Perry’s neighbor, Mr. Dougal, had heard the avalanche and called for help. Nadia and Lincoln went back to their respective lives and Perry returned to his, at least a semblance of it.

He was staying in a hotel while Clyde continued his convalescence at his granddaughter’s house. The old man was there for a visit when Perry returned from the post office with a letter.

“What does it say?” Clyde asked.

Perry reluctantly tore open the envelope and unfolded the crisp, official-looking document. “Well, it’s not much,” he said after a beat, “but it’ll help us start over. We can find a small house closer to town. Maybe, once we’re settled in, we can even talk about re-opening Survive Anything.”

With a shake of his head, Clyde rolled away in his wheelchair. “It’s a crying shame. I still can’t believe what Rick Feldman did to you.” He gazed out the window at the snow-covered mountain in the distance. Nothing remained of the place they had called home.

“The sheriff says he’ll get community service,” said Perry. “I’ve got no bone to pick with Rick. He did what he thought he had to do to keep Empowered Survival on top, and it almost worked.”

“That doesn’t have to be the end of the story.”

Clyde looked at him with a knowing smile. Not for the first time, Perry regretted having told him about the reality TV show idea. “We’ve been over this, Clyde. Herschel Wilde didn’t want to invest. Besides, you need me to be here for you.”

“Yeah? And what about you? You need people, too, son. Don’t think I don’t know that pretty little girl has been asking you to come visit with her and that actor fella.” Clyde rolled his wheelchair over and positioned himself right in front of Perry. “I think you’re using me as an excuse.”

“Now, why would I do that?” Perry scoffed.

“I don’t know, considering they’re your friends. To hear you tell it,” Clyde continued, “you got attacked by wolves, chased them through the forest, got snowed in together and buried under an avalanche. You don’t go through stuff like that and not develop a bond. Yet, you act like they’re unimportant to you.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to foist me off on them,” Perry chuckled.

“Maybe so. Even if you don’t want a girlfriend, I do,” Clyde teased.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve found a place. An assisted living facility.”

Perry leaned back in surprise. “Go on.”

“I met a lady at rehab who lives there. She told me it’s a wonderful place.”

Perry shook his head as he turned away. “I bet,” he murmured, thinking about Nadia and Lincoln. He had not seen them since the meeting with Nadia’s PR team. Although they had found a publicist to rebrand him, Lincoln had delivered the news that Herschel’s production company shot down the survivor show idea. That had been that, and Perry had left well enough alone, relinquishing the dream of a future with Lincoln and Nadia because he felt Clyde needed him.

But now his old friend was telling him he was ready to move on. Perry wondered where that left him.

Clyde pulled a cigar out of his shirt pocket and clamped it between his teeth, rolling away in his wheelchair. “They seem to want you around, Perry.”

“You know what they say—three’s company.”

“Well, now…I got the feeling you completed the picture.”

“Oh, really?” Perry raised a brow, not knowing how to respond.

Clyde met his gaze and smiled. “I hear the way you talk to them on the phone.”

Perry crossed his arms. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop,” he said lightly.

“I don’t…much. I just pick up on a little here and there. Like the fact Nadia is still working to make Survive Anything a success, and Lincoln is looking for a place out here for the three of you. I don’t pretend to know what’s going on between you and your friends, but I think you’re being dishonest with yourself if you act like there’s nothing there.”

“Clyde…”

The old man threw up his hands. “Now, I’m not prying, but…”

“That’s extremely debatable.”

“Just tell me this. Is it the girl or the guy?”

Perry ran a hand over his face and blew out a breath, chuckling quietly.

“Fine. Keep it to yourself,” Clyde said with a grin. “You’re not the same man you were when you came back from the war. You’re ready to be a part of the world again. And, so am I. I’m moving into that assisted living facility with Margorie. I hope you support my decision because—whatever you decide to do—I support you.”

Perry finally turned to the old man. He struggled with what to say. Clyde was telling him this was the end of the road for them. No more living together in a cozy log cabin in the mountains. It was not the way Perry had expected things to go. A part of him felt abandoned, another part felt freed.

“What about the business?” he asked. “I can’t run the survival training camp without you. I saw firsthand how dangerous things can get without someone manning the radio while I take students out into the woods.”

“I think you know what you need to do about Survive Anything. Nadia Marson never gave up on the reality TV show and neither should you. I believe in you, son.”

“I never doubted that,” Perry replied, smiling.

Later that evening, he sat at the hotel writing desk and stared at his cellphone. Because of his obligations to Clyde, he had given up on a relationship with his polyamorous paramours. Now, he could live anywhere, do just about anything, even if the option to make a television show was off the table. He was out of excuses to keep Nadia and Lincoln at bay. One phone call or text message would change everything.

* * *

Lincoln was on the set of Edge of Earth when his phone vibrated at the precise moment Mitch Trepan said, “Action!”

