He dialed the station and Chad answered on the third ring. The unmistakable sound of Mario Kart in the background confirmed that Levi taking a few days off shouldn’t be a problem. “Hey man, I’ve decided to stay in Wild River for a few days... You cool holding down the fort on your own?”
“No problem...damn it, Yoshi took me out,” Chad said.
“Okay, call me if there’s an emergency,” Levi said, disconnecting the call. Then, checking the traffic, he took a deep breath and did a U-turn on the highway, heading back toward Wild River.
For one last attempt to get back at least one of the friends he’d lost.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“AHHHH...NOW THIS is more like it.”
Shocking. The Wild River Resort was to Selena’s liking. Stretched across four hundred acres, the posh, luxurious accommodations boasted three hundred guest rooms, a five-star spa, two high-end, expensive dining options, and provided tourists the most spectacular views of the mountains.
Unfortunately, the price tag was astronomical. Wild River was a small town, boasting only four other modest hotels and a local B and B, but everything else was booked solid. Some bestselling fantasy writer was hosting a knitting retreat and book signing that week.
“This place is amazing. I had no idea there were resorts like this in Alaska. You’ve definitely redeemed yourself,” Selena said.
“Wonderful. I was worried,” Leslie said as they approached the check-in desk.
“How can I help you?” the man dressed in a resort uniform behind the desk asked.
“We need a room, please.”
“For how many nights?”
She hesitated. “I’m not entirely sure. Can we book three for now and then extend our stay if necessary?” Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.
The clerk nodded. “I’ll need your ID and credit card, please.”
That wouldn’t be happening. She couldn’t risk leaving a trail. She opened her wallet and took out a wad of cash that she’d taken from an ATM before leaving LA. “I’d prefer to pay cash if possible.”
The clerk hesitated. “You’d need to leave a sizeable deposit for any incidentals...”
Leslie nodded. “That’s fine,” she said, handing over the money and saying a silent goodbye to her savings. It wasn’t like she’d be able to submit an expense report for this one. She signed the paperwork for their room with her left, unbandaged hand, the signature barely legible.
“Great,” the check-in clerk said. “Here are your room keys...”
“We only need one,” Leslie said.
Selena rolled her eyes. “You don’t even trust me with a room key?”
“You won’t be going anywhere alone.”
The clerk sent them an odd look, but having the forty-year-old guy think she was in some weird as shit relationship was the least of her worries right now. “One key is fine,” she said.
“Okay... Elevators are down the hall, across from the restaurant. Your room is on the third floor. Room service is twenty-four hours and the spa is open from eight a.m. until nine p.m. Enjoy your stay and please let us know if you need anything.”
The last part of his sentence was directed at Selena and Leslie sighed as she moved away from the desk. She didn’t care how strange this must look—her in a pair of hospital scrubs and oversized rubber boots, checking into an expensive resort with no luggage and a woman that looked half her age. She couldn’t wait to get to their room and take a hot shower. A nap would be amazing as well if she was successful in shutting her overactive brain off for five minutes.
She ignored the odd looks from other guests as they headed toward the elevators. Then she immediately spotted someone that had her looking for an escape route. “Oh shit.”
“What? What’s wrong?” Selena followed her gaze. “Is it the stalker?” She moved to stand behind Leslie, ducking low behind her shoulders.
“Nope.” Worse. For Leslie at least.
She scanned the lobby, but its open concept layout provided nowhere to hide and Eddie spotted her. His expression was a mix of shock and amusement as he came toward them and eyed her clothing.
“Do we know him?” Selena whispered.
Unfortunately. “Selena, this is my brother, Eddie,” she said as he stopped his wheelchair in front of them. “Um...what are you doing here?” He lived three blocks away. Why was he at the resort? She’d thought they were safe from running into any locals, especially her family.
“Montana’s parents are in town,” he said. “We were just having dinner at the restaurant. Better question is, what are you doing here?” He glanced at her hand and she knew that he knew she was responsible for the cabin fire.
