Her heart still hammered dangerously in her chest. She took a deep breath. Just when she was completely relaxed, he’d… shifted into a bear.

She smiled against his chest at the irony of it. She’d come here to scoop a story on shapeshifters, and she’d not only found one, she’d… kissed and made out with one.

The only problem… well, one of the many problems was… she couldn’t do the story now. Things were so much more complicated than merely spotting a shapeshifter on the side of the road. What had she been thinking anyway?

She’d been thinking about a promotion. A promotion from weather girl to anchor. She had a double major at Colorado State University at Fort Collins – journalism and meteorology, done an internship at the local station, then stayed on to do the weather. But being a meteorologist at a small television station didn’t garner the respect she was looking for. Being known as the weather girl wasn’t exactly her lifetime goal. She’d applied to larger stations, even to The Weather Channel, but the competition was stiff.

As a result, she’d shifted her goals. With a degree in journalism, she qualified for the job as the station’s anchor. Unfortunately, there were a lot of politics involved, and she didn’t have the required social connections.

After her boss recommended she start putting together some special news episodes, her coworker had suggested shapeshifters. It seemed just interesting enough to get her attention. So, she’d taken a few days off and driven up to the Silver Creek Lodge. Unfortunately, her snowstorm prediction had been a day off.

“Want to get outside and take a walk?” Brayden’s voice pulled her out of her musings.

“Sure.” She looked into his eyes. Eyes that held so many mysteries. Eyes that melted her heart.

“You can borrow some of my warm clothes.”

It was still snowing, but it was a light snow now. The fresh-fallen snow was inviting, just waiting for footprints.

Minutes later, Taylor was bundled up in one of Brayden’s heavy coats and a pair of waterproof boots that were much too big.

When he opened the front door and followed her out, the cold clean air cleared her lungs and her mind. She smiled as Brayden took her hand and together they went down the porch steps into the fresh fallen snow.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said.

“It’s hard to beat fresh snow.”

“Cold weather is so invigorating. I love a good storm.”

Brayden laughed. “You’re a true weather-” He cleared his throat. “Meteorologist.”

“It’s okay. I only have a Bachelor’s in meteorology.”

“You have what? A certification?”

“Sure. I’m actually working on my master’s degree online.”

“I’m impressed. You like this area then?”

She shrugged. “It’s close to home. My mom lives in Denver. I’ve applied at different places, but so far nothing that would warrant me moving away.”

“I understand. I’ve dealt with the same thing. I want to stay close to family. So, I chose to live here.”

As they neared the road, the sounds of a snowmobile shattered the quietness. They stopped and waited until the snowmobile came into view. “It’s Doc.” Brayden told her.

The driver stopped next to them. “I’m not going to turn it off,” Doc yelled over the noise of the motor. “I’m afraid it won’t start back.”

“Good idea.” Brayden said. “Where are you headed?”

“To the lodge. Do you want a ride?”

Brayden glanced questioningly at Taylor. She shrugged. Brayden nodded to Doc. They climbed aboard, and Taylor was nestled between the two men. Doc steered them along a path that Taylor could only surmise was there. There were ruts in the snow that she presumed he’d left on his way out.

Within twenty minutes, she could see the lodge. It was known as the castle in the mountains. And the name was well-deserved. Made of large, light-gray stones, it was nestled at the base of the mountains covered in snow. With the light snowfall at the moment, it looked like a giant silver snow globe that had just been shaken.

Taylor was enchanted.