Chapter Eight

Andy trailed behind Millie during their final run, watching her practice the edging they’d been working on all day. Cloudy skies made for flat light, but she read the terrain pretty well and handled the moguls with agility. He had to admit she’d improved since he’d skied with her in the past. For the most part, they’d fallen into their former rapport, and the day had been more fun than he’d predicted.

She’d been cheerful and lively, as always—flirtatious without crossing any real lines. It shouldn’t shock him. She was married now. Maybe, contrary to his gut reaction to that news, she actually loved the older guy.

Together, they returned to the base. Millie handed Andy a hundred bucks. “I’m so excited just thinking about how to update our master bathroom. I’ll be honest, I still like my family’s home better than the little place Mitchell bought us, but he wants his privacy.”

“I look forward to helping you bring it up to par.” He shoved the money in his jacket, happy that he might get his first side job without relying on Emma.

Millie stood with her skis propped against her body, playfully pushing at his shoulder with her free hand. “I know how good you are with those hands—I’m expecting miracles.”

He couldn’t deny they’d had some fun times together, but he wouldn’t encourage her flirtation with banter. “Thanks. I’ll see you later, then.”

“Eight o’clock.” She hiked her skis up onto her shoulder. “You still a fan of New Belgium’s Fat Tire?”

“Of course.”

“See you later.” She gave a little wave before sauntering off without another word.

Behind him, Andy heard a snicker. In a mocking voice, Billy B trilled, “It’s easy, Billy. Just upsell from your group lessons.”

Andy turned, telling himself not to fight. “Hey, Billy.”

Billy shook his head. “I see clearly, now. The key to success is to flirt with Nikki and bang the clients—not that I’m complaining. I’m happy to follow in those footsteps.”

Instructors and other students began crowding the outdoor patio area. In his peripheral vision, Andy saw Nikki come outside, as she often did to check on clients at the end of lessons.

Billy stood nearby, a taunting smirk in place. Andy’s gaze darted back to Nik, then circled the crowd. Damn. Without sparing Billy much of a glance, he shrugged. “Go for it.”

He fixed a nonchalant smile in place while strolling toward the circle of instructors gathering to listen to whatever Nik had come to say.

When she finished, Greg slapped Andy’s shoulder. “Let’s hit the OS.”

Andy hadn’t stepped inside the Outpost Saloon since the night of his accident. Its owners had had to pay Grey for their role in overserving Andy, so he’d been too uncomfortable to return. But maybe his hesitancy—his own lingering guilt—was part of the reason others couldn’t get past his mistake.

Avery had said he should be at least as angry with the OS and its untrained bartender as the bar owners were with him. He hadn’t believed his sister then, but perhaps she had a point. Neither the bartender nor his friends had tried to stop him from getting behind the wheel. And anyway, he supposed he couldn’t hide out forever, because the OS was a favorite watering hole for the instructors.

Andy tried to catch Nikki’s eye, but she kept them carefully locked on whatever paperwork she’d fastened to her clipboard. Okay, then. He looked at Greg and took the plunge. “Sure, why not?”

His anxiety about returning was one hundred times worse than the reality. The owners weren’t on-site, and no one working there made an unfriendly remark. Within ten minutes, his shock wore off, allowing him to relax and enjoy himself with his friends.

A couple of rounds of pool later, he itched to get home, shower, eat, and hightail it over to Millie’s. Making extra cash on the side meant he’d be able to afford rent. To afford privacy for the first time in forever. Privacy that would give him and Nikki a chance to explore these feelings without interference.

Meanwhile, she hadn’t called or texted him all afternoon.

On his way home, he gave her a buzz. “Hey, Nik. I half expected you to show up at the OS today. I could’ve used a good partner at the pool table.”

“You took off without saying much.”

“Sorry.” Had he misread her signals? “Billy was making comments just before Greg threw out the invitation. We agreed to keep it on the DL for now, right?”

She didn’t say anything for a second. “We did.”

After another awkward pause, she asked, “So, what are you up to now?”

“Quick shower and then heading over to Millie’s. She’s planning to remodel her master bathroom and invited me to bid on the project.”

