CHAPTER THREE
Wednesday, 10:01 a.m.
Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Liam McKade wasn’t there for fun.
Skiers crowded into the Saddleback Mountain Café. They had their helmets and jackets off as they gulped down egg sandwiches and spicy hash browns—the breakfast of champions—to fuel their escapades on the mountain and power them through a morning of downhill delight.
Sure, he’d taken to the slopes early this morning—the first time in ten years. An ache that hadn’t been there the last time he’d skied coursed through his entire body and throbbed most profoundly in his leg—that, from an on-the-job injury he’d received months ago. Full recovery would take time, he’d been told. The injury that haunted him was at least something he had in common with his brother Heath.
Still, too much time had passed between when he’d skied like a maniac when he was young and now. He’d have to work back up to his previous skill level. That is, if he lived a different life and had the time to focus on that endeavor. At thirty-one, he was still trying to figure out his place in this world. For the first time in a long time, he’d prayed for God to open doors and direct his path. It was a starting point.
Liam snagged a booth as patrons left. He was waiting for an old friend who wanted to catch up. Brad Whitfield was the man behind Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort. This had been his dream. Since coming back to the valley region of Jackson Hole last summer, Liam had put off his friend for as long as he could.
Brad was proud of his accomplishments, and Liam should wish him well and congratulate him. That would be easier if he were in the right frame of mind.
I’ll get there.
He just needed time. It had already been months. How much time did someone need to come back from a near-death experience? Figuring out what he was going to be when he grew up would go a long way in his recovery—that and forgetting the face of the woman who’d blown his cover and filleted his heart.
When a man slid into the seat across from him, Liam almost protested. Recognition hit him slowly. It was in the eyes. Brad’s face had filled out and grown wider. Was that due to his thick beard? Brad was the same age as Liam, but Brad’s leathery skin made him look much older. He seemed to take in Liam’s appearance too. Did Liam look different as well? If anything, the change would be in his eyes.
Brad’s mouth spread into a wide grin. He reached across the table and shook Liam’s hand. “It’s been a long time, my friend.” He caught a waitress’s attention as she passed the booth. “Could you bring us coffee, Maggie?” Brad glanced at Liam. “What’ll it be?”
“Strong.”
“I’ll have the same. Thanks, Maggie.” Brad turned his attention back to Liam.
“Eh. Not that long. Thirteen years. Give or take.” Liam returned the grin. To escape the drama of his home life with an alcoholic father and the perpetual state of grief he and his brothers lived in after their mother had died in a fire, Liam joined the marines. Then, somehow, he found himself waging war in a different battle and worked for the DEA—Drug Enforcement Administration.
He’d been in Jackson Hole for months. Why had he waited so long to get together with Brad?
A million memories of the two of them tearing up the slopes carved through his mind.
“I’m glad you could meet me.” The skin around Brad’s eyes crinkled. “As soon as I heard you were back in town, I knew I wanted you for this job. But the timing had to be right. Well, and I wanted to see you in person first. You know, just to make sure you’re the same man you were. I see in your eyes that you are.”
If you only knew. Liam chuckled. He must still be working undercover if Brad thought he was the same guy. He had definitely changed. But appearances could fool.
“Wait. What job?” Liam stiffened but leaned back to disguise his discomfort. He hadn’t expected to walk into a job offer or . . . was this an interview?
Maggie returned quickly with two steaming coffees. “Here you go, gentlemen.”
Brad winked at her, then smiled at Liam.
Liam sipped the black coffee and studied Brad as he talked. Liam couldn’t help but watch him in that analytical sort of way that law enforcement studied people. They’d been best friends for most of Liam’s life growing up here in the valley—at least that he could remember. He wished he didn’t get a strange vibe from his longtime friend. He wished a lot of things.
He wished he’d taken a different path so he could shake the cloud that seemed to follow him everywhere.
“Liam?” Brad narrowed his eyes.
