Troping Through the Snow by Alexa Riley

CHAPTER 2





COLDEN





“Listen, I can’t watch you like this anymore.”

I stare out the window of my office and make no move to let my brother know I’ve heard him.

“Colden, enough is enough.”

My eye twitches, and I don’t know if it’s from stress, lack of sleep, or the simmering anger that is always just below the surface. Could be all of the above—okay, so it’s definitely all of the above, but my brother doesn’t need me to confirm it.

“Please, talk to me.” He sighs, and I can almost feel the frustration rolling off of him. “You know this isn’t easy for me either, right?”

“Then leave.” Those might be the first words I’ve spoken all day. Maybe even all week. It’s hard to keep track of time when you’re a walking zombie.

“Fuck.” Davie knocks over something, but he could destroy the place and I wouldn’t care. “She left, Colden.”

A flash of anger burns through me so fast that I can physically feel it singe my veins. I turn around to face my brother, grateful he’s here. I’ve been looking for a fight for far too long, and it’s time I take it out on someone.

My brother, who is the mirror image of me, looks clean-cut and put together. Me, on the other hand, I can’t remember the last time I slept. My twin takes a long look at me, and his shoulders sag. He’s right; this isn’t easy for him because when he sees me hurting, it hangs heavy on his heart. It’s always been that way with us.

A few months ago he was getting ready to marry the love of his life, and that very same day I was falling in love with a woman who was going to be mine. Until she disappeared on me without a trace.

The pain of her not being in the hotel room when I got back, or the emptiness of constantly checking my phone for a message or a missed call was awful. Caroline slipped through my fingers like a fever dream, and sometimes I wonder if I made it all up in my mind. Maybe she wasn’t real, and I imagined her perfection, her beauty, her love.

Then the memories of her come flooding back, and it’s like I’ve been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. When I got back to the suite, I spent hours waiting as the scent of her in the room and on the sheets slowly disappeared. It was like she evaporated and I was left trying to grab on to smoke.

“Let me ask you something,” Davie says as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone. “She left after the two of you spent one night together. She took your note with your phone number on it and never came back to the room or contacted you. What if she truly doesn't want you?”

“I don’t believe that,” I say with everything in my soul. “Something happened. She wouldn’t run out on me like that. This was different, Davie. She’s the one, and I have to find her.”

He sighs as he puts his phone on my desk and pushes it slowly toward me. “Be careful what you wish for.”

“Davie?” My voice sounds like it’s far away as I move closer to the desk so I can see the screen.

“The private detective sent this an hour ago. He’s found her.” My mouth is dry, and my fingers feel numb as I reach out and grab his cell. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing, Colden. She broke your heart once already, and I don’t want to see you go through that again.”

His words fall flat on my ears as I scan the document until I see the address. The town is called Troping, and it’s just a few hours away. I knew she was from a small town, but it was like a needle in a haystack with only her first name to go on.

“She made Milly’s wedding dress,” he says, and my head snaps up.

“What?”

“She was there that day.” He shakes his head like he can’t believe it. “All this time and she was right there, which is why I’m worried about you chasing after her.”

“There’s nothing to worry about anymore,” I say, and for the first time in almost five months, I smile. “I’m going to get my girl.”





I’ve spent the better part of a day looking over every inch of this town. Troping is covered in a white dusting of snow as people walk the streets and holiday music plays. It’s the most cheerful place I’ve ever been, and I can see why Caroline lives here. It smells like peppermint and hot chocolate, and every part of me aches to find her and hold her close. I want to snuggle her in the middle of town square beside the Christmas lights. Okay, maybe I’ve lost my mind, but that’s what happens when the love of your life skips town.

The girl in the bakery sent me to the dress shop on Main Street, but when I got there, it was closed. I ended up eating lunch at the diner so I could keep an eye on it. Afterwards I went back, but there’s still no sign of Caroline.

Frustrated, I decide to walk back to the inn and keep an eye out there. Most of the people in Troping seem to pass through at some point in the day. Either for the free cider, to look at the gingerbread houses on display, or to say hello to the locals. It’s probably my best bet on finding her besides standing in the street and screaming her name. Which is plan B.

I was close to doing it earlier, but the town deputy has kept a close eye on me. After the second time I went to the dress shop, I caught her glaring at me from inside her car. I don’t want to cause any trouble; all I want is to find my girl and make her fall in love with me. That shouldn’t be too hard.