Page 46 of Beastly Mountain Man

Caprice looked at him, then at me.

“What happens if we take him out?”

“He runs. He dives into drifts. If you throw snow, he’ll chase it. At some point he’ll probably try to knock one of us over.”

“That last part feels important.”

“I wanted you prepared.”

I opened the gear duffel.

Caprice followed me.

She pulled out the insulated snow pants and held them against herself.

“These are mine?”

“Guest Services sent the sizes you gave me with a crew already coming up for storm checks.”

“So legitimate resort equipment.”

“Yes.”

“Not a private collection you maintain for women you plan to throw into snowbanks.”

I looked at her.

“I’m not sure which part of that needs correcting first.”

Her grin widened.

We checked the gear together. The boots fit. The snow pants adjusted at the waist and shortened enough at the cuffs. The coat left room for layers without swallowing her.

“What goes underneath these?”

“Warm leggings are fine.”

“One pair or two? And what if I’m cold?”

“One. If you’re cold, we come inside.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“That sounds suspiciously easy.”

“A lot of things are until people make them complicated.”

“I feel targeted by that observation.”

She disappeared into the bedroom with the gear.

Ten minutes later she came back wearing the snow pants, insulated coat, waterproof boots, gloves, and a knit hat over a low ponytail.

She stopped in the middle of the great room.

“Well?”

I checked the fit first. Boots secure. Pants clear of the ground. Gloves covering her wrists. Coat zipped.