“To get dressed?” She made it into a question just as he tickled her, telling her what he thought about that suggestion. Laughing, she finally managed to escape, shaking out her rumpled hair.
“Dressed and food,” she said firmly. She pointed to the window. “It stopped snowing!”
Stephen jerked around, staring out the window, an emotion she couldn't pinpoint flashing through his eyes.
Nodding, he got out of bed, and together, they got dressed.
“I'll hunt up Rob and see if we can get a chopper up here to fly those brats down the mountain,” he said, speaking of the guests.
Joan agreed. They were brats, acting childish and spoiled. Thankfully, she had managed to avoid them for the most part the last few days, and even that much interaction had been too much.
They walked downstairs, and as their feet hit the ground, Joan heard excited chatter coming from the lobby area. It was a better place than waking up with the arguing and bickering, so she wasn't complaining.
When they entered the room, they saw everyone standing in front of the window, their faces glued to the glass. Anna whirled. “It stopped snowing!”
Joan smiled, excited as well.
Her eyes met Stephen’s, and whatever had been in his eyes flashed again before he smiled at her, hiding his thoughts.
“Stephen!” Rob called from the opposite doorway.
“I'll be back.”
Joan nodded. “I'm going to go check on Stacy.”
“Joan...”
She turned and looked at Stephen.
“Yes?” she asked when he didn't say anything else.
He shook his head and smiled. “Never mind.”
With that, he headed towards his boss, and she headed towards the kitchen. She had peeked into Stacy’s room on her way down, but it had been empty. She hadn't been in the lobby with the rest, so that left the kitchen.
Stephen’s emotions were mixed. He was glad the snow had stopped, but now reality was intruding. Joan would be leaving within a few hours, and he hated the thought, especially after last night. He didn't know what to say to her, and he had never had that problem before.
He walked into the office, finding Rob sitting behind his desk, a large, block box in front of him. The crackling static was broken by a voice coming through on the radio. Rob waved him in and ended the radio transmission.
Stephen walked over to the window to the right of the desk.
“They are sending a chopper for the guests this afternoon,” Rob said, confirming his fears.
Stephen nodded and didn't answer.
“Hey, man. You okay?”
Stephen shook off his thoughts and turned to grin at Rob. “Yes. Just thinking it will be nice to finally take a vacation.”
Rob stared at him, almost seeming to read his thoughts.
“Why don't you talk to her?” he asked quietly.
Stephen shook his head. “Wouldn't do any good. What do I have to offer a woman, Rob? I live on the mountain, stranded half the time, and always gone on rescue missions. She would be bored shitless.” At least his ex-wife had been, and he didn't want that for Joan. Besides last night, she had never given up a hint of her feelings. He didn't know what she had waiting for her back home, but it didn't matter. His life was a hard one. Not many women could cope with the silence, the lack of shopping malls and five star restaurants. It was a lot to sacrifice, and ever since his ex, he was leery of asking another woman to give up so much to be with him. He didn't want to risk the rejection again, or his heart.
“Stephen,” Rob started.
“Don't worry about it. I'm fine, man.”
“Hmm,” Rob said, not buying it for a minute.
That afternoon, Joan and Stacy were in the kitchen when they heard it.
The men had been outside all day clearing the helicopter pad of snow, and they finally heard the blades of the chopper coming closer.
Stephen was also getting a team together to get Michael’s body from the mountain, but with the break in the weather, Stephen had said it was too dangerous for Joan or Stacy to wait and travel back with the body. They didn’t know how long the break in the weather would hold until the next wave hit.
Suddenly, Stacy looked at her, an emotion in her eyes Joan was afraid to identify.
“You love him, Jo.”
It wasn't a question, and her eyes widened.
“Who?” she asked, trying to play innocent. Or dumb. They both worked.
Stacy rolled her eyes as she took a sip of coffee. “You know who. Don't give me that. You love him,” she repeated.
Joan shook her head and started to deny it but stopped. The words wouldn’t come, but she was confused on what she DID feel.
“It's only been a matter of days,” she said lamely, staring down into her own cup of black coffee.
“That doesn't matter, and you know it. If you leave, you’ll regret it.”
Joan looked up and met her best friend’s eyes. Now that she knew, she could see the difference in her friend. She was too thin and her eyes a tired blue. Fear tightened her throat. She was losing her friend and wanted to rage at the injustice of life.
It wasn't fair.
They heard the blades coming closer, and Joan knew it was landing. It was only a matter of time until they boarded and left the mountain after almost a week. In fact, they were leaving a day before their vacation would have officially ended.
“Jo…”
She shook her head, more confused than ever. “Just leave it, Stace.” She didn't want to talk about it and stood. “Let's go get our stuff from the rooms. They should be coming to get us soon.”
Sighing, Stacy followed her up the stairs, dropping it for now, but Joan knew she hadn't heard the last of it.
An hour later, everyone was waiting in the lobby when Rob and Stephen entered, pounding the snow off their boots on the mat.
“Everybody ready to head down the mountain?” Rob called, grinning at the excited chatter and agreements of the group.
