On Ice (Contemporary Romantic Thriller)

by J. D. Faver

  She swung the heavy wrench with both hands, striking him on the shin. The impact caused a reverberation that hurt her hands.

  Mark screamed in anguish. “You bitch! I’ll kill you!” He shrieked, as he clutched his shin, dancing on one foot.

  “Not a chance,” she said in a remarkably calm voice, swinging the wrench again. As he fell to the garage floor, screaming again, Maddy sprang to her feet, clutching the precious wrench. Darting around the car, she ran into the house, twisting the dead-bolt into place and activating the alarm system. The police would be here in a matter of minutes. I have him this time!

  ~*~

  Rene tried to pretend that the impending fishing trip was only minimally important. Whenever it sprang to mind she intentionally shoved all such thoughts to the very back recesses of her brain.

  Seth was thrilled. He talked of nothing else. Would Brett allow him to fish? Did he have the right equipment? Would they need to bring anything?

  “I’m sure Brett has everything we need,” she reassured him. “He knows we’ve never been fishing before so it’s unlikely he would expect us to have any equipment.”

  Seth’s face was transparent, his anxiety heartbreaking.

  “It’s going to be okay.” She squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll have a great time.”

  She decided to take a walk over to Ben’s cabin. Seth needed something to hold onto and unfortunately, she didn’t have the right answers.

  The children walked with her along the well worn path between their two residences. She walked slowly holding Sara’s hand while Seth pranced ahead. Rene laughed to see him bounce along, his mood having magically reinvented itself.

  “Miz Reeny!” Clearly puzzled by their unexpected appearance, Ben opened his door for them.

  “Hello Ben,” she said. “Do you fish?”

  “I got some in the freezer, Miz Reeny. You want some?”

  Rene smiled. “I guess that means that you know how to fish.”

  “I sure do, Miz Reeny. You want to go fishin’?”

  “Perhaps you can tell us about your fishing experiences. We’re going on a fishing expedition on Saturday and we don’t know what to expect.”

  “Sure thing! You want to sit down?” Ben led them to his kitchen and they were seated around a small table. He poured them each a glass of apple juice from a glass pitcher. “What do you want to know, Miz Reeny?”

  “Can you tell Seth something about fishing? We’ve never been fishing and he wants to know how it’s done.”

  Ben looked from Rene’s face to Sara’s and settled on Seth’s. “I got just what you need right here.” He pushed back from the table. “Yessiree. Just you wait one little minute.” He opened a closet and brought a small metal box to the table. Seth rose and stood close as Ben opened the box. It was filled with fishing lures.

  Ben proceeded to explain the difference between live and dead bait and the use of different kinds of lures. He showed where the barbed hooks were tied on and let Seth touch a shiny silver spoon. Sara liked the little bits of fluff and feather attached to some of them. When he had explained the process, Seth was smiling and Rene was thankful that their neighbor was willing to assuage a little boy’s fears.

  ~*~

  “What do you mean no trace?” Maddy shrieked at the police detective. She struggled to control her voice. “Detective Ambrose, he was there! He assaulted our chauffeur! What more do you want?” She glared up at the burly officer who had apparently dealt with hysterical women before.

  “Ma’am, he’s not there now,” the detective explained, as to a child. “There’s no sign he was ever there. Your neighbors didn’t see him or the car you claim you saw parked in front of your house.”

  “He was in our garage!” she insisted. “I saw him.”

  “What did he do? Did he threaten you?”

  “Yes he threatened me! He’s a threatening kind of guy!”

  “What did he say to you?” The detective held a small pad and pencil at the ready.

  “He called me a bitch and threatened to kill me.”

  “Did he touch you or hurt you in any way?”

  “No but he grinned at me and he kept clenching his fists and snapping his fingers.”

  “He grinned at you?” The detective looked up from the pad.

  “Yes. Leering, really.”

  “And then what?”

