by Debbie Zello
Briah finished the reservations and went to the ski shop next door to check on the day’s deliveries. Once she had made sure that everything was in order, it was time for her first run of the day.
She entered the locker room to change. First, she moisturized her skin, as it was very dry this morning. The cold wind would further dry her out so she thought she would fix it before it became a problem. Then she dressed in her usual Underarmor, ski pants, and turtleneck. Grabbing her jacket, hat, goggles and gloves she headed towards the door. As she opened the door, Caitlyn came in saying, “Cherie, just the person I need to talk to.”
“Well, and good morning to you Caitlyn.” Briah said, smiling.
“I’m sorry, yes, good morning.”
“What can I do for you?” Briah asked as she stopped walking.
“Next Wednesday, I’m going to need the afternoon off. My mom has an important doctor’s appointment and I want to go with her. Can I come in early and leave around two?”
“As long as you can get things set up and check the trails before we open.”
“Yes, I can do that, thank you,” Caitlyn said.
“Okay. I’ll come in later and stay later to clean up. So, next Wednesday, right?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“No problem. Have a good day,” Briah said walking out.
“You too!” Caitlyn called after her.
Briah took the lift to the summit, looking down and around the entire climb. The trails were covered with a light snow that had fallen overnight. Now and then, she could see the footprints of the animals that lived in the hills and valleys surrounding her new home. She smiled at her realization that this had become her home. She felt a connection to it and actually loved living here.
Briah checked a number of the trails riding up three times before lastly stopping at the board to write that the trails were powdery and fast. The less groomed trails were even more difficult than usual because they were less traveled and had a thin layer of ice that had formed. Her posts completed she went to the ski patrol office to see who would be in that day.
The good thing about it being a holiday week was that the college and High School kids the resort employed were on vacation as well. So she had no problem with filling her schedule. The college kids wouldn’t be going back until the end of January. That meant for the next few weeks she had plenty of coverage for the shifts.
The day passed with the usual smattering of injuries. It was a good day when they didn’t have to call the ambulance. The resort was moderately full today. Saturday and Sunday were usually made of mostly local people skiing. The visitors came and went on the weekends. It took them a day to arrive and settle and a day to pack and leave.
Mondays were ordinarily the first busy day. This week, with Christmas on Friday, it would become increasingly crowded as the week progressed. For the employees of the resort, there was no such thing as having holidays off. Holidays were their busiest days because everyone else was off.
Briah tried to work the schedule so that the employees that had children could come in late on Christmas Day and leave early on the night before. Trading that with the people who didn’t have children so they could get out early on New Year’s Eve and come in late on New Year’s Day. Because she was the manager, she took the hours no one wanted.
After working through her lunch again and cleaning up after everyone, it was well after dark before she left to go home. She had a crick in her neck from looking at the keyboard as she typed out her orders for the first of the year deliveries. Sadly, she never learned to type all that well even though she had worked as a secretary for the last few years. She was a two-finger typist.
Briah hadn’t noticed the man standing at the car parked two rows in front of hers. She was stretching her neck and shoulders as she walked. She had several folders in her arms. Time sheets and other work to do once she got home.
She walked between the cars three spots away from him. He stood there watching, but said nothing. Briah got to her car and opened the passenger side to put her homework and purse on the seat beside her. She shut the door and faced in the direction of the man. He straightened up from his place leaning against the car.
Now she saw his form as he began to walk slowly towards her. Her sense of fear rose and she quickened her pace around her car to the driver’s side. She fumbled with her keys dropping them in the snow. She bent down to try to grab them but in the dimly lit parking lot, she couldn’t immediately locate them.
Panic was setting in as her heart was pounding and she could taste adrenalin mixed with terror. She began to yank open the car door figuring she would get in, lock the doors, and lay on the horn. If he had a gun it wouldn’t matter, she would be dead, but if he didn’t, someone might hear her and come to her aid. As the door opened, she heard, “Briah don’t be afraid. It’s me, Aiden.” She knew that voice. She stood still, not breathing as he came closer.
She placed her hands on the top of the door to brace herself as she faced the car. Aiden came up behind her and stood a few inches from her. She could feel his warmth on her back. Just as he had when they were in bed as he spooned behind her. “May I touch you, Briah?” She swallowed hard.
“I don’t think that is a good idea, Aiden,” she said as the tears she had fought off for months began to cloud her eyes.
“I more than deserve that. I just want to touch your shoulders. You’re shaking and I want to help settle you,” he said quietly. She could feel his breath on her cheek. She didn’t say anything because speaking was difficult. She just nodded her head.
Aiden took a deep breath and stepped right against her placing his hands on her shoulders. Briah leaned back and accepted his touch. Aiden took his left arm and wrapped it around her shoulder pulling her directly against him. Briah’s head fell backward against him and he smiled for the first time in a very long time.
Briah turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around him. He closed her into his embrace, finally taking another breath. “I’m not forgiving you, Aiden. I’m just so relived you’re not some assassin, hell bent on killing me.”