He ignored the alert and clung to an artificial cliff-face as gusts of wind from an industrial fan tore at his clothes. Flurries of fake snow lashed at his frame. “I’m not gonna make it!” he yelled. “You have to let me go! You go on.”

His companion clutched his wrists with a scowl of determination. “Don’t give up on me now, you son of a bitch!”

“If you don’t let go, we both go down!”

“Then, we both go down!” Jasper Kent put everything he had into the line.

Lincoln was deep in character, channeling the terror he had felt when he was alone and injured in the woods. It took no leap of imagination to wonder how he would react when faced with life or death. He had done that and come out a better man, just as his character would do in this film.

The fateful survival training course had prepared him for the movie, exactly as Mitch had predicted. Lincoln was still shocked he had got the part. He would never forget the day he had finally gotten around to reading the script and realized it made even more sense that Landon Ashville had written the role for him. Jasper Kent was his love interest. Audiences would go wild.

After the avalanche, Lincoln had been incapable of slotting right back into his acting career. He spent several days in the hospital recovering from dehydration and hypothermia. He spent another month on a vacation in the tropics to get over the emotional toll. He still had rough nights, but he had forced himself to return to work in LA.

Then, Mitch called about the movie, and Lincoln learned the director had not given his role to Jasper Kent. Instead, he had hired them both as leads. Apparently, that was always his intention. Now, the two of them shared the spotlight. The tension onscreen was palpable. The budding friendship between the rival actors was just as convincing. They had long since buried the hatchet.

Mitch punched the air triumphantly. “Cut!” he ordered.

Lincoln grinned and let go of the “cliff-face,” dropping harmlessly to a foam pad. “How did we do?” he asked.

“Superb! You guys are dynamite together! Take a thirty-minute break. You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks, Mitch.”

Lincoln gave a short wave to his cast mates and shuffled to the sidelines to check the text. A striking young woman in a sports bra and jeans and an inviting smile on her lips wandered past. Lincoln hardly noticed.

The tabloids had gone crazy with speculation after he was rescued with the billionaire and the military vet. However, Nadia’s PR team had swiftly pushed the hero narrative, placing the spotlight squarely on the kindly Mr. Dougal and the small mountain town that had hosted them.

He unlocked his phone and glanced at the screen, warming with pleasure when he saw it was Perry. “I want to see you,” the text read.

Smiling, Lincoln replied, “I can do that. When are you free?”

His phone chirped again, and a selfie from Nadia filled a bubble in the group text. She looked downright edible in a black business suit, a hint of red lace peaking from the neckline. “Headed into a meeting,” she replied. “Best I can do on short notice.”

“Damn, I love you, Ms. Marson,” he fired back.

Perry swooped into the message box: “So, about that house…”

Lincoln raised an eyebrow in surprise. The long-distance relationship still had the same fire as when the trio had been up close and personal in the woods. If anything, the distance brought them closer. However, he had been searching for a home for the three of them ever since the show idea had fallen through. He had only stopped because Nadia and Perry seemed ambivalent about moving in together.

“What changed?” he spoke into the speech-to-text app. The words fluttered across the screen. It took a moment before Perry replied.

“I think we can survive living together,” he texted.

Nadia quickly answered, “OMG! Hold that thought. Continue after meeting.”

“Then, we’ll talk about it in person. Booking a flight to Perry now,” Lincoln texted.

He shook his head, laughing softly to himself as he tabbed from the text messages to a search engine to book a flight. They could seek out a new place together. Hopefully, Nadia would be available to join them. Or they could fly out to see her, too.

After the flight was booked, he slipped his phone into his pocket and peered out over the set of the man versus nature film, filled with buoyant happiness. Were all his dreams finally about to come true?

* * *

Nadia shoved her phone into her purse and hurried to the elevator. Maria held the doors. Their lawyer slipped in behind them. “Do you think she’s there yet?” her best friend asked. Nadia checked her watch.

“We’re fifteen minutes early,” she said. “I’m so nervous that I’m shaking. Look at me!”

“Relax. You’ll do just fine.”

“After all, the business plan is flawless,” the lawyer assured them.

“And the two of you have talked about this on the phone and by Skype,” said Maria. “It’s time to meet and really get the ball rolling.”

Nadia smoothed her skirt and shook her thick, lustrous hair back from her face as the elevator came to a stop. She met Maria’s gaze and felt a boost of confidence. The two of them stepped out of the carriage and made their way to the meeting room.

Just outside the door, Nadia sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. She put a hand on the doorknob, but the door opened inward, and she came face to face with the woman she was meeting. They both froze.

“Nadia?”

“Carmen,” she breathed.

“My goodness! You’re even prettier in person. What the hell was Jason Stratham thinking?”

Maria smoothly slipped a hand through the crook of Nadia’s arm and ushered her into the room. “Clearly, he wasn’t,” she laughed. “Hi, I’m Maria Gonzalez. We spoke by phone. Pleasure to finally meet you, Carmen.”

