by Dale Mayer
The man was waiting for her.
“Here it is. Two pieces and a large order of fries.”
“Do I look like I need a large order?” she joked, handing the man her money.
“No money required. The guy who is planning on helping you with those fries already took care of it.”
She glanced up at him, startled. He motioned behind her. She turned, tray in hand, and froze. Damn it.
Royce.
Well, there was no help for it. She smiled at the cook so he knew she was okay and walked over to sit across the man she’d done her best to avoid for the last couple of years. It was all she could do to act cool and composed when her eyes couldn’t stop staring. She wanted to eat him up – he looked so good. Dark windblown hair. A snug-fitting sports jacket over jeans that loved his body almost as much as she did. Then that had been part of the problem. The chemistry between them was combustible. Always had been. When she’d been a teen, she’d had no end of wild fantasies about this man.
Then she’d grown up.
“Why?” she asked coolly.
“I figured if we could get past some of the awkwardness, it would make for a nicer week for everyone.”
She picked up a fry and dipped it in the ketchup before biting down. “Awkwardness?” she asked him straight out.
“Is there none?” One corner of his mouth tilted upwards. “No? If not, that’s great.”
She blinked, not sure what to say, “I’m good. Sorry you aren’t.”
Royce leaned back and stared at her. “So you’re going to be that way?”
She lowered her lashes. Inside, her stomach was churning. Lord, she hadn’t expected this. “Be like what?”
“Whatever.” He snorted and stood up. “I guess we’re good then.”
And he walked away.
Shit. She stared down at her fish and chips, which had lost their appeal. She felt sick.
“Wait,” she called out.
He slowed his steps but didn’t stop.
“Royce,” she called out. “I’m sorry.” She hated saying that. But he’d caught her by surprise, triggering her defenses.
He continued to walk away.
*
Royce took two more steps before coming to a jarring stop. “Damn it.”
He wasn’t going to do this. The cold war was supposed to stop. That meant he had to stop this behavior, too. Besides, he’d promised George. Shit. He stood, his back to her, hands on his hips, hating this.
“I said I was sorry,” she said, and her small voice made him feel worse.
He spun around and looked at her, sitting there with the plate of food untouched and going cold. There was a noise to the side, and he turned to see the cook making an encouraging gesture for him to retake his seat and work this out.
He felt like an idiot standing there. He walked back. “I’ll sit and talk as long as we talk.” After her gaze slid away from his, he sat down and added, “And you eat. You’re even skinnier now.”
Even as he said it, he winced. The reference to their history was like shining a spotlight on the big white elephant standing between them.
Still, it had the desired effect as she picked up a piece of fish and took a bite. She closed her eyes in sheer joy. “Oh, I forgot how good this is.”
“All that fat and carbs, you mean,” he said in a humorous voice, trying to ignore the tightening sensation in his groin at the sheer sensuality in her voice at the simple pleasure of fast food. “You’ve always been such a health nut.”
She shook her head. “Not really, but there’s nothing like seeing clogged arteries and abdominal fat choking the life out of people in my line of work to know that I could make better food choices.”
“Absolutely. But there is a time to make choices for other reasons.” He motioned to the meal in front of her. “Like right now.”
She polished off the first piece of fish and picked up the second. The cook showed up and gave her a takeout container full of hot fries and removed the cold ones. “Now you eat. I cook, you eat. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.” Then he returned with an extra piece of fish. “Here, you need one more.”
Then he disappeared again, leaving them alone.
Royce grinned at the surprise on her face. “See? I’m not the only one who thinks you are too skinny.”
She rolled her eyes at him but dug in.
He let her eat, wanting to make sure she got a good meal down. She’d probably only had a few pieces of rabbit food and a yogurt or some such thing for lunch.
When she finally slowed down enough to breathe, she let out a happy sigh. “This is marvelous.”
“He does a great job.”
She nodded. Out of the blue, she popped the fry in her mouth, chewed, then said, “Maybe I should cancel after all. Be easier.”
“Oh no. You’re not using me as an excuse to get out of this.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I said yes, didn’t I?”
“Sure you did, but second thoughts and all that…” He grinned. “I’m sure your mind was reaching for excuses the minute your brother walked out of the restaurant.” He watched the color rush across her cheeks with a knowing eye. “I thought so.”
“Whatever.” She shrugged. “I’m still looking for ways to get out of it. Of course I regret saying I’d go. But George has been working on me since forever. So I finally gave in.” She lifted her gaze to him. “Besides, maybe it’ll be fine.”
“That’s the attitude. You can do this.”
He hadn’t meant to sound patronizing, but he could see temper building in those incredibly blue eyes. She’d been the best thing to happen to him, and he hadn’t a clue until she’d blown out of his life as fast as she’d blown in. She’d been a butterfly before, living life large.
Until that damned avalanche.
Then she’d gone quiet and dark. She’d been in so much pain, so needy that weekend, that he’d had no choice but to be everything she needed. The depth of emotions she’d pulled from him had surprised him as well. He’d always been a lighthearted, love ’em and leave ’em type of guy.
