by Dale Mayer
Royce slugged him on the shoulder. “You’re next.”
“Ha. Race you to the bottom,” he responded. “You’ll never beat me.”
“You’re on.”
He put all thoughts of Stacy into the back of his mind as Royce took off. There was no way that was going to happen. “Like hell, prepare to get your ass whupped.”
That started the laughter, the cheers and jeers from everyone around as they urged the racers on.
And he laughed. Damn, he was good. He grinned. Soon, he’d make sure everyone else knew it, too.
Chapter 11
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of runs. They skied and boarded and took the lifts to the top. It was fun and bloody cold. Stacy opted out after several runs. She was sore and tired but thrilled to be there.
She pulled to a stop by the frozen waterfall. “Go on,” she said, waving them past. “I’m going to stay here for a couple of runs and rest. See you on the next pass.”
And the others whooshed by with hoots and hollers. They’d be close to forty minutes before returning to where she waited.
She laughed, watching them race down in front of her. It was a stunning day. As the silence descended, she tilted her head skyward, letting the warmth of the sun land on her face. She opened her eyes and turned to look up at the frozen waterfall. Such beautiful ice forms. Who said white was white? This was so much more than that.
The sunlight was perfect. It bounced and echoed, a soundless splash of color across the scenery.
And she saw it. That face. A hidden gem of perception. A head…mostly a profile, hidden in the crags above her. Her heart pounded with the excitement of discovery. She studied it for a long moment, trying to mark the spots that defined the nose and eyebrow, the chin so she could find them again from the other side of her viewfinder. The longer she looked, the more intense the spark grew. This was truly special.
She removed her backpack and dove in, searching for her camera. Her hand closed around it and she sighed with relief. She’d been sure it was in here but in the joy of the moment, there was that fear that she’d somehow forgotten it or worse – lost it. She pulled it out, pulled off the cap, and lifted it all in one movement. The sun was changing. She needed to grab as many shots as she could.
She peered at the ice wall. Where was it? She studied the area looking for the markers she’d set in her mind. Where? She took several shots anyway, knowing that just because her mind might not have seen it right now didn’t mean she wouldn’t be able to find the image markers later when she had prints of the pictures.
There.
She caught sight of the tip of the nose. From that point, she looked back to find the eyebrows and the jaw. Beautiful. Like seriously beautiful. She started clicking, trying to catch it in its entire splendor. As the light changed, she saw several long waving columns of frozen ice rolling down the cliff like locks of curly hair. Mesmerized, she quickly became lost in her panic to get her shots before the light changed again.
Click.
Click, click.
There. She shifted. Click. Click. Click. She could hardly breathe for fear of missing something. As the sun shifted, the rays brought yet another image into focus. Oh God. Stunning.
“So beautiful,” she murmured. The icy beauty locked into the mountain was something she’d never seen before. Ice maiden, she’d instinctively called her. Frozen in time. So appropriate given her friends’ snowy graves here. Maybe she’d do this series as a memorial. What a wonderful way to say goodbye.
Potential titles for the series just rolled off her lips as the camera never stopped. She walked closer and then stepped to the right. More shots from the left. At one, she swore the sun had picked up a tear on the woman’s frozen features. A big fat dewdrop-shaped ice ball hung delicately on her cheek. “So gorgeous.”
“What is?” Royce asked quietly behind her.
She gasped in shock. Lost in her world, she hadn’t heard anyone else approach.
He reached out an arm to steady her, for the first time making her aware of her body, now cold and tired. She was swaying on her feet.
“I think it’s time you came back to the cabin,” he said in a harsh voice.
She frowned and then glanced up at the frozen waterfall to see the clouds had moved in. Her frozen lady was barely visible. Now there was a gloomy sinister look to her.
And just as powerful. She lifted her camera, lost once again.
“That’s enough, Stacy.” He reached out and grabbed her elbow, forcing her to turn around. Dragging her gaze to his face, she looked back at the waterfall and realized her frozen lady was asleep once again.
She turned to look down at her pack. Only it wasn’t there. Her pack was somehow hundreds of yards away from where he found her. Surprised at the distance, she turned to study the path she’d taken in her need to capture her frozen lady and realized she’d indeed walked that far away on her own. The path was churned up from the effects of the warming sun and her movements, the twisting, crouching, positions she’d used to take her shots.
Bizarre.
As she put her camera away, a sense of having touched something special filtered through her. If she’d caught what she’d hoped to catch, this could be her best series ever. They were simple yet stunning. At least she hoped they were. The sky darkened even more. She stood up and motioned to the cloud cover. “I thought the weather was supposed to be good all week?”
“That’s life in the mountains. Storms blow in and out without warning. At least today was great.”
He smiled and adjusted her pack on her shoulder, having caught the corner of her coat. He had her skis in his other hand.
“Now, back to the cabin.”
She went without protest, casting one long last look at the lady sleeping in her frozen home.
With the sun completely obliterated, there was no sign of her at all.
Stacy could only hope she’d caught the image she needed to prove to the others that she’d ever existed in the first place.
