Unexpectedly Hers (Sterling Canyon Book 3)

by Jamie Beck

  “That I do.” He nodded, knowing he should feel grateful that she didn’t encourage his interest. Of course, gratitude did not wash over him. He left the kitchen, going directly to the hexagonally shaped parlor near the front of the inn, where Mari and the crew were already seated and looking over the shooting schedule.

  “Oh, good. You’re here.” Mari handed him a schedule—a gray and white grid with daily sunrise and sunset times, location designations, and other information. “It’s really important that we adhere to the schedule in order to avoid cost overruns or missing certain shots and so on.”

  Mari smiled—a tight grin. In truth, she made him a little nervous. He could sense her ambition from a hundred yards away, which made him very aware that he was just a means to an end.

  “I understand the importance of a schedule,” Wyatt replied. He pointed at the words “establishing shots” on the calendar. “What’s this mean? I thought we did that back in Vermont with my mom.”

  “Those are needed every time we change the setting.” Mari waved around the inn. “I need Jim to get outside shots of this inn, the signage, maybe a few shots around town, and the view of the mountain. We should get some inside shots, too, to show where you’re living, eating, exercising . . . you know, to orient people and give them a peek into where you are.”

  “So am I off the hook for a while?” Wyatt wanted to check on Ryder and maybe take a walk around the town to get himself oriented, too.

  “Not exactly. We need your gorgeous face in the shots or it will be too boring for viewers. They’ll want to see and hear your reaction to the surroundings,” Mari began, one brow cocked, “such as they are.”

  Just then Emma strode through the lobby with a clipboard and a baggy purse. Apparently “baggy” summed up her sense of style. Naturally she didn’t meet his gaze, choosing instead to look at Mari. “Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt, but I’m headed out to grab a few things. If you need anything while I’m out, Andy is around and can help you.”

  She smiled when she said Andy’s name, just as she’d smiled at the guy earlier when he’d arrived. Wyatt wondered if they were more than boss and employee. Then he wondered why he cared.

  “We’re good,” he answered before checking with the others.

  She nodded and continued outside. He watched her through the parlor window as she skipped down the porch steps and jogged toward her car. Efficient, focused, and completely disinterested in him.

  Mari snapped her fingers, drawing his attention, and speared him with an impatient stare. “Let’s focus so we can get something more than unpacking accomplished today.”

  Snippy much? He’d better not get on her bad side. Unlike with past PR, he couldn’t afford for this video to show him in anything less than a good light. Some guys might’ve loved the reputation he’d previously—if somewhat undeservedly—earned, but at heart, Wyatt didn’t think of himself as a superficial adrenaline junkie. He wanted admiration for his skill and dedication, not for his looks or the women in his life. And his mother would be less patient with those antics these days.

  In a backwards way, Ryder’s accident had given Wyatt a chance to start over. It mattered to him that he be seen as a positive role model this time around.

  “So what are we doing first?” Wyatt leaned forward to give Mari his full attention.

  “While I’ve got you alone, let’s get some of the history that we’ve privately discussed on film. Buddy’s set to go, so are you ready?”

  She’d made it sound like he’d had a choice, which he knew he didn’t. “Sure.”

  Mari nodded at Buddy and then asked Wyatt, “Your brother’s accident derailed your own career for a while. Can you tell us a bit about that time?”

  He hated talking about it. Thinking about it, really. The helplessness, the panic, the ongoing worry. He’d rather someone pull his teeth out than have to publicly share his feelings, but he’d committed to this film for Ryder, his mom, and himself. He couldn’t back down now.

  “From the moment Ryder was loaded onto the medevac until he finally left the hospital four months later, my mom and I were by his side. I worked with him every day of his intensive rehabilitation that first year, praying he’d regain full use of his right side and his speech.”

  “It seems that you got your wish, for the most part.”