She’d had a profound effect on him that weekend. Made him want something different for his future. Something he thought might be obtainable after being with her.
And he’d changed. For the better.
He’d planned to show her that he’d turned over a new leaf, but she’d shut him out of her life. Completely. Now he hoped his long wait was over. That she’d finally worked through whatever demons terrorized her. He understood to a certain extent. He’d gone a little crazy with his own demons after he realized he couldn’t get around her locked doors. He’d played on an extreme edge. Taking chances he wouldn’t normally take. It had been George that had pulled him to one side and asked what the hell had happened that he’d had a death wish.
Now he wished he hadn’t said anything to him. In truth, all he’d said was one word, but it was enough. Stacy.
George had worked to keep them apart after that.
Now this week was coming.
He knew Stacy would handle it. She’d treat him like she treated everyone these days.
She’d just freeze him out.
He didn’t want that. He’d been on the receiving end of her moods already. Now it was time for that deep freeze to warm up – and hopefully let him back in.
After all, that was where he belonged.
*
Interesting. He stood off to one side, trying to stay out of the wind that had suddenly come down with a cutting edge to it. Pedestrians moved around him as they headed home.
He couldn’t remember ever seeing either Stacy or Royce in this part of town. And never together. So what was going on? He almost felt left out. At that, he laughed. Of course he was left out. They didn’t know he was here.
And if they did know, would it make a difference? It was hard to say.
Likely they’d ignore him like they always did.
Or rather like she’d always ignored him bef
ore. Somehow he appeared to be invisible to all women. Until he stopped them in their tracks.
Then they had no choice but to see who he really was.
He smiled. And if the pedestrians took a close look and scuttled past at top speed, all the better. He preferred his insular existence.
It made it easier to carry out his hobby – his buddy called it art – but one no one ever seemed to appreciate the skill required.
Especially not the women that played key roles in the final pieces – forever.
Chapter 4
Stacy felt like shit. She hadn’t meant to start off on the wrong foot. In fact, she’d pushed the thought of seeing Royce off like a dose of medicine. To be taken with a screwed up face and loud complaining. That he’d caught her off guard with his unexpected presence said much about how he’d affected her already.
“Truce,” she said seriously. “I don’t know why you get my back up. I know we have a history, but we’ve both moved on. So there’s no reason we can’t be friends.” She caught a downward movement of the corner of his mouth and quickly amended, “or at least cordial enemies.” She looked at him hopefully.
He just gave her a flat stare.
“Fine.” She threw up her hands. “What do you want from me?”
“Cordial enemies would be at the bottom of the list. Friends would be dragging along down there too.” He glared at her and stood up. “As to what I really want, I’ll leave that to you to figure out. It shouldn’t take a smarty pants like you too long.”
And he walked away.
Her mouth opened but no words came out. She watched him leave. Who else could drop a bomb like that and walk away unscathed? He’d scored a direct hit, and she knew she’d feel the bruising for days. Not to mention worry on his words.
Had he meant what she thought he’d meant? No, surely not.
She stood and threw her last few fries and the garbage away. The wind had picked up again, giving it a snarky bite as it brushed past her cheeks. She strolled home, her mind working on what he’d said and on what he’d deliberately hadn’t said. But it wasn’t like an imbecile couldn’t work it out. He didn’t want to be enemies, and neither did he want to be tossed into the friend zone. That left the closer-than-friend arena, and she didn’t want to go there.
But heated memories prodded her.
It had been a horrific phase in her life. He’d been there for her, but they’d been animals. Taking what they needed, giving back, but as it was such a blur she wasn’t sure she’d acquitted herself well in that department. She’d been so lost. Yet through it all he’d been there, an anchor in her world.
She’d appreciated it. But she hadn’t been able to stay. She’d seen a future with him she couldn’t have. Because of who he was. Because of who she was.
Did she really want to open that door again? He’d been the hottest lover she’d ever known. However, sex was no basis for a relationship. Maybe he just wanted an affair. She frowned. She didn’t do those, and that’s all he did.
Or was she just hoping that’s what he wanted?
There was one thing she did know – she hadn’t had a relationship since losing her girlfriends. It hurt to lose those you loved. And damn, she’d loved those two. Everyone had called the three of them a matched set.
Since then, she’d dated a few odd times but hadn’t taken any to bed – except Royce. And he’d be the last one she’d want a relationship with. With his hobbies and extreme sports, not to mention his job, there was a good chance she’d lose him, too.
No, that was enough. She’d find a nice staid accountant and settle down eventually. A crazy, live-life-on-the-edge kind of guy was not the type of man she was looking for.
However, as they were leaving tomorrow, she did need to find a way to get along with him.
For everyone’s sake.
*
Really? Stacy was coming? Finally, after all these years. A dream come true. Something he’d worked for, toiled over, waited anxiously for – and now it was happening. He wasn’t sure if he should be screaming for joy or remorse.