Liam suddenly realized that Brad had been explaining the job and he’d tuned the guy out.
“You seem a million miles away,” Brad said.
Liam sucked in a breath. “Yeah, sorry.”
“Is everything okay?” Brad asked.
Liam was blowing it already. “Sure.”
Brad leveled his gaze. “You’re staying at the ranch, right?”
“Yep.”
“With Heath?”
“Yep.”
“Emerald M has a nice reputation. Though this is our second ski season, it’s our grand opening. We’ve gotten a few Emerald M guests here to ski.”
“The ranch isn’t open in the winter.” Not yet.
“I meant referrals. Heath has been good to refer those looking to come back to the valley to ski. We’d love everyone to stay here at Saddleback, but I’ve been talking to Heath about opening up his place for the winter.”
“So he told me.” But not that it had been at Brad’s urging.
“He’s a good man. But if I remember correctly, you never got along with him that well before. Maybe that’s what’s eating at you.”
“Nothing’s eating at me. Heath and I are fine now. I’m fine.” His smile was too big. Yep. He was still working undercover, settling into a persona. “Heath got married a few months back, by the way. And Austin’s married.”
Yep. It was time for Liam to move on. He’d come home hoping to forget what had gone wrong, but while trying to fit into Heath’s idea of a good life, Liam realized he didn’t know where home truly was for him.
Where is home? He didn’t fit in anywhere anymore.
“How about you?” Liam asked.
“Married and divorced now. I have a daughter. Mom and Dad still live outside of Jackson.” Brad chugged his coffee. “You married?”
“Never married. No kids.” Liam was ready to move on to the next topic. “Thank you for asking me here. Let me hear more about the job.”
Liam almost found himself hoping this would be a door God was opening for him.
Brad chuckled, giving Liam a look that said he hoped he listened this time. “Look, we’re small now—thirty-five runs on two hundred acres—but we have plans to grow. The job is for security here at the resort.” Brad leaned closer. “I know you have more experience than what’s required of just a regular security guard.”
Right. A high school diploma was all that had been required in the past, but Liam suspected much had changed. “Then what’s this about?”
“You’d be head of security. Responsible for everything that goes on here—the policing and the investigations arm of the resort. I’ve learned a lot since opening this place—there are a lot of hoops to jump through. Business licenses. Forest service and backcountry leases and permits. Running a restaurant, rental shop, ski school, and ski patrol. I need someone with experience to run security. Someone who isn’t a seasonal worker. You live here now. You know this valley, the mountains, the people, and how to keep them safe.” He held Liam’s gaze. “I want you in this with me. What do you say?”
Liam toyed with his cell. “I’m thinking . . .”
“Well, think hard and fast. This place is going to grow. I can feel it.” Brad grinned. “Oh, and get this. Thanks to one of my investor’s connections, someone who mak
es movies for YouTube contacted me earlier today and wants to make a movie about starting a ski resort. Can you believe it?”
Liam laughed with him and shook his head. He averted his gaze to look out the window. Skiers in brightly colored gear zigzagged down the white slopes.
Brad clasped his hands in front of him. “If you think you’re interested, you’ll need to meet a few of the people who’ve invested in this dream.”
Liam wondered how Brad had pulled this off. “What have you told them about me, if anything?”
“While other resorts are going so far as using actual police to watch for drunk skiers, or people who venture farther than they should go in the backcountry, we don’t want that here. Just so you know, resort security isn’t a walk in the park.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I told them I knew a guy.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Brad. I really do.” Liam kept his smile in place. Brad’s presentation definitely intrigued him. “But for one thing, I don’t have hospitality experience.”
“You’ll be great. I want someone I know and trust. Look, we lost our guy last week—hence the right timing to approach you—but that means I need someone who can get up to speed, and fast. And if you’d been in the valley last year when we were hiring, you would have been my first pick then.”