  “He’s worked hard and made amazing progress. He’s an inspiration to me and should be to others.” Of course, Ryder wasn’t the same person that he’d been before the accident. His mood swings still blew hot and cold, hypersensitivity to light forced him to wear sunglasses often, and he compensated for his slurring by speaking more slowly than normal and over-enunciating. Although Ryder had been lucky not only to survive the crash but also to regain most of his faculties, Wyatt sometimes wondered if Ryder cared about anything anymore. His brother could be invested in something one minute then lapse into apathy or anger the next.

  Mari crossed her legs and smiled, attempting to appear laidback. Ha! As if a robot could be human. “Most people will consider your decision to switch from slopestyle to freeriding unusual, given that slopestyle not only offers a higher profile but is also what you know. Did your experience with Ryder have anything to do with that decision?”

  “Yes.” How much should he reveal? Not everything. Not his own doubts. “Watching him take on overwhelming obstacles only made me admire him more than ever. I want to be worthy of his respect, so I decided to tackle a new challenge in a show of solidarity. Of course, nothing I’ll be facing will be anywhere near as difficult as what he’s going through. His future is still uncertain. Now I’m also facing uncertainty. Hopefully, together we’ll both discover that, even if life is different today, it can still be good. Maybe I’ll fail, but like Ryder, I’ll grow, too.”

  “And how does Ryder feel about being part of this journey?”

  Ryder had remained relatively closemouthed since his accident, but Wyatt suspected he still missed—yearned for—his old life and the dreams forever lost to him. Those dreams didn’t need to die, though. Ryder only needed to revise his role in the sport. “Ryder’s injuries keep him off the competition circuit, but he can still play a valuable role in the sport as a coach, or a spokesperson, or in some other capacity.” Truthfully, Ryder’s enthusiasm had ebbed and flowed over the past months. The doctors had warned them all that mood regulation would be a lifelong battle now, so Wyatt did his best to discount Ryder’s temper and keep him moving forward to reclaim his life. “I’m not the smartest guy, but I know, together, my brother and I can accomplish anything. He’s part of my return, both as motivation and as support.”

  What Wyatt kept to himself was how much he missed their old relationship. Now Ryder kept everyone at arm’s length. Snowboarding had always been a way for them to connect. Hopefully working together on this film would break down his brother’s emotional wall and reunite them.

  And if Wyatt could make all that happen for Ryder, maybe his mom would forgive him for getting his brother into snowboarding years ago. Maybe Wyatt could even forgive himself.

  “I think that’s good for now. Let’s head outside and get those shots. Maybe you and Ryder could be walking up the steps together, tapping on the wooden sign hanging from the porch, and so on. Then I’m thinking we might get a quick sound bite from Andy, who seemed rather excited to see you here.”

  “Guess I’ll go grab Ryder while you all get set up then?” Wyatt stood and Mari waved him off before she started talking movie lingo with the crew.

  Wyatt rapped on Ryder’s door. “You up?”

  He heard a thump, which he presumed was Ryder’s cane. Three thumps later, the door opened.

  “What?” Darkened lenses shielded Ryder’s eyes; his expression lacked any animation.

  “Mari needs us to film a couple of outside shots. Shouldn’t take too long.”

  “Me, too? But you’re the s-star.”

  Wyatt didn’t hear contempt, but he couldn’t help but wonder. Ryder’s speech now had
a carefully modulated tone that made it difficult to decipher his intention and mood.

  “This is our film, Ryder, just like we planned. You can raise awareness of TBI, maybe raise some research money to help others who’ve suffered like you.”

  Ryder nodded without much enthusiasm. “Okay.” He closed the door to his room and followed Wyatt.

  Before the accident, his brother had laughed easily, jabbed at Wyatt often, and preened for the cameras. Although Wyatt should be grateful for how far his brother had come, he couldn’t help but wish for the return of his old personality.

  That’s why this plan had to succeed. He wouldn’t give up when it came to helping restore his brother’s life. To restoring some kind of happiness. So far, however, he’d seen no sign of change.

  When they stepped outside, Mari called them down to the walkway. Wyatt remained close to Ryder in case the ice caused any trouble.

  Mari handed Wyatt a sheet of paper entitled “Intro” containing typewritten text.

