by Duke, Regina
“You awake?” murmured Tony.
“Mmmm. What…?” Darcy rubbed her eyes, then sat bolt upright as she realized what had happened. “I fell asleep.”
“Me, too. It’s okay. I think we lasted most of the way through the English-language films.” His voice was husky. When Darcy sat up, he’d felt like part of him had gone missing.
“Water?”
Tony nodded and stood up groggily. He needed an excuse to move anyway. He fetched a bottle of water from the room fridge. “Here you go. Excuse me. Nature calls.” He slipped into the bathroom. His imagination had Darcy waiting for him on the sofa in a slinky peignoir, her knees pressed primly together as her eyes invited him to join her. He washed his hands hurriedly. But the sight that met him when he emerged was the world’s most adorable ski bunny in flannel pajamas, her cheeks pink from their hours on the slopes, a bottle of water propped against her thigh. She stirred slightly but her eyes did not open. She breathed softly, hair mussed, and lips parted ever so slightly. He took a long, slow breath and wondered how he’d ever enjoyed skiing before he met Darcy. Smiling softly, he lifted her off the sofa and moved her to the bed. Once she was tucked in, he returned to the empty sofa. After what felt like forever, he fell asleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Darcy and Tony spent Saturday morning on the ski slopes, and by one o’clock, and they were starving. Darcy leaned against him as they left their skis at the rental desk. “My legs are like rubber. I forgot how invigorating it is to ski until my whole body vibrates.”
The resort lounge was everything a ski bum could’ve hoped for, complete with a blazing fireplace, although at this time of year, it wasn’t all that necessary. The morning had been in the twenties, but by noon, the temperature had risen to the mid-forties and the sun was starting to soften the snow. Tony said, “We may have arrived just in time for the last good snow.”
There were chairs and benches around the fireplace and comfortable padded seating against the walls. Large portraits of famous skiers were scattered here and there, with huge felt marker signatures on them. Tony was pleasantly surprised to find reclining chairs in the lounge with digital lunch menus imbedded in the arms. It was a novel idea and it made Darcy laugh, so he decided they would order their lunch right where they were sitting.
Soon, they settled in to feast on their burgers, fries, and chocolate shakes, and quietly enjoyed each other's company as they ate.
Tony was feeling better and better about hanging out with Darcy, but he didn't think he should tell her how fond of her he was because in the past, whenever he told women he was starting to like them, they reacted in one of two ways. One, they ran the other way because they had as much money as he did and weren't interested in marriage. Or two, they clung to him desperately, seeing him as their meal ticket for the rest of their lives. That kind of need and greed got in the way of heartfelt emotion. It was hard for him to tell whether he even liked them after they found out he had money. And yet Darcy had not reacted in either of the ways he was used to.
Tony was hoping that she felt the same way about him, but he wasn't sure how to ask without sounding like a fool. So he kept his heart open and his mouth shut. Besides, now was not the time for conversation. Their mouths were full of burger, tomato, and bacon, and they were slurping merrily on their chocolate shakes.
Darcy closed her eyes and let heaven show on her face as she drank deeply from her shake. A moment later she said, “Brain freeze!” and her features scrunched into a painful grimace.
Tony couldn’t help but laugh. Some of the women he’d dated in Europe were beautiful, sure, but they behaved as if their features were made of porcelain and they could never express any feeling on them. Darcy was not only easy to talk to and fun to be around, she had an extremely expressive face. That will come in so handy when she’s on the big screen, he thought, and hey, everybody’s bugging me to get a job and be productive. Why shouldn't I spend my money on getting Darcy into the movies? He wanted to blurt out that he would spend every penny he had in pursuit of her dream, but the old fear of being taken advantage of still lurked, so instead he said, “Drink slower. I don’t think the EMS teams are practiced at curing brain freeze. They can handle frostbite, broken bones, even tongues stuck to metal poles, but I doubt there’s a cure for brain freeze.”
