sounds like he was lucky you’re good at what you do !

I’m not surprised that her best friend already stole my thunder.

Aww, Win. You’re gonna make me blush. When are you leaving my less handsome, less fun, not favorite brother for me again?

Rhett

.

Oh, shit. I’m so sorry, Rhett. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.

I laugh as I picture his face reading that one.

Winnie

Rhett

You’re not as funny as you think you are.

I may not be as funny as YOU think I am, but I’m definitely as funny as I think I am.

PS: Who wants to host me tonight? I’m stuck in town because of the storm.

Knox

Not me.

He may be brutal, but Knox will always tell you the truth.

Rhett

After the last comment you made about my FIANCéE?

I’ll take that as a no.

Rhett

So, he isn’t just funny. He’s smart, too.

The jokes on him. I see my opening.

You’ll never convince Winnie to stay with you if you keep highlighting all my best traits, Rhett.

Rhett

I laugh. Picking on my little brother is so fun these days, knowing at the end of the day he’s happy and in love.

Baby Lo

We have a couple of rooms left at the hotel.

Thank you, Baby Lo. You’re my favorite.

Baby Lo

Duh. I was being modest earlier. I’m everyone’s favorite.

Winnie

True. You’re the most precious.

Rhett

100%

Knox

Affirmative.

I roll my eyes, but it’s the truth. Lo, Baby Lo, Florence Holloway, is the fan favorite of the Holloway bunch. Being the literal baby of the family, twenty-three to my thirty-six, it’s actually a miracle that she isn’t an insufferable brat. She’s the opposite. Responsible, generous, and the sweetest of us all, she’s also the self-confident woman we all knew she would be. Announcing to my parents that she wanted to run the Holloway Hotel by herself right out of college had us all concerned, not because we didn't think she could do it, but because no one wanted to see her fail. She’s proven that all our concerns were fruitless and has blown us all away with the improvements she’s made to an already flourishing business.

I’ll be by in a little bit. I’m not on call for the next two days, so I’m going to AJ’s for a beer before turning in for the night since it’s right across the street. Anyone care to join?

Rhett

We can’t, we’re busy.

Winnie

Busy with what?

Rhett

We’re busy.

I can read between the lines. There aren’t many nights that Rhett and Winnie aren’t “busy.”

That’s fine. I’ll see you guys for dinner in a few days at Mom and Dad’s.

Baby Lo

I’m heading home now before it gets too bad out there. I left you a key at the front desk.

Knox

Hazel and I are already home, but she says, “Hi!”

His message has a picture attached, and I smile at my phone screen. Hazel is the most special two-year-old in the world.

Hi, Hazey baby!

Knox

I make it to my truck as the last text comes in and send a goodbye to the family group chat.

Okay, getting ready to drive. Love you all

It’s only a ten-minute drive from the hospital to downtown Silverthorne. I park in front of the hotel and cross the freshly snow-covered street to AJ’s. The town has been festive since Thanksgiving passed two weeks ago, but this is the first big snow of the season, and there’s something about Silverthorne at Christmas. I personally have a harder time getting into the merriest of spirits when December rolls around, but I’ve worked hard to get where I am, and that is something I remind myself to celebrate often.

The lodge is a big part of that. When I decided to invest in the old ski lodge, I never would have thought that a few years later, I would be a part owner. Now, I am, for all intents and purposes, a silent partner, but able to take care of the day-to-day running when needed. After the most recent shift in ownership last week, I’m anxious to see whether it will affect my silence. I don’t know much about my new partner, only that he’s sending someone here to run the hospitality side of things.

I push open the heavy wooden door that leads me into the bar, letting some snow and cold air in with me. I look around the old brick walls and hanging green lamp lights over the tables. It’s a slower night tonight for a Friday, but I’m not complaining. I’m just looking to get one beer and then get some sleep. The rush from our rescue earlier is wearing off, and I want to be in bed before I crash. I make my way to the polished live edge bar top, taking in the way the grain and natural shape of the tree has been showcased. Then I drop onto an empty stool.

“Hey, . What are you doing in town so late?” Buck, Winnie’s uncle and the owner of AJ’s, asks.

“Hey, Buck. I’m stuck here until the storm passes. Staying at the hotel for the night because your niece's fiancé wouldn’t let me stay at their place tonight.”

“Not surprised. He’s pretty greedy with her, isn’t he? What is he, in love with her or something?” he asks, and I laugh.

“Right. Maybe he should just marry her or something.” I wink at the older man behind the counter, who’s beaming. When Rhett asked Winnie to marry him a few weeks ago, there wasn’t a single person in town who wasn’t beyond thrilled. That being said, Buck was the happiest, and he’s been flying high ever since. Having raised Winnie and Colt after their parents passed, it’s evident that all he’s ever wanted for them was happiness, and by some miracle, my wonderful, charming, hot-shot little brother just does it for her. Who would have thought?

“Well, what can I get you tonight, son?” Buck asks .

“I’ll just have whatever IPA you have on draft.”

“You got it,” he says, grabbing a glass from behind the counter. I glance around as he gets my beer and sets it in front of me, then moves on to someone else.

I thank him and turn to spot Colt in the corner chatting with a giggling brunette. He waves at me, motioning for me to come over. It’s not a surprise to find him in the bar, seeing as he spends most evenings here and his uncle owns the place. It’s even less of a surprise to find him here chatting with a beautiful woman. Colt likes women, and women like him. I shake my head a little and feel cold air at my back as I wave back at him. I lift my glass to my lips, feeling the slight burn of hops hit my tongue.

I hear the scrape of a stool down the bar from mine and look over. I almost choke on my beer. I’ve seen quite a few beautiful women before. I’ve been with plenty of them. I like women, and I like sex. If they’re game to keep it casual, then we’re both going to get a lot out of the exchange. The woman sitting on the stool to my left, though? She’s stunning. An absolute smoke show. With her cute little nose stuck so high in the air like she’s looking down on everyone around her, and the rigid set of her back, she looks like she should be sitting on a throne. Then she speaks.

“Can I get a vodka tonic with lime when you get a minute, please?” she asks in a raspy voice that makes that drink order the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.

I wasn’t looking for anything other than a beer tonight, but now that I’ve seen the woman sitting next to me, you’ll be hard-pressed to find me looking at anything else for the rest of the night.