“Protecting me from my stalker,” Selena said, stepping out from behind her.
Jesus. Hadn’t she told her not to reveal herself or the reason they were there to anyone? She shot her a look. “Eddie, this is Selena Hudson and this conversation is highly confidential,” Leslie said quietly, scanning the hallway. Locals might have a hard time recognizing the star, but tourists might not.
Eddie grinned as he extended a hand to Selena. “My lips are sealed. Nice to meet you. I can only assume that you’re famous?”
“’Cause I have a stalker?” Selena asked.
“’Cause my sister doesn’t have any friends, so you have to be a client of hers.”
Selena laughed as though Eddie were the funniest comedian on earth.
Oh come on...
“Does Mom know you’re here?” Eddie asked.
“No one was supposed to know I’m here.” Her irritation skyrocketed at the mention of her mother. She was walking a fine stress line that day that felt ready to snap at any moment.
“She had us hiding out in the woods until the cabin went up in flames,” Selena said, obviously having immediately bonded with Eddie.
Leslie was going to murder the star herself.
Eddie’s face was insincere shock. “You burned down the family cabin?”
Yes, and she was the woman in a towel rescued by the local smoke jumpers that everyone must be talking about as well.
“It was my fault,” Selena said quickly. “I’ll pay to have the cabin rebuilt.”
She would?
Eddie’s girlfriend, Montana Banks, approached and Eddie turned in his wheelchair to make the introductions. “Hey, Danger, meet Leslie’s new client, Selena... I’m sorry, what did you say your last name was?”
Selena laughed, tossing her dark hair over one shoulder as though glamming it up might make her more recognizable. “Hudson. Have I really arrived in a town that hasn’t heard of me?”
No ego, just genuine surprise. “I told you,” Leslie said.
Montana smiled warmly, her striking features even more beautiful. “Nice to meet you and great to see you again, Leslie.”
“You too.” It wasn’t fake politeness either. Leslie really liked her brother’s girlfriend. A single mom who’d suffered a tragic brain injury years before and was back in Wild River to have a relationship with her daughter, Montana had helped Eddie overcome his own tragedy, getting shot months ago. The two of them were great together and Leslie was happy to see her brother happy. If circumstances were different, she’d love to spend time with Montana, but that would require spending more time in Wild River with her family.
“How long will you be staying in town? We should have dinner,” she said.
“Um... I’m not sure. Hopefully not too long.”
“Dinner sounds cool though,” Selena said.
No one was asking her.
Leslie checked an imaginary watch. “We should get going... We have to run into town for a few things.” A shower and a nap would have to wait. They needed better clothing and she really needed a new cell phone right away. There could be updates from Eoghan and being out of touch for too long wasn’t a great ide
a. Her sanity would also depend on the short, infrequent calls.
Selena frowned as she looked at her. “How are we getting there? Your car is still stuck in a snowbank, remember?”
“There’s a shuttle from the resort into town.” Getting on the public shuttle dressed in scrubs was the least of her concerns right now.
But Eddie shook his head. “We’re headed home. We’ll drop you off on Main Street.”
“Perfect!” Selena said.
Leslie wanted to argue, but at this point, she was choosing her battles and conserving her energy. “Great,” she mumbled.
In the back seat of Eddie’s van a minute later, Leslie tried to put as much distance between her and Selena as possible, but the star kept moving closer to peer out the window as they drove toward Main Street. “You have your own window,” she muttered.
“There’s just trees on my side,” Selena said, practically leaning on Leslie’s lap.
“So, is the cabin completely gone?” Eddie asked, glancing at her in the mirror.
“I’m not sure...but I think so.” The lump was back in her throat and she swallowed hard. What was wrong with her? It was just an old cabin that she hadn’t bothered to visit in a very long time. She’d left it in her past years ago, along with everything else. This overwhelming regret needed to subside quickly so she could go back to focusing on the mess she was currently in.
