Afraid

by Jo Gibson

  “The food here isn’t much, is it?”

  Julie turned to look at the young man sitting next to her at the counter, and she felt her pulse race. He had an American accent, too, but she liked the sound of his voice. He was in his early twenties, with dark hair worn slightly long in the back. His eyes were a deep blue, so dark that they looked almost purple, and his skin was tanned bronze by the sun. If all American men looked like this, she was sure she’d enjoy her new life in the states.

  Since Julie wasn’t sure how to respond, she smiled.

  “So, where are you from?” he asked.

  Julie gave him her best smile. Her heart beat a little faster when he smiled back. “That’s a difficult question. I’ve lived in Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Hamburg, Warsaw, Prague, Venice, Madrid, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and most recently, Zurich. But I was born here, so I’m technically an American.”

  “I guess that explains the accent.” The young man laughed. “I was having a devil of a time figuring it out. Excuse me for staring, but you look exactly like someone I used to know.”

  Julie raised her eyebrows. Was he flirting with her? It was difficult to tell because she wasn’t acquainted with the way American men flirted. “This someone you knew, was it a pleasant relationship?”

  “Well . . . not exactly.” He gave a wry grin and changed the subject. “You’ve certainly lived all over the world. Was your father in the military?”

  Julie shook her head. “No, he worked for a big corporation. So did my mother. The company moved us from country to country, setting up their global communications network.”

  “Sounds interesting. So you and your parents are back here now?”

  Julie hesitated. She wasn’t sure it was right to discuss her life with a complete stranger, but he looked nice enough, and his questions weren’t all that personal. “I’m here alone. My parents were killed in a plane crash four months ago.”

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve got a big mouth.”

  “It’s all right.” Julie smiled at him. He really did look sorry, so she tried to make a joke. “And I don’t think your mouth is too big at all.”

  He laughed at that, and held out his hand. “I’m Ross Connors, and I live up in the mountains, about twenty miles from here. Are you staying in Denver long?”

  “I’m Julie Forrester, and I’m not really staying in Denver.” Julie shook his hand. “My relatives own . . .”

  “Saddlepeak Lodge.” Ross Connors interrupted her. He also looked a bit confused “But I thought you were only seventeen.”

  “I am . . . but how did you know?”

  Ross Connors dropped her hand and sat up a little straighter. He was still smiling, but Julie noticed that it was a different smile, the kind of smile you’d give to a child. “I live at Saddlepeak Lodge. I’m your uncle’s assistant manager.”

  “I see. Well . . . I’m very glad to meet you.” Julie kept a smile on her face even though her spirits took a nosedive. She was sure he’d been flirting, but now he was only friendly. “Did my aunt and uncle send you to meet me?”

  “No, but I’ll be glad to give you a ride. I spent the afternoon delivering brochures to the travel agencies, and I just dropped by the airport to talk to the people at the visitors’ bureau. Do you know who was supposed to meet you?”

  Julie shook her head. “Not really. I just assumed my aunt and uncle would be here.”

  “You wait right here.” Ross got up from his stool. “I’ll call the lodge to see if they left yet.”

  Julie nodded and sipped her tasteless coffee while Ross went out to make the call. She hadn’t been alone for more than a minute when a short girl with frizzy blond hair came rushing up. When Julie turned to face her, the girl stopped in midstep and gasped.

  “Oh my God! Julie? Are you Julie Forrester?”

  The girl looked very upset, and Julie smiled to set her at ease. Perhaps she’d been sent to meet the plane, and she was worried because she’d arrived late “Yes. I’m Julie. And you’re . . . ?”

  “Donna Kirby. Sorry we’re late. My brother’s waiting in the van, and we’re in a no-parking zone.”

  “You’re here to meet me?”

  “You got it!” Donna grinned, but she still looked upset. “Your uncle sent us to pick you up. They had two busloads of tourists come in at the last minute, and everything’s pretty hectic up there. Do you have any baggage?”

  Julie nodded and pointed to the carry-on bag at her feet. “All I have is this. The rest has been delayed, but the airline promised they’d deliver it tomorrow.”

