Page 29

He studied me intently with searching eyes.

“Seven.”

“In the morning? For dinner?” Shane stared at me with his mouth open, and I laughed out loud.

“We’re starting with lunch. And of course, we have to prepare.”

“Okay. Then there’s nothing you can do now except get a good night’s sleep.”

This time I didn’t hold back my sigh. “Yes. That’s my concern, that I’ll lie awake, and tomorrow I’ll end up cutting my finger off.”

Shane held out his hand to me. “We don’t want that. Let’s go for a hike to the lake.”

“But it’s already getting dark? And there’s a lake here?” Against my will, my arm stretched out, and Shane grabbed my wrist. He pulled me up.

His fingers closed around me like a bracelet. Stay focused, Ruben!

“No excuses. Fresh air is the only thing that will help here.”

I glanced at him as I sorted out my legs and climbed out of bed. “You must be hungry after your day?”

With a twinkle in his eyes, he pulled me the last bit onto my feet. “If you really want to, you can cook for me too.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “It’s okay. The urge is within limits.”

Although Shane let go of me, I could still feel his touch tingling on my skin as he quickly slipped into his functional pants and jacket. I stayed where I was. Jeans would have to suffice.

“I’ll get something from one of the refrigerators later. Maybe there will be some dinner leftovers. If necessary, I’ll make something myself.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Would you have anything there?”

He waved me off. “Ah. I’m not starving. Now, come on.”

I could barely keep up with Shane as we left the cabin. He had been on his feet all day—in the snow. Why did he look like he had jumped out of bed after a refreshing eight hours of sleep? Would my shoes be able to withstand this hike? But when I rushed out of the cabin, Shane was waiting for me, gazing up at the sky. Thick flakes floated down from the sky, settling on the trees, the huts, and the paths. Shane turned to me and grinned. Frozen ice crystals were caught in his eyelashes, and he blinked them out of his eyes.

“I ordered it just for you,” he said, pointing upward with his chin.

“I see.” I smiled to myself and pulled my hat over my ears. “Where are we going now? I don’t know my way around here. We could drive into town and check it out.”

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to the lake. It’s only half an hour away from here.”

“Half an hour? In this weather?”

Shane took my hand and pulled me along behind him. “Move. Otherwise, you’ll get cold.”

The snowflakes danced around us, and a calm came over me. The cold compressed me in a strange way. I pulled my shoulders up to my ears and buried myself in my jacket.

We walked silently through the small forest behind the resort. Unfortunately, he let go of my hand at some point when the path widened. At first, the path was clear, and we made relatively quick progress. My boots kept slipping. But Shane’s arm was always immediately next to me, holding my waist and keeping me upright so I never fell on my butt. That’s all I needed, to pass out because I had injured myself.

The path climbed slightly, and walking on the increasingly dense snow became slower and more strenuous, as every lift of my legs required an unimaginable amount of effort.

My thoughts also became calmer. I was completely preoccupied with my limited lung capacity and my burning muscles.

When we reached the top of the hill—I had climbed it, Shane had strolled leisurely along—the forest thinned out.

The view opened up to a shimmering blue lake. The surface was partially frozen, and snow was already piling up at the edge. It couldn’t hold in the middle, and the blue water shimmered through. Maybe there was no ice in the middle at all. Only icy water crystals that were still moving too much and simply couldn’t solidify.

I took a deep breath.