Abi trudged slowly up the trail. She should turn around and head back home. It was almost full dark now, but she was kind of liking the peace and quiet and staring up through the pine trees at the stars filling the sky. A half-moon lit the trail, and the snow glowed prettily.

Today had been horrific. She was so alone and miserable. How was she going to go on without Stone? Part of her thought she should just forgive and forget and beg him to take her back. But he’d not only hidden the truth from her for seven years, he’d proven once again that he was incapable of talking to her about it. Hadn’t she tried last night to get him to talk to her? Hadn’t she tried her entire adult life to get him to open up? What kind of a relationship would they have with her badgering him all the time and him being silent? Not one that she wanted.

She shook her head and focused on the trail and placing one foot in front of the other. Suddenly, she heard a low sort of purring growl that grew into a sharp yelp that had the hair on her neck standing on end. Her stomach churned, and her palms started sweating in her gloves, making it hard to grasp her poles. She’d heard that sound in the mountains before. Mountain lion.

Pivoting, she started back down the trail at a quick pace. She strained to listen for the mountain lion’s footfalls but couldn’t hear anything beyond her own panicked breathing.

Please help me, she prayed silently.

The night grew darker around her, and she couldn’t see anything through the thick trees. Maybe the lion’s growl was a warning to keep her away, or maybe it was directed at something else. Tremors rushed through her as she ran down the trail, being careful not to step wrong and trip in her snowshoes. It felt like something was watching her. Fear rose in her throat. Why couldn’t mountain lions hibernate like bears and other terrifying creatures?

The growl came again, starting low then ending loud and angry. Abi screamed then wished she hadn’t. She upped her prayers and increased her pace, panting for air.

How far away had the growl been? Was the mountain lion stalking her? She’d seen her neighbor’s border collie be pounced upon and then hauled off by a mountain lion when she was a teenager. They never found the dog. Abi hadn’t forgotten the horror of seeing the dog clenched in the mountain lion’s jaw and then hearing the dog’s terrified yaps growing quieter and quieter. Abi was bigger than a dog, but a mountain lion would definitely outweigh her, and she knew it wouldn’t be a fair fight.

She tried to move even faster, but it was awkward running in snowshoes. The growl came again, that harsh yelp making her entire body shudder. It was so close she knew she had to turn and fight or it might tackle her from behind. Every nerve was on alert. She wanted to weep as she spun around and screamed as loud as she could, praying she sounded big and scary and she could make it rethink attacking her.

The mountain lion appeared on the trail just twenty yards up from her. It was big—long and lean and snarly-looking. Abi couldn’t catch a breath. She couldn’t think what to do. Could she possibly fight it? The animal could easily rip her apart.

“Abi!” Stone’s yell came from behind her.

She turned, stunned to see him barreling up the trail toward her. He knocked her off her feet and into the snow on the side of the trail as the mountain lion charged at her. The mountain lion flew past them.

Stone grabbed one of Abi’s poles and sprang to a crouch, whirling to face the mountain lion. Abi struggled to stand behind him.

The mountain lion came at them as Stone yelled like some medieval warrior and swung at the beast as if he were slashing with a sword. The pole connected and ripped the lion’s fur, but the animal’s momentum kept it coming, and it knocked Stone off his feet.

Abi cried out in horror, grabbing her other pole and smacking it at the lion’s back. The lion snapped at her with his teeth and growled, but she kept whacking. Then she screamed as loud as she could. Please let me frighten it away before it rips Stone apart.

Stone shoved the mountain lion off of him and jumped up, adding his yell to Abi’s desperate scream and bringing the bent pole down on the lion’s snarling mouth.

The animal whimpered and backed away from them, keeping his focus on them until it melted into the trees.

“Stone,” Abi whispered. She dropped the pole and leaned toward him.

Stone caught her in his strong embrace and pulled her in tight. “Come on, we’ve got to get you out of here.” Trickles of blood ran down his cheek from the mountain lion’s claws, but he was concerned about her.

She nodded. Stone grabbed both of her poles and gestured for her to go first. The fight and fear had wiped her out. She was so tired she could barely put one foot in front of the other, but she forced herself to keep moving down the trail, listening carefully for the mountain lion’s return. They’d probably only gone half a mile when she stumbled and her legs gave out. Abi cried out as she fell face-first into the snow.

Stone plucked her off the ground like she weighed nothing. He handed her poles to her to hold, and she clung to them with one hand and his neck with the other.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “I’m so tired.”

“I’ve got you.” He brushed his lips across her forehead as he plunged down the trail. Her snowshoes banged against his side, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“You’ve got me?” she asked, staring up into his handsome face, dabbing away the blood with her glove and hoping the scratches would heal, though the scars wouldn’t detract from his perfectness. Not for her.

“Always, Abi. I’ve always got you.”

“Please don’t ever let me go.” It was too needy and desperate, but she couldn’t survive without this man. Even if he couldn’t express emotion or discuss sensitive issues, she loved him heart and soul.

He grinned. “I won’t.”

Abi sighed and leaned into his chest. Stone was here. He’d protected her, and she hoped this would be a turning point for them, but right now, she was content to simply be close to him.