  “That’s when I hit him with the wrench.”

  “You assaulted him with a wrench? Is that the same wrench you used to assault the chauffeur?”

  “No, you idiot! Mark hit Terrence! I hit Mark.”

  “You saw your brother-in-law hit this Terrence?”

  “Not exactly.” Maddy sniffed impatiently. What’s wrong with this man?

  “What makes you think your brother-in-law hit the chauffeur? Was there bad blood between them?”

  “No! He’s been threatening my family and me. He tried to strangle me in a castle in Scotland. Don’t you understand how dangerous he is?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” He folded his pad and tucked it inside his rumpled jacket.

  “You don’t believe me? Ask Terrence. He’ll tell you.”

  “Ma’am, I questioned your Terrence before the ambulance took him. He was groggy, but he said he didn’t see a thing.”

  “Aren’t you going to go to Mark’s condo? Arrest him! Look at his shins. I’d be pretty surprised if they weren’t badly bruised.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. We plan to check out your story.” His expression let Maddy know she was the suspect, not Mark.

  ~*~

  Rene allowed herself a small luxury. After school, she took the children to town. They made their first stop at Pinkey’s where she treated herself to a new pair of denim jeans. She stepped out of the dressing room and turned around to get an idea of how they fit.

  “Hey there, Miss Baggy Butt!”

  Rene turned quickly to see Nadine with a shopping basket on her arm. “Baggy?”

  “Yes. Don’t you city girls know how to shop?”

  “I thought I did.” She ran her fingers around inside the waistband.

  Nadine grabbed a handful of fabric on Rene’s rear. “Way too big. You can’t even tell that you’re a girl.” She turned and rummaged through the stack of women’s sizes. “Try this on for size.” Nadine tossed Rene a pair one size smaller.

  Rene looked at Nadine’s expression. “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t even argue with me, Missy. You owe it to the hoard of men with their tongues hanging out to at least wear jeans that fit. Now, get in there. I’m standing right here till you come out.”

  Rene pulled up the new pair and was struggling with the zipper when Nadine pulled back the curtain.

  “These are too tight,” Rene said. “I’m having trouble zipping them up.”

  “They’re perfect. Everyone knows that if a girl can zip her jeans without lying down, they’re too loose.”

  Rene blew out a stream of air. “In that case, they’re just right. I’ll take them.”

  ~*~

  Mark lay on the sofa, his shins throbbing. He’d seen Rene use a bag of frozen vegetables as an ice pack in the past when he’d chanced to leave her bruised. It was never anything serious. She bruised like an over-ripe banana anyway. He couldn’t seem to touch her without her flinching.

  A bag of frozen peas was draped over his left shin with broccoli on the right. He rotated his ankles experimentally fearing the bitch had fractured his legs. The bags of veggies accidentally rolled to the carpet. He retrieved them and put them back into place, then leaned back on the pillows. He would have gone to the emergency room or at least to his personal physician, but he couldn’t think of a plausible explanation for his injuries.

  Damn that bitch. He couldn’t believe she’d attacked him.

  Mark laughed aloud. When he’d seen the Scot head for the garage, he followed and spied the wrench on the worktable. The Scot was vacuuming out the car and hadn’t heard a thing. When he backed out of the car, Mark swung t
he wrench. What a big sham. Maddy’s protector had dropped like a ballerina. He’d dropped the wrench beside the Scot’s body

  Mark grinned as he thought of Maddy. He hadn’t thought he’d have the good luck to have her come prancing out to the garage. If he’d just waited a few more moments he’d have had her.

  But, no.

  He practically handed her the weapon. If she hadn’t had the wrench she wouldn’t have stood a chance against him. Mark flexed his fingers. He could have forced her to tell him Rene’s whereabouts. He could have.

  ~*~

  Saturday morning, Rene got out of bed early. She swallowed her first cup of coffee without tasting it. How could she spend a whole day in close proximity to Brett without acknowledging her attraction to him? Canceling the fishing expedition would be out of the question. Seth was too excited. She couldn’t bear to disappoint him.

