She nodded. “Dorothy needs to know what happened to her son. She needs to prove he’s innocent.”
“You mean you haven’t told her?”
“No. Telling isn’t enough. I need to prove it to her.”
“Prove it!” His frown deepened. “How?”
“I’m going back there, to the bodies.”
Chapter 19
Oliver stared at Amber, and the look in her eyes was both calm and resolute, convincing him she meant every word.
“You want to go back into that crevasse? Do you know how dangerous that is?”
“I know. That’s why I’ve been training.”
“That’s why you started rock climbing?”
She nodded. “And skiing.”
He shook his head. “Why don’t you just tell someone?”
“Tell who, Oliver? No one believed me back then, they won’t believe me now.”
“But now you know who the bodies are.”
“And that makes it sound even crazier. They went missing nearly forty years ago, and everyone thinks Frederick killed Angelique and took off with the money. Besides, when I go to Dorothy I want her to know the absolute truth and, believe me, when she sees the way Fred and Angel are holding each other, she’ll know he didn’t kidnap her. They were in love.”
Oliver shook his head, trying to rattle all the pieces into place. “Do you even know where you’re going?”
“That’s the interesting thing. You know the plane I told you about, that’d been found by that National Geographic photographer, Carter Logan?”
He nodded.
“Well, I’ve been in touch with Carter, and he gave me the name of the guide he used. Chancy Holden. I’ve spoken to him.”
“So, what? You told him you’re getting Angel and Fred’s bodies out of the crevasse and he didn’t—”
“No,” she interrupted gently. “I told him I was retrieving Milton and Kane’s bodies.”
“What?” He frowned and shook his head.
“That’s not what I’m actually doing, though.” She placed her hand on his knee. “All I want is photos of Angel and Fred. I want to show Dorothy how loving their embrace is. But I couldn’t tell Chancy about them, so I needed a more convincing reason to go back there. I told him I wanted to give Milton and Kane proper burials. It took some persuasion, but apparently he’s retrieved bodies off the mountain before, so we went through the logistics and he’s agreed.”
“So he knows where the crevasse is?”
“He’s fairly certain.”
Oliver leaned forward, ready to protest, but she held up a finger. “Please, just hear me out. Angel and Fred can’t have traveled too far from the plane wreck. Think about it. The shoes they were wearing… What they were wearing, they couldn’t have gone too far before they fell into the crevasse.”
Oliver was struggling to get his head around the plan. “So, what? You just fly up there, get down to the bodies and…”
“Well, um…it turns out we can’t take a helicopter all the way. The western face of the mountain has this ridge that runs right up to the top. The wind chops and changes too much as it switches from one side of the ridge to the other, so it’s too dangerous. We were never meant to go there in the first place.” She rolled her eyes. “But Milton had bribed the pilot with a bucket of money and the stupid guy agreed. Anyway, they’re not allowed to fly near there now, but the helicopter can take us most of the way, then he thinks it’ll be about a two-day return trek.”
“Two days? Amber, you’re talking about climbing a mountain. No amount of rock climbing or skiing can prepare you for that.”
“I know. That’s why I’ve booked a mountaineering course too.”
“What? When? Are you crazy?”
“I told you you’d change your mind about me being crazy.”
He reached for her hand and clutched it between his. “I know how determined you can be. Hell, I’ve seen what you’ll do to prove yourself, and I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through. But this idea…” He shook his head. “It’s dangerous.”
She nodded and turned her gaze toward the fire. “I know. But I have to do it.”
He cupped her cheek, desperate to get her full attention, and waited until she turned to meet his gaze. “Then if I can’t stop you, I’ll go with you.”
She did a double take. “What? No. You—”
“I mean it.” He truly did. As much as his offer surprised him, it also felt right. Amber had come into his life for a reason, and he’d never felt so connected to a woman before. The need to protect her was carved into his being now. “When are you doing the mountaineering course?”
“Oliver, I can’t let you.”
“Of course you can. I want to come, it’ll be fun.”
“It’s not going to be fun.”
“Sure it will. We’ll make it fun. Just like today.”
Her shoulders softened, but she still shook her head. “I didn’t tell you so you’d—”
“I know. I’m glad you told me, ’cause I was going out of my mind trying to figure you out.”
“You may never figure me out.”
He huffed. “That’s probably true. So, when do you start the mountaineering course?”
“First of next month.”
That was two weeks away. “That soon, huh? And how long does it go for?”
“It’s a twelve-day course. Full time.”
“Full time? But what about your work?”
She shrugged. “I’ve already told them I’m taking a vacation. None of the doctors had a problem with it.”
Oliver tried to run through all the things he’d need to do to get away for twelve days. It’d be a hell of a lot. He hadn’t had a vacation since he’d opened Upper Limits for exactly that reason—and money. Even if everything worked out, the ability to pay for a mountaineering course would be an issue.
“What?” Amber must’ve noticed his apprehension.
“Nothing.”
