by Conn, Claudy
“Oh my God! Anika!” He ran around the counter and swept her up in a hug. “I didn’t know you were coming! When did you get here?” He spun her away from the desk and got squeezed in return.
“Last night. Teresa told me to hide until I could surprise you. I’m glad she did.”
So was he. His cousin, born only minutes after him, had been one of his best friends when he was little. He’d been a lost puppy for a year after they moved back to the Netherlands. “This is wonderful. You’re staying for Christmas.”
“But of course.” She pulled away and pointed to another woman, this with thick chestnut hair that formed a bob around her face. “Do you remember Monika?”
“Only barely. I don’t think we had a chance to talk much last time.” Anika’s partner had visited with her, but that was several years ago. He continued to hold onto Anika, but extended his hand to Monika.
She shook it. “Yes, your mother…was very interested in me.”
Kirk laughed. “She was! Did she let you go to the bathroom by yourself?”
Anika laughed as loudly, but Monika turned red. “Barely.”
“So, you’re both still fighting jet lag, I imagine.”
“A bit,” Anika admitted. “I’m going to ski soon, get my head in the sunshine.”
Monika nodded her agreement.
“Best hurry. They will probably start closing slopes soon. Storm’s brewing.” He looked toward the doors and the bulletin board. Lindsay stood in front of the blue screen. That wasn’t good. “If you’ll excuse me, I think there’s something I need to address.”
“Wait.” Anika wrapped her arm around his waist, holding him in place. “We have one more thing to tell you before you hear it from someone else.”
He turned his attention fully to the women. That sounded important. “Yes?”
“I’m expecting.” Anika rubbed her belly, still flat, but apparently growing.
“Really? That’s fantastic! Congratulations!” He hugged Anika tight. Releasing her, he turned to kiss Monika’s cheek, but she beat him to it, kissing him. “When?”
“Should be coming in May.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“And what about you, Kirk? Anyone special you’re spending your days with?”
He pressed his lips together, reluctant to answer. Lindsay waved for him, catching both his attention and Monika’s.
“I need to deal with that. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
Anika held onto his hand. “Meet us out there? I really do need the sunshine.”
He squeezed her hand. “You got it. Meet you in fifteen minutes.”
Chapter Eleven
The ride up the mountain was no better the second time. She’d been daydreaming about a spanking, but her bottom probably wouldn’t be able to take it right away. New snow had fallen and only the most popular slopes were sullied, the others looking clean and white. A blank slate. Tasha hoped the same would be true for her.
She had booked online, so there wasn’t a chance to check with Kirk that he knew she was coming. This ‘weekend’ was to be as carefree as the first, a few days of vibrant passion and would hopefully leave her ready to face the real world again.
As she stepped through the front doors, her gaze didn’t drift around the lobby as it had the first time, instead focusing on the desk where Kirk would be.
Tasha’s shoulders sagged. He wasn’t there. Giving herself a mental shake, she told herself that he was simply elsewhere, maybe at a massage appointment. That didn’t improve her mood. It made her think about him with his hands all over another beautiful woman, possibly doing all the same things to her that he had with Tasha.
Licking her lips, she steeled herself and approached the desk. The woman there greeted her warmly.
“Welcome to Chalet Doehr. We’re so glad you could come.”
“Yes, Natasha Kingsley.”
“Yes, Ms. Kingsley. I see this is your second stay with us. Thank you for choosing to visit again.” The woman continued to chat while she scanned a card and folded it into a paper sleeve. “Be sure to check out the daily ski status on our digital…” Her voice drifted off and her smile slipped. “Oh, no. I’m sorry, Ms. Kingsley, but I must attend to this. Do you need help with your bags?”
“No.” She turned to watch the woman as she rounded the counter and headed to the screen that should have a list of the slopes that were open. It was a solid blue with white lettering.
Apparently even fancy Chalets were not immune to glitches. She’d had an entire manuscript eaten by one once and didn’t wish it on anyone. Pulling her bag behind her, she waited for the elevator, turning only once inside the metal box. For a brief moment, she saw Kirk hug a blond woman as the doors slid shut.
