Two Years Later...
The mission lasted thirty-six hours. Three hikers caught in an unexpected early autumn storm, trapped on Darkmore's north face with dwindling supplies and hypothermia setting in.
Standard procedure turned complicated when the weather worsened, visibility dropped to near zero, and temperatures plummeted to dangerous lows.
But we got them. We always do.
Aspen, who'd been dozing in the passenger seat, perks up as we approach. Despite being older now, her excitement at coming home never diminishes. She knows who waits inside.
The porch light glows warmly against the gathering dusk. Through the front window, I catch a glimpse of movement—Jade. My heart does that familiar stutter it always does when I see her.
I kill the engine but sit for a moment, savoring the anticipation of homecoming. Two years together, and this feeling hasn't faded. If anything, it's deepened, like a river carving its essential path through stone.
The front door opens before I reach it. Jade stands in the doorway, silhouetted by the warm light behind her, wearing one of my flannel shirts that barely covers the tops of her thighs.
Her hair is longer now, falling in waves past her shoulders.
Her body has changed too—before her pregnancy she was all lean muscle and sharp angles, she's now softer, fuller, with curves that my hands have memorized in the darkness of countless nights.
"You're home," she says simply, and those two words contain everything. The anxiety leaves her body in a visible rush.
"I'm home," I confirm, dropping my gear bag on the porch and reaching for her.
She comes into my arms without hesitation, her body fitting against mine in that perfect way that still amazes me. She smells like baby powder and the lavender soap she makes herself and something uniquely Jade that I've never been able to describe, only crave.
"Everyone okay?" she asks against my chest.
"Everyone safe. No serious injuries." I press my face into her hair. "Cold as hell, though."
She pulls back, eyes scanning my face with the assessment that's become second nature to her since completing her emergency response training last year. "You look exhausted."
"Thirty-six hours will do that." I smile, brushing my thumb across her cheek. "How are my girls?"
Her face softens. "Lilybeth went down about an hour ago. Should be out for a while—she was fighting sleep all day."
Our daughter, six months old and already displaying the stubborn determination of both her parents. Sometimes I look at her tiny face and see Jade's eyes, my jawline, and feel such overwhelming love it's almost painful.
"And how's this one?" I place my hand gently on the small swell of Jade's stomach, where our second miracle is growing. Just starting to show at four months, this pregnancy is somehow even more miraculous than the first.
"Active today." She covers my hand with hers. "I think we've got another future rescue specialist in there. Or maybe an extreme snowboarder."
"God help us," I chuckle, letting her lead me inside.
The cabin is warm, the fire crackling in the stone hearth.
It's bigger than my old place—three bedrooms, an open kitchen and living area, wide windows that showcase the mountains in every direction.
Photos line the walls—our makeshift wedding at Darkmore Peak's summit, Jade's first day leading the resort's new avalanche awareness program, Lilybeth's birth, countless moments of our life together.
I shed my jacket and boots while Aspen heads straight for her cushion near the fire, circling three times before collapsing with a contented sigh.
"Hungry?" Jade asks, moving toward the kitchen.
"Just tired," I admit. "And cold. Can't seem to get warm."
She turns, eyeing me with a look I've come to recognize—and anticipate. "I think I can help with that."
Before I can respond, she's crossed back to me, rising on tiptoes to press her mouth to mine. The kiss starts soft, a welcome home, but quickly deepens as her tongue traces the seam of my lips. I respond instantly, my body forgetting its exhaustion as more primal needs take over.
"Jade," I murmur against her mouth. "I should shower first."
"Mmm, in a minute." Her hands slide under my thermal shirt, palms flat against my stomach. "First, I want to warm you up."
She guides me to the couch, pushing gently until I'm seated. Then she kneels between my legs, looking up at me with those green eyes that still hold the power to undo me completely. Her hands work at my belt, then the button of my jeans.
"You don't have to—" I begin.
"I want to," she interrupts, her smile both sweet and wicked. "I missed you. Let me show you how much."
She tugs my jeans and boxers down just enough to free me. Despite my exhaustion, I'm already hardening under her gaze. Her hand wraps around me, stroking slowly, her touch both familiar and thrilling.
"You have no idea how sexy you are when you come home from a mission," she says, her voice low. "All rugged and heroic."
"I'm just doing my job," I reply, though her words send heat coursing through me.
"My job right now," she says, maintaining eye contact as she leans forward, "is to make my husband forget about everything but how good this feels."
Her mouth closes over me, warm and wet, and a groan escapes before I can stop it. Her lips slide down my length, taking me deeper than seems possible. My hands find her hair, not guiding, just connecting, feeling the silky strands between my fingers.
She works me with practiced skill, knowing exactly how to bring me to the edge without pushing me over.
Her tongue swirls around the head, tracing patterns that make my hips buck involuntarily.
All the while, she watches me, her eyes locked on mine, the connection between us so much more than physical.
"God, Jade," I breathe, cupping her cheek in my palm. "You're incredible."
She hums in response, the vibration sending shockwaves of pleasure through me. Her free hand slides up my thigh, then higher, under my shirt, nails lightly scratching across my abdomen. The dual sensation—her mouth around me, her hand on my skin—is intoxicating.
The cold that had seeped into my bones during the long rescue is replaced by scorching heat. Every muscle in my body tightens as pleasure builds, coiling at the base of my spine. I fight to maintain control, to prolong this exquisite torture.
"Jade," I warn, my voice strained. "I'm close."
She pulls back just enough to whisper, "I want to taste you," before taking me deep again.
Her words push me over the edge. My release hits with the force of an avalanche, white-hot pleasure flooding every nerve ending as I come in her mouth. She stays with me through every pulse, every shudder, only pulling away when I'm completely spent.
I slump back against the couch, breathing hard, as she rises to sit beside me. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
"Warmer now?" she asks innocently.
I laugh, pulling her against my side. "Much. Though I'm not sure I can move anymore."
"Mission accomplished, then." She snuggles closer, her head on my shoulder.
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, my heartbeat gradually slowing. My hand finds its way to her stomach again, to the miracle growing there.
"I love you," I say, the words simple but carrying the weight of everything I feel for this woman who crashed into my life and refused to leave.
She tilts her face up to mine. "I love you too. Even when you come home smelling like a wet dog."
"Speaking of which, I should shower." I make no move to get up, too content with her warm weight against me.
"In a minute," she says, echoing her earlier words. "I want to enjoy having you home."
I look around our cabin, at the life we've built together. Photos of adventures and quiet moments. Lilybeth's toys scattered across the floor. Aspen snoring softly by the fire. The small swell of Jade's stomach where our second child grows.
Two years ago, I thought I had everything figured out. I had my routines, my solitude, my purpose. I was surviving, not living. Then a reckless ski instructor with something to prove went off-trail, and my carefully constructed world imploded.
Thank God it did.
"What are you thinking about?" Jade asks, noticing my distant expression.
"Just how lucky I am that you ignored every warning sign on that mountain."
I kiss the top of her head, breathing her in.
In a few minutes, I'll shower. We'll eat dinner.
Maybe Lilybeth will wake up, and I'll get to hold my daughter, marvel at her tiny fingers and the way she already has her mother's determination.
We'll fall asleep together, Jade curled against me, our second child growing between us.
But for now, I just want to sit here, holding the woman who taught me that sometimes, the greatest risks bring the greatest rewards. The woman who showed me that a life half-lived is no life at all.
The woman who, in needing her own rescue, somehow rescued me.