From the Top

by Dani Collins

  What was he supposed to do? Ask Rolf for maternity leave? Wear the kid in a sling while he hiked the site? He would lose this job and it was the only thing allowing him to see Aiden as often as he did. Ilke was asking him to choose between the boy he had and the child she carried.

  No.

  Ask his grandparents to move here and help? Aside from the fact they were pushing eighty and had already raised their own children and two of their grandchildren, he could already hear their reaction. They were tolerant people who believed family stuck by each other, but they also ascribed to old-fashioned ideals like marriage before babies. Grammy would have some strong opinions about this.

  He did. He hated himself for messing up and making a kid by accident. Wearing condoms was his Golden Rule and he’d worn them with Ilke, all the time, every time.

  And man, had they had a lot of times. He had performed like some kind of jacked-up sex god. He hadn’t even been drinking that night, aside from a beer and a glass of champagne when the clock had struck. Rolf had hired a band from Haven to entertain his heli-skier friends and a bunch of locals had come out to party with the lodge staff. Everyone had been dancing. Nate was one of those rare guys who didn’t need a six-pack in him to get on the floor. He loved moving with a beat and Ilke had rhythm. They’d paired up again and again, enjoying the night with everyone else.

  Okay, he’d given into an interest that had started last summer and made a solid play for her, but who could blame him? She was gorgeous. Tall, long-legged, and golden from her crown to her eyelashes to her bush, body honed to athletic perfection. When she danced, she mesmerized, hips swinging, precise and graceful.

  He’d been with women since his divorce. He kept his prowling to Sacramento, though. Kalispell once or twice. When he had told Eden he didn’t mess with locals, that had been the God’s honest truth. He didn’t want to confuse Aiden. His own life was full enough without adding a relationship that needed nurturing. When it came to women, he kept things long-distance and casual. He sure as hell wouldn’t have climbed into bed with one of Rolf’s old flames if he’d known.

  Not that he’d thought to ask. He’d barely thought at all. He had taken for granted that Ilke wasn’t looking for long-term since she was scheduled to leave with everyone else the next day. When she had breathed a humid, “Come to my room,” against his ear, the sum total of his hesitation had been to say he needed to swing by his own room on the way.

  For condoms.

  He’d used his own—which made this more damning on his side than hers—and they had gone at it like porn stars.

  Urgency had seemed to grip her the second the door was closed and he was happy to match her pace. They’d barely got their clothes loosened and she had pushed his hand down her pants. She’d been sleek and slippery, coming in a sudden rush with a broken cry that filled his mouth. Their playful evening had quickly turned into sheer, erotic adventure. He couldn’t get enough of getting her off. He’d gone down, then she had. He’d bent her over the desk and exploded when she did.

  They’d been sweaty from dancing and sex, lethargic and drunk with climax.

  “Shower with me?”

  Oh, yes. It had been his pleasure to follow her in there.

  She had clicked on the electronic tea light left in all the rooms in case of power outage. They hadn’t talked much as they soaped each other under the spray, necking and arousing each other so that when they got back to the bed, he’d been so hard and aroused, he’d felt insane. Her nipples had been poking like shards of glass against his tongue. When he had thrust inside her, she had said, “Do it hard.” Her hands had reached to brace against the headboard.

  She looked delicate as a snowflake, but she was an athlete, resilient and easily up for his demands. He’d caught his arms under her knees and spread her wide to receive him, slamming into her with blinding ecstasy.

  Afterward, she’d chuckled when he’d expressed concern at being so rough, saying she liked it. She had come twice, so he believed her, but still. He’d really let loose, beyond excited at how willing she’d been to take all of him like that. Gratitude and tenderness had had him kissing and nuzzling her for so long, the condom had almost slipped off when he pulled out.

  He dropped his arm from his eyes and blinked into the dark. Was that how she wound up pregnant?

  Did it matter? She was.

  No lover in two years? Should he believe that? When she had wrung him dry?

  Had she been like that with Rolf? That didn’t bear thinking about.

