Page 30 of Cole

But his fellow Keepers hadn't done that. They hadn't confused anything. They found their soulmates amid chaos and built real lives together once the danger passed.

Was that happening here? Or was he just tired and letting his guard down in ways he shouldn't?

Sighing, Cole turned away from Janice's sleeping form and returned to his bed on the floor. He pulled the blankets over himself and stared at the ceiling, listening to the fire crackle and the wind whisper against the cabin walls.

Sleep eventually came again, fitful and filled with dreams he wouldn't remember in the morning.

Cole's eyes opened to gray predawn light filtering through the cabin windows. He'd managed a few hours of real sleep, his internal clock waking him at the time he'd programmed into his subconscious the night before.

He rose quietly, noting the slight shift in Janice's breathing that told him she was waking too. Moving to the window, he pulled back the curtain and felt his jaw tighten.

The snow had picked up again. Not the heavy storm from before, but steady, persistent flakes that were already adding fresh inches to what had fallen previously. Visibility was decent, but the conditions were far from ideal.

They'd need to leave soon if they were going to make this work. Get to the mining site, collect the samples, and get back before the weather potentially worsened.

Behind him, he heard Janice stir, the rustle of quilts as she sat up.

"How's it look out there?" Her voice was rough with sleep.

"Snowing again. Not terrible, but not great either." He turned to face her, then allowed his gaze to roam over her. Her hair was out of the braid, creating waves down her back and a halo about her head. She had a pillow crease down her cheek and blinked up at him sleepily. Grinning, he chuckled aloud. She reminded him of how his younger sister would wake when they were kids. She would sleep hard and wake up harder.

But he had to admit that his feelings about Janice were definitely not sisterly. "We should move soon." He grabbed more wood to add to the stove.

She nodded and swung her legs out of bed, padding quickly to the bathroom in her long pajamas and thick socks. The door closed, and Cole heard the water run briefly before she emerged minutes later, dressed in jeans, thick socks, and a thermal shirt with a flannel shirt layered over it.

Her hands moved with practiced efficiency as she gathered her hair, fingers working it into a thick braid that fell over one shoulder. When she finished, she looked up at him and grinned.

"You can take care of business," she said, gesturing toward the bathroom, "but come out here to get dressed. I'll turn my back, but a man your size should never try to dress in that tiny-ass bathroom."

Despite the tension of what lay ahead, Cole laughed. "You've got a point."

He grabbed his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom, managing to get his jeans on in the cramped space but giving up on the rest. When he emerged, Janice had moved to the kitchen counter, her back to him, already pulling out supplies for breakfast.

"It's okay," he called. "I got my pants on in there."

She turned around, and her eyes widened.

Cole stood by the bathroom door in his jeans and a tight thermal T-shirt that molded to his chest and shoulders. He watched her gaze travel across him, seeming to linger on his shoulders, arms, and torso. Her lips parted slightly, and a flush crept up her neck to her cheeks. “Damn.”

It was dumb. Absolutely juvenile. But Cole couldn't help the surge of pleasure that went through him at her obvious appreciation. He'd worked hard to maintain the fitness level the military had demanded long after he'd left the service. And having Janice Lynch look at him like she liked what she saw made every early morning workout feel worth it.

She blinked and turned quickly back to the stove, but not before he caught the small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Cole pulled on the rest of his layers while Janice worked at the tiny kitchen. The smell of eggs and butter filled the cabin as she scrambled eggs in a pan and toasted bread in another skillet.

"I have jam!" she announced, holding up a jar with such genuine excitement that Cole couldn't help but grin.

The way she said it… Like strawberry jam was a luxury rather than a basic grocery item made something warm unfurl in his chest. This was her life out here. Simple pleasures. Making do with what she had. Finding joy in small things.

And she was willing to risk all of it to protect the wilderness and wildlife she'd spent months studying.

They ate quickly, both of them knowing they needed to fuel up for what was coming. The eggs were good, the toast better with the jam she'd been so excited about. They worked in comfortable silence, the kind that came from shared purpose rather than a lack of things to say.

As they began layering on their outdoor gear, Cole went over the safety protocols.

"When we get there, you follow my lead exactly," he said, pulling on his thick jacket. "If I tell you to do something, you do it immediately. No questions, no hesitation. Understood?"

He half expected the independent, stubborn woman who'd gone out alone in a storm to push back against taking orders.