She slammed on the open door button, but it didn’t budge, continuing its climb to the sixth floor. Her finger hovered over the 2 until they’d passed onto the third floor. No, running down the stairs just to see who he was hugging was stupid. She’d go to her room, freshen up, and change for a lesson on the bunny slopes. He could join her, or not.
It took determination, first to fight the urge to race downstairs, and then to force herself out to the elevator. Her room was cozy and warm, no one to bother her, safe. If she stayed in it, though, she wouldn’t have a chance of seeing Kirk again and discovering if she could move on from whatever existed between them. The extra layers seemed to constrict her, tangling her legs and arms, but she fought on, stepping into the elevator.
In the lobby, she looked again for Kirk and found him this time. He stood with his arm around the blonde woman’s waist while a brunette leaned over to kiss his cheek and hug the same woman. All three were smiles, and it looked for all the world like the brunette was congratulating the pair.
She stood staring long enough for one of the bellhops to notice her. “Can I help you, Miss?”
Tossing her head and nearly losing her hat, she reached up a hand to straighten the knit. “No, I’m fine.” She gave one last glimpse in Kirk’s direction, watching him pull the blonde tighter into the curve of his arm. “Just fine.” She stomped past the broken monitor and out toward the hills, snow falling heavily upon them.
Her eyes felt like they were freezing shut. What was wrong with her? She rubbed them with the back of her hand and stared at the moisture before it was whisked away in the cold wind. She wasn’t crying. That was absurd. Kirk was just a fling, a one-time good fuck. Wasn’t he?
She pulled her gloves from her pocket and shoved her fingers into them. It wasn’t extraordinarily cold, but the flakes were falling, thick and furious. Claiming a pair of skis and poles, she started pushing away, pulling one foot after the other, up to the top of the mountain where the slopes began.
***
Bored with the repetitiveness of the straight run of the newbie slope and the shrieking laugh of one of the other patrons in the lessons class, Tasha took a turn, away from the usual beginner areas She had this shit down now, right? Skiing wasn't near as difficult as it looked if the last hour gave her anything to judge by and she'd had enough of the down, back up, down again teaching class. She needed something more challenging, something to make her focus on her progress down the hill and not the man inside or the blonde he held.
She heard a muffled squawking, but couldn’t make sense of it over the wind whistling through her knit hat. There were still skiers on the slopes, although she didn’t see any down the one she’d chosen. It was intermediate and she assumed all those willing to brave the blizzard were looking for the black diamonds.
She wasn’t looking for any diamonds, of any color, just a rush. Digging in her poles she pushed off, the skis sinking into the plush powder.
The first part of the run went well. It twisted around a group of spruce trees, then straightened to pick up some speed before banking again. Normally, the speed would frighten her, drive her to point her toes together and slow herself down. Today, it couldn’t be fast enough. Leaning into the run, poles tu
cked under her arms, she let the wind wail through her scarf to her ears.
It was far too late when she discovered she couldn’t make the turn. She tilted her skis, driving them deeper into the snow, using the friction to brake. Insufficient to stop her, she tumbled, her skis snapping off from the bindings and leaving her in a heap at the base of another group of trees with snow up to her neck.
“Fuck, Tasha. Why can’t you do anything properly? Next you’ll be blaming all your problems on a man. As if you aren’t a grown woman able to look after herself.” She straightened her legs, trying to stand.
Instead of rising, however, she sunk further, her legs pushing through the seemingly endless snow until her chin fell under the surface and a smattering of snow fell in atop her.
Panic filled her and she screamed, her voice garbled as she inhaled snow. She yelled again, “Help! Please, someone! Anyone!”