It was her turn to lean forward. “When I first met you in your office, you told me I had to be honest with you. I have been. Now it’s your turn to be honest with me.”
“I have.”
“Then don’t tell me you’re thinking of nothing. After everything I’ve just told you, you’d be thinking a thousand things.”
He chuckled. “You’re right about that. Okay, I was wondering how much a mountaineering course would cost.”
“You’re not paying a cent.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you really want to come—”
“And I do,” he cut in.
“Then I’m paying. And that’s not negotiable.”
“Amber, I can’t ask you to do—”
“You didn’t. My mother left me some money when she passed, so I can afford to pay for both of us.”
That explained how she could afford the private climbing lessons. Several times he’d offered to drop the price, but she insisted on paying the agreed-upon amount. “If you have money, then why don’t you pay someone to—”
“No.” She cut him off, and the resolution in her eyes surprised him.
He was certain there was something else she wasn’t telling him. Considering what she’d already told him, he could barely even begin to fathom what it could be. But as all her revelations rolled through his brain, he realized there was still something that didn’t add up: her secrecy. None of what she’d told him explained why she hid in the shadows before every lesson, nor why she insisted he keep her lessons a secret. Nor why she didn’t show up on a Google search. With what she’d told him, her name would be all over the internet. She wasn’t being entirely truthful. The very thought cut deep. “We’re being honest with each other, right?”
Her eyes shifted, and he sensed she was formulating the perfect response.
“Everything I’ve told you is the truth.”
He absolutely believed her. “But what about what you haven’t told me?”
The flames from the fire danced across her wolf-like irises. “What do you mean?”
“Well…” He opened his hands and shrugged. “None of what you’ve told me explains why you wanted private lessons.”
When she looked down to her lap and ran her tongue over her lip, he had a terrible feeling she was calculating her answer. “I wanted your undivided attention so I could learn as quickly as possible.”
Her answer was plausible, yet…“So why did I need to keep your patronage a secret?” He used the exact same words she’d used when she made the odd request.
Amber seemed to shrink back into her seat, and she looked as scared now as she had when she’d first walked into his gym.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He placed his hand on her thigh, feeling her warmth beneath his palm. “You can trust me.”
She picked at her fingernail. “I know.”
“What is it then?” Contemplating that he was on the verge of something that was potentially even more shocking than all the secrets she’d revealed so far, he decided to back off. He’d wait for her to be ready. “It’s okay, you don’t need to say.”
She deflated even more, and tears brimmed her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that I can’t.”
Can’t? That confused him even more. But whatever it meant, he had to let it go… For now. Instead, he pulled her to his chest. She felt even more frail in his arms than she had earlier. When she reached up to touch her cheek, he assumed she was wiping away tears.
Her distress broke his heart. He wanted to take her pain away, but had no idea how. Tonight was a monumental step toward understanding what she’d been through, but it was obvious there was more.
He ached to kiss her. Hell, he ached to touch her. All of her. But he’d wait until Amber was ready. She deserved that much. Her life had been taken out of her hands so many times, he wanted their relationship to be on her terms.
It was an eternity before she pulled back to look up at him. Her chest rose and fell, and when her lips slipped apart he was sure she wanted him to kiss her. Capitalizing on that belief, he leaned over and brushed his lips to hers. When she parted her lips farther his tongue explored, tasting chocolate and port, and he savored the excited beat of his heart, something he hadn’t felt in a very long time… Never with this kind of intensity.
She reached up and twirled her fingers through his hair, and that one simple move signified her want for him too. Their kiss was an explosion of passion that confirmed their mutual attraction was every bit real. When she caressed his neck, he wasn’t sure his intention to take this slow could be preserved.
He was both grateful and utterly crushed when she pulled back from him. “Oliver…”
The way she said his name, choked with emotion and with a pleading lilt, indicated she felt the same turmoil. He touched her cheek, and the unspoken words between them said more than enough.
Oliver cleared his throat. “Would you like another glass of port?”
“I think it’s time I went to bed.”
He nodded, expecting as much.
Amber pushed off the couch and they stood at the same time. The momentary pause between them was charged with a palpable sizzle. In the end, it was Amber who made the first move. She stepped forward, placed one hand on his chest, and reached up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful day.”
“Good night, Amber. Sweet dreams.”
A glaze of sadness crossed her eyes and he wondered what had triggered it. She turned and headed for the bathroom. When she closed the door, the confusion he’d felt earlier came sliding back. Amber’s reluctance to share another piece in her puzzle was unsettling.
He gathered the glasses and chocolate from the table, and as he washed up and put things away, he tried to picture lying on a narrow ledge in an icy crevasse. It was impossible to imagine, let alone with all the injuries she’d suffered, and especially after the deaths she’d witnessed. Then there were the bodies in the ice. Everything about them was extraordinary, from how they got there to how they were discovered. He had to admit, the idea of being involved in their saga was as thrilling as it was daunting.