“I’m not asking that you forgive me just yet. Can we get out of the cold and maybe go somewhere so we can talk?” he asked holding her.
“You can follow me back to my house. We can talk there,” she said looking up at his face. Crap, she thought, it was the same beautiful face she had fallen in love with.
“You’ll let me in your house?” he said continuing to smile.
“I’m not afraid of you. I know you would never physically hurt me.”
“Ouch, I guess I deserved that too. Are you sure you can drive? We could take my car and leave yours here.”
“No, I can drive. I have to work tomorrow and I’ll need to drive here,” she said turning back to open the door. Aiden gave her room to get in and then walked back to his car. He thought, in the grand scheme of things, that had gone well for him. She could have run him over with her car. He got in, started the car, and pulled in behind her.
Roland watched the whole reunion scene unfold in front of him. He thought it was very touching and sweet. Naturally, the two ex-lovebirds were so engrossed in each other that neither one of them noticed their audience of one. He didn’t know who the man was but it was obvious to him that she did. He took his phone out and dialed. “Widow-maker, how goes it?”
“Real funny, jackass. Put him on,” Roland growled into the phone.
“You can’t even take a joke.”
“Let me know when you tell one and I might laugh,” Roland said listening to the shuffling noises as the phone was handed off.
“Is she dead?” the very familiar voice said.
“Not yet. I was going to take her out tonight but her shadow got in the way. Turns out they are close.”
“How so?”
“They were hugging by her car. I’m thinking I’m not the only one that has found her. She may have had a boyfriend or something. Anyway, he might be a problem. You may get tw
o for the price of one, boss. I’m calling to see if that’s okay.”
“I would prefer to have it look like an accident still. But if you have no choice, do what needs doing. We’ll deal with the consequences after.”
“I’ll do what I can, sir. It will be over in the next few days.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Aiden kept his window partially rolled down for the short ride to Briah’s house. He was sweating and uncomfortable. He needed the extra air to cool him. He looked back at the initial greeting and thought it went better than he thought it would. He had visions of Briah slapping him and leaving him standing there with a deep red mark on his face and nothing else.
Briah had her window open as well. She felt as if she was having a mild panic attack. The absolute last person she thought she would see walking towards her was Aiden. She thought he was the hit man at first, one sent to exact his revenge on her for her testimony. When her mind finally recognized him, it was both a relief and a shock.
They were again so focused on their own path, that they never noticed the man in the car, as he pulled in behind them. Never noticed him following them a distance behind. They pulled into Briah’s road, as he pulled into the one before. He drove around and parked several houses up from Briah’s on the opposite side of the road facing her.
Briah turned into her driveway and parked. Aiden pulled up in front of her house. He got out and went to her car. He held her door open but didn’t get too close to her. He wanted her to come to him. He felt that she had to make that choice.
Together, they walked up the sidewalk and onto her porch. She took out her key and opened the door. She flipped on the lights and Aiden stepped into her space. He looked around, smiling. It was so her, from the colors to the accents. From what he knew about the program, they tried to make the individual feel comfortable in their new surroundings. Someone went out of their way to get this right. “Can I get you a glass of wine?” Briah asked, pulling him out of his musings.
“If you’re having one. Otherwise, coffee would be fine,” he said, shutting the door behind him. He watched her take off her coat and hang it on the hook. He followed her, hanging his next to hers.
As she walked towards the kitchen, he kept his eyes on her. He’d remembered the gentle sway her hips made, always stirring his desire. The leggings she wore below her turtleneck fit like a second skin. Aiden shut his eyes for just a second to rein in his wayward thoughts. Picking her up, throwing her over his shoulder, and running to the bedroom was out of the question.
Briah opened the refrigerator and took out the bottle of wine. She retrieved two glasses from the cabinet and began pouring the wine in each. She handed Aiden one of the glasses and said, “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Where are you sitting?”
“Here, in the kitchen. It’s my favorite room in the house.” Aiden looked around at all of the Christmas decorations. She had a small, decorated tree in the middle of her table. Her plastic clings on the windows with Santa, Rudolph and some Elves packing the sleigh.
“Do you like it here in Vermont?”
“Funny that you ask that. I was just thinking a few days ago that it finally felt like home,” she said with a smile. She sat down on one of the bar stools that surround her kitchen island.
“Good, I’m glad. You have your mountains and snow. Have you made some friends?” Aiden asked with an accusatory undertone, as he sat across from her with his back to the living room.
“If you’re asking if I have met a man, yes I have. I’ve dated him for a few weeks. He is very nice and treats me well,” she said as she watched the weight of her words hit him.
“Do you love him, Briah?”
“It’s Cherie now. Briah lives in Denver.”
“Do you love him?” he said slightly more forceful.
“If you remember correctly, you kicked me to the curb, not the other way around. Using that tone with me is inappropriate. It’s not like I cheated, Aiden, you sent me away.”
“I’m sorry. Do you love him?” he said much softer this time.
