Summer in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance Anthologies Book 2)

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  “Good for them,” Kyle retorted. “I’m not trying to give you a hard time, but I think you need to consider what’s best for Annalisa, not what works for someone else.”

  “And I think you need to give her more credit. She’s smart, talented, and beautiful. And I’ve noticed a big change in her just in this week. She’ll be fine.”

  Kyle focused on wiping the handlebars of the bike and didn’t say anything.

  “It would be easier if you were on her side,” Cameron prodded.

  The pain in his eyes was evident. “Just remember you might not know everything,” he said quietly.

  ***

  You might not know everything. What was that supposed to mean?

  Cameron turned Kyle’s words over in her mind as she waited in her car in front of the Drake’s. Annalisa was still at the salon and both her parents were at work. She didn’t know where Kyle was since leaving him at the gym.

  Frustrated, she reached for her phone and punched in Dotty’s number. She got voicemail but didn’t leave a message. Dotty hated voicemail and never checked it, but she would call back when she saw Cameron had rung.

  She didn’t really need to talk to Dotty; Cameron knew what her boss would say. Suck it up. Your job is to make your girl win and nothing else matters.

  But the look in Kyle’s eyes mattered. The way Annalisa had sat hunched in the chair with her face buried in her arms mattered.

  Annalisa’s silver Honda turned down the road and Cameron sighed. She had always found pageant prep thrilling and energizing. Now she felt like a drill sergeant, forced to push a reluctant soldier until they were both at their breaking points.

  Chapter 9

  The surge of excitement Cameron felt when she saw the red Xterra in the driveway the next morning was tempered by the site of Joyce’s car in the open garage. She’d been hoping Joyce had left for work already.

  “I made an appointment for you at one o’clock for a laser teeth whitening session with Dr. Mason,” Joyce told Annalisa. She took a drink from a can of Diet Coke and cast a critical eye on her daughter. “And don’t bite those nails, we just had them put on!”

  “I don’t need my teeth whitened,” Annalisa muttered, yanking her hand out of her mouth.

  Joyce sighed and rolled her eyes. “We’ve already talked about this. What if it’s the one little thing that makes all the difference?”

  “What if what’s the one thing that makes all the difference?” Kyle came into the room and Cameron’s heart leaped when their eyes met.

  He grinned “Hey Cameron.”

  “Hi,” she managed.

  “Teeth whitening,” Joyce answered his question. “What if the judges mark her down for her smile?”

  “Then they’re stupid,” Kyle said quickly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Her teeth are fine.”

  “They’re not as white as they could be,” Joyce countered. “Back me up,” she turned to Cameron.

  “Uh …” Cameron thought frantically. Dotty would definitely be in favor of the teeth whitening, but really, did it matter? “I think she’s got a beautiful smile,” she said carefully. “It might not be crucial”

  Joyce gave Cameron a hard stare and then turned back to her daughter. “One o’clock,” she said. “I have to go to work. I’ll check in with you later.”

  She left and Kyle sank down on the couch with a sigh and shared a glance with Cameron. Annalisa’s eyes were red and she had her hand back at her mouth, scraping her new acrylic nails over her teeth.

  “So … today —” Cameron began.

  “I know. Teeth,” Annalisa mumbled.

  “Yeah. But I think … how about we skip it?” Cameron said.

  Annalisa’s head shot up. “Really?”

  “You’re teeth are fine and you’ve been working really hard. I think you could use a break. Besides, some R&R before a pageant is always a good thing,” Cameron justified.

  “But what about Mom?”

  “Leese, don’t worry about it,” Kyle said, his eyes gleaming at Cameron. “Hey, why don’t we go to the lake? What do you think, Cameron?”

  Cameron regarded her navy pinstripe slacks, cranberry colored blouse, and black heeled sandals. “I didn’t bring anything to hike in.”

  “It’s not really a hike, more of a walk with a few hills. Comfy clothes will be fine,” Kyle said. “How about it?”

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  Annalisa beamed. “Can we invite Josh?”

  ***

  Cameron drove a bit too fast along the road leading from town to the B&B, keeping a wary eye for lurking police officers. She smiled every time she glanced in her rearview mirror and saw Kyle following behind. What had been an ordinary day was now something exciting and special.

  At the B&B, she hurried inside and up the stairs to her room. Hopefully jeans and a striped blue and purple t-shirt with silver sequined canvas shoes would work for what Kyle called “a walk with hills.”

  He was in the lobby leaning over the desk on his elbows and chatting with Rayna.

  “Think this will be okay?” Cameron asked, indicating her wardrobe.

  “Glittery shoes for tromping through the woods?” he asked skeptically.

  “They’re very casual sequins,” Cameron said and then wrinkled her brow. “I’m not going to ruin them, am I?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Rayna cut in. “The walk to the lake is nice and gentle, you’ll be fine.”

  “Thanks Rayna,” Kyle called as they turned to leave.

  Cameron reached for the front door handle then drew back in embarrassment when he reached for it too. “Sorry. Guess I’m not used to men opening doors for me.”

  “I was always taught to hold the door for a lady,” Kyle replied. “But I won’t if it bothers you.”