“Okay. Give me some time to think on it. Plus, I need to talk to Heath. He’s counting on me to help with the ranch.”
And Austin wanted Liam to work with him in private investigations.
Liam hadn’t imagined he would have so many offers. But he didn’t think he was cut out to drive a snow sleigh once Heath finally opened for the winter or guide guests at the ranch through the wilderness in the summer.
Nor was he inclined to return to his previous job facing criminals in the underworld of narcotics with the DEA. After the injury and blown cover, he had remained on medical leave, accepting his due of money from the government until he finally resigned.
Kelvin, his old friend in the DEA who’d been promoted to ASAC, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, had hoped Liam would change his mind and come back, so that door remained open. He suspected that’s why Kelvin had called him. Liam hadn’t returned that call.
Brad’s cell rang, drawing his attention. Liam was relieved he was no longer the focus. Before Brad took the call, he smiled at Liam. “Listen, this would get you out of the ranch, if you’d prefer that. I don’t mean to presume. But you could thrive in this environment. Think of the old days when we dreamed of running a ski resort.”
It had only been a dream—one of many to take him away from his troubled home environment.
“I’ll give you my answer soon.”
Brad nodded. “Fair enough. Need to take this call. It’s the YouTube people again.”
He slid from the booth as he took the call.
Liam finished his now tepid coffee but remained in the booth. The ski crowd had thinned out a little as skiers got back to the slopes they loved, but the lunch wave would hit soon. Another round of skiing might be just what Liam needed today to distract him from those who wanted him to make decisions. Skiing would require all his concentration. He could leave behind everything wrong with his world.
He glanced through the large doorway that opened up to the great room of the resort. Across the way, he spotted her.
His ribs caved in with a whoosh of air. His mind zoomed back to that moment when he’d woken up in a ditch and stared up at the overcast sky, drops of rain warning him of an impending storm that would threaten to drown him where he’d been left to die.
As life had slowly seeped out of him, only one question had haunted him . . .
That bullet he’d taken for her—had risking his life saved hers?
CHAPTER FOUR
Wednesday, 10:45 a.m.
A large panoramic window framed the cascading snowflakes and mountainous landscape of Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort. The perfect Christmas card. The scenery was breathtaking. In mid-March, with Christmas far behind, the serene picture did nothing to calm Rae’s erratic heartbeat. After agreeing to Alan’s request, she’d packed and arranged to get to Jackson Hole—that beautiful valley carved out of the Wyoming Rockies. Home to Grand Teton National Park and gateway to Yellowstone National Park.
She’d tried to stay at the ski resort—after all, it was the new resort in the valley, but they hadn’t been able to accommodate her. Instead, after pitching that she was writing an article for World Tour Magazine, she secured a discounted rate at Jackson Hole Mountain Ski Lodge in between Jackson and Grayback.
Before Alan called with news about Zoey, Rae had been on a phone interview in which she’d assured the editor she would write a ski resort travel article for them as a test run. Like if she could write for them, then she could edit for them. Sure, she was grateful to be getting calls, but she couldn’t seem to force herself into the mold. Editor for a travel publication group that included magazines depicting weddings and honeymoon destinations? Such banal happiness had never been Rae’s thing. Making a difference in the world? That had been everything to her.
Using her time in Jackson Hole for dual purposes seemed strategic, but now that she was there, she knew she couldn’t think about writing that article. Not until Zoey was home safe.
She gripped the resort brochure detailing the upscale rooms with terraces, chic dining as well as a burger-and-fries eatery, a spa and pool, many outdoor winter sports offerings, coffee kiosks, and on and on.
In her peripheral vision, she spotted the man she’d hoped to find. He wouldn’t be happy to see her. In fact, at first, she’d recoiled at the idea of coming to Jackson Hole because she’d known he was there. Okay, well, maybe she’d been a bit of a stalker, but she’d wanted to make sure he was okay after the havoc her actions had caused.