*
Royce had been watching her for the last hour. Several times he’d moved to say something only to realize what he thought was a break in her concentration was actually just a shift. Not enough for her to be aware of her surroundings either. He’d watched the cliff behind her with worried eyes several times. She hadn’t seemed as aware of it as he was. And that bothered him. Hell, everything about her concerned him. She was something else. Her focus was so intense, so complete.
There was something about the way she perceived the world around her that was so at odds with others. Maybe she had a heightened perception. He didn’t know. It was special. The photography she did was unique. He wished he could see what she saw when she looked at the cliff face. He’d looked plenty of times already and had no idea what necessitated hundreds of shots. If not thousands of shots. He knew if he saw the final piece, he’d recognize the area, but until she pointed out what was so special, he wouldn’t have seen it first.
Then she’d almost fallen. And not by tripping. From fatigue. She didn’t even seem to realize her own limits.
Damn that girl. Had she any idea how tired she was?
He’d moved into position soon after. He had mentioned leaving within minutes, but she hadn’t even registered he was there. He’d waited another twenty minutes before he’d pushed it again. He doubted she’d even noticed the passage of time.
It was a gentle slope back to the cabin, but he kept a close eye on her in case she fell.
It was late afternoon and with the heavy cloud cover, the winds had picked up. It was getting ugly quickly. “A storm is moving in fast.”
“I see that.” She slipped down a path through the trees. The trees were dark and cold. The atmosphere gloomy. Dark. And much colder. The wind was gone, which helped, but the darkness was falling faster. He was pissed. They should have left a long time ago. It was his fault. He’d seen her. Had known they should have left earlier, but he’d left it so she could take her dam
n photos. Anything for her.
He was a fool. A lovesick fool.
Chapter 12
Stacy pulled her jacket closer around her neck. The chill was bone deep all of a sudden. There’d been no warning of the change of weather. Or, she winced, she’d ignored them. Typical of her.
“Are you okay?” Royce called into the eerie silence of the woods.
“Very.” Knowing he might not be able to hear her, she gave a little wave.
The woods appeared to be endless. She knew it was likely only ten minutes. She pictured the warm fire ahead. That and a hot rum toddy together with a hot meal was keeping her going. She was not normally nervous in the dark or in the woods, but there was something about the combination of the two that ratcheted up the anxiety factor tenfold. She had to admit to being glad Royce was close by. He was a strong steady man. And for all the problems she had with him, he was a good man to watch her back.
They wound their way down the slope to the long flat stretch at the bottom. When the path was wide enough for two, Royce shifted up beside her. She hated to say it, but it was a comfort.
He pointed out a small light in the darkness. Her heart lightened. That should be the cabin.
“Are the others back already?”
“They should be.”
She shot him a disbelieving look. “No way. They would’ve passed me on their way back down.”
He nodded. “And while you were busy taking pictures, they probably did another couple runs then called it quits. Chances are they’ve had at least two drinks and have already eaten most of the dinner.”
“They’d better not have,” she said. “I’m starving.”
She took a deep breath and winced as her lungs filled with icy air. She coughed once then twice. She felt more than saw Royce’s hard look. “I’m fine.”
“Good. No more sick days for you.”
She grinned. “No. I can’t afford any more of those.” She could, but such as life was, it was only because she had a great medical plan where she worked that such a thing was possible. She desperately wanted to cough again but tried to hold it back. She plodded on.
Royce clicked on his flashlight. A broad beam of light lit up the gloomy sky. Relief filled her. And she hated to realize how nervous she’d really been.
A shout across the pasture was heard clearly.
“Someone is out looking for us,” she said with a smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to have worried anyone. I really had no idea it was so late.”
“No worries.” At her sidelong glance, he grinned. “It’s not your fault.” He reached out a hand as if to steady her as she hit a bump and almost fell, then caught herself. “Besides, I was keeping watch on the time. We’re coming home just when we’re supposed to.”
There was a second shout.
Only there was a third shout. A sense of urgency in the voice.
“What’s wrong?”
But she knew. “Someone’s missing.”
They met up with the other group to find Stevie and George rushing toward them. “Mark and Geoffrey are missing.”
Royce was immediately all business, his cell phone in his hand. “There’s no reception.”
Stacy glanced from one to the other. “A search party?”
Stevie nodded. “Yes. But let’s get you back to the cabin.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m slowing you down. The cabin’s in sight. You’ll need Royce.”
The three men stared at each other. She said impatiently, “Come on. Let’s not be foolish. You need to head back up now. Hopefully they aren’t just having equipment troubles.”
Behind her, there was a sudden shout.
Everyone turned. It was Mark and Geoffrey. Everyone cheered.
“Oh, thank God,” she murmured.
“Well, that’s that then,” Royce murmured.
As the other two met up with them, Geoffrey grinned. “It was my fault. I wanted to check out another slope. Sorry for the worry.”
“No problem. Let’s head back.”
As one, they trooped back to the warmth of the cabin.