“I don’t owe you an answer to that question. How did you find me anyway?”
“Pete saw you in a restaurant Friday night. He is here on vacation. He called me. I got on the next flight.”
“He saw me and he followed me?” she asked her voice rising.
“Yes. When I got here, I followed you to work.”
“And I didn’t see either one of you. So much for my abilities. Did you hear about Jeanette?”
“Yeah. I spoke to the detective in charge of the investigation. He doesn’t think it was a hit. He said her place was ransacked and things were taken. It wasn’t just a clean shot.”
“You don’t think they could have done that on purpose? Made it look like that so we wouldn’t think I’m next?”
“There is always that possibility. But the Feds are very good at what they do with this program. If they weren’t, how would they get people to trust them? I’m going with that.”
“You found me. I’m hiding in plain sight, Aiden. I’m working and going to restaurants. I’m not in a cave somewhere living the life of a hermit.”
“Me finding you was fate, Briah. Shit luck. Pete’s in-laws gave them this vacation as a Christmas present. If it wasn’t for that, I would still be feeling sorry for myself, in Denver, alone,” he said looking miserable.
“This is what you wanted, Aiden. You said so. You said we were only having fun. It didn’t mean anything and I should go,” she said the pain of his words still apparent on her beautiful face.
“After the accident, I got to the hospital to see you as soon as I heard what happened. Blain and I arrived at the same time and walked in together. Brice saw us and ushered us into an empty room to talk.
“He told us that he had offered to take you into protective custody and place you in the witness program. He said you refused, because of me. After a short speech about my inability to protect you 24/7 and Blain agreeing with him, I relented.
“When I went in to talk to you, I was at the lowest point I have ever been in my life. I felt emasculated. I’m a big, bad, homicide detective and I couldn’t protect the woman I love. And the only way around it was to make her think I’m some kind of dick to make her leave me. So I did it. Then I went and got completely drunk for weeks to try to forget what I had done.
“If it wasn’t for Pete, I would still be in a bottle somewhere. He brought me back from the brink. I saw a counselor and got my head into a better place. I prayed every day that you were okay and that I might find you,” he said watching her as he spoke. Briah listened to every word, thinking his misery mirrored hers.
“You weren’t going to say that until after Brice spoke with you?” she said quietly.
“No, never. I was going to climb into that bed with you and hold on to you forever. I figured we would move in to a more secure building. I was going to teach you how to handle a gun and get you a permit. Then adopt a big dog. I was making plans for us.”
“You hurt me,” she said with tears forming.
“I know I did, and I’m so very sorry. I can’t even blame Brice because I chose to do it,” he said taking a big gulp of the wine.
Briah got up from the stool and walked around the island. She had every intention of walking to the door, opening it, and asking him to leave. She needed time to process her emotions.
Aiden grabbed her on her way by and held her to his chest tightly. She struggled to get out of his arms, pushing on his shoulders. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered to her, “I love you, Briah. No man will ever love you more than I do. No man will ever crave you, want you or need you more than me. I ask that you find a way to forgive me and love me again.
“From this moment on, I am yours. If you send me away, I’ll go. If you let me stay, I’ll spend every day making you glad you did.”
He felt her beginning to relax in his arms. She let out a contented sigh, telling him so much about her feelings. H
er hands went around his shoulders as they used to do. He felt her fingers on the back of his neck, combing the hair that went over his collar. He knew then that everything would be all right.
“I don’t love him,” she whispered in his ear. “I tried, but I couldn’t. I knew it was missing something. When I’m in your arms, I feel a love that I have never felt with any other man. Something I have never had before or since. You are in my blood. Even after what you said that day, my love didn’t die. That’s why I’m still here. For if it had died, it would have taken my life with it.”
“I know that you are still angry with me. I know that will take a while to fix. Can I please stay the night just to hold you while we sleep? I promise nothing will happen unless you want it to. I just need to hold you.”
He felt her nod before she said, “I need that too. I need it desperately.”
Roland watched as the lights went off one by one in the house. He smiled and said aloud, “Lucky bastard. I was thinking I might tap that myself before I waste her.” He waited a few extra minutes, making sure they were in for the night, and then he started the car and drove off to his motel.
Aiden waited patiently for Briah to come out of the bathroom. He meant what he had said; he would only hold her, making no effort to arouse her, unless she moved towards him. He got into bed wearing his boxers and covered by the sheet and blanket to his waist. He knew his chest and abs always got to her. He said he would be good, but he didn’t say he was a saint.
Briah came out of the bathroom wearing a completely utilitarian nightgown that wouldn’t have aroused anyone. Still, he sported an impressive erection just being near her.
She stopped just inside the room and stared at him. Just the reaction he was hoping for. “Is something wrong, baby?” he asked trying to sound oblivious.
“Can you put a tee shirt on?” she said stammering.
“I don’t have any clothes here, baby. All I have is my dress shirt with me. I can’t sleep in that and I doubt I’ll fit into anything you have,” he said, reasoning with her.