More silence.

“Nik?”

“I’m here.”

“That’s all? I thought you’d be happy about me following through on your idea.”

“With Millie?” Her voiced sounded ten degrees cooler.

All this time he thought Nikki had gone out on a limb for him because she knew and trusted in him. He didn’t expect he’d have to prove himself time after time or defend himself when he hadn’t even done anything wrong.

“Yeah. I mentioned how I was considering picking up some remodeling jobs to supplement my income. She was supportive.”

“How convenient.”

Andy understood jealousy and insecurity . . . to a point. He counted to three before saying, “What’s with the attitude?”

“No doubt she’ll want you to test her Jacuzzi tub.”

“She’s married.”

“She’s still Millie.”

He blew out a breath while staring at the road ahead. “It almost sounds like you’re expecting me not to be friends with women from my past.”

“If I forbid that, your only female friends would be your sister, Kelsey, and Emma.”

Who is this woman, and what did she do with Nikki?

“You know what? Either you trust me or you don’t. I’m going to hang up before this turns into a fight. Call me once you make up your mind.” He punched the phone off.

Maybe he hadn’t handled that like a champ, but if she didn’t trust him, they had no shot at a decent relationship. That thought settled in his chest like a bowling ball.

#

Andy glanced at his watch for the second time since he’d measured the bathroom and written up Millie’s wish list: heated floors, new cabinets with marble counters, updated shower stall with a built-in bench. A big job—and, as a second job, one that would require him to work late into the night on a regular basis in order to get it done in a reasonable time frame.

Millie handed him a beer and lightly shoved him onto the sofa. The snug-fitting cashmere wrap dress she wore drew attention to her ample cleavage. She toyed with the necklace nestled right above the swell of her breasts. He prayed this getup was because she had plans to go out, because he had no plans to resume their old relationship.

“What about your husband?” Andy asked, crossing one foot over his knee. When she shot him a questioning look, he added, “Does he have parameters for the project, like a budget?”

She flitted her hands. “He doesn’t care. Whatever I want.”

“Lucky you.” Andy grinned. Millie had grown up rich and married richer. She’d never been a snob, though. Actually, she’d been fun and generous throughout their acquaintance. He was glad that her life had turned out like she wanted. He started to relax, assuming she wouldn’t jeopardize her situation for a quick fling.

“I suppose.” She sat beside him on the sofa, her lips forming a tiny pout.

“If you think you’ll make me feel sorry for you when you get to live in this place and never have to worry about money, it ain’t gonna work.” He smiled and swigged some beer, and she had the grace to chuckle.

“It looks nice from the outside, but it gets lonely. Mitchell’s not the most affectionate man, especially since we got married. Even on his best day, he was nothing like you.” She canted toward him and laid one hand on his thigh.

Damn.

He lifted her hand and gently placed it in her lap, then squeezed it. “Millie, we had a lot of fun, and you’re a great lady, but I don’t mess with married women.”

“What if I told you that Mitchell and I have an understanding? He wanted a trophy wife, and I wanted security and, eventually, a kid. We care about each other, but we’re not the great loves of each other’s lives. As long as I’m discreet and don’t stray back at home, he’ll look the other way.” She leaned closer, grazing his arm with her chest and touching his hair.

That explained why the man would leave his wife the day after Christmas on a “business trip.” He caught her hand again and set it aside before scooting forward on the sofa to put space between them. “Look, if you and your husband have an understanding, I’m the last person to judge you. But I’m still not interested in being your monkey in the middle.”

She laughed. “What’s with you? You’re acting like we haven’t had sex before. Do you want me to grovel? Will that ease your conscience or make you hotter?”

“Please don’t.” He stood. “I’m sorry if I misled you into thinking I was interested in more than this job.”

“Well, this is a surprise.” The light in her eyes dimmed. “And not a good one.”

“Sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”

Heaving a sigh, she shrugged. “I suppose it’s time you leave.”

She swiped his half-empty beer from the coffee table.

“Don’t be mad or embarrassed. I won’t tell anyone what you told me tonight.”

