Nora and Lisa had been through the ritual before.
Lisa traced her finger over a photo of Rachel and Nora taken when they were two. “That’s the day we moved to Holden. I was so excited to have a new home with you girls and to get away from Toronto.”
In the photo, the girls stood on the top step of the veranda in front of Lisa’s house. They held hands and smiled for the camera. Lisa never made Nora feel like less of a daughter to her than Rachel was. Years ago, Nora stopped asking Lisa why she didn’t have any pictures of her birth mother. All Nora knew was Lisa adopted her after her mom died and before that, they’d been in art school together.
“My life would have sucked if you hadn’t adopted me.” Nora flipped the page. “This is one of my favorites.” The photo showed Rachel standing sandwiched between Donny and Jeff, before Donny had been paralyzed. Lisa’s sister was the boys’ mother. Nora wasn’t related to them by blood, and although there had been resistance when she started dating Jeff in high school, the subtle pressure against their relationship had died out when they’d gotten along so well.
“I remember that day too. Jeff was teaching Rachel to drive, and she frightened both the boys. Rachel said they screamed like babies.”
“That was a good day.”
The next photo showed Nora and Jeff, standing in the school gym, dressed for their high school prom. She thought she still glowed from the night before, thought she must have looked different. The night before the prom had been their first time. The night before the prom had been the start of the end.
“I haven’t even asked how you are.” Lisa smoothed Nora’s hair. “Your hair has its own personality.”
“Sorta like me.” Some of Nora’s friends complained about their hair, but Nora liked her own hair. Her hair announced her personality. If someone didn’t like the unpredictable way it stuck out in odd directions as if it didn’t know where to settle, they wouldn’t like her. At least, that’s what she told herself.
Lisa was beautiful. Her hair, the color of a sandy beach, hung straight, reaching below her shoulder blades. Combined with full lips and rounded cheeks, she was a knockout. No one would ever confuse Nora with being Lisa’s daughter by birth. Rachel had inherited her mom’s beauty. Nora would never be considered beautiful, but she didn’t care. She looked how she looked.
“Have you decided about the baby?”
“Not yet. There’s something I have to do first.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After an hour-long snowshoe, Kalin and Ben returned to the trailhead at the entrance to the resort. Using their headlamps for light, they’d taken Chica for a night hike. Kalin pretended she wasn’t sick, hoping the exercise would drive the flu out of her system.
Kalin removed her toque and pulled her hair off her sweat-soaked neck. “I don’t think people know how great Stone Mountain is at night. I bet most guests ski all day, but never come out in the dark.”
Ben punched her shoulder. “You’re such a jock. Who else wants to be active twenty-four-seven?”
Ben and Kalin were hidden in the shadows, the resort’s lights not quite reaching them. Ben pulled her to him and pressed the entire length of his body against hers. “Let’s go home. I can think of something else to get rid of your energy.”
“Don’t you ever think of anything else?”
“No, but neither do you.”
Kalin leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder, and swore she could feel the warmth of him through her snow pants.
“You’re perfect for me,” Ben said.
“Ditto.” She eased him away, bent and undid the strap holding her boot. She stepped out of her snowshoe and reached for the strap on the other one.
Ben did the same and undid his strap, lost his balance and bumped Kalin’s hip with his. Surprised, she pushed back into him, knocking him over and falling beside him. She landed on her stomach. He rolled her over and lay on top of her. He pressed his lips against hers and explored her mouth with his tongue.
Delicious. The heat from his mouth on hers countered by the iciness of the snow on her neck sent a shock of pleasure through her body.
He tossed his gloves aside and unzipped her ski jacket. He slid his hands underneath her sweater. “Nice sports bra.” He nipped her ear, chuckling, letting her know he was teasing.
Chica barked and took off.
Ben rested his forehead on Kalin’s. “Figures.” He zipped her jacket and pulled her to her feet. “I guess we have to get her.”