  “I am a strong woman. I am completely in control. I can do this for my son,” she chanted softly under her breath.

  “Do what, Mom?” Seth had also awakened early. He inserted the long laces in his new hiking boots.

  “Nothing. I’m just anxious to get out into the great outdoors!” The note of forced gaiety in her voice sounded contrived, even to her ears. She saw the look of doubt cross Seth’s face.

  “Don’t you want to go, Mom?” His expression twisted her heart.

  “Of course.” She knelt beside her son. “I’ve never been out in the woods before. I’m a little scared.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep an eye on you and Sara and you can look out for us, too.”

  “I don’t think Mr. Brett would let us get hurt. He knows about fishing and things.”

  “True,” she said. “I guess I don’t have anything to worry about.” She started as she heard the Hummer crunching its way into the clearing. “I’m not dressed!”

  Scurrying into the bathroom, she grabbed the new jeans and the shirt she planned to wear. By the time she threw on her clothing and brushed her teeth and hair, she heard Brett’s deep voice contrasting with her son’s higher pitch. Cautiously opening the door, she saw Brett sitting on the sofa helping Sara get dressed. The picture they presented sent a wave of longing through her entire body. Why couldn’t this be? She knew the answer.

  “Good morning!” He greeted her, glancing appreciatively over her figure.

  Yes, she had chosen to wear the jeans that fit well. Guiltily, she grabbed a loose-fitting jacket to throw over her outfit.

  “How about some breakfast?” she said.

  “Thanks. Mrs. Jolly force-fed me pancakes.” Brett grinned as he shook his head. “I would take a cup of that coffee.”

  She brought him a cup and quickly poured cold cereal into bowls for the children, wishing she’d made pancakes. The children didn’t seem to mind, digging in as soon as she splashed the milk over it.

  Feeling the weight of Brett’s gaze upon her, Rene resisted the urge to turn toward him. Instead, she opened the refrigerator, pretending to look for something while she fervently prayed for help in getting through the day.

  Brett drove them to a place so beautiful it took her breath away. A tributary of the Sad Horse had been dammed by industrious beavers to form a quiet, deep pool. Water spilled over the dam, breaking the magnificent silence with continual trickling. The deep green of the woods came up almost to the water’s edge, with pristine white peaks in the distance reflecting in the pool’s depths.

  Brett arranged some chairs and a metal table, placing a stove with two burners on one end, though they only planned to spend the day.

  “Are we cooking?” she asked.

  “Only if we catch some fish,” he said.

  She began to relax. He didn’t seem to have any designs on her beyond teaching her children to fish. She inhaled the richly scented air, taking in great lungfuls till she felt a bit lightheaded from the effort. Plopping down into one of the chairs, she watched Brett show Seth how to cast his fishing line. He flicked his wrist sideways and the line arced gracefully over the water landing with a plop as the weight and lure hit the surface. Concentric circles rippled outwards till they disappeared. He handed the rod to Seth who stood intently staring out at the place where line and water met.

  Brett turned his attention to Sara, casting a much smaller rod for her. Sara jumped up and down with glee.

  “Mommy! Look at me. I’m fishing!” she called out.

  “I see.” Rene laughed at the expression on Brett’s face. He seemed to be enjoying himself as much as the children.

  The afternoon progressed, Seth enthralled with the process of fishing, Sara tiring quickly. Brett pulled out a fat trout followed by a shriek from Seth as he felt a tug on his line. Rene watched with interest as Brett coached Seth, but let him bring in the fish by himself.

  “Look, Mom!” Seth held up the shiny, wiggling fish.

  “Amazing!” Rene shaded her face with her hands. She felt tears sting her eyes as she saw the pride glowing from her son’s face. The fishermen continued their mission with renewed enthusiasm, but Sara got fidgety, a sure sign of boredom.