He’d done a few extreme sports—bungee jumping, skateboarding, free climbing, sky diving, mountain biking—but Amber’s plans made them all seem like child’s play.
She emerged from the bathroom and paused before the stairs. Her dark hair framed her angelic face, curling beneath her chin, and her stunning blue eyes, rimmed with lush lashes, were breathtaking. The sadness in her eyes made her hauntingly beautiful. He had a strong feeling she was torn between going to him and heading to bed. His heart skipped a few beats as he awaited her decision.
She tucked her hair behind her ear, placed her foot on the lower rung, and paused to glance his way again. “Good night.”
Her overwhelming sadness seemed crippling. But, conceding his wishes weren’t to be granted, he simply nodded. “Good night.”
Five steps later she vanished from view, and when the floorboards beneath the loft creaked, it confirmed she’d reached her bedroom. A little piece of him wished she’d turned around. Actually, it was all of him that wished for that.
Take your time, he told himself.
He shoved two more logs into the fire and crawled onto the sofa. It was comfortable enough. He’d certainly slept on worse, having spent many a night at a friend’s place, relegated to the floor or, if he was lucky, a bean bag.
Oliver rolled to his side, pulled the blanket up, and stared at the fire. The urge to go to her was extreme, and he had to force his brain to think of something else. Like two frozen bodies—and Amber’s determination to bring them justice. It was a crazy idea, and yet at the same time it presented an opportunity like none other.
A log rolled in the fire, emitting a spray of embers and reigniting the flames. His thoughts went to how much that log replicated his life: one minute he was comfortable and stable, then Amber came along and ignited a fire in his soul like he’d never felt before.
Maybe this expedition was exactly what he needed. What Amber needed too. Should she succeed in her mission, it’d be a perfect way to put her past behind her. They could move forward together.
As long as they didn’t die in the process.
Chapter 20
Amber lay on her side, the feather comforter tucked right up under her chin. But while every inch of her body ebbed with fatigue, her mind was like an electric current, zapping through every word of their discussion.
She hated that she hadn’t told him the full story, and the fact that he knew she’d resisted broke her heart. Her reason for holding back was a selfish one. Every one of her friends changed once they’d learned of her inheritance from Milton. Money changed people. Four billion dollars affected people in ways that was impossible to predict.
But she didn’t want Oliver to change. Not one bit. She loved him exactly the way he was.
Loved him. Her heart fluttered at that admission. She’d pondered this feeling for weeks, but after tonight, after he’d learnt about her past, and in particular when he didn’t press her for more information, she knew without a doubt that he’d entered her heart.
Oliver was just one floor below, and the urge to go to him was beyond powerful.
As much as she didn’t want to reveal her final secret, she had no choice. It’d only take him a little bit of research to find out the truth, and she’d be devastated if he found out that way.
Something popped in the fire and it was like a trigger in her brain. She listened for signs of him sleeping, but other than the crackling fire and the wind singing outside the window over her bed, there was nothing. “Oliver, are you awake?”
“Yes.”
She threw back the cove
rs, and the creaking floorboards announced her progress across the bedroom and down the stairs. Oliver was sitting up. He was shirtless, and the glow from the fire highlighted every magnificent contour of his flesh. Her body was no longer weary; just the sight of him triggered doses of desire that coursed through her like adrenaline.
He moved over on the couch and she sat beside him. Their thighs touched and she placed her palm on his leg. She squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled, and when she opened them again she looked up into Oliver’s inquisitive gaze. “Before I moved to Brambleton, I changed my name to Amber Hope. My real name is Holly Parmenter.”
He cocked his head and frowned. “Huh. That explains why you didn’t show up on Google.”
She gasped. “You…you googled me?” Her words stuttered out, unbelieving.
“Well, yes. I’m sorry, but I wanted to know more about you.”
“You could’ve just asked.”
“Every time I tried you shut me out. You were like a vault; you gave me nothing. I want to know you. I want to know everything about you.”
His eyes were pleading, his voice was too, and until now she hadn’t realized how much damage her secrecy had caused.
Her shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Well, now you know why Amber Hope didn’t show up. She didn’t exist until about eighteen months ago.”
He nodded, then stopped to frown at her. “You’re not an escaped criminal are you?”
She burst out laughing. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Phew, that’s good. Are you going to tell me why? Or do I have to keep guessing?”
She sighed and met his gaze. “When Milton died, he left money for me in his will. A lot of money.” She paused, ready to catch his reaction to her next statement. “Four billion dollars.”
His jaw dropped. His eyes bulged. “Holy shit.” A whistle escaped his lips. Then he frowned. “Is that why you changed your name?”
She clasped her hands together. “That’s one of the reasons. Once people learned of the money, they changed. My friends started asking for money. They were subtle at first, then not so delicate. Complete strangers would arrive at my doorstep or come into my work asking for money. Money I didn’t have yet. I still don’t have.”
Out of Mind Page 18