Chuckling, Rob and Stephen helped everyone load up their luggage on the sleds outside and led the group towards the two choppers on the cleared pad. Joan and Stacy trailed behind, their steps lagging but for different reasons. Joan knew Stacy was tired, her bones aching from the cold and cancer eating away at her, but her reasons were completely different and yet confusing for her. She spied Stephen in the lead, his dark hair sprinkled with small flakes of snow as it drizzled like a gentle rain. They were taking advantage of the break in the weather before something else happened. Everyone was leaving, and from the glowing smiles on their faces, the group couldn’t wait to leave.
Joan was torn. She was still confused about her feelings: confused about Michael and his death, confused about Stacy, her role in the betrayal, and her near future death. She was confused by her feelings for Stephen. Everything had happened so fast, and yet one thing was clear: she now knew she didn’t love Michael anymore and had never loved him like she should have. But did she love Stephen? And how did Stephen feel about her? Granted, she hadn’t given him a solid chance to talk to her. Joan had avoided him since the night before, but he also hadn’t tried hard enough to talk to her either.
She was behind Stacy, and her eyes met Stephen’s as he helped her friend on board. Hesitating, he reached for her hand, and as she lifted her foot to hop on board, he suddenly grabbed her hand tighter and pulled her away from the chopper.
Gasping, she nearly tripped at the suddenly altered course, and she looked up into his serious eyes, eyes that nearly took her breath away.
“Joan, I”
“What?” she whispered. She couldn’t feel the cold as she waited, almost holding her breath. She didn’t know what she wanted to hear, what she would do if it was what she wanted. Her friend was dying and yet…
Suddenly, his dark head swooped down, and his firm mouth crushed hers, his tongue sliding in past her cold lips. She opened her mouth and met him halfway, her own tongue tangling with his in the oldest
dance of love-making.
Everything faded: the sound of the blades on the chopper, the voices of the other guests, her best friend’s whistle. Everything else disappeared but Stephen and his mouth.
Gasping for breath, they finally drew apart and stared at each other.
“I love you, Joan,” he whispered. His eyes left hers for a split second as he looked behind her. His gaze lowered again, meeting hers. She could have sworn she saw moisture gathering in their brown depths.
“Come back to me.”
With that, he quickly guided her back to the chopper and lifted her up. Before she could yell down or even come out of her daze, the chopper was taking off. She stared down at Stephen until he was a black dot in the midst of white, until she could no longer see him.
Chapter 10
Three months later...
Joan stood by the grave, her head bowed as the tears fell silently. Dressed all in black, she didn’t bother to glance around. Not many people knew the wonderful woman that made up Stacy Collins.
Her parents had died years ago, and she didn’t have any living aunts or uncles on either side. She had really been alone except for Joan and Michael.
At the thought of Michael, her heart fluttered but not in a loving way. It fluttered in a fond memory kind of way. In fact, Joan had come to terms with Michael, their marriage, and his death months before through the long talks with Stacy and remembering the good and bad times they had shared. He had been a part of her that she would always cherish, but that was it. Being ready to move on was her goal and one she would make happily.
When she had returned without Michael, a lot of things had changed for her. His family and their friends had been in shock, to say the least, not only by her husband’s death but by her and her decision to quit her job and taking another chance on a completely different career, one that didn’t even pay anything at the moment. She didn’t care though; she was taking that risk.
Her eyes fell on the grave, and her throat tightened. Stacy hadn’t lived as long as the doctors had given her. When they had returned from the mountains, it had seemed like almost overnight, and Stacy lost what little weight she had, going from thin to bones.
Within a month, she was bedridden with hospice coming and going. They had planned to see the sights and travel, but all the planning in the world couldn’t halt the flow of the deadly disease that ravaged her body.
So instead, Joan had stayed by her side and watched as the disease ate away at her until her tired eyes closed one last time.
A light drizzle fell, but she stayed still for a moment more in the empty cemetery. Even Michael’s parents had left, but she didn’t mind. She relished the chance for peace and quiet. She was so tired of having to defend her actions, and she knew if they had stayed it would just be another scene like the week before, in their kitchen, right after Stacy had died in her sleep. She still couldn’t believe his mother, having just lost her son, had brought it up.
“Joan Taylor Clayton, are you insane? To give up everything you had for something you know nothing about?”
“Teresa, this is what I want.”
She was through arguing, but apparently Teresa hadn’t been. In fact, Joan expected more calls before she left for Vail Mountain again.
“This isn’t like you, Joan. You know nothing of mountain life, of the hardships and weather you’ll face up there all alone, cut off!”
Teresa’s shocked voice and face sounded and looked as if she wanted to commit her son’s widow to the hospital, and Joan barely refrained from reminding her she had a small idea of that life as she remembered the mountain cabin and the trek down, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to hear that again.
The drizzle turned into a light rain, and she shivered, her clothes a thin material that offered little protection from the elements, but at the moment, she was numb to the cold. The tears fell as the dirt at her feet and on the grave turned to mud.
I love you, Stace, she thought, the tears coming faster. And there is nothing to forgive. I love you.