There wasn’t anyone on this slope when she went down. When would the next skier pass? How could she make sure that person saw her? She had to calm down and think, however the darkness from the snow and the flakes still falling made that frighteningly difficult. Her hands closed into fists of determination and she found one of her poles. Feeling around the other, she was thrilled to discover both poles were still caught by their wrist straps. Lifting one up from her side sent more snow cascading over her, but she could push it up until it crested the level of the snow. It wasn’t easy to see, however, a black handle on a blue-green pole.
What could she use to make it more visible? She didn’t dare give up any of her clothing. She would need every piece to keep her warm if rescue was delayed in reaching her. Patting her jacket and pockets, she hit upon a rectangle.
Was her phone still working? She whipped it out, sending more snow into the hole and all the cracks in her clothing. She was going to get frostbite on the back of her neck. There was one spot where icy water was already seeping in as her body heat melted it. It didn’t matter, though, not if it meant she could call for help.
“Shit.” The phone was functional, with a single cell of reception. She dialed 911 and prayed. Holding her breath, she heard one ring. Then nothing. Pulling the phone from her ear, she shook it, trying to see why it wasn’t working. The screen went black, a blue battery symbol on the screen. “What is it with blue screens of death today? Dammit.”
She tucked the useless phone away, pulling her scarf from her neck enough to tuck it in. When the phone warmed up, she could try again. The cold would sap the battery, too, so she wouldn’t get many chances. In the meantime, what did she have?
Not much.
“Help!”
Chapter Twelve
The monitor took longer to sort out than he’d expected. Kirk waved his cousin and Monika on. “Don’t wait for me. I’ll catch up.” Just as he was ready to head outside, on a hunch, he checked in at the desk.
Tasha’s name grabbed his attention. In the thrill of seeing Anika, he’d forgotten she was coming in at any moment. In fact, she’d checked in.
“Lindsay, did you check in Ms. Kingsley?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. She was asking about skiing which alerted me to the board.”
Kirk rubbed his chin. He could swing past her room and try it. She might have decided to stay in.
Shaking his head, he rid himself of the thought. Tasha didn’t need a stalker. “You’ll be okay if I head out?”
“Yes, Mr. Doehr. Enjoy yourself.”
He changed for the slopes, but didn’t get his skis and poles. He met the ladies coming off the chair lift.
“Those are very short skis,” Anika teased.
“Haha. I’d missed so much, I thought I’d watch you for a while instead.” It would let him keep his eyes peeled for Tasha.
“Suit yourself.”
The women stopped to chat with him each time they returned for another run, until the falling flakes had completely covered his hat and his nose began to drip. No sign of Tasha. He hoped she was inside, in a hot tub, sipping wine. He would love to join her. He imagined slipping in behind her, sliding his legs along hers, lifting her bottom into his lap. He would sweep her hair over one shoulder and nip and nibble behind her ear and down her neck.
A shiver abruptly shattered the illusion he’d built for himself. He would knock on her door. Nothing wrong in trying once.
“Kirk? We’re headed in.” He turned at the sound of Anika’s voice and hurried to follow her.
“Perfect. I think I’m frozen.”
The ladies laughed. “If you’d skied, you might have stayed warmer.”
He didn’t argue, taking off his hat and shaking away the snow. There was far more than he expected. It was really falling down out there. In fact, the bulletin board showed over half the slopes closed.
Anika and Monika headed for their room, so he joined them in the elevator.
“Where do you stay?” Monika asked.
“Oh, I have a room on the second floor, but a friend checked in. I’m going to see if she wants to have dinner together.”
“You should have said so.” Anika swatted his arm. “We wouldn’t have monopolized you.”
He chuckled. “It was lovely. Think nothing of it. Now, keep each other warm.” He waved as he stepped off the elevator.
Down the hall, he knocked on Tasha’s door. “Hello? Tasha? It’s Kirk.” He listened carefully, half expecting a hushed reply at his interruption. The room was silent. He frowned and knocked again. Nothing.
Disappointed, he wandered back to the desk where Lindsay checked in a family of five.
