Intercepted by Love: Part One: A Football Romance (Playing the Field Book 1) by Rachelle Ayala Page A

her. Oh good, the ski patrol.
    “Miss, hop on,” the driver said.
    She took his hand and jumped on behind him. The snowmobile raced uphill, covering greater distances than she could on foot.
    “Where do you think he went?” the man yelled.
    “Probably off the trail. Do you have a cell phone?”
    “Not sure if we can get a signal, but I’ll try.” The man slowed the snowmobile. “Do you have his number?”
    Andie was grateful that her non-use of cellphones allowed her to still remember phone numbers. She dictated it to him, and he keyed it in.
    She held her breath while they waited for Cade to answer. Please, please, be okay.
    “Hello? Cade? This is the ski patrol. Your girlfriend’s looking for you, and we’re wondering if you need a lift.”
    The man nodded and scanned the hillside. “Any landmarks? Are you on foot? Lost your bike?”
    He listened a bit more and then passed the phone to Andie. “He wants to speak to you.”
    “Cade?” Andie’s teeth chattered. “Are you okay?”
    “I’ll live. I crashed into a snow cave of some sort. It looked like a wall. I think I went off the trail. There was an edge and then a bowl like depression.”
    “Did you stick to the left or were you on the right?”
    “I saw you go left, but I was looking for Red and when I looked back, I must have gone off course. Lost the bike.”
    “Don’t worry about it. I’m on a snowmobile. We’ll find you.”
    “You better, tour guide, or I’ll want a refund.” He chuckled. “You owe me, babe.”
    “Is Red with you?”
    “Man’s best friend. He dug me out.”
    “Just be okay. Don’t fall asleep or anything. Keep moving. I, I like you, Cade. I do.”
    “I’m kind of fond of myself, too. You won’t get rid of me this easily. I love you, babe.”
    He said that? Andie palmed the side of her head. He had to be getting confused, suffering from hypothermia delirium or thinking she was someone else.
    “Hold on, Cade. We’re on our way. Hold onto Red to stay warm.” Andie handed the phone to the snow mobile driver. “He went off trail toward the right and crashed into a snow cave.”
    “I think I know where that is. Hope he’s not injured. If he’s where I think he is, we have to go around because I can’t take this snowmobile down the cliff he fell from. We better get to him fast before he gets hypothermia.”
    He fell off a cliff? Maybe he was putting on a brave face saying he was okay.
    The driver made a sharp turn and zoomed in an different direction. Andie could only hold on and pray. She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to Cade.
    She didn’t care if he were a celebrity or not. He’d already embedded himself deep into her heart, and she was in for some major pain once he left. Yet, he was worth the risk, even if she could only have him for his winter escape. Maybe he’d come back every year, and he’d be her very own well kept secret.
    If he survived.

Chapter Fifteen
    C ade concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. He was numb all over, but he couldn’t stop the shakes. His entire body, arms, legs, hands, and fingers shook and hurt, and he was getting tired. One of his legs dragged, and daggers shot through him every step he took.
    Red stayed close to his side. His fur was entirely white, covered from head to toe with snow. Icicles formed on the lower fringe where an Irish setter’s fur hung below his body.
    He couldn’t tell how long he’d been walking, and when he reached for his phone, he couldn’t find it. Had he dropped it thinking he’d slipped it into his pocket? Or were his fingers too frozen to function?
    He was cold. Too cold to look for it. He just wanted to sit and curl up into a ball. Hold onto his dog and stop the shaking. The damn shaking that cost his team the Super Bowl—that made him lose control of the bike.
    Keep moving , Andie’s voice sounded in his mind. Keep moving. I like you. Keep moving.
    She said she liked him, but did he love her? Why’d he let