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Arden’s offered to take me hunting, but I’m a terrible aim. And apparently I make far too much noise, despite him weighing at least three times my weight.

So after sitting on the patio with a hot chocolate in hand and my gaze traveling through the vast mountain range, I spotted a tall peak that looked interesting to explore.

And now I’m paying the price.

“Ardeennnn,” I groan.

His furry back greets me from up ahead, his shoulders barely moving, as if this is easy work. “Come on, my mountaineer! Onward and upward.”

My toe hits a hidden branch, and I stumble, landing face-first in a pile of powdery snow. It’s cold, and I’m hungry, and my lungs tighten with a growl. I definitely regret this idea.

Fisting my gloved hand in the snow, I squeeze the squeaky powder until it crumbles. For a brief moment, it gives me a sense of satisfaction. So I do it again. Scrunching my fist as tight as it goes, I let the snow crumble. Over and over, I take out my frustration on the ice.

But as I look down at my palm where the elongated snow glob looks back at me, an idea strikes.

I can’t stop the grin forming on my lips, but my eyes dart up to where Arden stands with his hands on his hips, facing the peak. His back turned to me. Perfect.

I dig into the snow, balling it tightly together to form a thick snowball. Arden’s back is still to me, his eyes focused on the trail ahead. Which gives me the advantage I need.

Drawing my arm back, I aim as best as I can and throw the ball of ice right at the back of his head. It’s not a great shot, hitting him square in the back, but it does the job.

Arden’s shoulders tense, his head snapping over his shoulder. But the look in his eyes is far from anger.

“Oh, you wanna play that game, huh?” His growl sends a shiver down my spine.

My body acts before I can think, and I’m shuffling on my hands and knees to create another snowball. Lifting my head up and pulling my arm back, I aim again. Only for a white ball of ice to come hurtling right at my face.

It collides with my forehead, exploding against my cheeks in an icy cold shower. I gasp, blinking the snow from my eyes and throwing my ball at him. It misses, but it doesn’t deter me from trying again.

As we toss snow at each other, I once again realize how much of a mistake I’ve made. Arden’s fur repels the snow with ease, and his hands are much, much larger than mine. A snowball made by him might as well be a bucket of snow being tipped on my head. His aim is near perfect too.

By the time I’ve run out of energy and my smile has cemented itself on my face, I’m covered head to toe in snow.

Arden chuckles, “You look like an abominable snowman.”

I roll my eyes, dusting the snow from my hood. “Isn’t that just a yeti?”

He nods, easily walking over to me through the thick piles of snow to help me wipe away the mess. “Maybe a little one.”

I shove him playfully, but he doesn’t budge. “Are we nearly at the top?”

Arden’s eyes turn to the peak above us. “Less than twenty feet, but it’s a bit slippery so I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

Hauling me up against his chest, Arden carries me the rest of the way. His large feet trek through the waist-deep ice and snow. The crunch beneath us sends a satisfying echo through the surrounding mountain.

“Have you been up here before?” I ask as I burrow deeper into Arden’s grasp, his body heat warming my skin.

Taking a careful step over a crack in the ice, Arden maneuvers us higher. “Not this one, baby. You have your phone?”

I pat my pocket. I don’t remember taking it with me but the telltale sign of its rectangular shape greets my fingers.

“Did you sneak this into my pocket?” I gasp up at him, already seeing a grin spread across his lips. I whack his chest playfully. “Couldn’t you have brought yours?”

Since my father disowned me, I’ve had his number blocked. But when the snow melts and we go into town, I’ll get a new number.

“Do I look like I have pockets?” He chuckles, shaking his head. Reaching with his free arm, Arden grasps at the rock wall for better purchase as he pulls us up to the very lisp of the peak.

The sun greets us. Raging oranges and yellows strike across the cloudless sky and the faint outline of the crescent moon smiles at us.