  “Good luck! The airlines always tell you that to get you off their backs.”

  “And you think they won’t deliver?”

  “They probably won’t. At least, not when they say they will. But don’t worry, Julie. I’ve got gobs of clothes you can borrow until yours come.”

  Julie couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. “I don’t think your clothes will fit me, Donna. I have more height.”

  “That’s true.” Donna giggled as Julie stood up. “I guess my midis would be minis on you.”

  Just then Julie saw Ross approaching through the crowd, and she waved. Then she turned back to Donna. “My uncle’s assistant manager is here. He offered to take me up to the lodge if no one else came to meet me.”

  Donna sighed and leaned closer. “You might know it! We’re late and he’s here! Did he try to pick up on you?”

  “No.” Julie shook her head. “He said he wasn’t here to pick me up. He came to the airport to talk to the people at the visitors’ bureau.”

  Donna raised her eyebrows and turned to face Ross. “Hi, boss. Paul and I just got here, so you don’t have to bother with Julie.”

  “You’re a little late, aren’t you?”

  Julie glanced at Ross in surprise. He was very changeable. When she’d first met him, he’d been all smiles, flirting with her and joking. Then, when he’d found out who she was, he’d become almost paternal, treating her as if he were responsible for her welfare. Now he was different again. The moment he’d seen Donna, he’d become as stern as a professor whose favorite student had flunked a test.

  “Saddlepeak employees are expected to be reliable, and you’re over thirty minutes late.” Ross frowned at Donna. “Didn’t you read that handout I gave you last week?”

  Donna didn’t look the least bit intimidated. “I read it. And we are reliable. We’ve got the best reason in the world for being late. We had a flat on the way down, and someone forgot to fix the spare tire.”

  “Oh-oh.” Ross looked guilty. “Okay—you made your point. Tell your brother I said to take it down to the station the first thing in the morning.”

  Donna nodded. “Yes, boss. Did you call the lodge?”

  “I couldn’t get through. The lines were busy.”

  “Then you don’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  “Two busloads of German tourists came in.”

  Ross looked puzzled. “Are you talking about the RTL tour group?”

  “That’s right.” Donna nodded. “They got in an hour ago, and it’s a real madhouse up there.”

  “But they were supposed to spend two days in Salt Lake City and get to us tomorrow night. What happened?”

  Donna shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. We can’t ask them because they don’t speak English.”

  “No English at all?”

  “Not that I could notice. And that interpreter you hired isn’t coming until tomorrow afternoon.”

  Ross frowned. “Doesn’t anyone on the staff speak German?”

  “Well . . . sort of. Mrs. Hudson had a year of German in high school, but I think you’d better get somebody to help her. She couldn’t remember how to tell them that dinner would be served from seven to nine.”

  “Es gibt Abendessen von sieben bis neun.”

  Julie spoke without thinking, and Ross turned to her in surprise.

  “Julie! You speak German?”

  Julie nodded. “Yes.
I have four languages, not counting English. My conversational German is quite fluent.”

  “You’re just what the doctor ordered!” Ross gave her a quick pat on the back, and then he turned to Donna. “Get Julie to the lodge as fast as you can. I’ll run out to the university and see if I can round up some language students to help us out until the interpreter gets here. And Donna? I’m sorry I jumped all over you about being late.”

  “That’s okay, boss. Are you sorry enough to give me a couple of hours off tomorrow, so I can show Julie around Crest Ridge?”

  Ross laughed. “Only in your dreams, Donna. You’ve got Sunday off. You can do it then. Now, hurry up, will you? Mrs. Hudson’s probably pulling her hair out by the roots.”

  Donna grabbed Julie’s carry-on, and the two girls hurried through the airport. Outside, Donna led the way to a van parked near the curb. A painted sign on the door identified it as a Saddlepeak Lodge vehicle. She tapped on the window, and the driver rolled it down to smile at them. He was blond and handsome, but his pleasant expression quickly turned to one of shock.

  “You’re Julie?!”