“I’m so relieved you two are okay,” Montana said.
Was she? Physically maybe.
Selena’s audible gasp next to her made her jump. “What? What is it?”
“O-M-G this street actually looks just like the studio lot set for the Back to the Future series.”
Leslie shot her a look. “You have been outside a movie set before, right?”
“Yes, but not outside of LA and let’s face it, Hollywood is really just one big studio lot.”
No arguments there. “So, wait—you’ve never been outside of LA?”
Selena nodded. “Of course I have, but mostly when we are on tour for movie promo, so I’ve never actually seen Small Town, USA. I’ve been in movies since I was a toddler and between my filming schedule and Dad’s...we’re too busy to travel for fun.”
So money couldn’t buy everything. Leslie’s family relationships weren’t perfect, but some of her best memories growing up were of traveling together—mostly with their father before he died. He was a brilliant artist with a passion for photography, something Leslie had inherited, and he’d captured the most breathtaking scenic shots wherever they went. Photos that were now lost in that fire. She’d lost him years ago when she’d needed him most and now she’d lost those precious, irreplaceable images as well.
“You can put the sympathetic eyes away,” Selena said, mistaking Leslie’s own memory lane trip as sympathy for her. “I love my life and LA. There’s nowhere I would have wanted to go anyway,” she said, then her attention was elsewhere. She pointed to North Mountain Sports Company on the right side of the street. “That looks like a place to find decent winter clothes.”
Right. At killer prices. The big chain store had only recently opened in Wild River and despite the locals’ attempts to keep it away, it seemed everyone had quickly embraced the store and its high-end offering. Leslie wasn’t sure it went with Wild River’s aesthetic, but they were trying to appeal to the luxury traveler and outdoor enthusiasts. Or in cases like Selena, brand snobs.
“This where you’d like to get dropped off?” Eddie asked, pulling his van in front of the store.
“Yes, please,” Selena said.
“I’ll pretend I don’t see you shopping at my competitor,” Montana said with a wink. She’d recently partnered with her ex’s new girlfriend at her company SnowTrek Tours. North Mountain Sports Company had once threatened to put them out of business, but Montana’s background in extreme sports and BASE jumping gave SnowTrek Tours something different to offer and according to Eddie, the company was no longer worried about the big chain store’s effect on their bottom line.
“Sorry Montana. I promise we won’t book any excursions,” Leslie said, opening the van door and climbing out. “Thanks, Eddie.”
Her brother nodded. “Anytime. And I’ll call you about dinner.”
Fantastic. She didn’t commit as she closed the door.
“How long has your brother been in a wheelchair?” Selena asked as the van drove away.
“About eight months.” Felt like a lifetime ago already when her brother’s heroic act had given them all quite a scare and had him questioning his future on the police force.
“What happened?”
“He was shot. Took a bullet for...Montana actually. She wasn’t his girlfriend at the time.”
“Who could resist a man that heroic though, huh?”
Leslie shrugged. “They had a connection before that, but I would think Eddie’s bravery didn’t hurt to make Montana fall even harder.” Her brother had sacrificed everything in that split second—his life, his career... Things could have been a lot worse. But it was in their genetics to be selfless and he’d acted the way anyone in their family would have. The way Leslie was prepared to in her line of work.
She opened the door to the new sporting goods store and followed Selena inside. Chart-topping music played throughout the store and sales clerks restocked shelves and manned the dressing rooms, but she was relieved that the store was quiet, it being the off-season and almost closing time.
Selena nodded. “Is it...was it tough on him? Adjusting to life in the chair?”
Why the sudden interest in her family? “I’m sure it was. But he’s doing well.”
“He mentioned he’s a cop.”
She nodded. “He’s still working on the force, developing a drug awareness program.”
“That’s great.” She paused. “My father is in a wheelchair.”