*
Royce walked into the cabin to cheers and shouts as those left in the cabin realized everyone was back safe and sound. The smell of fresh chili filled his nostrils. Good. He was starving. He caught the look on Stacy’s face and almost grinned. She looked ready to steal the bowl from George’s hands, and George saw it. He held his bowl to the side. “Get your own.”
She grinned. “Will do. Just make sure you save me some.”
Royce packed away his boots and gear. He came back in just behind Stacy, her own footsteps faster and perkier now that they were back. The high energy of the group was contagious.
He headed for the chili pot, happy to see there was a lot left. He dished up one bowl only to have it gently removed from his hands. Stacy flashed a grin at him and said, “Thanks.”
He could only grin back. At least she was looking better. He scooped a second bowl full and set it down. And damn if Geoffrey didn’t pick it up. “Thanks, man.” But there was an odd tone in his voice.
Surreptitiously, he studied Geoffrey’s face. He had a sour look as he stirred his chili, adding sour cream and cheddar to the top. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Geoffrey said, his tone brusque. “At least nothing more than usual.” He turned away at the same time Royce turned, and he watched as Geoffrey caught sight of Stacy standing beside her brother.
And damn if that look on Geoffrey’s face wasn’t a lot closer to hate.
It chilled Royce to the bone.
*
George studied the undercurrents going on around him. Damn it. Stacy was in the middle of it. Again. Kathleen squeezed his hand. He smiled down at her, loving the reminder of her presence at his side. It was not something he was used to. He’d had dozens of girlfriends, and none had left him feeling like half of him was missing.
Not since Kathleen. Besides, he’d hoped that having Kathleen and Yvonne along would help Stacy adjust to being here. The group had been doing these trips together for a long time. They were friends. He trusted them all.
It was a great feeling.
As he glanced over at his sister, then at Kathleen, he realized that right now, his world was complete.
Chapter 13
The argument that broke out startled Stacy. She hadn’t seen it coming. Hadn’t even noticed the undercurrents – until they’d turned into a rip tide.
“I was being safe,” Geoffrey snapped. “Sorry if I didn’t meet your expectations.”
George glared at him. “You know the rules as well as any of us. Stick to the timeline. If someone has to go out after you, then you’re putting them at risk.”
“So no one needs to come after me,” snapped Geoffrey. “I’m not an amateur.”
“Neither was Andrew Corso. He’s still missing. And so is Karl Henderson. They’re both experienced.”
“Well, they couldn’t have been that experienced then, could they?” Geoffrey said impatiently. “Come on. I’ve been coming to these mountains for over a decade. I’ve never even had a close call.”
Stacy hated the raised voices and the dissension. Not good for anyone. Especially not good for a small group like theirs.
“We just don’t want anything to happen to you,” she said in a gentle voice.
He rolled his eyes at her. “Neither do I want anything to happen to you, Stacy, and we were just behind you.”
“True. I got lost in my photography,” she admitted with a small smile.
“And what’s Royce’s excuse?” Stevie said with a laugh. “Did he get lost in you, I wonder?”
Raucous laughter filled the air and eased the tension brought on by the earlier sharp words. Trying to hold the tidal wave of heat washing over her cheeks, Stacy smiled good-naturedly. As she slid a cautious gaze at Royce, hoping he’d realize Stevie’s comment was a shot in the dark, she realized he’d gone silent. Grim.
Shit. See, this wa
s why she wasn’t into relationships. They were too much work. She stood up and collected the many empty chili bowls. “Thanks so much to whoever made the chili, it was delicious.”
“I made it,” George said with a grin.
She laughed. “That’s why it was so good – it’s my recipe.”
“Hey, it’s Mom’s recipe originally,” he protested. “Now it’s got my own personal touch, thank you very much.”
“Yeah, like what?” she challenged him with a grin, happy to feel the others relaxing. It was the way the evening should be.
“It’s got elephant garlic in it instead of the regular stuff,” he said quickly.
Kathleen laughed, then said. “And that’s because the store was out of the regular stuff. You asked them specifically for the little guys.”
He gave her a mocking look to shut up, but the rest of the room had already erupted into laughter.
Stacy carried the bowls into the kitchen and called back. “I’ll do the dishes if someone wants to carry that kettle of water in here and pour.”
Instantly, several people hopped to their feet. She busied herself packing away the rest of the chili into a glass bowl. Chances were good it wouldn’t have a chance to get cool before someone would come looking for seconds. Boiling water splashed into the sink. Instantly, soapy bubbles formed.
“Thanks,” she said to Stevie.
“No problem. I was hoping there’d be hot water for showers, but it doesn’t look like it this time.”
She stopped to think about that. They’d had hot showers the last time they were here, but it had to do with the water outside coming in and the pipes being wrapped around the stovepipe to warm the water up. She turned on the tap and hot water gushed out. She laughed. “Old habits die hard. I could have just used this hot water.”
“Better you didn’t.” He interpreted the gaze. “There’s running water, but with this many people there’s no way we could keep the hot water for everyone to shower.”