  Fuck it. He sat up, abandoning hope of getting any sleep, then glared at his cock, stiff and aching in his lap, practically begging like a dog, whimpering as it reminded him she was only two doors down. Stupid little fuck.

  The clock showed five-thirty. The window was still dark. The days were getting longer, but sunrise wasn’t until at least seven this time of year. He could see to shovel under the parking lot lights, though.

  He rolled his shoulders. His back was aching from the exertion last night, when he had worked off his shock and adrenaline by throwing all the snow off the front lot. The operator had taken one look at the tractor when he got back from the service and put in a call to Jimmy, the mechanic in town. Didn’t sound like the rig would be running soon. Rolf had that batch of investors going heli-skiing today. They needed to look like they had their act together.

  Half an hour later, Nate was sweating under a sky turning silver and thankfully no longer dropping flakes. Think of it as money, Rolf had said one morning, when they had been digging out the path into the base office while it snowed faster than they could clear it. Rolf was right. Without heavy snowfalls, this place was nothing.

  At six-oh-one, three young laborers appeared, covering their bedheads with thick, Blue Spruce Lodge beanies, yawning as they pulled on gloves.

  “I’ll get the ute,” one said, starting toward the utility ATV parked in a fenced shelter with the company sleds. The ute was the size of a golf cart, had a windshield and a roof, but was otherwise open to the elements. It was used more for quick runs between the lodge and the base in summer, but it had a small blade attachment along with studded snow tires so they could use it for clearing walkways and smaller paths around the site.

  “I already called it, son,” Nate said. “But nice try. I have to take it down to the base, get started down there. Come down when you’ve finished here. We have that tour later.”

  They grumbled, but got on with it.

  Technically, Nate didn’t have the right to order anyone around. His job was to plan the work, monitor costs and deadlines, and find solutions when snags arose. He never asked for anything that Rolf wouldn’t demand himself, though.

  Rolf and Ilke. How was he having as much trouble processing that as the fact he was going to become a father again?

  She had really given him a one-two kick to the ’nads. When he’d brought up his employer, he’d only been thinking of how her pregnancy put his job in jeopardy. How was he supposed to look Rolf in the eye, though?

  As he trekked down the wide lane between the lodge and the base, he acknowledged that half his desire to get down here was to put off seeing Rolf over breakfast. It wasn’t just the fact he’d overstepped the bro-code. He was bothered by Rolf and Ilke having history. This feeling wasn’t unlike the angst that had gripped him when he had realized Wanda had stepped out with Frankie. A possessive, That’s mine.

  Green-eyed jealousy, except a surprisingly more visceral brand. He hadn’t thought for one second of hitting Frankie for seducing his wife, but he felt a strong desire to elbow Rolf in the face and throw a few heavy boots into his middle. Super enlightened behavior. What he didn’t want to do was pretend everything was situation-normal when—

  Was that blood staining the snow?

  He came out of the lane into the clearing and lifted his foot off the accelerator so the rig ground to an abrupt halt in the heavy accumulation. He stood up at an angle, poking his head out beside the roof, taking in what looked l
ike a crime scene.

  It was a crime scene. The site trailer was spray-painted with vituperative messages. A string of wild turkeys had been left on the steps. Scavengers—coyotes or wolves—had dragged the birds across the open area, probably within the last couple of hours, judging by the mess of feathers and entrails clearly visible despite a fine dust of flakes.

  Swearing, Nate found the can of bear spray in the kit in the back of the ute and held it at the ready, wishing he’d brought his hunting rifle. There was usually enough activity around here, the sounds of engines and voices and Murphy’s bark, to keep the wildlife at bay. No one worried too much about predators unless they were hiking up the hill or into the woods, well away from the lodge and base. Even then, bear spray and a radio were more the defense of choice, rather than risking stray bullets.

  The sound of the engine had probably scattered any lingering predators, but he didn’t want to push forward and risk marking up any tracks that could identify who’d done this.