Her eyes flashed hot, then her face turned as hard as ice. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

So, that’s the way she wanted to play it. He wouldn’t argue. If anything, he felt sorry for her. “I guess I won’t waste my time working up a bid for the bathroom job.”

“You guess right.” She turned away. “See yourself out, please.”

It’d be futile to try talking to her now. She’d humiliated herself, and he knew from his own experience how humbling it could be to face people in the immediate aftermath of that kind of misstep.

Beneath the initial surge of irritation, he found compassion. She was an unhappy young woman who had bargained away a chance at real love for the comfort of security. Tomorrow morning he’d act like nothing happened and hope for the best. For now, he’d try not to dwell on his shitty scorecard for the day.

Women angry with him: 2

Good decisions (not sleeping with a married woman): 1

Job security (on either front): 0

#

Nikki hoped her face showed no emotion while listening to Millie yammering on the other side of her desk at seven thirty in the morning. Inside, her heart deflated as if it had been run over by a Sno-Cat. “This is a serious charge. One I’ll have to put on Andy’s employment record. He’s a probationary hire right now, so this will also likely get him fired.”

Surely the severe consequences to Andy’s career and reputation would convince Millie not to press forward with a lie. And Nikki prayed this was a lie.

Millie’s expression remained firm. “I mean, I really don’t want to get him in trouble, but he was out of line. I’m married now. I don’t know what he was thinking last night, but I’m not comfortable having him as my instructor. I’m happy to go back with Billy.”

Thinking back, Andy had kissed Nikki without warning or invitation that night in the parking lot. Maybe Nikki’s sour phone call had planted the seed, like a twisted dare. Or maybe old feelings came up, and he assumed Millie would fall into bed with him. Now that Nikki knew exactly how much pleasure he could give, she was almost surprised Millie hadn’t taken advantage of the opportunity.

“Billy will be happy to keep you as a client. I’ll make the change. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go inform the head of HR about this.” She watched Millie carefully, searching for a hint of remorse or regret. Nada. The woman must have been telling the truth. Nikki’s stomach lurched, but she had to do her job. She couldn’t play favorites, not even for Andy.

“Thank you.” Millie rose from her chair and left Nikki’s office.

Twenty minutes later, Nikki went outside, clutching her clipboard, stomach fighting to keep breakfast down. She handed out assignments, carefully avoiding Andy’s gaze. When she assigned Millie to Billy, he shot Andy a look.

“You must’ve screwed up big time.” Billy’s shit-eating smirk bothered Nikki, but she still didn’t look at Andy. She did, however, feel him staring at her.

She hadn’t assigned him any lessons. Once the crowd dispersed, she looked at him. It took effort to keep her voice even. “We need to go to Don’s office now.”

“What the hell is going on, Nik?” He followed her inside, his own expression a mix of concern and anger.

“Millie filed a complaint.” She kept walking, looking straight ahead.

Andy stopped. “She did what?”

Nikki turned to him. “She said you tried to get her into bed last night. Shades of sexual assault, she said.”

“That’s bullshit.” His jaw ticked.

She wanted to believe him, but how could she know for sure? And regardless, legally speaking, Millie’s claim had to be reported. The resort had to protect itself against a possible lawsuit or public scandal. It couldn’t have instructors assaulting clients. “I explained that her claim would have to go through HR. She knew all the consequences but remained firm. You two were friends. Why would she hurt you that way for no reason?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because she’s embarrassed that I rejected her?” He crossed his arms.

She hesitated. A plausible defense, but, again, without evidence, it didn’t matter. “I’m sorry, Andy. It’s ‘he said, she said.’ I had to report it. It’s HR policy and protection against liability. You know this.”

“Do you believe me?” His gaze bore into hers for an agonizing few seconds, while her thoughts tumbled like a first-time skier. “Wow. Your hesitation tells me all I need to know.”

“I don’t want to believe her, but you didn’t call me last night, either. I have no idea what you did or were thinking.”

“I told you to call me once you got your panties out of a bunch. That’s why I didn’t call.” He shook his head, then strode ahead of her toward Don’s office.