  “Let’s go for a walk.” Rene held out her hand.

  “Don’t go too far,” Brett cautioned.

  They set out, staying close to the water’s edge. Ahead, Rene spotted wildflowers growing profusely in some grasses. When they reached the flowers, Sara began to pick them, squatting down to gather the tiny blossoms. Intent upon her task, she hummed a nameless tune, her head barely visible above the grass. Rene glanced back to where Brett and Seth were also intensely occupied.

  As she turned back to Sara, Rene froze. Just beyond the place where her daughter gathered flowers, a huge black bear fished with equal intensity. The bear held a flopping fish in her powerful jaws as she walked on all fours back to where her cubs played. Rene held her breath.

  “See, Mommy!” Sara stood up suddenly, holding a fistful of flowers aloft.

  The bear dropped the fish and her cubs ripped it apart with a ferocity worthy of much larger animals. The mother bear spotted Sara and Rene, her glossy dark eyes darting from one to the other. The bear stood erect, rising to an enormous height.

  “Sara, don’t move at all.” Rene kept her voice as close to normal as possible. Her heart raced as she struggled to control her fear. The bear ignored Sara and held Rene’s gaze. A deep rolling growl rose from the inner depths of the animal. Rene understood how she felt. She was protecting her cubs from these dangerous intruders.

  “Sara. Come to me slowly. Don’t run. Just come here now.” Rene held out her hand, not making any sudden movements as she strained to hold the bear’s attention. She gripped Sara’s hand while staring into the bear’s eyes for some minutes, neither giving way. Then the bear dropped back down on all four feet and joined her cubs in gnawing at the fish.

  Rene backed away slowly, clutching Sara to her. When she turned she saw Brett holding a large rifle to his shoulder.

  “Just keep walking toward me,” he said calmly.

  “Please don’t shoot her.”

  “Only if she charges at you. Please, come on.” When Rene and Sara had walked past him, he held his stance for a few moments, then lowered the rifle and escorted them back to the campsite. “I told you not to wander very far.”

  “It didn’t seem far,” she whispered. Her legs felt like jelly.

  He gathered Rene and Sara in his arms and gripped them in his strong embrace.

  Rene had no desire to be released, realizing that she held on to Brett just as tightly.

  “Mommy, I’m scared,” Sara said, her small arms clasped around Brett’s neck.

  “Me, too,” Rene said.

  “Me, too,” Brett added.

  “Me, too.” Seth threw his arms around all of them.

  ~*~

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Maddy figured Ted was due for a stroke about now. He waved his hands and paced as he spoke. “You should have called me on my cell
phone. I could have been here in twenty minutes. You should never have gone outside. Maddy, you gave Mark just the opportunity he was looking for.”

  “Do you understand that if I hadn’t gone out to the garage, Terrence might have died?”

  “Do you understand that Terrence Kilbride is not my number one concern? Mark could have killed you!”

  She sighed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. She had endured a great many recriminations from her beloved husband. “I’m sorry, but I think I handled him pretty well under the circumstances.” She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him solemnly.

  “You should never have put yourself in those circumstances.”

  “Ted, I swear, if you say “should” to me one more time, I will scream.”

  “Okay.” Ted raised both hands in surrender. “But, I want you to promise me you will never again take chances with that lunatic.”

  Maddy looked up at her husband, raising her eyebrows. She waited.

  “Okay, okay! I know I’m over-reacting. I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

  “And?” Maddy gazed at him coolly.

  “And--I think you were magnificent. I’m going to call you Maddy, Warrior Princess from now on.”

  She tried to maintain her pout, but her lips spread into a grin. She covered her mouth with both hands as she giggled helplessly. “Maddy, Warrior Princess, accepts your apology and will be happy to explore the possibilities with Ted, the Captive Slave Man, later this evening.” She smiled at him.

  His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Ah, yes.” He grinned back at her.