  Why leave the birds? That was just sick.

  He took a hard left and slowly trucked along the edge of the site, swearing again when he saw that one of the storage containers had been broken open. It was the one full of skis and other gear that had arrived from Wikinger a week ago. Some were early releases of next year’s models.

  Nate dropped the bear spray and pulled his phone from his pocket, hitting Rolf’s number. Rolf’s alarm would have gone off already anyway.

  “Ja,” Rolf answered, sharp and alert.

  “You better get down here.”

  *

  Ilke finally fell into a heavy sleep around three in the morning. The jarring ring of the telephone on her nightstand woke her. Who even used landlines anymore? Nate?

  She rolled over and answered just to make the noise stop. “Hallå?”

  “Meet me in the lobby.” Rolf. So charming. He hung up before she’d finished processing who it was or had the sense to refuse.

  It was only seven-thirty. Not an uncivilized time to get up, but she would rather sleep in since she could, for a change.

  Was Rolf going to order her out of here? The morning sickness that was becoming all too much a part of her daily existence roiled in full force with a fresh serving of anxiety frothed on top. As awful as her confrontation with Nate had been, he was her lantern right now. She didn’t know how to move forward with this baby without his input and guidance.

  Oh, she hated relying on anyone! Now she was going to have to petition Rolf so she could stay here and try to hammer out a deal with a man who resented her? Her life just kept getting better and better.

  With a groan, she pulled on her clothes from yesterday, brushed her teeth, combed and clipped her hair, and tried not to retch. The closer she got to the lobby, the thicker the air became with the cloying scent of greasy food. Her throat flexed with a muted whimper.

  The lobby was a far cry from yesterday’s graveyard, abuzz with morning voices. Workers in overalls and safety vests were serving themselves at the buffet in the dining room. A half-dozen people were lined up for coffee at the espresso bar and Marvin was offering the well-groomed investors menu service at the tables in the lounge, delivering mimosas and morning chit-chat.

  Vivien was nowhere in sight. Ilke craned her neck, looking for her in the dining room. She couldn’t see Rolf, either, and started to pivot back to her room, seriously worried she was going to vomit.

  Rolf strode in from the back entrance around the corner from the kitchen at the end of the hall. He wore a ribbed-knit cap with the Wikinger logo and one of their lightweight, quilted Arctic-wear jackets, both in rust red. He saw her and jerked his head to indicate the manager’s office.

  Such an arrogant jerk. Ilke gritted her teeth and made her way down the hallway to meet him.

  Rolf pushed into the office where Glory looked up from the desk. “What time did you get up? Why didn’t you wake me?” Her gaze tracked to Ilke as she came in behind him, then went back to Rolf. “What’s going on?”

  “I need to talk to Ilke.”

  “And you’re commandeering my office? Wow. The more things change the more they stay the same.”

  “Your office is upstairs. But stay. Save me saying this twice.” He closed the door behind Ilke and jerked his head at one of the two chairs in front of the desk, indicating Ilke should take a seat. Then he stood over her with his arms folded like some kind of third-world interrogator.

  “Did you go down to the base yesterday?” He drilled her with his gaze.

  “No.” Her nausea took a back seat to confusion. She frowned, looking between them, but she could see Glory was as bewildered as she was. “Why would I?”

  “That’s why I’m asking. Did you bring anyone here with you?”

  “No. I put my things in my room, then sat in the lobby, reading. Your coffee girl brought me tea. Why?” And why did she feel a need to call the girl in here to corroborate?

  “Did you see any vehicles go by? Hear snowmobiles? Anything strange?”

  “No.”

  “Oh no.” Glory’s voice was weighted with dread. “What happened?”

  Rolf was halted from answering by his own phone. He flicked to accept the call.

  “Thanks for getting back to me,” Rolf said after a brief greeting, then told his caller, “There’s been some vandalism and a significant theft at the base.” His gaze tracked to the clock on the wall. “Thank you. I’ll see you then.” He ended the call and made a face at Glory. “Last thing I want to do is ask him to come out here the day after he put his wife in the ground, but I have no choice.”