When they arrived, Don gestured toward the chairs. “Andy, I’m sure Nikki has filled you in on the complaint.”

“She did.” He said nothing more.

Nausea continued to churn, burning a hole in her stomach. Andy was pissed at her, but her hands would still be tied, even if she had given him the benefit of the doubt. Still, her doubt had hurt him.

Crap. She’d screwed up.

“Is that it?” Don asked.

“Millie’s lying, but I have no proof. She invited me over to bid on a remodel job for her master bathroom.” Andy shifted a bit, looking down. “Apparently, her real agenda was to resume our past personal relationship. But I don’t dabble with married women, so she kicked me out. That’s it.”

Don nodded, glanced at Nikki, then returned his focus to Andy. “Unfortunately, while I’d like to believe you, I’m in a bind here. I’ve got a client filing a serious charge. This kind of thing can hurt the resort, so I can’t dismiss it. Given that you’re already on probation and we’ve had a prior client complaint, too, I really don’t have a choice. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to let you go. It’s not personal.”

Andy’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t act out. He also didn’t spare Nikki one glance. He merely stood and extended his hand to Don. “I understand. I’ll get my things.”

“Thanks for taking it well. Again, I’m sorry it didn’t work out.” They shook hands, and Andy left without a word to Nikki.

“Finish up the paperwork on this and put it to bed, okay?” Don said.

“Sure.” Nikki hustled out of his office, hoping to catch Andy before he left the building. She saw him near the door and hollered, “Andy, hold up.”

He stopped but kept his eyes on the ground.

“I’m sorry. For all of it. I’m sorry about my attitude yesterday, and I’m sorry that I had to report this to Don.” She reached out for his arm, but he shirked her off.

“I’m used to people thinking the worst of me, Nik. I just didn’t expect you to be one of them.” He took two steps toward the door.

“That’s not fair, Andy. It’s not even true.”

He whirled on her, his green eyes blazing with accusation. “Isn’t it? You doubted me, which means you’re not the friend I thought you were, and this”—he gestured between them—“isn’t what I thought, either. So there’s nothing left to say.”

He turned and punched open the doors, letting the cold air rush inside. Didn’t matter. Her insides had already frozen.

She watched him through the glass as he crossed the patio and disappeared around the corner of the building.

Turning away, she took a deep breath and went to her office, realizing her doubts had more to do with her own insecurities than with a flaw in Andy’s character. That admission, however, couldn’t fix the trust she’d broken.

#

Andy needed to talk to his sister, so he shucked off his ski clothes and boots, tossed them into his car, then drove into town. She told him to meet at Kelsey’s office, where those two were finishing their morning coffee. Avery’s clinic didn’t open until nine, so she still had thirty minutes before her workday began.

Through the plate glass window of Kelsey’s real estate office, he saw them chatting. They were laughing about something, and he almost felt bad for ruining their nice morning with his foul mood.

“Oh, boy,” Avery said as soon as she saw him. She set down her cup. “What the heck happened?”

“I lost my job.” He ran his hand through his hair and relayed the whole sordid story—minus the part about Nikki and his little fling on Christmas night. The fact that he’d thought it had been the beginning of something special proved, once again, how stupid he could be.

“I’m so sorry.” Avery jumped up to hug him. He wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted from his sister and Kelsey, but he didn’t want their pity.

“Bull! That’s what this is.” Kelsey stood and paced around like a Doberman, her loopy blond hair bouncing with each step. “Vindictive little witch. I wish I’d never sold Millie’s husband that home.”

Andy wished that now, too. Millie’s conniving scheme had surprised Andy, but Nikki’s response had surprised him, too. He pictured her face again—the doubt in her eyes—and frowned.

“Problem is, it’s not only the resort job. If this gets out, I can kiss good-bye any plans for a remodeling side business.” Andy sank onto one of the vacated chairs and crossed his ankles.

Kelsey whirled around on him. “Oh, no you won’t. I sell houses and condos every week, and tons of them need work. We’ll make you up some business cards, and then I’ll give them to every client.”