Darcy’s features relaxed as her brain freeze subsided. “Oh my,” she said. “I forgot what that was like. But then, I haven’t had a milkshake since high school.”
Tony was shocked. “You gave up chocolate shakes? Is this some kind of religious choice you haven’t shared with me?”
Darcy shook her head. “No silly, I didn’t want to give them up. But I knew when I started college that I had to fight off the freshman fifteen. You know? Most girls gain weight at college. I couldn't have a chocolate shake every time I wanted one because we were in class so much and I got so little exercise that it was really frustrating. And there I was, planning a future in the movies, and the last thing I needed was fifteen pounds a year in weight gain piled on just because I have a sweet tooth.”
Tony was impressed. “You really take this all very seriously don’t you? I mean, you majored in acting, and now you’ve changed your life, gone to Hollywood, and tried to do everything by the book, but the dirty old men out there have scared you off.” The thought filled him with sadness.
Darcy looked glum. “I never thought I was a prude or anything,” she said. “But they were so blatant about me paying my dues, and come to find out my so-called dues meant sleeping with the producer. And the director. And the head of casting. And she was a woman. So I got frustrated and decided that if I was as beautiful as everyone said, I should be able to move to Las Vegas and become a showgirl. But those things take time, lots of auditions, and in the meantime, I went to a temporary agency and they hooked me up with Lulamae. I don’t regret that at all. After all, if I hadn’t gone to work for her, I never would’ve met you.” Then she blushed and turned away.
Tony gazed at her with a newfound respect. She’d prepared for her career, something she’d dreamed about since she was a little girl, and it was ripped out of her grasp by bad behavior on the part of others. He nodded somberly, thinking, with every passing moment, I am more and more sure that this is what I should be doing with my money. After all, what good is it if it can't make you happy?
He was just about to reveal his thinking to Darcy, when an all-too-familiar voice shrieked from the entryway, “Tony, you naughty boy. I have followed you from Switzerland, and I am here to collect what is mine.”
Tony couldn't believe his ears. He would know that voice anywhere. He nearly tipped his hamburger off his lap when he spun around to look for the countess. What was she doing here? How had she gotten here? And most importantly, how had she found him here?
He scanned the room for several seconds but couldn’t spot her. How could he possible miss that woman with her flamboyant wardrobe and bodyguard entourage. Then a modest-looking middle-aged woman spoke in Lysette’s voice. “You missed me again,” she said. “Here I am, incognito, to make sure that my husband does not find me.” Aside from the fur-lined ski boots, she looked nothing like the woman he knew, dressed instead in normal attire of jeans and a long-sleeved tee-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a simple bun at the back of her neck that made her look her age. Tony stared open-mouthed—he’d never seen her without her makeup, her fancy wardrobe, and her entourage. She was actually a much smaller woman than she pretended to be.
To Tony’s horror, she began to prance across the lounge. Somehow it didn't look nearly as effective as when she was surrounded by her large bodyguards. The countess didn’t seem to realize that her impact on this crowd was different than at the ski lodge in Switzerland. Her exaggerated sway looked bizarre without furs and boas to swing with the movement. A few giggles erupted nearby as she approached Tony.
“Darling, really, what have you done with it?”
“How did you find me?”
She
shrugged innocently. “I talked to your father.” Fah-zerr. “He is so happy to have you back in the US of A.”
Darcy was alarmed. “What kind of a woman plots with a man’s father to manipulate him?”
The countess looked down her nose at Darcy, which was possible only because Darcy was seated. “This is a private conversation, if you please.”
“Oh really?” Darcy waved a hand at the crowded lounge. “Here? You must be joking. Now stop annoying my producer.” She gave Tony a wink that the countess couldn’t see.
Tony nearly choked on a French fry. But a second later, he was in on the game. “Yes, that’s right, don’t annoy the producer. And don’t irritate my rising star either.”
The countess humphed. “What kind of silly game are you playing?”