  “What’d they take? Computers?” She wrinkled her nose.

  “Damn near the whole shipment from the container.” He looked at Ilke again, assessing her.

  Her heart took a skip of alarm that widened her eyes. “You think I came here to rob you? I don’t even know what you’re talking about. What was in the container?”

  “Gear.”

  “Like skis and…” Boards, boots, bindings, and poles.

  He nodded.

  Some of Wikinger’s high-performance equipment went for thousands. Her nausea came back threefold. A lot of her skis and boots were custom-made these days, which made them all the more valuable to her, but in her early years, she had had to make sacrifices to get what she needed. It meant she was protective of every insulated shirt and pair of goggles she owned.

  “I’m really sorry.”

  “Insurance will cover it. That’s not the point.”

  “Who even knew it was there?” Glory asked.

  “Exactly,” he said grimly.

  “Inside job?” Glory made a face like she wished she hadn’t said the words aloud.

  “They tried to make it look like it was a couple of hunters who took advantage of an opportunity. I’m not buying it.”

  “What about the investors?” Glory waved her hand toward the door. “You were going to outfit them.”

  “As a parting gift. They brought their own skis and boards so they wouldn’t have to wait for fittings this morning.”

  “So you can still take them up. That’s good.” Glory was trying to find a silver lining, but Rolf continued to glower.

  “I can’t. I’m meeting with Chief Adams and looking at camera footage.” He nodded at the computer on Glory’s desk.

  “Here? Why?”

  “I can’t get into the office at the base until they’ve taken photos and dusted for prints. For all I know, the computers are gone, too. Didn’t look like forced entry, though.”

  “Well, that’s just awesome, isn’t it?” Glory rubbed her temples, then picked up the folders in front of her and moved them aside with a thump. “What does this mean for the lodge? What are you going to do with the investors?”

  Rolf swiveled his flat gaze back to Ilke. “You brought your skis?”

  “No.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “You want me to guide your tour?” She was tempted to grab the wastebasket and hang her
head over it.

  “You were here two months ago. You know the terrain. It’s being scouted for avalanche as we speak. Avoid the posted areas. You know the drill.”

  It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but: “A minute ago, you thought I was a criminal mastermind.”

  “You showed up the day it happened. That’s coincidental enough I had to ask, but you can get free skis with a phone call. You don’t have to go to the trouble of driving all this way.”

  Her ability to get freebies was up for debate after her performance in Korea, but not the point right now. She writhed inside at being unable to do a powerful man a favor. In fact, she had to prevail upon him for this thing that was pushing a wash of cold perspiration onto her skin and applying pressure in the back of her throat.

  “Even if I had my skis, I couldn’t. I’m pregnant.”

  Silence. Then: “That’s why you bombed in Korea?”

  Really? Her cheeks stung. “Yes.”

  “Why were you skiing at all?” Glory’s tone was appalled.

  “I didn’t know I was pregnant until the games were over,” Ilke defended hotly.

  “Oh. Oh God, it’s not Trigg’s, is it? Is that why you’re here?” Glory sat back, jaw hanging open.

  “No! Look.” She searched for a prevarication. “It was bad enough I didn’t medal. I don’t need to be crucified by the media for skiing pregnant.” She flicked a hand toward Glory and her judgmental question. “If it’s all the same to you, I want to stay here until I figure some things out.”

  There. That explained her presence without bringing Nate into it. If Rolf took offense to her basically saying this place wasn’t on anyone’s radar, so be it. She had a feeling outing Nate would only do more damage to their already contentious relationship.

  Rolf made a noise that dismissed her problems as petty when he had bigger ones of his own. He skimmed off his cap and swore. “I guess Nate is conducting the investigation while I go skiing.”

  “Some of Devon’s guys have been up there,” Glory reminded him.

  Rolf made a face. “We might have to question them. I’ll go tell the investors we’re running late, then I need this computer.”