The Shuddering

significantly more unbalanced than their counterparts. They were laughing as well. Jane slapped snow off the back of his coat as Sawyer slid farther ahead. She lagged behind, fumbling with the strap that kept her foot in place, pushing off the snow to catch up to him. She reached for him with both hands, and he offered her one of his arms, then pushed off to propel them both.
    Something twisted within April’s chest. She waited for Sawyer to glance in her direction, to at least check to see that she was there, to make sure she was okay. Her prayers were answered when he craned his neck toward the lodge while standing in line, lifting a hand to wave at her after spotting her on the porch. April forced a smile, lifting a hand in return, but being acknowledged didn’t soothe the burn of jealousy.
    She pictured herself getting up, bolting down the lodge steps and across the snow. She was sure she could make it before they got on the lift again, and when she’d reach them, she’d shove Jane hard enough to make her hit the ground. Chewing on a nail, she hunched her shoulders and glared at Sawyer’s back. A pair of neon-clad skiers sat at the table next to her, their cups of coffee steaming like a pair of smokestacks.
    “They only found him because someone out there reported seeing a bunch of wolves,” said one of the men, his ski jacket a painful lime green. “And then yesterday, there was some kind of incident.”
    The second skier took a careful sip of coffee. “Up here?”
    The first guy nodded, blowing across the top of his drink, the horizontal line of steam wafting away from him, sending that heavenly aroma in April’s direction. “Just shy of the Ridge Runner. Looks like someone decided to take a detour.”
    The second skier made a face like he’d just tasted something foul. “Stupid.”
    “Yeah, no shit. Probably a couple of dumb kids. It’s all closed off if you go up there.”
    “They found a body?”
    April furrowed her eyebrows.
    Neon guy shrugged. “Like they’ll tell you that, right? Though I kind of doubt it. Seems like they’d have to shut down the entire run, if not the entire mountain.”
    “So how do you know it was wolves? They could have just hit a tree, right?”
    The first guy lifted his paper cup of coffee as if toasting the lift at the base of the hill. “See that guy working the chair?” April tried to be casual as she glanced toward the lift. Jane and Sawyer were still in line. “He’s got a mouth on him. Mentioned that the ski patrol found blood. A lot of it.”
    “Shit,” the second skier responded. “But someone would have heard.”
    “Not if it was after hours, and you know how these guys go up at the last minute.”
    Skier One frowned, shaking his head. “Lesson learned…”
    April cleared her throat softly and rose from the table, suddenly uncomfortable. What if there were wolves? What if Sawyer decided to be an idiot and go off-trail like those other people had? She stepped inside the lodge, considering waiting at the base of the lift to warn the group of possible danger. But that would just make her look like an ass, like she was looking for excuses to ruin their good time. She frowned as she approached a long line inside, the noise inside the lodge nearly deafening with how crowded it was. She needed to soothe her nerves, and an overpriced cup of hot cocoa sounded good.
    By the time she finally got her drink she had decided that no, she wouldn’t say anything about what she’d heard. They only had two more days up here after this one, and she was determinedto suck it up and be a good sport for Sawyer’s sake. She knew the cabin was for sale, was well aware that Ryan was moving to Europe to be some fancy slope reviewer. For all she knew, she’d never see Ryan Adler again. And despite feeling bad for Sawyer losing touch with a friend, she couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied. They were about to start a new life together, and she didn’t need the poster boy of perfection hanging around and screwing it up.
    It had become unbearably cold during their last hour on the slopes. The clear blue sky that had warmed the hills throughout most of the day had become overcast, clouds rolling across the crest of the mountain, settling over the resort, and blanketing it in frigid shadow.
    “Just one more time,” Ryan pleaded. “It’ll be quick, I swear.”
    Lauren cast a glance at her friend while Jane stood next to her, her teeth chattering, her gloved hands