Leslie frowned. “Mel Hudson?” The heartthrob actor from the eighties wasn’t injured as far as she knew, but she’d only met him and Selena’s mother the one time when she’d first taken over as Selena’s personal security detail.
“That’s my stepdad. My real father was in the US Army. A war vet, injured overseas. My management team didn’t think he fit my brand, so we don’t talk about him much and he doesn’t make any appearances with me or anything. The media thinks Mel is my father and he’s been the one raising me for so long...”
“I had no idea,” Leslie said, unsure how to feel about the star confiding something as personal as that, but there was definitely a hint of sympathy developing for Selena.
“Yeah. Anyway... Oh my God, that ski suit is amazing,” Selena said, hurrying toward the rack of overpriced, name-brand winter gear.
And just like that, any resemblance to a normal, caring human being was gone.
“You should get one too,” Selena said, combing through the rack for her size.
Leslie glanced at the price tag and winced. Three hundred dollars. No way. That ski suit could stay right where it was on the hanger. As it was, she’d be paying for whatever Selena bought.
An hour and six hundred dollars later, they exited the store with new clothing to get them through their time there—bras and underwear, workout clothes, jeans. Selena was in a ski suit that was too warm for that day’s weather and Leslie was in a pair of yoga pants and oversized sweatshirt from the sales rack.
“Where to next?” Selena asked, looking like she was ready to take on Main Street as if it were Rodeo Drive.
“I have to get a new cell phone,” Leslie said, heading toward the tech shop a block away.
“Me too,” Selena said.
“No. Not yet. Once it’s safe.” She glanced both ways before crossing on the walk.
“Why do you get one?”
“Because I need to check in at the office for updates and keep an eye on all the LA news sources.”
&n
bsp; Selena stopped outside the Chocolate Shoppe and looked through the large storefront window, where the chocolatier was making chocolate-covered candy apples. “I haven’t had one of those in years.”
“No surprise there.” And at twelve dollars each, the star wasn’t breaking her sugar-free streak on Leslie’s dime either. She checked her watch. “The stores are closing in ten minutes. We have to hurry.”
Selena reluctantly continued along the sidewalk next to her and Leslie pushed through the doors of Techies R Us. Thank God she’d never gotten a new phone when she moved to LA. Though she refused to read much into the decision. Right now, having access to the provider where she’d set up her phone number was a blessing. She turned to the guy behind the counter. “Hi. I know you’ll be closing soon, but I need to get a new phone with this number as soon as possible.” She wrote her cell number on a piece of paper and handed it to him.
The young man smiled. “No problem. Do you want the same phone—the Android 8?”
“Yes, please. And can you add a ghost app?”
“Sure thing,” the guy said. “I’ll just need your ID to call up your account.”
“Everything on file attached to the number should be the same,” she said, reluctantly flashing her ID. Right now wasn’t a great time to update her account.
The guy shrugged. “Okay, just give me a few minutes.”
As she waited, Leslie scanned the row of cameras along the wall. She picked up the Nikon Z 7 and peered through the lens. She’d been saving for one, thinking the almost five-thousand-dollar price tag was a nice goal to shoot for by her thirtieth-fifth birthday in June, but this trip would definitely set that aspiration on hold.
“You like photography?” Selena asked.
“Just a hobby I used to have.” Still did, but she wasn’t eager to share any personal life details with the star. Her father’s passion for photography had transferred to Leslie at a young age. He’d take photos wherever they went and she’d always been intrigued by the apparatus he always wore around his neck.
He’d bought her a Canon of her own at age six and they’d taken several photography courses together. He hadn’t needed them, but it had been an amazing bonding experience with her dad. Her first real shot, one of the sun setting over Suncrest Peak, one she’d set up and waited hours for, to get it just at the right moment when the disappearing light cast a final illumination over the valley below, her father had framed and hung on the living room wall.
Stars Over Alaska Page 6