Tony stood up so he could tower over her. He said quietly, “This is not a game, Lysette, this is my life. As for you, what’s the big idea with your necklace? Why does your husband think I stole it? And why doesn’t he know where you are?”
The countess averted her eyes, then tilted her head coquettishly at him. “I told you on the phone. I am leaving my husband, and the necklace is my…. rainy day money.” She glared daggers at Darcy, then added, “I will be available soon.”
“Ha! One necklace is your ace in the hole?”
The countess leaned toward him. “It is worth half a million dollars.”
“Is that right?” Tony sat back down. “Well, well, well. That’s a chunk of change. Too bad I don’t have it with me.”
Lysette looked peeved. “Where is it then? You cannot simply leave it lying around. I need it!”
“Call your husband and my father and tell them I didn’t steal it. You hid it in my luggage. Maybe then I’ll tell you where it is.”
The countess looked furious.
Darcy assumed her best holier-than-thou pose from acting class. “Your name is Lysette? Take my advice, cherie,” she said, borrowing from Lulamae’s vocabulary, “and go back to your husband. Women your age shouldn’t be flirting in public.”
Lysette spewed a string of French syllables at Darcy.
Tony blurted, “Lysette! That’s not nice.”
Darcy laughed. That made Lysette even angrier. She emitted a growl of frustration, turned, and stomped away. Once she was out of sight, Darcy leaned toward Tony and asked, “Where did you hide it?”
“Where she’ll never find it.”
* * *
Darcy forced herself to sit back and relax. She was surprised by the ferocity of her response to the countess flirting with Tony. Acting like a high and mighty movie star helped her conceal her very real jealousy. Down, girl. I get it. I’m falling for Tony. Holy Moses, I was ready to shove her out the door.
Tony asked, “Everything okay?”
Darcy nodded. “It is now. What a horrid little woman.”
Tony looked pleased. “I see you have the same opinion of her that I have.”
“Good.”
Tony grinned. “I guess we should head back to Eagle’s Toe. No point in staying if Lysette is here.” He paused, thinking of his father’s meddling. “Does your mother try to put her fingers into every aspect of your life?”
“Yes. But she’s my mother. I have to put up with it.”
“Speaking of putting up with parents, I’d better tell my dad the countess is no longer missing.”
Darcy sighed. “This has been a glorious getaway. Back to real life?”
“No way! I’m still your producer and you’re still my rising star. Reality sucks.”
Darcy laughed with delight. “I like you, Tony. A lot.”
“Good.”
“Do we have to bus our own trays?”
Tony said flippantly, “We should. It will make us look humble.”
So that’s what they did. Then she followed Tony to the checkout desk. “How did she get here so fast? I mean you only left Europe when? Last Saturday?”
“Something like that.” Tony finished checking out and tucked his credit card back in his wallet. “Let’s head for the car and hope she doesn’t spot us.”
The snow did not slow them down, but as they climbed into the car, they could see Lysette trying to tiptoe through the white stuff to get one last word in. Tony didn’t wait for her. He waved merrily as they drove away.
Darcy laughed. “What a crazy lady! How does she know your father?”
“Damned if I know. Would you text Lulamae and tell her we found the countess?”
“More like, she found us.”
Tony was grim. “And I can’t figure out how. I mean, I know someone in Eagle’s Toe let it slip where we went, but dang, she zeroed in on us like a homing pigeon.”
Darcy held up a finger. “Or a GPS locator? Everyone has one these days.”
Tony shook his head. “How? I already checked the velvet bag for any hidden electronics.”
“Let’s ask Lulamae,” said Darcy, texting with both thumbs. “I’m letting her know we played the producer and rising star cards.”
The whole incident had cast a pall over Tony’s mood. “They all wonder why I took off for Europe and didn’t look back. It’s no mystery. They can’t seem to leave me alone.”
Darcy gazed at his profile, puzzled that he couldn’t see the possibilities. “Maybe they love you.”