  “It doesn’t bother me; it’s just different. A good different,” she clarified and threw him a smile.

  “Good different is … good,” he grinned.

  Annalisa and Josh were holding hands in the back of the Xterra. Kyle opened the passenger door for Cameron, then slid behind the wheel.

  “Love your shoes,” Annalisa said to Cameron. “I’m so glad we’re doing this.”

  “Me too,” Cameron said. The light in Annalisa’s eyes convinced her taking the day off was a good idea.

  ***

  The forty-five minute drive to the lake went quickly. The other three kept up the conversation, but Cameron was lost in the beautiful scenery. The canyon walls rose on either side of the road, sometimes in steep rocky cliffs, other times as gentle, tree-covered hills. A river ran parallel to the road, skipping from one side to the other under a series of bridges and culverts.

  There were only a few cars in the parking lot at the trailhead. “I thought it would be more crowded than this,” Cameron admitted as they got out of the truck.

  “There are several trails into the lake,” Kyle explained. “We’ll probably run into more people once we get going.”

  The day was not too warm and the haze from the fires was blowing in the other direction, keeping the skies crystal clear. Annalisa and Josh raced ahead while Kyle and Cameron took a slower pace.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” Cameron took a deep breath.

  “Yeah,” Kyle agreed, “Snow Valley has a beauty unlike anywhere else.”

  “Is that why you stay?”

  “One of the reasons,” he said a little sadly.

  They walked in silence for a moment. Kyle’s mood had obviously taken a dip and Cameron tried to think of a way to lighten things up again.

  “Red vines or strawberry Twizzlers?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “Pick one.”

  “Okay … Twizzlers.”

  “Potatoes or rice?”

  “Potatoes. Is there a point to this?”

  “Shush. I’m asking the questions,” she ordered. “Chocolate or vanilla ice cream?”

  “Rocky Road.”

  “Hey, me too,” s
he said in surprise. “Comedy or drama?”

  “Depends, usually comedy.”

  “What’s your favorite?”

  “What About Bob?,” he said immediately.

  “I haven’t seen it,” Cameron admitted.

  “Seriously?” Kyle looked at her incredulously. “Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss? It’s a classic. Baby stepping down the hall …?” he quoted.

  “Sorry,” she shrugged.

  Careful of the mud,” he said, pointing at the low spot ahead where water had pooled, creating a large mud puddle across the trail.

  The banks on either side of the puddle weren’t high, but they were steep and covered with long grass. Annalisa and Josh were picking their way along the edge and Cameron could see the mud creeping up over the soles of their shoes.

  “I’ll be so ticked if I ruin these,” she moaned, holding out a sequin-clad foot.

  “You and your shoes,” Kyle said with a light chuckle. He turned his back. “C’mon, I’ll piggyback you.”

  “Ah …” He was much bigger than she was and he was obviously strong, but she’d always been self-conscious about not being a stick.

  “What’s wrong, afraid I’ll drop you?” he teased.

  “No, but I’m not exactly light …”

  “Oh brother.” He bent his knees and held his arms out to his sides. “C’mon, jump.”

  Her throat felt dry as she put her arms on his shoulders and gave a small leap. His hands clamped behind her knees as he straightened, seemingly without any effort.

  “Hold on,” he instructed.

  Cameron didn’t need to be told. She wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to choke him. His hair tickled her nose and smelled like shampoo and his shoulders were warm and muscled under her arms.

  Kyle maneuvered around the mud and she prepared for him to stop and set her down, but he didn’t. He kept going, walking easily down the trail with her on his back.

  “Uh … you can put me down now,” she finally said.

  “Yeah, I could,” he agreed … and kept walking.

  “We’re over the mud, thank you very much,” she didn’t really want him to put her down, but it seemed polite to suggest it.

  “Okay,” he said … and kept walking.

  “Now you’re just showing off,” she muttered good-naturedly and he threw her a grin over his shoulder.

  “Yup.”

  She tightened her arms slightly and her heart leapt when she felt him squeeze her knees in return.

  Oh yes, taking the day off had definitely been a good idea.

  “I don’t know what you’re worried about,” Kyle said. “You’re not heavy.”

  “Well, I’m certainly not light either,” she replied. “At least not like your sister.”

  “Yes, my sister is very thin,” he agreed. “But so what? There are many kinds of beautiful, no matter what some dumb beauty pageant judge might say. I think you’re beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” she managed around the sudden swelling in her throat. She knew being super skinny wasn’t the most important thing in the world, but hearing him say it and hearing him say he found her beautiful, was … comforting.

  He walked in silence for a few minutes while she blinked fast to clear the sudden tears from her eyes.

  “You okay?” he finally asked.

  “Yeah,” she sniffed. “I’m telling Paisley you called her a dumb beauty pageant judge.”

  Kyle laughed.

  Cameron was almost disappointed when they reached the lake a short time later and Kyle set her down.

  “We’re going wading,” Annalisa called from the shore where she and Josh were already taking off their shoes.

  “It’s going to be cold,” Kyle warned.

  Annalisa stepped into the water with a little squeal.