Over his shoulder, Kalin spotted Nora. She almost yelled to her when she noticed Nora was in an animated conversation.
“Turn and look,” Kalin said.
Ben sighed and let go of her. “I wonder who she’s talking to.”
“She’s arguing with someone. Should we go over?”
“I don’t think we have a choice. That’s where Chica went.”
Chica bounded across the snow, wagging her tail, rushing to Nora.
Ben and Kalin followed Chica.
Ian Reed stepped out from behind Nora. His eyes darted between Kalin and Ben. The light from above shone on the band of freckles crossing his nose. His strawberry blond hair snuck out from underneath his toque. Ian was her boss’s son and had been partying on the top of the lift station with Monica, and now he was here with Nora. He sure seemed to get around.
“Is everything okay?” Kalin asked Nora.
“Sure. We’re just talking. You know Ian?”
Ben and Kalin nodded
“I heard you made the Holden team,” Ben said. “That’s sweet. Usually only locals get admitted to the circle of Coach Jenkinson. You must be good.”
“Thanks.” Ian glanced at Nora. “I gotta go.” His winter boots crunched on the packed snow with each step he took away from them.
Kalin watched his back disappear into darkness. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing really,” Nora said, but her frown contradicted her words.
“Come on. We’ll drive you home,” Ben said.
They dropped Nora off at her place and continued in Ben’s Ford F-150 along Black Bear Drive.
“Did you know Nora and Ian were friends?” Ben asked.
“I’ve seen them talking a couple of times, but Nora’s never mentioned him. They tuned together before Ian got on the Holden team.”
“It’s weird, them fighting. Maybe Nora thinks he had something to do with McKenzie’s death.”
Kalin shifted, and her ski pants caught on a slight tear in the leather seat. “Why would you say that?”
“I heard Ian didn’t make the team then he gets on as backup, and the next day McKenzie dies.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning he wouldn’t get to compete unless someone left the team,” Ben said.
“You’re not seriously saying Ian killed McKenzie just to get an official spot.”
“Why not? Someone killed him, and with McKenzie out of the way, Ian could take the top spot, not just an official one.”
Kalin played with the zipper on her ski jacket. What if Ian had killed McKenzie? It was possible. Her gut told her to talk to Nora in private. Maybe she’d tell Kalin what was going on with Ian if Ben wasn’t there. “Can you drive me back to Nora’s? I want to talk to her. I’ll meet you at home later.”
Ben wiggled his eyebrows. “I’d rather you come home.”
Kalin laughed. “Do you actually think the eyebrow thing works?”
“It seems to with you.” Ben made a U-turn and headed back toward Nora’s.
* * *
Kalin knocked on Nora’s door. Each time she exhaled her breath froze into tiny clouds in front of her face. She circled her lips, blew out and failed at creating cloud rings. Instead a cough erupted from her throat.
The door opened a crack, and Kalin saw one of Nora’s green eyes. Nora recognized Kalin and opened the door wide. “Where’s Ben?”
“He took Chica home. I need to talk to you about something. Can I come in?”
“Of cou
rse.”
Kalin deposited her boots and jacket in the front hall and followed Nora to the kitchen.
“Want some hot chocolate?”
Kalin’s body ached, and the thought of a warm drink comforted her. “That sounds good.”
“So what’s up?” Nora removed dark chocolate from the refrigerator and dropped a square into a saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, she stirred the chocolate as the sweet substance melted.
“Yum, real chocolate.”
“I like to make it from scratch. Lisa used to make cocoa for me when I lived with her.” Nora waited until the chocolate melted and a smooth layer covered the bottom of the pan. She measured two cups of milk and dribbled the white liquid over the chocolate while she continued to stir.
“How are you feeling these days? Any better?”
“I’m fine. Well, as much as you can expect, considering…”
Kalin inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of the melting chocolate. “What was going on with Ian?”
Nora concentrated on stirring the milk into the chocolate. “Nothing.”
“We could see you were fighting with him. You can trust me. I’m your friend.”
