by Moore,Judy
Stephen started to get off of her and pull her up. Sally glanced to the left and suddenly screamed. “Oh my God, a mountain lion!”
Stephen jerked his head to the side and loosened his grip. With all her strength, Sally rolled herself sideways, reared up her right leg, and kicked him in the head with her ski. He yelped and grabbed his head, falling sideways into the snow.
Sally scrambled to her knees and began to crawl through the snow. When she reached a tree, she wrapped her arms around it and pulled herself up onto her skis.
Realizing he had been duped, Stephen climbed back up onto his skis and started walking as fast as he could through the snow toward her. “Mom, whoever would have thought you were so tricky? I’m impressed.”
Sally pushed her way around the tree and tried to get some traction going under her skis. Slowly, she began to move and was able to start skiing her way through the trees.
“I’m right behind you, Mom. You’re not going to get away.”
Sally didn’t know if she could out-ski him on the open trail or not. She decided her best bet was to stay in the trees—at least for now. But suddenly Stephen was out on the open trail, skiing past her. He slid to a stop about twenty feet in front of her and skied over to the edge of the trees.
“Now, Mom, it’s time to throw in the towel. You are not invincible. I know you like to think you are, but you aren’t. Why can’t you let your son enjoy his life? Isn’t that what parents are supposed to do? Make their children happy?”
Her heart racing, Sally turned and raised her ski poles as if she were going to ski deeper into the woods. Stephen leapt forward to cut her off, but she changed direction at the last moment and was suddenly out on the open trail. She bent her knees and dug her ski poles into the snow, propelling herself forward. By the time Stephen changed direction, he was thirty yards behind her.
Sally was flying down the narrow trail that was becoming tighter and more winding with each curve. She glanced quickly behind her. Stephen was closer now, only about fifteen yards away.
She crouched down into a racing position and tried to pick up speed. But Stephen continued to gain on her, and they were only about halfway down the trail. It was still so far to the bottom. It was only a matter of time until he caught her.
The trail narrowed even more. Straight ahead of her, she saw a thick forest of fir trees. She made a decision and headed directly toward the trees. They were flying down the trail, and Stephen was next to her now, on her left, reaching out his arm to grab hers. He was so intent on catching her, that he didn’t notice the approaching terrain. She headed directly for the trees but, at the last moment, veered sharply to the right, back onto the open trail. Stephen yelled out as he realized what had happened. He kept going forward at full speed—directly into a huge fir tree.
When Sally slowed and circled back around to the spot where he left the trail, she knew her son was dead.
Epilogue
One year later
Sally couldn’t bring herself to move back into the house. There were too many painful memories. So she bought a smaller home two mountains over—with a swimming pool, of course — and hired a new housekeeper who has worked out very well. And she has a boyfriend too, Robbie, who adores her.
Helga couldn’t say no when Sally offered her the house as a gift for her years of loyal service and friendship. The fact that Rachel died there didn’t really bother Helga. She never liked her anyway. Helga had saved all the money she earned working for Sally, so she retired. She and Sally get together for lunch once a week.
Gwen did indeed move to Vail, took training to become an EMT, and became a certified member of the ski patrol. She moved into a condo in Vail, ten miles from her mother, and has become quite popular with the male EMTs in the department. She and her mother remain very close.
Glen, who Gwen divorced immediately after finding out about his affairs, was cleared of all charges and returned to South Florida. He eventually became manager of the marina where he enjoyed spending so much of his time. In the meantime, he had to sell all of his boats.
Lance returned to L.A. and sold his helicopter but applied to become a helicopter pilot for a group of hospitals. He got the job and now gets a paycheck for doing something he loves. Yvette gave up her dreams of becoming a movie star but didn’t let it upset her. A bigger dream came true for her. She found out she was pregnant with a little girl. Duchess is going to have a sister. Lance is overjoyed, and so is the baby’s grandmother.
And Sally did donate three billion dollars to the Warren Buffett/Bill Gates Foundation, in the names of Stephen and Rachel Braddock.
About the Author
Judy Moore
Judy Moore is primarily a mystery and suspense writer who resides in Gainesville, Fla. She has a master’s degree in journalism and was a longtime news writer, editor, and magazine feature writer, as well as a college journalism professor. Her fiction and nonfiction work has been published in numerous national publications. A former tennis professional and sports writer, her stories sometimes have a sports backdrop. She is the author of the mystery novels Somebody Killed the Cart Girl and Murder in Vail, the novella Birds of Prey, and the anthology Christmas Interrupted that includes the holiday novellas Airport Christmas, The Holiday House Sitter, and The Hitchhiker on Christmas Eve.
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