He pulls me across the bar, and I look back at the pit of brawlers on the dance floor, not seeing Kaleb anywhere. Do they have him on the floor or something?

The bartender leaps over the bar with a baseball bat, and Jake takes me from Noah as Noah runs back for his brother.

“Are you okay?” Jake asks.

I nod quickly, too worried about the boys. I can’t even say someone else started it. Kaleb technically made the first move.

His kiss still warms my forehead.

“Get in the truck.” Jake shoves his keys at me and pushes me toward the door.

I step backward, the music stopped and bystanders watching the fight. My heart hammers in my chest, feeling like this is my fault for some reason, but I know it’s not.

If I weren’t here, though…

Jake digs through the fray, finding his sons, and I spin around, running outside and to our truck parked on the curb.

Snow falls, fat flakes hitting my hair and bare shoulders, and I rip off my heels, jogging across the frigid, wet pavement to the truck.

Climbing in, I toss my heels in the back and start the engine.

I shiver, turning on the heaters and starting the wipers. Thankfully, the windows haven’t frosted yet, and I blow into my hands, trying to warm them up. I left my shawl inside, dammit.

The door to the bar flies open, and I look over, seeing Kaleb charge out, followed quickly by his father and brother. He heads around the truck for the driver’s side.

“Are you okay?” I ask as he opens the door.

But I know I won’t get an answer.

Pushing me over, he climbs in and shifts the truck into first as Jake takes the seat next to me and Noah climbs in the back.

I take the hint and scurry into the back seat to join him.

The bar door opens again and guys rush out, Terrance leading the pack, and I barely have time to look at Kaleb before he shifts gears again, putting the truck in reverse this time.

“Aw, fuck,” Noah says like he knows what Kaleb is about to do, and I whip my head around just as Kaleb slams on the gas. Our truck heads straight for a row of bikes, and I grapple for the handle above my door, taking hold of it and squeezing my eyes shut as the truck drives right over the dirt bikes.

“Kaleb!” Jake yells.

But it’s too late. We rock side to side, crawling over the motorcycles, and my heart lodges in my throat, but I almost want to laugh, too.

They deserved that.

“You motherfucker!” I hear someone yell.

And then a loud bark. “You’re dead!”

I look out the window and suddenly see two cops across the street, dressed in heavy jackets and winter hats as they step out of their cruiser.

“Oh, shit,” I gasp.

“Kaleb, go now!” Noah yells, seeing what I’m seeing.

He doesn’t hesitate further. Before the officers can stop him, Kaleb hits the gas, speeds off, and I look out the rear window, seeing the guys scramble for their bikes and the cops jump back in their car.

The truck races through the night, the snow whipping across the windshield in the black night, and I slip my shoes back on.

Kaleb kills the headlights, as if the whole town doesn’t know where we’re going, and I peer over the back of his seat, trying to see what he sees in his rearview mirror.

Lights trail us far back, and I hear the tires spin underneath us as the slick snow turns to ice. Jake flips on the defroster.

“Are they really chasing us in this weather?” I blurt out, looking behind me. “Maybe you should stop.”

They’re on dirt bikes. It’s freezing. This could get a lot worse than it already has if there’s an accident.

No one hears me, though.

“Slow down,” Jake orders him.

But Kaleb doesn’t listen. The truck fishtails, and Kaleb jerks the wheel to the shoulder, using the gravel for traction as he gets us farther and farther up into the mountains.

The bikes gain on us, since they’re carrying less weight, but then I see a couple of headlights drop as if the bikes slid. The others follow Kaleb’s example and use the shoulder as the cops’ red and blue lights flash behind.

No, no, no… This is bad.

We keep going, and I notice less lights behind us now as some of the racers giving chase decide to give up in the thick snowfall and save it for another day.

Why are we running, though? A bar fight isn’t a big deal, but Kaleb destroying property is. The pursuit won’t end once we’re behind our front door.

All of a sudden, the police lights disappear. I watch their headlights, seeing them turn around and head back to town, as well.

They know where to find Kaleb tomorrow, I guess.

The tires skid under us, and the truck starts sailing backward. I suck in a breath, digging my nails into the back of Kaleb’s seat. We shouldn’t be doing this.

“Oh, my God,” I mumble, looking down the cliff on my side of the truck, fear paralyzing me at the drop.

The bikes behind us struggle to climb the road, and just as I’m about to suggest we stop or get out to walk back to the house, since we’re less than a mile away, Kaleb turns the wheel right and takes us off the road. The truck plummets into a ditch, and he punches the gas, taking us up into the forest, the truck moving more steadily through the trees.

I look behind me, seeing the bikes fall behind, lost in the darkness, snow, and without Kaleb’s taillights to follow, they won’t know where they’re going.

I don’t think I breathe the entire way home.

Kaleb drives over the forest floor, taking us up to the house, and when he pulls the truck to a stop, we all climb out, looking around for any sign of the cops or racers.

“Get inside now!” Jake orders.

We run into the house, slamming the door behind us, and Noah falls back on the door, breathing hard.

What did we do?

There’s going to be a punishment for that. They won’t let it go.

All of a sudden, though, Noah starts laughing.

Hysterically.

I stand up and scowl down at him. “This isn’t funny,” I growl. “Someone could’ve died. They’ll still be up here once the snow stops. The cops will arrest him.”

I look at Kaleb, who’s as cool as a cucumber, moving into the kitchen and whipping off his shirt like he’s getting ready for bed or some shit.

Noah’s laughter dies down, and he rises, coming to stand next to me. “The snow won’t stop,” he tells me.

I meet his eyes as he pats my arm.

“Until April,” he finishes.

And he follows Kaleb to the fridge for a beer.

Tiernan

There’s already three inches on my balcony. The snowstorm rages, large clumps of bright, white flakes falling to the ground with such density that I can barely tell it’s night. I let out a silent laugh, peering through the windows of my double doors. The house is quiet, the guys went to bed long ago, but I can’t sleep. I want to see this.

It’s so beautiful. And for some reason, I’m in heaven, despite Noah’s griping about there being no civilization for the next six months. I have all I need right here.

Jake had us tend to the horses before bed, but I still feel bad for them out there in the barn. The snow is definitely sticking, which means the ground temperature is as cold as the clouds.

I turn around, shivering as I fist my hands under my arms. I should put on the long underwear I bought, but I hate pants under the sheets. I walk over, deciding to stay in my silk shorts, button-down Oxford and wrapped in a blanket as I crawl into bed.