Chapter 6
Far away in Nepal, I had no idea what was happening back home.
I’d built a new life at the foot of the Himalayas, running an adventure school that taught tourists how to survive in the wild. By day, I led them up sheer, ice–crusted cliffs; by night, I sat by the campfire, teaching myself Tibetan and Nepali.
Three years in, UNESCO reached out, offering me a contract as a wilderness survival consultant.
My marriage was like an avalanche–buried so deep unde
miles of ice that I thought it would never see daylight again.
Until the day the base radio crackled to life.
“Coach Carter, we’ve been asked to bring you in for a high–altitude joint training exercise. Your contact arrives tomorrow.”
My chest tightened. “Which base?”
“Fort Sentinel Special Operations. General Hayes will be commanding the mission.”
Clang.
My ice axe slipped from my hand and hit the ground.
The helicopter touched down in a blast of snow that stung my face.
The door slid open, and Colton Hayes jumped out, combat boots biting into the frozen earth.
Six years had passed. His jawline was sharper than the edge of a glacier, and the general’s star on his shoulder caught the light like a
blade.
Beside him stood his new aide, Julian Hart, all easy charm. “Sir, this is the internationally renowned Coach Carter!”
He shot me a quick wink. “Coach, the general came all the way out here just for you.”
I offered a hand roughened and scarred from frostbite. “A pleasure, General Hayes.”
He took it and didn’t let go. His grip was firm, lingering.
I frowned, trying to pull free. “Care to explain that, General?”
Julian stepped in with a grin. “Guess the general’s already impressed.”
Colton’s lips curved into the faintest smirk. “Indeed.”
That evening, I sat beside him, walking him through the essentials of surviving in subzero conditions.
Snowstorms and bitter cold didn’t rattle me. Colton listened without interrupting, head tipped slightly, eyes steady and locked on
mine.
It stirred something in my chest I didn’t want to name.
In five years of marriage, he had never listened to me like this.
Those years, trapped in a cage of indifference, were gone for good.
When we parted, the storm was still howling. I tightened my scarf and was about to climb into the vehicle when his voice cut through
the wind.
“Madeline Carter.”
I stopped, but didn’t turn.
“You don’t have anything you want to say to me?” There was an edge to his voice–something dangerously close to hurt.
“I’ve covered everything in the briefing Nothing more to add,” I said, keeping my tone cool.
Chapter 6
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He closed the distance in two strides, urgency in his voice. “You left without a word, signed the divorce papers like it meant nothing. Did you ever think about Ethan? Six years, Maddie. He’s nine now. Don’t you miss him?”
I turned, snow collecting on my shoulders, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. “Miss a kid who couldn’t care less about what his mother sacrificed? Why the hell would I? He’s probably got a new mom by now.”
Colton’s brow knit as he stepped closer, his tone softening in a way I almost didn’t recognize. “Ethan was just a boy. He didn’t know how to show it. And there’s never going to be another mom. You’re it.”
I let out a short laugh.
WM WMMM
They remembered Vanessa’s birthday, made her little gifts. They knew how to love.
Just not me.
496 26 16 16 2015
In the swirling snow, our shadows stretched long under the lamplight, the weight of the past pressing in. And I had the sinking feeling this was only the beginning.
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