Another call came in before dawn broke the sky, but a person wouldn’t have been able to see the beautiful colors behind the dark clouds.
Stephen didn’t say a word after getting the initial call from Rob. Standing outside as another wave of snow hit the mountain, he worked quickly, loading up his gear on the ATV. Jumping on, he took off, heading towards the same direction as…
He blocked that thought as he made it to the tree line. He had struggled not to think of Joan for the past three months, but it was impossible.
Everywhere he looked, he saw her, and it was getting more difficult to focus. Even Rob was noticing, shooting him concerned looks, but he was ignoring those. There was nothing he could do. He had told her how he felt before she left.
It was up to her now.
Bundled up with just his eyes exposed, he made his way up the mountain, the ATV diving into the piles of snow that were slowly building, making it almost impassable. His hands tightly on the handles, he looked around the white landscape and thought he spied a flash of red up ahead past the line of trees. He changed direction and headed north, up farther into the mountain.
Twenty minutes later, he stopped next to the piece of cloth stuck to a branch and flinched, his eyes scanning the trees. An older gentleman was lost, having been declared missing when he had missed his check in time. The resort couldn’t control the actions of the guests. All they could do was monitor their activities, and that’s what they did. The old man had been alone, having arrived two days before.
Why couldn’t they stay close to the resort?
He thought he heard something and stopped the rumbling machine beneath him, killing the engine as he listened intently. The wind drowned out most of the sound, but…
There it was again. He looked around, his eyes narrow and focused. Suddenly, he saw the man’s snow covered head push out of the snow, and his eyes widened.
He jumped off and landed in a thigh high drift. He dug his way over to the man and scanned his hunched down body for any injuries. He didn't spy any.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice raised so the man could hear him past the howling wind.
He saw him nod and watched as the man stood up out of the large hole. Stephen was impressed. He knew what he had done and nodded to the ground.
“Smart.”
“I know a thing or two about surviving.”
The voice was gruff as if he wasn't used to talking.
“Ready to head down?”
“Damn ready.”
The two men made their way to the ATV and climbed on, the old man behind him.
“Hold on!” he shouted over his shoulder.
“Don't ya worry about me. I'm tougher than I look!” he yelled back, wrapping his thin arms around Stephen’s waist.
Stephen chuckled, and the engine rumbled back to life as he made a turn and headed back down the mountain.
The rescues were never ending when the season kicked off, but Stephen loved it. He wouldn't change it for the world.
But I would alter it, he thought, thinking of Joan and where she was, what she was doing at the moment.
Or who she was with…
At that exact moment, Joan was getting the extensive tour of the resort and protocols from her new boss.
An hour later, Rob turned to her with a smile, his hands in his jean pockets.
“Got it?” he asked, making his way back to the familiar lobby.
Joan nodded and looked around. Nothing had changed in three months, though she hadn't really expected it to.
Even the blizzard she could see out the large windows was the same. Different storm and day but the same feeling. Excitement and anxiety soared through her at the thought of finally seeing Stephen.
Rob caught her looking and grinned.
“Looking for something?” he teased, suddenly extremely happy for his friend. He was going to flip when he found out, and Rob couldn't wait. His friend had been in
the dumps for the past few months, and Rob knew why even though Stephen hadn't admitted it.
Joan startled at being caught. She shook her head. “No, I”
“You're going to make one of my employees very happy, Joan.”
Before she could say anything, Rob continued. “I normally don't do this, but when you called for a job, I couldn't say no. Now, you know this is on the job training and volunteer work,” he warned. “It's hard and dangerous, Joan.”
Nodding, she met his eyes. “Yes, I know. I want to do this.”
Before he could respond, the front door opened, and in walked Stephen and an older gentleman both knocking the snow from their coats and boots.
“Hey, Stephen, thanks for coming after me,” the older man said, shaking the snow from his lean body.
“Not a problem, Jerry. It's my”
Suddenly, his gaze caught sight of Joan standing in the middle of the room, and he froze, his eyes widening.
Joan froze as well, her own eyes eating him up, almost starved. She couldn't believe she had been such an idiot to wait as long as she had, but she was here, and based on his wonder and his own eyes scanning her body hungrily, the feeling was mutual, thank God.
“Well, Jerry, why don't I take you to the kitchen and get you some hot coffee,” Rob said, a grin splitting his handsome face.
Jerry looked from Stephen to Joan and finally caught on to the undercurrents in the room.
Smiling, he nodded, and within seconds, the only sound in the room was the crackling fire and the howling wind outside.
“Hello, Stephen,” Joan said quietly, her trembling hands folded in front of her.
He didn't say a word as he took off his thick coat, but his eyes never left her. Dropping the coat on the floor, he stomped his feet one last time and headed straight to her.
Her eyes widening, she opened her mouth to say something, anything, but she never had a chance as his mouth came crashing down on hers.
Wrapping his arms around her slender waist, he pulled her tightly to him, her sweater getting damp from his clothes. She didn't feel the cold as she wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth wide, their tongues mingling and tangling. Heat started to curl her stomach as desire skated along her spine.
Stranded on Vail Mountain Page 7
