by Jackson Kane
The cold air made our sweat steam off our skin. Not even the fire could compare to the intense heat that blazed between us.
I slipped my arms around him and pulled him down on top of me. He enveloped me like a wet, sticky human blanket and littered me with hot, sensual kisses. Our limbs interwove. I didn’t know where I began and he ended.
“Wow,” I said, much later when I finally found my voice. “We must smell awful.”
“It was good for me, too.” He laughed, getting up to go clean himself off again. He walked about completely comfortable in his nudity, as if clothes were something of an afterthought. I wished I had his confidence.
“That’s what I meant,” I said.
It didn’t hurt that he was amazingly easy on the eyes.
“It’s no royal penthouse suite at the Hotel President Wilson in Switzerland, but…” Garrett smirked and made us a bed out of curtains and couch cushions. “I think we’ll survive.”
I tested the accommodations while he put enough wood on the fire to last us for most of the night. The bed wasn’t so bad. Beneath the cushions was fairly new carpeting, so everything was soft enough to sleep on for one night. Garrett lay down, sliding a great arm beneath my back and curled me into him.
All his money, I smiled, and he’s sleeping on the floor with me.
There was something incredibly romantic about that, even if I didn’t know what exactly.
“What would’ve happened if we’d gotten that last dance together?” I asked, speaking of the masquerade party. The fatigue of the day, and the sex, had finally started to hit me once I was nestled against him. I wasn’t going to last much longer.
“Everything,” he said quietly. Exhaustion had finally snuck into his voice as well.
The sizzling and popping of the fire played just for us in our one perfect moment. He was right; I couldn’t imagine anything ever being the same after this. I clung to wakefulness as long as I could, cherishing his arms around me and the enveloping feeling of complete protection.
I drifted to sleep not knowing what tomorrow would bring, but right now, I was safe, and I was loved.
For one night, we got to live that other life.
Eighteen
Garrett
With Judy naked in my arms, I watched the sun rise through the windows of the mountaintop lodge. The fiercely yellow light filled the room with a somber peace that I hadn’t found in ages.
A peace I probably wouldn’t have again for a long time.
The spent wood in the fireplace exhaled the last wispy gasps of last night and the warmth it shared. Judy stirred and turned her head away to shade her eyes from the creeping day. I pulled her into my chest to warm her against the nipping chill that invaded our little campsite.
Her blonde hair was plastered against my arm and her back was turned golden beneath an errant sunbeam. The beige linen curtain made her look like a Greek goddess come to earth in one of those old stories of forbidden love.
I’d never met a woman with so many shades of beauty.
I hadn’t been able to sleep. There was far too much on my mind. I just lay there and carefully considered everything instead. Today I would have to give her and the whole town my decision.
Would I be their savior?
Jackie also fitfully ran circles in my head. I was worried about her. I was able to have someone let Michael know the situation. He was with Jackie and would let her know what happened. She probably cried when she heard the news.
The thought of Jackie in pain knotted my stomach.
Despite all that, I had a foreign sense of calm and… happiness.
The last time I’d spent the whole night with a woman was when I was still with my ex-wife, just after our daughter was born—back before everything soured between us. I’d been with hundreds of women in the years since and only now, with Judy, did I feel content.
I closed my eyes, feeling her weight and the rhythm of her breathing. I could just stay in this moment for the rest of my life and want for nothing. I fought to hang on to this instant, rip it out of time, and carry it with me like an old photograph.
The beating helicopter blades whirred with hummingbird speed and I knew the world had finally caught up with us. Judy groaned something about the noise.
“We’re being rescued,” I whispered softly, unable to keep the morning gruffness from my voice. “You might want to find some clothes.”
Her eyes shot open several times before they were able to stay that way. “Now?”
“I certainly wouldn’t mind another taste of last night.” My lips grazed her forehead as I spoke. She wiggled slightly as the gravel in my voice coursed through her. “But this time, we’d have an audience.”
“Shit. Okay.” Judy sat up just as a medic tapped on the window by the front locked door. She gasped and jerked the curtain up to cover her bare chest. “Gah! Just a minute!”
I laughed, watching her pale skin grow hot with embarrassment. Now that he knew we were all right—better than all right—the medic cracked a smile, put up his hands in a gesture of apology, and backed away to give us our privacy.
“I just flashed a total stranger.” Judy collapsed back into my arms, trying to hide. She was noticeably warmer.
“Scratch that one off the bucket list,” I said. She thumped my chest with her fist.
“It’s a good thing we’re only doing three days,” she said. “Things have a way of getting really crazy while you’re around. First you ditch me, then you get into a fight with a rock star billionaire heir, and now… this. If we continued like this, tomorrow I might wake up on the International Space Station.”
“Is that a warning or a dare?” I asked. “I might be able to pull some strings if you’re interested.”
Judy paused, no doubt wondering if I was being serious or not. “I need a shower and a coffee before I can even talk to you.”
Soon enough, we were dressed and given a lift down to the base of the mountain.