“I know. It’s nothing really.”
“Are you hiding something from me because I said I wouldn’t tell you what the cops are up to? They won’t tell me anything about the investigation.”
“I’m not hiding anything. Can you pass me two mugs?” Nora pointed toward the cupboard on the other side of the kitchen.
Kalin passed the mugs to Nora. “Were you arguing because you think Ian had something to do with Steve’s murder?”
“What?” Nora dropped one of the mugs with a clang on the granite counter top, but Kalin grabbed it before it rolled over the counter’s edge. “Why would you ask that? What do you know?”
“Slow down. I don’t know anything new.” Kalin took the saucepan from Nora and filled the mugs with the steaming cocoa. “Come on. Let’s sit.” She moved to the kitchen table and Nora followed.
“I thought you were fighting with Ian because you suspected him.”
“No. It’s something else.” Nora placed her mug on the table and sat opposite Kalin. “Ian has nothing to do with Steve.”
“Ben mentioned Ian was on the team as backup but someone would have to leave the team for him to compete.”
“No way. You think Ian killed Steve to get a spot on the team? That’s crazy.”
“What if Ian didn’t mean to kill Steve but just injure him? That would get him off the team. And Ian must be under a lot of pressure from Reed.”
“Dude, you couldn’t be more wrong.”
“Here’s the thing. Whoever killed Steve is probably willing to kill again if they think someone suspects them. It doesn’t matter if they meant to kill him or not.”
“I can’t believe this.”
“It’s not something to fool around with. The RCMP will figure out who killed him. Let them do their job.”
“My talking to Ian had nothing to do with Steve.”
“Then what was it? We could tell you were fighting with him.”
Nora wrapped her delicate fingers around her mug. “Okay. I’ll tell you, but promise you’ll keep it secret. Not even tell Ben.”
“Of course.”
“I’m pregnant.”
“What does that have to do with Ian?”
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not. Remember the night we bumped into each other in the drugstore?”
“Sure,” Nora said.
“I saw the pregnancy test.” Kalin had seen Ian leaving the drugstore that night and wondered if he’d seen the test too. Nora’s cousin Donny had also been at the drugstore.
Nora smiled at Kalin. “You didn’t say anything.”
“I thought it was your own business, and you’d tell me if you wanted to.”
“Have you told anyone?”
“No, of course not. What does this have to do with Ian?”
Nora blew the top of her hot chocolate, cooling her drink before taking a sip. She set the mug on the table but left both hands wrapped around the ceramic sides. Without taking her eyes off the mug, she said, “I think the baby is his.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I know. It was one time, and it was a mistake.”
“Are you sure it’s not Steve’s?”
“I wish, but Steve and I were careful. Ian and I weren’t. It just happened. I don’t know what I was thinking. Ian has a way. It was over before I knew what I was doing. Steve slept with Amber, and I guess I was trying to get back at him. Ian was an easy way to do that.”
Oh, shit. Kalin had just hired Amber to monitor the tuning room. Now she had a motive too. “And now you have to walk past Amber every time you enter the tuning room. That’s gotta be awkward.”
“It sucks. I couldn’t believe it when you picked her for the job, but what could I say, really. And to make it worse, I think she has a crush on Donny. She’s always flirting with him. I hope he doesn’t like her too.”
“I had no idea about her and Steve,” Kalin said but didn’t add she would have hired her even if she’d known. She couldn’t pass on a person for a job because of a wild personal life since that would seriously reduce the number of job candidates in a ski resort.
Nora pressed her palms against her eyes. “I’m such a fuck up.”
Kalin rested her hand on Nora’s shoulder. “No you’re not. Is that why Ian was so angry tonight?”
“He said he didn’t believe me and even if it was true, it was my problem, not his. Stupid me.”
“You’re not stupid. You trusted him, that’s all.”
“Speaking of trust, do you know Ben’s old girlfriend is back at the resort?”
