Chilled by Death

by Dale Mayer

  “We’re cooking the food ourselves—”

  “Ha,” she broke in teasingly. “Now I know why you want me to come. You want me to be the chief cook and bottle washer.”

  “No,” George protested, but there wasn’t much heat in his voice. “If you wanted to do it that would be great, but no, we are all expecting to do our parts.”

  “Uh-huh. Sure.” She didn’t necessarily believe him, but finding this tidbit out made her feel better about going. She wouldn’t be expected to go out every day and ski like the others. She was an experienced skier and an intermediate snowboarder, but her first love during winter was her camera. The thought of going back to some of those days with brilliant icy scenes that were indescribably beautiful tugged at her. She had been getting into it with her earlier travels, and that had stopped as her trips had stopped. At the same time, she’d turned away from many aspects of her life. It was a move that had surprised many. She had retreated within – from everyone and everything. To heal. To adjust to the new reality of her life. It had changed her. When she’d recently picked up her camera again, she’d done so quietly. Privately. Before, she’d have considered herself open and friendly. Now she kept to herself and shared little with those around her.

  Her brother called her secretive and considered it part of her depression. Maybe he was right. But he didn’t know about all the issues in her world.

  Life used to be simple. Then, when she was wide open and enjoying her day, fate took scissors and cut away the very steps she was standing on. As if to say, “Comfortable, are you? Well then…” Snip, snip, snip… “How about now?”

  She wiped those thoughts out of her mind and forced a smile at his hopeful look. She’d dealt with a lot of her issues. Most of them anyway. She just hadn’t shared how far she’d come with him. And that was too bad. He was still worried about her. In many ways, his concern was justified, but it wasn’t any longer. She’d become almost philosophical now.

  Life was a bitch, and then you died. Sometimes you died earlier than planned. She’d seen a lot of death. Sometimes it was comforting. Everyone all came to the same end. Just the routes people took were different.

  It was time to let him know how well she was doing.

  “If I can come and go at my own pace. Do a couple of day trips on nice sunny days, stay home when I want to be alone,” she chuckled at his rolling eyes and bright happy grin, “then I’ll come. I’ll help with the food, but I won’t be responsible for all of it.”

  “No worries. I meant it when I said we’re all pitching in.” He stood up and tossed money on the table to cover their bills. “Besides, Royce is a damn good cook.”

  With that bombshell, George walked to the front door as if to leave.

  “Hey, you can’t just say Royce is a good cook and walk away,” she called out, racing over to stand in front of him. “You didn’t say he was coming.”

  George raised his not-so-innocent gaze in a wide-eyed look of surprise and said, “Oh, didn’t I? Well, he’s part of the group. He always comes. Not to worry. We’re just looking to get away for a week, you know. Just a chance to relax and hang out.”

  She glared at him.

  “Besides, what difference does it make if he does come?” He gave her a knowing grin. “You don’t even like him.”

  For the life of her, she couldn’t hold back the wince or the flood of memories that took over her psyche. She’d known Royce since forever as he was her brother’s best friend. But the hardest part of that history was the carnal knowledge she’d kept to herself. And wow, had that been good. And hot. And so damn addictive she’d walked away, afraid she’d never be able to let him go. He wasn’t long-term material. Certainly not marriageable material, and likely not monogamous – whereas she couldn’t be anything but. But being with him had made her wonder for a little while if she could do it his way…which was not likely given what little they had.

  A wild, crazy, all-out sexual weekend.

  A weekend she’d loved. And hated. Because it had changed her. She’d gone to him hurt, in need. She’d taken everything he’d had to give and had wanted more. So much more that she’d been terrified.

  And he’d been unaffected.

  How fair was that?

  Then she’d been grieving. She’d needed to reaffirm life. She’d needed to reaffirm that she wasn’t alone. She’d needed to reaffirm there was a reason to get up in the morning. A reason that didn’t involve dealing with loss.