  “I took the liberty of writing up a short introductory statement you might want to make while Jim films you and your brother walking up to the inn. Feel free to ad lib. We want it to appear natural. Going forward, we’ll try to get as many candid shots as possible, but in this case we need to backtrack a bit. Try to be honest about your first impressions about the place, the feeling you had—in terms of goals—as we pulled into the parking lot, and so on.” Mari offered an encouraging smile. “Do you need a minute or two?”

  “Give us a sec to work out a thing or two.”

  “Oh,” Mari said, eyebrows rising. “It’s not necessary for Ryder to do much talking.”

  That message wouldn’t help Ryder feel comfortable committing to the project.

  “It is for me.” Wyatt wrapped a protective arm around Ryder’s shoulder and began speaking quietly. Once they’d agreed on a plan, he turned his attention back to Mari. “We’re all set.”

  Her tight-lipped smile revealed her discomfort, although to her credit, she held her tongue. “Fine. Remember, although you can glance at each other occasionally, you want to look at the camera when speaking with the audience.”

  And thus began thirty minutes of blocking and retakes before Mari was satisfied that she had enough material to work with.

  A Weenuche Inn van, worn as everything else about the place, pulled into the parking lot. From the corner of his eye, Wyatt watched Emma emerge from the driver’s seat and unload bags of groceries. She strung them along her arms to the point of tipping over. He turned, prepared to go help her, when Mari snapped her fingers. “Wyatt, Ryder, let’s go inside and get some more shots. We need to keep to the schedule, please.”

  He’d have asked Ryder to help Emma, but his cane made it difficult for him to carry things. As Wyatt turned away, he noticed Andy come out from behind the building. When Emma cast a relieved smile at him, her whole face lit.

  More proof that something warmer lived beneath her polite shell of a personality. For the second time, he wondered about Andy and Emma’s relationship. Body language proved they were closer than the average employer-employee relationship.

  “Gentlemen?” Mari called from the inn’s front door, where she’d been waiting while Wyatt had been daydreaming. Great, he’d already become distracted. In the past, he’d liked having a casual affair during training and competitions because sex relieved stress. Most of the time he’d hooked up with one of the women on the tour, like boardercross champ Jessie Taylor. Together they’d relieved a lot of stress.

  He’d texted Jessie a few weeks ago about his plans to be an hour from her hometown thinking maybe something, or someone, familiar might settle his mind.

  Now he regretted the impulsive move. Maybe their schedules conflicted. He didn’t need to revisit that time of his life, and he had no real interest in any ongoing relationship with Jessie. Luckily she hadn’t committed to a visit. Tough as celibacy might be, this time he intended to find less gossip-worthy ways of relieving tension.

  The echo of Emma’s laughter as she followed Andy through a back door tickled Wyatt’s subconscious even as he chose to shove aside his curiosity.

  The straps of her recyclable grocery bags had practically gouged Emma’s forearms. Wyatt’s training diet called for bulky whole foods and specialty items, none of which were lightweight or cheap.

  Andy whistled while helping her unload the mountain of food she’d just purchased. She watched him move around the kitchen in his loose-fitting jeans and flannel shirt. As usual, his wavy, sandy-colored hair hung around his pleasant face, brushing just above his puppy-dog, light brown eyes. Handsome in an unassuming way, looking a bit like the actor Alex Pettyfer.

  Even before he’d come to work for her, Andy had been in the periphery of her life forever. Reliable, friendly, casually protective. Exactly the type of guy she should—did—want one day. A man who’d be content with the little things as opposed to the kind who always thought something better lay just around the corner. The kind who just waltzed in and grabbed a girl from behind without asking.

  She hadn’t expected that, no sir, even if some little part of her had secretly loved eliciting it. Even if Wyatt’s nearness had made her deliciously lightheaded for two or three seconds. Of course, that carefree feeling was exactly the kind of thing that got people like her dad into trouble—that caused them to hurt and disappoint each other. Emma never ever wanted to hurt or disappoint anyone.