Rae’s palms slicked at the thought of approaching him. For the hundredth time she wondered what she was doing at this resort looking for Liam McKade. Because what if she actually found him?
No one had asked her to contact Liam. Alan merely begged Rae to find out what she could about Zoey’s mysterious past and suggested Rae start in this valley—the place Zoey had left behind. Nothing could be discovered outside of physically coming here. Zoey didn’t exist on social media because she didn’t want to be found. Just like Liam McKade. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or the latest, greatest social media platform for him.
As for looking into Zoey’s past—well, sometimes a face-to-face conversation was required. Rae needed to have one with Zoey’s mother.
Alan had been right to send Rae to this small valley situated between the Teton and Wind River ranges. All she’d ever wanted was to make a difference. She was accustomed to unearthing information. Following clues. Exposing sins. All in an effort to save lives.
This time—one life.
Did she need Liam to help her do that? Maybe she should just leave the resort and do this job all by her lonesome. She’d never needed help before.
Liam left the restaurant. Rae’s pulse jumped at the sight of him.
He wore ski pants and a dark-blue ski jacket. With wheat-colored hair that hugged his collar, he looked like he belonged in the Swiss Alps. He looked good. Too good.
Her breath hitched. They’d had what could have been a good thing going until she’d blown it. She had believed she’d been doing the right thing. Why did seeing him still make her crazy? And how was she supposed to ask for his help when a thousand regrets and what-ifs swallowed her up?
Rae opened the brochure again and pretended to skim the contents while she tried to catch her breath.
I can’t do this. I can’t do this.
Zoey’s life could depend on it.
I have to do this.
If she were working in her old role as an investigative reporter, she would walk right up to him and ask for his help. Then again, her boldness had gotten them both in trouble. She’d lost her job, and L
iam had been forced to put himself in harm’s way for her.
And that’s exactly why she needed him now. If she could trust anyone, it was someone willing to put their life on the line for someone else. Still, she was prepared for his complete rejection. That is, if she could even work up the nerve to face him.
Rae moseyed around the corner. For now, she’d shadow the guy until she could find the right words of persuasion. Otherwise, there was no point in approaching him.
Her cell rang.
Reggie.
Dad’s research editor was actually calling her back. She bit her lip. “Reggie, hi. It’s so good to hear from you.”
“You too, Rae. How are you? How’s your mum these days?”
“Mom’s great.”
“Good, good. And you?”
“In general, I’m good.”
He chuckled. “I heard the urgency in your voice, love, so I returned your call. Couldn’t dispense with the pleasantries though. Tell me what’s going on.”
She sucked in a breath. Could she convince him? “When Dad was killed, you said to me, to all of us, that if we ever needed anything, you’d be there for us. If anyone else had said that, I would have taken it as nothing more than kind words. But you . . .”
“I was close to your father, Rae. Best man at his wedding. So I meant those words. I’m sorry I haven’t been a big part of your life, so if there’s anything I can do for you now, please tell me. I’ve struck out on my own and work for clients of my choosing, so I have no boss telling me what to do. I call my business the Information Depot.”
Rae leaned against the wall and relaxed. “I need your help. I’m so glad you’re willing to give it.” Rae laid everything out for Reggie.
“What do you need from me?”
“I’ll need your skills with databases and research,” she said. “You have more access. I’ll pay you, of course. Whatever the going rate is.”
“My going rate for you is free. And it sounds like we need to get busy.”
“Zoey Dumont isn’t her birth name. Alan wasn’t able to find a hard copy of her birth certificate. I found the digital copy on a genealogical website, but it reflects her legal name change, so I still don’t know her birth name. But it did show that her mother’s name is Samara Davidson and her deceased father’s name is Mark Davidson. Please find out everything you can. Her real name. Her mother’s address here, if it’s the same or changed. Anything and everything I can look into while I’m here. We’re running out of time.”
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