  For the duration of that weekend, he’d given her that. That she’d gotten so much more was a shock she hadn’t liked. But she’d been a big girl. And she’d known Royce, a bad boy, would never make a partner for life. He’d done the rounds. Even with Janice and Francine. Then that was hard to blame him for considering the girls’ own dating habits. Besides, how many wild animals mated for life? They made for a hot, unforgettable mating session, but after that they were best left to go their own way.

  She’d seen him a time or two since. From a distance.

  She hadn’t spoken to him. Or been in the same room with him. She’d been too afraid. The sparks between them were obvious. And she was essentially private. At least now that she’d locked down her emotions.

  It was easier to deal with the blows life dealt her that way.

  And she had dealt with them. It just hadn’t been easy. There was one she was still working on.

  Guilt. Being a survivor sucked in many ways. She’d had nightmares for months and still wasn’t sure why her friends had to die that day. She knew she wasn’t responsible, but she couldn’t help but think she hadn’t done enough to stop her friends from going down that side of the mountain. Surely there’d been more she could have done.

  Maybe this trip would help release her from that heavy burden.

  She watched her brother race out of the restaurant. He’d just set her up, darn him. She made a face at his retreating back then shrugged. He was right. It was time. And at least this way it would be easier. She wouldn’t be alone. She’d be hanging out with people who understood her and what she was going through. She wondered if several of the guys from work would be invited, Mark and Stevie in particular. They’d been part of her brother’s group for a long time. Rock climbing, snowboarding, hiking – their life was a big party. She’d been involved for a long time – at least when her girlfriends had still been alive. They’d been party animals too. Maybe because everyone around her was so extreme, she’d been the opposite. Quiet. Calm. Careful.

  Now she was even more so.

  Loss did that to someone.

  Considering she wasn’t planning this trip, she wouldn’t mention it to her co-workers until she heard back from her brother. Maybe the group was full up and there was no room for them to join in. A group would often run eight to ten people. Maybe a couple more, but too many and it was hard to plan meals or activities. Or keep track of where everyone was.

  Given the hour, she didn’t waste any time in getting back to her office. She had no shortage of work ahead of her. It had been great to see her brother. He was a bit of an oddball himself. He didn’t do…anything. Yet he did everything. Though he had a degree in Economics, he’d made it big time doing sports action videos. He was now working for a large camera company running around the world taking videos of crazy stunts. He had a large group of buddies that set up crazy bungee jumps and skydiving formations. He loved it.

  She had to admit it sounded like a pretty fun way to get through the day. At least while George was young and in his prime. Maybe later he’d find something less dangerous. She couldn’t help worry about him. Especially now. They’d lost their parents a long time ago. George had been old enough to live on his own and Stacy had gone to live with her aunt and uncle. She and George had stayed close. But losing her parents young had made her afraid something would happen to her beloved brother. For that reason, he usually didn’t share the details of some of the crazier stunts. Thank heavens. She had enough nightmares to keep her awake at night.

&nb
sp; Although outdoorsy, she wasn’t much of an extreme sports fan. She wasn’t into adrenaline. Too hard on the system. And she hated major shocks. Her brother thrived on them. He and his friends played punk ass jokes on each other all the time. To her they were horrible, but the group of guys he hung with thought they were hilarious. And true enough, he played just as many on his friends as they did on him.

  You had to be one of them to understand.

  The double doors opened automatically as she stepped on the entrance mat. She strode through and brought out her security card, sliding it down the key lock and heading inside to the morgue. When you worked with the dead, she liked to think she’d learned to appreciate life a little bit.

  “Enjoy your lunch?” Mark asked as he did wheelies on his computer chair when she walked through the lab. Some martial arts schedule was up on his monitor like that was allowed. And likely why he had it up there. He was quite a pro himself and taught on the side.