“I’m afraid the snow is making skiing less than ideal, but it should be better in the morning.” Bellhops loaded their baggage onto a cart and Lindsay passed over the cards to their rooms. “The pool is open, as is our lounge, game room, and restaurant. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
He didn’t stop at the desk, taking Lindsay’s advice and checking all the public areas for Tasha. If she wasn’t in her room, she must be in one of them.
Christmas was a busy time for the Chalet, and every venue was packed with guests. There was even a line for the Cocktail Lounge. None held the woman he searched for.
Two hours after the first time, Kirk knocked on Tasha’s door. “Tasha? Please. Let me know if you’re in there.”
Silence.
“I just want to know you’re safe.”
Nothing. His heckles started to rise. That was odd. He pulled out his key ring, cursing himself as he found the housekeeping key. “I’m sorry.” Twisting the key in the lock, he pushed open the door.
Her bags lay open on the bed, so she had been here. Striding to the bathroom, Kirk assured himself she wasn’t there. Taking the stairs rather than the elevator, he burst through the lobby door, startling an older couple.
“Sorry,” he muttered, only stopping long enough to make sure neither had been knocked over. Trotting, he hurried out to the ski patrol. “I think there’s a missing skier.”
Both men jumped to their feet. “Why? Who?”
“A friend of mine checked in, and according to the staff, planned to go skiing. Now, I can’t find her anywhere in the Chalet.”
“She’s not on Cee. I scoured that before we closed it.”
“Not on Ell. I closed that one.”
The pair continued to review slopes while Kirk thought he might lose his mind. “Well, she’s on one of them.” He felt shame immediately after saying it.
“We understand, Mr. Doehr. Why don’t you tell us who she is, what she looks like, and her skiing level. We will find her.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I just wish I could help.”
He didn’t know either man well, but the one he believed was James eyed him up. “You could take the beginner slopes. It’s highly unlikely she disappeared on one of those, but you won’t have any trouble checking those.” He looked to his partner. “Leo, you take Em and I’ll take Ell.” Those were the two most difficult slopes.
Kirk had to slow himself as he descended slopes Eh and Be
e. It was too easy to let gravity have its way, especially on the simple runs. He had to slow himself so he could check, look for anything out of the ordinary.
He completed Cee and Dee as well before returning to the patrol office. He had found no sign of her. He caught the men as they returned to the peak and followed them to Gee and Jay. “Anything?”
Each shook his head. “Intermediates. I think you should stay, Mr. Doehr. These will be tricky with all the snow.”
A twinge in his jaw alerted him to the grinding of teeth as he clenched. “I’m sure I can make another.”
Leo nodded. “Sure. Take Eff.”
“Thank you.” He prayed she’d turn up on this one. The snow did make maneuvering difficult, especially as he tried to wind to the far edges of the run, looking for a sign of an accident, skis or poles sticking out of the snow. At the bottom of the slope, and making the slow climb back to the top, he second guessed himself.
Maybe he just hadn’t found her. What if she was in the spa and he was sending up this search party for nothing? He stood at the top again, arriving before either of the patrol skiers. He almost stepped out of the bindings and headed inside. However, his fears got the better of him. What if she was out there? How long could she last?
Pushing himself along the ridge, he found himself at the start of Kay. This run had been closed for avalanche risk, but if the bulletin board was down…
He’d be putting himself at risk, going it alone.
Plucking his phone out of a pocket and pulling his glove off with his teeth, he sent a text message to the patrol help line. At least they would know where to find him if he didn’t return. Tucking his fingers safely into thick gloves, he put the phone away, gripped his pole and set off.
“Hold on, Tasha.”
Chapter Thirteen
Moving slowly, carefully, Tasha opened her parka and pulled her arm inside. Even when the snow shifted, and she squealed at a few icy drips, warmth flooded her arm. Inside the down, she wasn’t freezing, yet. Feeling sure she could keep her fingers free of frostbite, she sacrificed her red glove, impaling it on her pole and thrusting the pair up with her gloved left hand. She shifted, trying to get her shoulder under it. If she could keep it up without either hand, she could pull both in.