  Cameron turned in a slow circle. The lake was situated in a large clearing and surrounded by low bushes. The rocky bank was scattered with boulders and fallen trees. She took in the clear water, the blue skies, and the snow-covered peaks of the mountains above the deep green pines. “This is amazing. I could stay here for weeks.”

  “Really?” Kyle gave her a skeptical glance. “I wouldn’t peg you for an outdoor girl. What about your shoes?”

  “You’d have to come along and carry me everywhere,” she replied loftily. “Problem solved.”

  He grinned and stooped to pick up some pebbles from the bank. He worked them between his fingers as they meandered slowly along the shore.

  “I can’t believe you’ve never seen What About Bob?,” he finally said. “It’s got some of the best one-liners ever.” Without waiting for an answer, he launched into a recitation. “Is this corn hand shucked? I’ll be quiet … and I’ll be peace. There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who love Neil Diamond and those who don’t.”

  “Okay,” Cameron laughed. “You’ve convinced me; I’ll have to see it sometime.” She found a seat on a fallen tree and he joined her.

  “Speaking of Neil Diamond, can you believe Melodee picked one of his songs for the opening number? It’s America, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the costumes…” Cameron trailed off when she saw his frown.

  They sat in silence, watching Annalisa and Josh running in the shallows and laughing as they splashed each other.

  Finally Kyle tossed the pebbles to the ground and turned to Cameron.

  “Annalisa was fourteen. I had finished my first year of graduate school and was home for the summer. I found a razor blade in the bathroom, covered in blood. I asked her about it and she admitted she’d been cutting.”

  “Cutting?”

  “Yeah. I made her show me – her thighs were covered with cuts and scars. I guess it had been going on for a long time.”

  The pain in his eyes made her heart ache. “But … why?”

  You’ve seen how hard Mom is on her. It’s not just about the pageant, it’s cheerleading, horseback riding … everything always has to be Mom’s way. But the pageant takes the pressure to a new level and Leese is a lot more sensitive than she lets on.”

  “But what good does cutting do?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. She claimed it released tension. I guess when she had physical pain to focus on, the emotional pain and pressure wasn’t so bad.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Quit school, moved back. I’ve spent the last three years trying to protect her and keep things from getting too intense.”

  “Does she still do it?”

  “She says she doesn’t,” Kyle answered, “and I’m trying to believe her.”

  Cameron was quiet. In the high pressure, body-centered world of pageants, eating disorders, body dismorphia, and self-harm were all too common. But she had never personally come up against it. She looked at Annalisa again, her eyes going automatically to her thighs. But any scars were either hidden under the girl’s shorts, or too faint to see from this distance.

  “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “This must be really hard for you.”

  His voice was gruff. “She’s not weak, and she’s not stupid. She just feels helpless. She’s a people pleaser and my mother uses it against her. Mom feels like she wasted her best years and I think she’s trying to right the wrongs of her past by making sure Annalisa doesn’t repeat her mistakes.”

  “Like what?”

  “My parents had to get married when Mom got pregnant with me. She was entered in the Miss Montana pageant and had to drop out. She’s always regretted it, claims she would have won and gone on to Miss America, and then who knows? She feels like she lost the world.”

  “And it’s your fault?”

  He flinched and stared at the water. Cameron’s heart twisted at the thought of a young Kyle, confused and hurt and feeling the blame for his mother’s failed dreams.

  “Are you close to your father?”

  Kyle shook his head. “He stayed in Arizona. We text sometimes, talk on the phone a couple of times a year, but I haven’t seen h
im in a while.” He sighed deeply and turned to Cameron, his blue eyes full of pain. “Annalisa really doesn’t want to do this kind of stuff, but Mom doesn’t give her the choice. It’s … well, I don’t know. Maybe I’m doing the right thing, maybe I’m not. But if it’s keeping her from cutting, maybe I’m helping a little.”

  “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “How would you? But do you see why I’m so uptight about this stupid pageant? She doesn’t need this kind of pressure.”

  Cameron reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “I’ll do what I can to help. I promise.”

  Kyle placed his hand over hers, squeezing her fingers. “Thanks.”

  ***

  “I had fun,” Cameron said later as they stood on the porch of the B&B. The setting sun and the cloud-streaked sky glowed orange in the haze from the fire. Here and there a light shown in one of the firefighter tents, but most were dark. Most were probably still out battling the blaze.

  “Me too,” Kyle said, smiling. “And thanks for listening about Annalisa; I’ve never told anyone before, but I guess it’s best you know.”

  Cameron nodded. “I won’t tell her you told me, but I will try to help.”

  “Come here,” he stepped forward and enfolded her in a hug.

  She put her arms around his waist, the softness of his t-shirt contrasting with the hardness of his back against her palms. He pulled her closer and she rested her cheek against his chest.

  “So tomorrow is dress rehearsal?” he murmured against her hair.

  “Mmmm, yeah,” she didn’t want to think about the pageant.

  “How long will it go? Can I come see you?”

  Cameron wondered if he could feel how fast her heart was racing. “Sure. We’ll probably be there all day and there’ll be lots of sitting around waiting.”

  “Okay, I’ll try to swing by,” he said.

  “I’d like that,” she smiled.