  “Yeah,” she said, grinning at his antics. He was the same age as her but acted a dozen years younger. Then, so did her brother. Maybe that’s why she got on so well with him and Stevie, although she preferred him more as a friend than a co-worker as he didn’t necessarily have the same work ethic, preferring to skip out early to meet the guys for the next adventure in progress. Still, he was good people and that counted. “I had lunch with George.”

  “Really?” He grabbed the desk to stop his wild ride. He stared up at her, shoving his long hair back off his face. “And?”

  She raised an eyebrow at him. So he did know. She had wondered. Chances were good both men she worked with – or rather overgrown boys – would be going on this week-long fun adventure. She paused, considering that. How much of a real break would it be if she went with guys she worked with?

  Not by a stretch could she use that as an excuse to get out of this trip. No, she was going…if there were a few last minute qualms, well, that was to be expected. Besides, both men loved these trips and were huge board fanatics. They were also search and rescue volunteers. They deserved their fun on the slopes like anyone else.

  “He wants me to go on the next ski trip to the cabin,” she tossed over her shoulder as she carried on down the hallway to her office. “You know…go back and face my memories. A great idea in theory, but…”

  “Wait, he did?”

  “Yes.” She grinned as she heard his footsteps. She’d known he wouldn’t be able to leave it alone.

  “Well,” Mark popped his head around the corner, “what did you say?”

  She waited a beat, then looked up at him, still smiling. “I said yes.”

  *

  George walked quickly away from his sister. He needed to get as far away as soon as he could before she changed her mind. He half expected his phone to go off as she called to do just that.

  He walked with purpose. The sooner he could escape the crowd, the faster he could call his buddy. Royce owed him a beer for this one. George had hoped Stacy could be persuaded to come with them. But Royce had bet she wasn’t even close.

  George didn’t understand what had happened between those two. Yet somehow the relationship had gone from the two of them being friendly with lots of teasing and joking to a cold silence. It was uncomfortable being in the same room with them. That was the only thing that bothered him about the two of them being together on this trip. Everyone was coming for a holiday – not to partake in a cold war.

  He gave the street a quick look then dashed across to the small park on the other side. He walked to the park bench and called his best friend.

  “Royce, you need to find a way to make peace with Stacy before this week happens. I don’t want the week ruined with you two fighting.”

  “What are you talking about?” Royce joked. “It’s not like Stacy is going to go. Besides, should that miracle happen, you’ll see, there’s nothing wrong between us.”

  “Bullshit. You’ve been pushing for this as much as I have, and God knows Stacy needs to get back out there, but there needs to be peace between the two of you before we go.”

  “I promise. If she actually says yes, then I will make a point of speaking with her.”

  The mocking note in Royce’s voice brought a savage grin to George’s face. He was so going to enjoy the next few moments.

  “Then you’d better get ready to face that because…” he paused for dramatic effect, savoring the moment and his victory, “Stacy said yes!”

  *

  “She said what?” Royce sat back on his computer chair and stared blankly at the wall across from him. He didn’t dare breathe. He waited, hoping George would repeat his words.

  “She said yes.”

  The breath gushed out of him and he closed his eyes. Oh thank God. He collected his thoughts quickly. George would razz him endlessly if he understood how rattled the call had made him.

  “Good for you for getting her to finally agree.”

  “Yeah, I’m hoping she won’t back out. She needs this,” George agreed.

  “She’s still so pale.” Royce said. “She hasn’t fully recovered from that bout of flu a few months ago.”

  “That’s because she didn’t take the time to recover.” George scowled. “Instead she worked herself to the bone.”

  Royce nodded. “That completes our numbers then. Three women and five men to start and two more, one of each, coming for the weekend.” He stared across his tiny apartment. “I still can’t believe she’s coming.”

  “I did have to promise she could come and just read a book by the fire. Pick a day trip or two to do a couple runs as she wishes.”