“Yup. He told me the bitch kissed him.”
“Oh thank God. I’ve been so worried. I saw her do it and didn’t know what to do.”
Kalin laughed. “Everything’s fine. You don’t need to worry.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Kalin scanned a tuner’s pass and let her enter the tuning room. Aches traversed her body, reminding her she was sick and that she shouldn’t have gone snowshoeing last night or let Ben ravage her. She ignored the shivers and waited for Amber to return. Amber, who’d slept with McKenzie. Amber, who might have killed him.
Donny rolled his wheelchair toward Kalin, and she scanned his pass. “This your new job?” he asked.
“Amber needed a break.” Kalin hadn’t planned to relieve her until lunch, but Amber had called and said she needed a few minutes. Since security of the room was important to Reed, Kalin wanted to make sure the process worked, and guarding the door also gave her an excuse to watch the tuners for a bit.
“What do you think of the new process?” Kalin asked.
“Seems a little late to do any good, but I guess it’ll keep the gear safe.”
“How’s everyone doing?”
He motioned inside the room with his coffee cup. “The tuners you mean?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I think. Nora seems uptight, but I guess you’d expect that. Charlie’s grumpy. He’s pissed Ian left the tuning team and he’s short staffed. Coach Jenkinson storms in and out of here like his ass is on fire. He’s a jerk to begin with, but now, he’s yelling at everyone. Tune faster, do a better job, whatever.”
“Can anyone else on the team match McKenzie’s times?”
“Ian Reed. But Jeff’s a close second. Ian hasn’t been on the team long enough to be a favorite. Jenkinson’s a talented coach, but he picks a favorite and works with that skier the most. Once he picked McKenzie, he ignored the rest of the team. Now, he’ll focus on Jeff, and I bet his time improves.”
Kalin could tell Donny was proud of his brother, and instead of being jealous Jeff could still ski, he cheered for him.
“Hi.” Amber returned and took the scanner from Kalin. “Thanks.”
Amber fussed with her big curls and gave Donny a timid smile. “How’s tuning going?
” she asked Donny.
“Busy. I’d better get back.”
The two women watched him wheel himself to his tuning station. McKenzie’s ski jacket caught Kalin’s attention. Had he meant anything to Amber? Did Amber know Nora had found out about her sleeping with him?
Amber rubbed her index finger under one eye and then the other. “Is my mascara okay? My eyes water when it’s this cold.”
“Not a smudge. Have any trouble today?”
“Mr. Reed wanted in the room. I didn’t know he was the president, and he didn’t have a pass. I told him he couldn’t come in.”
“What’d he do?”
“He was cool. He thanked me for doing my job well, told me who he was and went in.”
“I’ll get him added to the list. Anything else?”
“A cop came to see Donny. I made him wait while I got Donny, and they left together.”
“I’m going to get you a notebook, and I’d like you to keep track of anyone who wants in the room and doesn’t have a pass.”
* * *
Ian Reed waited near the bottom gates of the training course. He’d had a fast run and wanted to compare his time to Jeff Morley’s. Jeff was good but not that good, and Ian intended to blast ahead of him in the standings. He leaned on his ski poles, taking a deep breath, coughing as the cold air entered his lungs.
Jeff should be coming down soon.
While Ian skied, his mind focused and was occupied with what his body needed to do. Standing here, unwanted thoughts of Nora bothered him. He couldn’t be sure the kid was his. He couldn’t be sure it wasn’t. He didn’t want a baby and hoped Nora had taken him seriously when he’d told her to leave him out of her mess.
He’d blown his season last year because of a stupid girl. At least Nora wasn’t the coach’s daughter. Who’d believe her anyway? She wouldn’t want anyone to know she’d cheated on McKenzie. If someone found out she was pregnant and the baby wasn’t his, they’d suspect Jeff was the father. He was always sniffing around her. A person would have to be blind to miss how bad he had it for Nora. But what if the baby was Ian’s?
Descent (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 1) Page 10