  Julie resisted the urge to step back, he was staring at her so intently. “Yes. I’m Julie Forrester. And you’re Donna’s brother, Paul?”

  “Right.” He got out of the van to shake her hand. His lips were smiling, but Julie could tell he was very upset as he took her carry-on and put it in the back of the van. “Why don’t you two girls ride in the back? There’s more room.”

  “Good idea.” Donna motioned for Julie to follow her, and they climbed into the second seat. But when Paul came back to the driver’s side again, he carefully avoided looking at Julie as he slid in behind the wheel.

  Donna tapped Paul on the shoulder as he pulled out into traffic. “We have to get up to the lodge as fast as we can. Julie speaks German, so she can help Mrs. Hudson.”

  “Great!” Paul smiled again. Julie could see him in the rearview mirror. But it was a polite smile with no real warmth. For some reason, Paul disliked her. And she hadn’t done more than introduce herself!

  Donna more than made up for her brother’s silence. She kept up a lively chatter as they drove up the mountain, pointing out landmarks and telling Julie about the history of the area. Julie was still trying to figure out what she’d done to make Paul angry when they pulled up the driveway.

  Julie stared out at the five-story building, nestled in the hollow between two towering mountain peaks, and gave a little gasp of delight. “Oh! It’s beautiful!”

  “It’s the most beautiful building around.” Donna looked proud. “Saddlepeak Lodge was built by Mrs. Hudson’s great-grandfather before the turn of the century. It’s the tallest building in a twenty-mile area, and it’s virtually unchanged, except for certain modernizations that were necessary for the comfort of our guests.

  “Saddlepeak Lodge has forty rooms, twenty on the second floor and twenty on the third. The fourth floor has been set aside for the live-in employees and the owner’s private quarters. The ground floor contains the lobby, a full-service restaurant, several conveniently located shops, and the grand ballroom, which is used for many community functions.

  “This lovely lodge, located in the heart of the majestic Rockies, offers a wide range of leisure activities. Depending on the season, Saddlepeak guests can enjoy horseback riding on well-maintained mountain trails, hunting and fishing trips with local guides, skiing and skating in the midst of breathtaking winter beauty, nature walks to explore the flora and fauna of the area, and fine dining in our lovely restaurant.

  “If you have any questions or require any item to ensure your comfort, please ask any of our friendly staff members. We’re all dedicated to making sure you enjoy your stay with us at Saddlepeak Lodge.”

  Julie turned to look at Donna in surprise. “You sound like a tour director.”

  “I am. When we pick up guests at the airport, I ride along to point out the sights. And when we stop in front of the lodge, I get up and make that speech. Ross Connors wrote it.”

  “I’ll go tell the Hudsons you’re here.” Paul stopped the van and jumped out. He grabbed Julie’s carry-on from the back, and before the girls could say another word, he was rushing up the steps.

  “Oh, boy!” Donna sighed as she got out of the van. “I bet you think he’s pretty freaky, huh?”

  Julie nodded. Paul had acted very strangely. “Your brother doesn’t seem to like me. Did I do something wrong?”

  “Not a thing. You can’t help the way you look.”

  “The way I look?” Julie was completely puzzled as she followed Donna up the steps to the lodge.

  “I think I’d better clue you in before you meet your aunt and uncle—they might act a little weird, too.”

  “Why is that?” Julie frowned slightly. Donna looked worried again.

  “Because of Vicki. That’s why Paul was so strange—he was in love with her, and she dumped him.”

  Julie frowned. “You’re talking about my cousin Vicki?”

  “That’s right. You look so much like her, you could be her twin.”

  “I see.” Julie nodded. No wonder Paul had been upset!

  “I was a little freaked, too, when I first saw you.” Donna looked slightly embarrassed. “It was almost like seeing Vicki’s ghost.”

  “I assure you, I’m not a ghost. And it’s not really surprising that I resemble my cousin. You see, my mother and Aunt Caroline were identical twins.”

  “That explains it. At least you don’t sound like Vicki. She didn’t have an accent.”

