Page 35 of Mountain Void

“Don’t worry,” Kat said. “Damien, Drake, and Hiro are on duty tonight. If anything happens, we’ll hear about it.”

The dark-haired man straightened and offered his hand. “Hugo.”

“Are you also a firefighter, Hugo?” Charlie asked.

Hugo looked faintly offended. “Me? A firefighter?”

Bastien grinned. “Careful now, my friend.”

“PGHM, through and through. I wouldn’t waste my time down in Megève.”

“Waste your time?” Bastien said. “I’ll be sure to tell my captain you said that … next time you get stuck on a ski lift and need help getting down.”

“That only happened once,” Hugo said, laughing.

“Twice,” Kat corrected.

Bastien sighed. “You see what I deal with?”

Carmen leaned toward Charlie and quickly whispered in her ear. “I like them.”

The whole time, it didn’t escape Charlie’s notice how close Lorenz was standing to her. Close enough that, if she shifted her weight even slightly, their shoulders would brush.

And he still hadn’t explained who she was.

She had to get over herself. Maybe he wasn’t looking for anything serious, so there was no need to explain.

“Where’s your wife?” Kat asked Hugo. “I wanted to say hello.”

“Jo couldn’t make it tonight,” Hugo said. “Rébé has a cold, so she stayed home.”

“Luc’s at home as well,” Kat said. “Knowing him, they’ve probably already turned the living room into a fort.”

“I don’t know how you guys do it, that whole kids thing,” Bastien said, with the look of someone who had zero interest in knowing.

Kat and Hugo chuckled, as if sharing a private joke.

“It’s not as much of a hardship as you’re making it out to be,” Kat said. “You’ll find out someday.”

Bastien looked toward Carmen. “And you? How are you enjoying the evening?”

“I’m still deciding,” she said. “Depends on how the night develops.”

Not subtle.

Charlie held in a smile.

Bastien gave her an amused look. “You don’t strike me as someone indecisive.”

Carmen tilted her head. “I guess I’m not.”

Lorenz leaned toward Charlie and muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, “Your friend knows what she’s doing? Bastien can be a bit of a player.”

This time Charlie didn’t hold back her smile. “Believe me, she knows exactly what she’s doing.”

Carmen shook her head. “What are the two of you whispering about?”

“Ignore them,” Bastien said cockily. “We can whisper too.”