Andy grinned. Thank God for his sister’s friends. They’d never wavered in their support, not even during his darkest days. “That’s nice, Kels, but if this alleged assault leaks, my reputation’s going to take another big hit.” He paused, letting the weight of that settle on him. “I don’t want your reputation caught in the middle of my latest shit storm.”

“Don’t worry about me. This is what friends do, Andy.” She marched over to her computer. “Let’s go online now to design some business cards, and you’ll have them in two days.”

Avery perked up. “I agree with Kelsey. You’ll rebuild, one step at a time. Lean on us for now, and together we move on.”

Andy held up his hands. “Thanks, guys, but maybe it’s time for me to move on elsewhere. I’ve been living under a cloud of suspicion here since the accident. Maybe that’s fair, because what I did was terrible. But I’m sick of having to prove I’ve changed. Of the nasty looks if I order a drink. Now this? People thinking I’m some kind of lech? In a new town, I’ll have a real fresh start.”

“But what about me and the baby?” His sister’s heartbroken expression made him feel loved and guilty at the same time. She’d miss him, even if no one else would.

“I’ll be involved, Ave. I won’t go far, either. Maybe up to Crested Butte or Vail or something.” He tapped his thumbs on the arms of the chair.

“Well, this really stinks.” Avery bit her lip. “I can’t believe Nikki reported you without investigating further. I thought you two were friends.”

He’d thought the same thing an hour ago. The truth was, Nikki had to follow the rules. He could’ve forgiven that, if she’d believed in him. If she’d defended him to Don. He almost told his sister about him and Nikki because she and Kelsey might be able to make sense of it for him. But what would be the point now that he and Nik were through? “She had a job to do.”

“More bull. Too few people value loyalty anymore.” Kelsey shook her head. “Let’s make the business cards up now, then give your sister and me a week to convince you to stay with your tribe. Once you get past this blue mood, you’ll be ready to get to work.”

Andy grinned. Kelsey had always been relentless in her pursuit of everything—friends, business, men. “You say that like you’re giving me a choice, but you’re not, are you?”

“Oh, Andy.” Kelsey made a playful curtsy. “You know me so well.”

“I’m so pissed off,” Avery exclaimed out of nowhere, her face reddening. Her outburst drew wide-eyed looks from Kelsey and him. Avery never swore. Never. Now he could practically see her mind vibrating with some scheme. “There’s got to be a way to bring Millie down.”

“You know I’m not opposed to a little vengeance.” Kelsey almost giggled with glee. “We should call Emma. She’s good at being sneaky.”

Andy snorted. “Emma? Sneaky?”

Kelsey and Avery exchanged a weird look, then Kelsey flicked a hand. “I just meant we three should be able to figure out a way to make Millie a pariah around town.”

“No.” Andy stood. “If you spread gossip or sling mud, then I still get dragged back into the public eye. Given my reputation, people are more likely to believe Millie than me.”

“That little liar is not going to run you out of town.” Avery scowled. “As for work, I’m sure Grey would hire you. You’d be out on the slopes again tomorrow.”

“No, thanks, Ave. Those guys don’t have the margins to hire another instructor without making a sacrifice, and I don’t want my brother-in-law to do me a favor after I mowed him over.” Andy strode to the window and looked out at Main Street. “I need to solve my own problems, one way or another.”

“Andy.” Avery sighed.

“Come on. You know I’m not a backcountry-expedition guy. I don’t have all those avalanche certifications, and that’s not really my passion.” He fell silent—they all fell silent—for a moment. “Maybe I should confront Millie.”

“Even if she confesses to you, what good will that do?” Avery asked.

“Maybe I can record her with my phone,” he mused.

“I like it!” Kelsey clapped. “Ooh, I really like it. Meet her somewhere and, before you get into the discussion, pretend you’ve received a text or something, then turn on the voice recorder.”

Andy’s blood began pounding with the idea of vindication. It might not change his joblessness, but at least he’d have the satisfaction of proving his innocence and embarrassing Millie. That didn’t make him a hero, but neither did being a doormat.