  “Good. She needs rest. We all might take a day or two off and follow her lead. The weather is calling for cold and sunny, but that doesn’t mean it won’t change in an instant.”

  “I’m just damn happy she’s coming.”

  “Me too.” George rang off, leaving Royce staring at the phone in his hand with only one thought uppermost on his mind. Stacy was coming. He had one week to redeem himself. One week to show her that he deserved another chance.

  He groaned. Why had he promised to fix the issue between Stacy and him before the week-long holiday? And in such a manner that she didn’t cancel out on the trip. That would be a disaster for everyone involved.

  But especially for him.

  He knew George didn’t understand the problem Royce had with his sister, and it wasn’t exactly something Royce could share. Feeling caught between a rock and a hard place, he realized one thing.

  He’d better not screw this up. Or else.

  Chapter 3

  Stacy’s afternoon gave her plenty of reason to regret her decision. Sure enough, Mark and Stevie were both going. They’d both been in and out of her office so many times that afternoon she was ready to scream.

  They were so excited she was coming.

  She was already sorry she’d said yes.

  Still, she felt both chagrin and relief at having agreed. She couldn’t stay hidden forever. Besides, she didn’t have the heart to cancel on George now. He’d be so disappointed – and especially in her. Although she’d cancel on Royce in a heartbeat.

  She finally managed to close her office door and get some work done. By the time she made it home at the end of the day, she was tired and irritable and still pissed. She’d worked herself back into thinking she should cancel the trip, but she felt locked into her decision.

  She unlocked her apartment door, walked inside, and threw her coat and purse on the counter. Her phone rang as she wandered into the kitchen. She picked it up. “Hello?”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone.

  She hung up. The call only pissed her off more. The caller was lucky. If he’d answered and tried to sell her something, she’d most likely have given him an earful. She opened her fridge door and sighed. She hadn’t gone shopping yet. The last thing she wanted to eat was take-out. But if she wanted to eat, and she needed to, that was looking to be the best option. She didn’t want to do t
oo much shopping as she was leaving soon. She planned on some major resting time, trying to regain some of her lost pizazz for life.

  She stood in her kitchen and stared out the window.

  The afternoon was cool and the sun still high, but it was cloudy. Kind of like her mood. Then she remembered the fish and chips on the boardwalk. Now that was a hell of a good idea. And the run there would be good for her. She’d been slacking off in her running lately. Time to pick it up. She was fit but always tired. That bout of pneumonia had damn near killed her. She’d told George it had been the flu, as he’d have worried all the more if he’d known the truth.

  From the sheer number of times he’d called to check up on her – maybe he had known.

  It only took a quick couple of moments to get changed and tie up her hair. Then she was out the door and running to the boardwalk. Ten minutes later, she was starting to find her rhythm. She stretched out her legs, the longer strides eating up the miles. She smiled as she breathed in deep, fresh-air-hogging breaths.

  It felt good. She ran a couple of times a week, but she should do it more often to reduce her stress levels.

  There was light traffic on the roads around her, but with the evening soon upon them, most people were looking to get home. A breeze picked up, making her smile. She ran into the light wind, loving the cool feel on her face and chest.

  She watched the birds swoop and dip as they played in the wind, still hopeful for handouts from the people walking by. Sure enough, an old woman sat on one of the many benches and threw out chunks of bread. The birds were loving it. Stacy laughed as several fought in the air and both lost the tidbit to a third bird. Up ahead was the fish and chip van. She waved at him as she jogged by. “I’ll catch you on the way back.”

  “How long you going to be?” he called out.

  “Fifteen.”

  “I’ll have it ready.”

  She laughed and waved back at him and kept on running. She’d try to make it faster. She rounded the corner and picked up the pace. She raced around the loop and started running back the way she’d come. After another few moments, she slowed her pace again until she was just walking. The breeze picked up and she waved her arms around to cool down and loosen her limbs. Before she knew it, the smell of fresh fish and chips wafted toward her.