“Ni-nice to meet you, too. Both of you.” Carmen smiled brightly. Her lawyer gestured for the group to take their seats at the large conference table in the middle of the room. They were at Dominic’s office. The agent had been kind enough to allow them to use it, and he had assured them he would not breathe a word to Lincoln.

Nadia found it hard not to think about her history with Carmen Wilde, but Maria was right. She had spoken extensively with Carmen, even touching on the issue of dating Jason.

Over time, they had learned they had a lot in common. They were both the daughters of wealthy, successful men who dictated their every move. And they both wanted to prove to the world they were much more than that.

She was Nadia Marson, whether her father was Wilson Marson the oil magnate or Joe Blow the mechanic shouldn’t be an issue. Nadia wanted to show her father she had a viable investment on her hands, and Carmen wanted Herschel Wilde to know she could do more than answer phones and keep schedules.

“Are you ladies ready to talk business?” Carmen asked.

Nadia shook off her bout of nerves and unsnapped her briefcase. “Absolutely, let’s get this done!” she said. Maria flashed her a thumbs up. She was grateful to have her ex-housekeeper and current best friend along for this journey.

The three women were on a mission to make Survive Anything Entertainment more than the stuff of dreams. Lincoln and Perry were in the dark about what she was doing. She did not want to tell them anything until she had good news. Nadia knew that with Maria’s budding entrepreneurial skills, Carmen’s experience in show business and her own drive, they would not walk away from the table empty-handed.

Her relationship with her father was amicable again, and he had given up trying to hire her. He had, however, made it clear he would not sink a dime of his money into this particular business venture. So, she was teaming up with Carmen to pool their resources, and Maria was investing her entire savings. This had to work. Nadia knew it would work.

An hour later, Carmen sat back and squealed in delight.

“I’m sold,” she said. “With the treatment you’ve submitted for the pilot, I’m more confident than ever. Eventually, if the ratings are high enough, we can even branch out and do other reality shows. My dad may not be investing, but he’s promised me he’ll mentor us along the way.”

“That’s more than enough for me,” said Nadia.

“So, what do you say, ladies?” Maria asked. “Are we ready to incorporate?”

“I’ve waited for this for what seems like a lifetime,” Nadia whispered. Her life had begun anew after the fateful avalanche. “Let’s do this,” she said excitedly.

They signed the documents knowing they were taking a leap of faith, but Nadia was unafraid.

Nadia was walking on air. She could hardly believe that she was officially a producer, and the three of them would begin work on her first project as soon as she notified Lincoln and Perry of their amazing good fortune. She raced to her car and headed straight for the airport.

* * *

Nadia’s dress slipped to the floor in a whisper as Lincoln drew her into a sultry kiss. She pressed her warm naked body against his, and Perry molded to her frame from behind. The three of them tumbled into bed together.

“So, we’re moving in together?” she asked.

“If you can handle living with an unemployed ex-Navy SEAL, sure.”

Nadia hid a smile, running her fingers tantalizingly over Perry’s crotch. The ridge of his erection strained against the fabric, and her body tingled to feel him inside. “I’ve got a feeling you won’t be unemployed for long,” she said. “In fact, I know someone who’s looking to hire.”

“Mm-hmm, we’ll talk about that afterwards,” Perry said as he nuzzled her. “I haven’t seen you two in months. I just want to feel you.”

“What kind of job is it? I’m intrigued,” Lincoln murmured, groaning as she clutched his erection in hand. She pulled his hard-on through the opening of his briefs and leaned down to wrap her lips around him. Her thick, black hair cascaded around her face, and Perry laced his fingers through it and brought her to his lips to kiss the taste of Lincoln from her tongue.

“You’ll never guess…”

“I give up,” Perry replied, rolling on top of her.

She lost her train of thought as the sex got steamier, and he stole her ability to speak. The trio tangled beneath the sheets together. Her ecstasy climbed higher and higher. Only Perry and Lincoln could do this to her.

Their connection had been forged in snow and ice and had survived the worst that life could throw at them. Not only did Nadia want Lincoln and Perry to move in with her, but she wanted their relationship to be set in stone. They were in love. They were about to be business partners. The commitment was real.

And she would show them the time was now.

An hour later, she tossed back the covers and stared up at the ceiling with a satisfied smile. Lincoln turned on his side and grinned down at her as Perry rose from between her legs with a satisfied sigh.

“About that job,” she said.

“I’m listening.”

Nadia told them about Survive Anything Entertainment. She told them how Carmen Wilde and Maria had joined forces with her to make the business a reality, and the room went silent. She studied their faces, trying to gauge how they felt. Lincoln looked stunned. Perry’s expression was guarded. “Scared?” she asked quietly.

Lincoln responded, “More like, ready for another adventure…”

Perry shook his head and sat up, and Nadia’s spirits sank. If he was not on board, then all of this had been for nothing. He glanced over his shoulder with a crooked smile. “I told you we could survive anything together. I’m in.”