The main lodge was ruined by fire. Whatever happened here, it was severe. Seeing the extensive damage, I felt much less annoyed that they had requisitioned my helicopter. Now I just hoped that no one had died in the accident.
My limo driver had been informed and was waiting for me. Judy’s father was there as well and greeted her with a big hug. I got an urgent pang to do the same with my daughter.
I shook Paul’s hand. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to scold me for ignoring the blizzard warning in the first place, but that was just as much the fault of the lodge as it was mine. Instead, he looked at me sternly and thanked me for taking care of Judy.
I nodded and told him I’d have my investment answer later today. I still needed time to think it over. With their only other form of tourism down for at least this season, maybe even next season as well, I knew that Caldwell Hope hung on the precipice of disaster.
Judy shook my hand and thanked me again. I wanted to sweep her up and kiss her, but the time for that had passed. It was already starting to feel like a lifetime ago that we explored each other’s bodies and gave in to passion.
The ride back to my hotel was long and tiring. The heaviness of the decision I had to make, the exhaustion of the trek through the snow and lack of sleep, had all finally coalesced into a fatigue I hadn’t felt since my last championship game.
No, it was much worse than that.
Football tired was a complete body-draining experience. Reliving a piece of my past with Judy was hard in an entirely different way. I was getting attached to her and that was dangerous.
I still had a job to do and a personal goal to meet. Would either of us survive my answer?
Michael met me at the door when I got in. I could tell by the redness around his eyes that I wasn’t the only one tired from lack of sleep.
“She’s all right,” he said in lieu of greeting, knowing what I’d want to hear first. “I finally got her to bed a few hours ago.”
“Did she stay up the whole night?”
&n
bsp; “Yes.” Michael yawned. “She was... distressed that you weren’t here. I don’t know that the new medication is working, sir. Would you like me to contact Doctor—”
“No,” I said flatly. I hated the fact that she was on medication at all. They said it was safe, and that it was necessary, but I wasn’t so sure. It dulled her, and I didn’t like that.
I sat by Jackie’s bed, watching her sleep and thinking for a while.
Making time for my daughter wasn’t the same as spending time with her. I wasn’t giving her enough attention. I’ve been so focused on my goal that it eclipsed so many other things in my life.
But that would be over soon.
I checked my accounts and contracts yesterday. Everything was on track. As long as I didn’t make any foolish mistakes, I would go down in history as the first person to hit thirty billion by my thirtieth birthday.
Eventually realizing that Jackie wasn’t going to wake up soon, I kissed her on the forehead, whispered, “I love you,” and let her sleep. I wanted to be the first thing she saw, but I didn’t want to disturb her rest either.
When I left my daughter’s room, Michael handed me a small stack of paper. “These are from the police, sir. Requisition forms, chopper inventory, and a full incident report. They request you take a look and see if all the information is accurate.”
I sat on the couch and flipped through the pages, barely skimming the information. I was way too tired for this shit.
“Also Moses Thomas Elementary School called,” Michael said. “They’ll resume classes after the weekend. They want to know when they should expect Jackie.”
Stability. Jackie needed stability, especially considering her anxiety. That’s why I never introduced her to any of the women I was seeing. I didn’t want her to get attached. I fucked all that up with Judy.
They clicked really well together. The thought brought a smile to my heart, then a feeling of dread.
Jackie should never have met Judy in the first place. I was getting sloppy. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams.
“One train wreck at a time.” I tossed the folder onto the table and rubbed my temples. “Give me the CliffsNotes on the ski resort. What the hell happened?”
“Negligence, sir,” Michael said. He’d no doubt already proofread the entire thing and only offered it to me as a formality. “That’s what it boils down to. Faulty craftsmanship, probably due to financial cut backs, followed by out-of-date inspections and a few well-placed lightning strikes. That’s all it took for a five-alarm fire. Several were injured but, fortunately, there weren’t any fatalities. And your helicopter wasn’t damaged in any way.”
What a disaster.
Something occurred to me that I was surprised I didn’t know. “Which company owns the ski resort?”
“Not a company, sir. I keep finding the same signatures signing off on things. They’re the same people who are overseeing the stadium construction.”
“Fuck.” I exhaled, rubbing my hands over my face. Caldwell Hope owns it and the town council runs it.
No wonder the damn thing caught fire. The local government was a joke. They green lit these massive projects, like the stadium, without the foresight and expertise to actually pull them off.
I worried that if I gave them money it would just be spent poorly, and I would never get a return on investment. That meant sacrificing my own goals. Could I really take that chance two months before my birthday?
“Get me a list of all the council members. I need to see who’s making all these terrible decisions.”
Michael disappeared into another room and returned a minute later with a manila folder. He handed it to me with a smirk. “I’d already taken the liberty, sir. Would you like a cup of coffee? Decaf?”
Of all of my assistants, Michael was by far the best. He thought the way I did.
I scanned the sheet of paper. Most of the names I didn’t know. The dossier I’d read before was specifically on the stadium and its management. I groaned when I saw the name at the top of the list.