  “Good God, Emma, there’s enough steel cut oatmeal here to feed the whole town.” Andy hefted another canister onto the pantry shelf.

  “Wyatt’s nutritionist ordered an iron-rich diet, which is why I also bought all this spinach.” She held two containers of organic spinach in the air and glanced at the other two on the counter. This diet would go a long way to supporting the continued enhancement of Wyatt’s already lean, muscular build. Her mind latched onto the memory of the firmness of his washboard abs beneath her fingers and lips. A lovely prickling sensation swept along the backs of her arms and up her neck. She cleared her throat. “And high protein, so we have lots of beans, seeds, and nuts.”

  Andy studied the array of foods as he continued helping Emma unpack. “Do me a favor and keep track of the meals you plan. I wouldn’t mind getting in shape.”

  He frowned, pinching at his waist, which made her giggle because Andy already boasted a fit, rangy body.

  “Planning on trying skiing competition now?” Emma cocked her head. She knew Andy missed being a ski instructor. He’d made a huge mistake last winter by driving drunk. Worse, he’d struck his sister’s boyfriend on his way home. Fortunately, Grey’s knee injury continued to be mending well. But Andy had lost his job because of the felony charge. A year from now, if he completed his probation period without incident, the felony charge would be reduced to a misdemeanor. At that point, he might be able to get his old job on the mountain back.

  Unfortunately, judgments were harsh and memories long in small towns like Sterling Canyon. She’d hated watching Andy be ostracized last spring and gladly offered him her support. Truth be told, getting his help around the inn had made her days a little more fun. She’d miss him when he left at the end of his probation, although she’d be glad to see the stain of his mistake fade.

  “I’m too old to start that.” His grin always teased out a warm feeling in Emma’s gut.

  “Watch who you call old. We are the same age. Thirty-one’s not so old.”

  “In the world of competitive skiing it is. Especially for someone like me, who never even took a shot.” He shrugged, unbothered by that choice. “I still can’t believe Wyatt Lawson is here for the month. He landed some sick-ass jumps in his heyday.”

  A stray memory of seeing Wyatt nail a gold-medal-winning run in the Rockies Winter eXtreme Games temporarily robbed Emma of speech, so she nodded dumbly.

  Then Andy’s expression turned grim as he refolded her grocery bags for later use. “Too bad about his brother, though.”

  She remembered watching
the replay footage of Ryder’s fall on ESPN the year after she’d met Wyatt and him. Naturally it became the topic of conversation in a ski town like Sterling Canyon. Wyatt had been filmed in a panic as he ran to his brother’s side on the course.

  Emma looked up to catch Andy watching her, waiting for some response.

  “Ryder’s recovery is miraculous considering the initial reports predicted a much worse prognosis.” The accident occurred around the same time she’d completed the first draft of the manuscript that had since been revised at least a half-dozen times and would soon hit the shelves. The ill-fated crash had soured her sense of accomplishment at the time, but after rationalizing that no one would ever know her book’s hero had any tie to Wyatt, she’d chosen to press on with her own goals.

  “Wyatt sure sacrificed everything to stand by his brother each step of the way.” Andy’s solemn tone struck her.

  “He did.” That fact seemed inconsistent with the party-boy she’d met in Aspen, but having seen him and Ryder together before, she also had no doubt of his love for his brother. Perhaps he’d matured a bit as a result of the tragedy . . . although once a player, always a player. But his sacrifice, coupled with his sudden, unexpected arrival in Sterling Canyon—right when she’d been experiencing a case of second-book paralysis—could not be less auspicious. Made it seem somehow cheap and wrong to have used his image without his knowledge. “So we should do everything we can to make sure his work here goes smoothly.”

  “Man, I’d love to tail Wyatt for some of his training. How cool would that be, to ski alongside Wyatt Lawson?” Andy shook his head again, grinning like a young boy who’d just been offered the keys to Disney World.

  “I doubt he has time to entertain you. Training must be daunting, having been out of the game for so long. Even I know how quickly the sport changes, and how aggressive the younger boarders are now with their tricks and jumps.”