บท 4: Chapter 4

“I’ve got some ice cream for dessert,” he said. “Except, I guess you want to stay away from the cold food, huh?”

“I probably should. But I’ve never been the sort to turn down free ice cream. Speaking of ice, I hope the rain doesn’t turn to snow at this elevation. If it gets cold enough, your pipes will freeze.”

“Well, you’re a half-empty kind of guy, aren’t you?” Nick didn’t wait for a response as he curled up with his wine in front of the fireplace. “I’d say it won’t get that cold, but I’ve been wrong about everything else today, so better not press my luck.”

The wine warmed the back of his throat and sent heat through his limbs. It felt good. Good enough to know that he probably wasn’t going to stop drinking until the bottle was empty. Or bottles.

“It’s hard not to be a half-empty kind of guy after the morning I had. About thirty square miles full of campers, weekend warriors, and hikers. And every single one of them thought they knew better than me about what was safe.”