  Julie was amused as she followed Donna into the huge lobby of the lodge. She thought Donna had a very peculiar accent. And Donna thought Julie’s accent was strange. Accents were indeed in the ear of the listener. But it was disturbing to learn that she looked so much like her cousin Vicki. She hoped that Aunt Caroline and Uncle Bob wouldn’t be too upset when they saw her.

  Donna walked over to the desk in the lobby and pressed a buzzer. Then she smiled at Julie again. “They must be busy, or they’d be here already. Mrs. Hudson was so excited about you coming to live here, she repainted Vicki’s room for you.”

  “That was very kind of her.” Julie glanced around the huge lobby, and then she moved closer to examine the wall of pictures behind the desk. “Is there a photograph of my aunt and uncle?”

  Donna pointed to a large framed photograph. “Right here. This was taken a couple of years ago. Your aunt’s hair is shorter now, but your uncle looks just the same.”

  Julie moved closer to examine the photograph. Uncle Bob was a well-built man, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Her mother had once told her that Aunt Caroline had married the best-looking boy in Crest Ridge, and Uncle Bob was still very handsome. Julie also had a vague memory of something else her mother had said, something unpleasant in connection with Aunt Caroline’s visit. But since Julie had been only four at the time, she couldn’t quite recall the details. “Did your aunt ever come to visit you, Julie?”

  “Yes.” Julie nodded, but didn’t elaborate. She didn’t trust her voice. She was still staring at the picture of Aunt Caroline, and it was exactly like looking at a picture of her mother. They’d had the same blond hair, the same green eyes, and they’d smiled at the camera in exactly the same way. Julie was almost sorry her aunt had invited her to come to Saddlepeak Lodge. Living with Aunt Caroline and seeing her every day might make her miss her mother even more.

  Suddenly Julie had another thought, and she turned to Donna in alarm. Donna had said she looked just like Vicki. “Do you think that seeing me will upset Aunt Caroline and Uncle Bob?”

  “I guess it might . . . at first. But maybe it’ll make them feel better. Since you look so much like Vicki, it’ll be almost like having her back again. It’ll be sort of like giving them a second chance to set things right, you know?”

  Julie felt a sense of foreboding. “Set what things right? I don’t understand.”

  “Uh . . . well . . . you know about Vicki, don’t y
ou?”

  Now Julie was confused. “What do you mean? My cousin died in an automobile accident, didn’t she?”

  “In a way. Her car went off the cliff.”

  Julie nodded. It was exactly what her mother had told her. “Poor Aunt Caroline and Uncle Bob. It must have been a very difficult time for them.”

  “It was. Especially with all those unanswered questions. Our neighbor’s the sheriff, and he searched Vicki’s room. He’s the one who found the note.”

  “The note?”

  “Yes. But it didn’t really say why. That’s what was so terrible for your aunt and uncle.”

  Julie began to harbor a terrible suspicion. “I think you’d better tell me everything, Donna.”

  “Well . . .” Donna looked around the room nervously as she heard approaching footsteps. “They’re coming!”

  “Then tell me now.”

  Donna was clearly anxious. “Okay. I guess you have to know. And I’m not sure that anyone else’ll tell you. You see, Vicki had a mental breakdown. She was acting so weird, her parents sent her to see a shrink down in Denver. That’s where she was supposed to be going when she . . . uh . . . died.”

  “I understand.” Julie nodded, but there was clearly more to the story. “And . . . ?”

  Donna winced. The footsteps were getting louder. “Put a smile on your face, Julie. I don’t want them to know I told you.”

  “But you haven’t told me!”

  Donna frowned as she leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Nobody’s supposed to know, but I heard Sheriff Nelson tell my Dad that Vicki committed suicide.”

  Two

  Julie’s head was still whirling from Donna’s shocking news when her aunt rushed in. Aunt Caroline’s arms were outstretched as she hurried across the lobby. But when Julie turned to face her, she let out a startled cry and stopped short.

  “Hello, Aunt Caroline.” Julie crossed the distance between them and gave her aunt a kiss. “I hope I didn’t alarm you. Donna told me that I look like my cousin Vicki.”