Tony beat his hands on the steering wheel. “Love can suffocate a person.”
“Or,” said Darcy sweetly, “it can make a perfect stranger loan your mother five grand.”
Tony’s head whipped to Darcy, then back to the road. “Different kind of love.”
“Really?” She shrugged. “Parents love their kids, and they hope and pray that someday their kids will love them back.” She sneaked another peak at him. “Maybe your father has missed you terribly and worried about you every day. Maybe he turned to old acquaintances to help him keep an eye on you, make sure you were okay.”
Tony grimaced. At last, he said, “Are you always this observant?”
Darcy smiled. “They taught us that in acting class.”
Tony seemed to relax a bit. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Where to next? Back to Eagle’s Toe?”
“Yes. I want to ask some questions before Lysette beats us there.”
“You think she’ll follow us?”
“Of course. She already came across an ocean and a continent. If she’s playing some kind of game to get her husband to divorce her, she doesn’t care about her marriage and she wants that necklace. Let’s go get it before she catches up to us.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Darcy wasn’t sure, but the route back to Eagle’s Toe seemed different than the one they’d taken out of town. “I’m all turned around,” she said.
“No, you’re not. Different road. We have to make a stop before we go back to the hotel.”
“Ahhh. The necklace.”
“Right.” Tony flashed her a smile.
“Hidden where Lysette will never find it.”
“Yep.”
“And that is…..where?”
Tony chuckled. “You’ll see.”
Darcy recognized the last bit of the trip as they turned onto a long, steep dirt road and headed uphill. “You hid it at Axel’s place!”
Tony said, “Not bad. You get extra points if you can tell me where at Axel’s place.”
Darcy enjoyed the fact that they were teasing back and forth, and she hoped Tony was having as much fun as she was. But he was so worried about the mess with Lysette that she wasn’t confident enough to ask if he was having fun. “Somewhere at Axel’s place. Let me think.”
By the time she’d run her memories of their visit through her mental projector, they were close enough to see the house. As Tony parked in front, she said, “I think I know where you put it.”
“Great,” said Tony. “You can lead me to it.”
“Darn!” said Darcy. “Okay, I think I can narrow down the area where you might have put it.”
Tony gr
inned. “Here comes Axel, probably wondering what the heck we’re doing back here again.”
“No Sheila, no Austin? We can’t be scoping out locations without our entourage.”
“Exactly.” They got out of the car, and Tony let Axel pull him into a brotherly bear hug.
“To what do we owe the pleasure this time?”
Tony drew back and said playfully, “Tired of me already? I come all the way from Europe and you’ve already had enough? Guess I better buy a return ticket.”
“No way,” scoffed Axel.
“No way!” Darcy’s response was laced with panic.
“Don’t worry, I’m not leaving.” Tony put an arm around Darcy’s shoulders. “Is Taylor here?”
“Yes, but she’s out riding Jackson.”
“But she’s pregnant!” Darcy said, alarmed.
“Yes, but not crippled,” said Axel. “She’s out riding with Lucy Baxter from the Lazy B. Besides, the way she loves that horse, she’ll probably have me build a delivery room in the barn. The hospital frowns on equines in the delivery room. Want me to text her?”
“No, that’s okay,” said Tony.
“But,” added Darcy quickly, pinning Tony with a triumphant look, “we would like to visit Jackson’s stall.”
Tony gave her a squeeze. “Bonus points! The woman has figured it out.”
Axel looked from one to the other as if they’d just escaped from a mental hospital. “His stall. You want to see hay and horse poop?”
Tony let go of Darcy and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’ve taken advantage of you.”
“How so?”
Tony gave a little shrug. “I left something in Jackson’s stall to hide it from someone, and now I need to retrieve it.”
Axel narrowed his eyes. “You do know that horses are big, heavy animals, right? With very sensitive digestive systems? You didn’t leave anything in there he might have eaten, did you? Because Taylor will kill you.”