Paul Sullivan, chairman.
Judy’s dad was the one behind everything. He was the final say as to what happened and what didn’t in this town. That look earlier wasn’t because he was angry at me; it was because he knew he’d screwed up.
“I’m going to need something a hell of a lot stronger than decaf.” I stood up. It wasn’t like I was going to get sleep any time soon. I grabbed an energy drink out of the fridge, popped the tab and took a sip. “Get me everything you can find on Paul Sullivan.”
Nineteen
Judy
The sun dipped below the mountain where Garrett and I spent the night. My car slid on the snow as I hastily pulled into the mostly empty City Hall parking lot. Garrett’s SUV limo was idling in the fire lane.
Garrett was giving his decision inside and I was running late! Monica was never going to let me hear the end of this. Punctuality was never my strong suit, but of all the times not to set an alarm....
Get your shit together, girl!
When I got home this morning, I was positively vibrating. I was glowing and floating. The thought of catching more sleep was impossible. I still felt his embrace, his hands holding me down and lifting me up. I was so inspired that I started another painting. It was an abstract piece with bold reds and thick, hard brush strokes. Above that were white sunbursts and blue speckles.
From memory I painted what I saw when I closed my eyes and he made me come.
And now because I was so involved with capturing my orgasm on canvas, I was late.
I grabbed my satchel and rushed inside.
The lobby was empty, which made sense because the building was technically closed. My low heels clicked quickly across the stone floor. It was a weird feeling seeing the abandoned counters and locked rooms as I made my way to my dad’s office. I’d never been here on a Sunday before.
Dad had an office here because he had a hand in the public works development. He said it was closer to everyone, but I think he just preferred to work out of City Hall. It was where he would meet William King and discuss the future of Caldwell Hope.
Now that the ski resort was closed, what would happen if we never finished the stadium? Would City Hall look like this all the time? Empty and chilly—a monument of a better time when William King was still alive?
A chill of dread ran up my spine at the thought of Caldwell Hope going bankrupt.
No. Everything would work out. I took a deep breath after stepping out of the elevator. Garrett would help us. I knew he would.
I glanced down to check my phone as I rounded the corner and collided with a wall. Or I would have, had the wall’s big, strong arms not clamped down on my shoulders.
“Garrett.” I smiled in surprise.
“Hi.” His blue eyes snared me, but his melancholy smile made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. He wore a winter suit with a long, open jacket and a scarf that hung in two long lines from either side of his neck. He was dressed to combat the cold.
Was he leaving?
“I know I’m late, but I can’t be that late. I got stuck behind a plow, then a school bus, and I swear I caught every light from—” I stopped myself from rambling, brushed a strand of hair back that slipped out from my wool hat in the haste, and re-centered myself. “That’s not important. What happened?”
“Judy, I—” Garrett’s handsome face hardened. The dimples in his cheeks disappeared, replaced by the muscles in his jaw clenching.
“You’re not done already are you?” I asked. Worry was plastered across my face and I couldn’t do anything to hide it. “What did you say? Did you say no?”
“I said yes.”
Oh thank God. I exhaled relieved. “That’s great! Thank you so much. This is going to help so many peop—”
“Judy....” Garrett’s lips became a tense line across his face. That wasn’t a happy look. That wasn’t the fairy-tale, everything-is-wonderful look that I was hoping for. “There were some no
n-negotiable stipulations.”
“Like what?”
“I think it’s best you go talk with your father. It’s up to them now whether they want to accept my deal or not.”
“Garrett....” My throat began to dry out. “Tell me.”
Garrett paused. He regarded me carefully, like I was made of tissue paper and he didn’t want to tear a hole in me.
“Your father,” he said at last. “He must step down from stadium management for me to get involved.”
“What? You want to fire my dad?” I staggered away from Garrett a step. “That’s insane!”
“It’s the only way.”
“Do you have any idea what he’s done for the people here?” I felt my spine heating up. A flush began to overtake me, and this time it had nothing to do with embarrassment. I was getting angry. “I don’t care what the news said; it wasn’t just William King who built this town. Dad worked just as hard. If anything, they were partners!”
“And without William King to temper and veto his bad ideas, your father has had free reign to do whatever he wants. He’s a self-made man and that’s admirable, but he has no idea how to manage people or projects.”
“Did you ever have any intention of actually helping, or was this all a game to you?”
“Judy, it’s not like that.”
“Not like what? What kind of monster are you, playing with all of us like that?”
“I’m willing to help.” Garrett said, his cool eyes set, unwavering. “But I’m not willing to throw money away on a bad investment.”
“My father is not a bad investment!” I pushed a finger into his massive chest. How dare he. “He’s held that elected position for twenty years because he helps people. They want him. You’re basically calling everyone in town an idiot.”
“What if they are?” His voice was cold and dispassionate. The Grim Reaper had resurfaced. “Caldwell Hope was on the verge of collapse before I got here. Why do you think that is?”