He knew she was ready for this.
Hell, he was ready for this.
But did she realize how important this trip was going to be?
Chapter 5
The morning of the trip came too early. They weren’t leaving until almost noon as the journey was only a couple of hours, but crossing the border could hold them up. They also had to shop on the other side before driving the last hour to the cabin.
Stacy was still trying to gather the necessities of life, remembering at the last moment that her brother had said to bring extra thermals. George had all the gear and equipment. She just needed to bring enough clothing and cold weather gear for the week. And books. She was looking forward to a few hours of skiing but found that sitting in front of the fire with the nice rich aroma of a pot of stew simmering beside her, a book in hand, to be just as appealing. And maybe spending time with her camera.
Books. Damn, she hadn’t packed any books. She raced back to her room and snatched up two mysteries she’d picked up last week. She couldn’t wait to dive into them. While trying to stuff them into her already-full bag, the doorbell rang. “Shit.” She ran out of her room and pulled the front door open, not even looking at her brother. “I’m almost ready. Just need another couple of minutes.”
“Not a problem. We’ve got a little leeway.”
Royce’s voice. She stopped and turned. “Where’s George?”
“Downstairs reshuffling gear to make room for your bag.” He surveyed the room. “Have you got much more?”
She ran back into her bedroom, checked her list, and realized she had it all. “No, I think I’m done. It’s just this bag.” She picked it up and groaned. “Damn it. When did this get so heavy?”
“As we’re not flying, weight doesn’t matter.”
“It does if I have to lug it very far on the other end.” She carried it out to the front door and dropped it, then took one last look around while she pulled on her coat. “Okay, I’m good to go.”
He picked up the bag easily and walked out ahead of her. She locked up the door, a pang of fear zinging through her as she did so. This was her first trip away since that avalanche had ripped her life apart.
She could do this. She had done this many times before. Remember, Stacy, you leave every day before you go to work.
But in the past three years, she’d never left her home overnight. She’d never risked it. She’d lost so much on the last trip, she hadn’t been able to.
Not until now.
What if this time, she never came home?
As she got into the back seat of the Land Rover her brother favored, Stacy realized Royce had taken the passenger seat up front. Good, it was crowded enough with six of them travelling in this rig without having to deal with Royce next to her. Thankfully Stevie was travelling with Mark in his truck and they were taking up much of the gear and provisions. They’d stop at a store on the other side of the border for fresh produce for the week.
Stacy smiled at Kathleen, George’s current girlfriend, one who’d actually lasted longer than six months. “Good morning, Kathleen.”
Kathleen grinned at her. “Can’t believe you’re here. This is going to be great.”
“I hope so, especially after George hollered so much about me coming.” She closed the door and turned to see another woman on the other side of Kathleen. “Hi, I’m Stacy, and George is my obnoxious brother,” she said by way of an explanation.
“I’m Yvonne,” the tall redhead said with a big smile.
The other two women laughed while George protested the insult from the driver’s seat.
“Who else is coming, George?” Stacy asked.
“Geoffrey, Stevie, and Mark you already know about, and Kevin and Christine are also last-minute additions, but they won’t be arriving until the end of the week.”
“Really?” Stacy said in delight. “That’s great. I haven’t seen Geoffrey in such a
long time.”
“Actually, I think he’s coming because you are coming,” George said with a big grin. “I’ve been trying to get him to come along with us forever. He’s boarded this region several times a year, but rarely with us and the last time was quite awhile ago. We’re picking him up on the way out of town.”
“He’s also a spelunker, isn’t he?” Kathleen asked. “This area is hugely popular for ice caves too.”
“Yeah, Geoffrey’s first love is caves. There are some in this area that never thaw. There was talk of opening a few of them up to the public in a touristy kind of way.”
That elicited groans from everyone in the vehicle. “That would be horrible,” Yvonne said. “If people want to see those caves, they should be doing it the hard way.”
Stacy withheld her comments. She understood both sides. Tourists brought in big bucks to the smaller communities that generally surrounded the wilderness areas, but at the same time, that type of tourism brought other problems with it. It needed to be managed carefully so as to not damage the delicate balance of the ecosystem. However, she knew better than to get into a discussion with raised tempers on both sides of the debate.
Feeling eyes on her, she looked up to see Royce staring at her in the rearview mirror. She remembered he’d been on her side on some of those discussions. And that warm gaze invited her to share in those memories.
She flushed and turned her gaze out the window.
What the hell was she doing here? And why was she suddenly feeling like she’d made the right decision in coming?
*
George kept a wary eye on his sister. He loved her dearly, but like any siblings, they’d done their share of fighting. Both artistic and active, they’d had their problems, but they’d stayed close regardless. She was the brain. He was a jock. Somehow they’d still found enough common ground – maybe just love – to work through all the problems. When her friends had gone missing, she’d gone a little crazy. He’d tried to help. So had the police. Hell, she’d badgered them hourly then daily for news, leads, any tidbit to help her sleep at night.
