A Snow Covered Nightmare: Refuge Series Book Two by Debbie Zello (22)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Monday morning, Briah stood leaning against her car with her head raised. The powdery snowflakes fell on her face and eyelashes like feathers. She stood there for several minutes savoring the feeling. It was one of her many loves of winter. She was so engrossed in her pleasure that she hadn’t noticed the car parked down the road, nor the one parked even further down the road. She broke her trance and got into her car for the short drive to the mountain.

Aiden started his car as soon as she pulled out of her driveway. He pulled out a discrete distance behind her, following close enough not lose sight of her, yet far enough to not arouse her suspicion.

Roland never even turned his car on. He simply took out his phone and dialed. After a few rings he heard, “Ghost.”

“Yeah. Her tail got younger and in better shape. This one has cop or Fed written all over him. I can’t figure out why they are watching her. I know I haven’t been made and I know she doesn’t know they’re here either.”

“And how do you know that?” the voice asked.

“She keeps putting herself at risk, for one. The tail thinks he’s the only one here. He’s so fixated on watching her, I could walk right up to him and he wouldn’t even know I was coming.”

“Then take him out.”

“Nah, he isn’t going to be a problem. Why waste a good bullet? I’m going to take her out right in front of him. He won’t see it coming and he won’t be able to stop me,” Roland said grinning.

“You scare me, Ghost; you take too much pleasure in your work.”

“It’s a good thing for you that I do. You have been keeping me very happy, Boss. Just don’t run out of snitches,” he said hanging up. Roland started the car and slowly pulled out. He wasn’t in any hurry. He knew right where they were headed.

Briah turned into the parking lot and parked in her usual spot at the far end of the lot. This early in the morning, there were just a few cars there. Mostly the night crew that cleaned and restocked shelves. Briah was usually the first one that arrived for the day shift.

Again, she didn’t notice the car that pulled in a few seconds after she had begun walking to the front door. The man behind the wheel watched her every move with a small smile on his face.

Aiden had all he could do fighting the urge to grab her, kiss her, and take her right there in the lot. He knew it would not be that easy to ask her to forgive him. To explain to her why he’d acted the way he had. To tell her why he let her just walk out of his life like that. If he could get her to stay long enough to give him a chance to explain, it would be a miracle.

Briah got into the rental shop and began her usual morning activities of checking the reservations for the day. She began gathering the equipment and placing it in the appropriate slots for the customers.

She checked the boots toe and heel lugs for wear, as well as making sure each buckle closed properly. She could guess, fairly accurately, the size ski that would be needed by the size of the boot. The larger the boot the longer the ski. She checked that the bindings worked properly before standing them up with the boots. Lastly, she grabbed a pair of poles and checked them. Placing them next to the skis.

This was going to be a very busy week at the mountain. Every holiday or school vacation was exceedingly busy. Stowe was very close to Canada and only a four to five-hour drive from the lower New England states, so it was a favorite ski destination.

Briah finished the reservations and went to the ski shop next door to check on the day’s deliveries. Once she had made sure that everything was in order, it was time for her first run of the day.

She entered the locker room to change. First, she moisturized her skin, as it was very dry this morning. The cold wind would further dry her out so she thought she would fix it before it became a problem. Then she dressed in her usual Underarmor, ski pants, and turtleneck. Grabbing her jacket, hat, goggles and gloves she headed towards the door. As she opened the door, Caitlyn came in saying, “Cherie, just the person I need to talk to.”

“Well, and good morning to you Caitlyn.” Briah said, smiling.

“I’m sorry, yes, good morning.”

“What can I do for you?” Briah asked as she stopped walking.

“Next Wednesday, I’m going to need the afternoon off. My mom has an important doctor’s appointment and I want to go with her. Can I come in early and leave around two?”

“As long as you can get things set up and check the trails before we open.”

“Yes, I can do that, thank you,” Caitlyn said.

“Okay. I’ll come in later and stay later to clean up. So, next Wednesday, right?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“No problem. Have a good day,” Briah said walking out.

“You too!” Caitlyn called after her.

Briah took the lift to the summit, looking down and around the entire climb. The trails were covered with a light snow that had fallen overnight. Now and then, she could see the footprints of the animals that lived in the hills and valleys surrounding her new home. She smiled at her realization that this had become her home. She felt a connection to it and actually loved living here.

Briah checked a number of the trails riding up three times before lastly stopping at the board to write that the trails were powdery and fast. The less groomed trails were even more difficult than usual because they were less traveled and had a thin layer of ice that had formed. Her posts completed she went to the ski patrol office to see who would be in that day.

The good thing about it being a holiday week was that the college and High School kids the resort employed were on vacation as well. So she had no problem with filling her schedule. The college kids wouldn’t be going back until the end of January. That meant for the next few weeks she had plenty of coverage for the shifts.

The day passed with the usual smattering of injuries. It was a good day when they didn’t have to call the ambulance. The resort was moderately full today. Saturday and Sunday were usually made of mostly local people skiing. The visitors came and went on the weekends. It took them a day to arrive and settle and a day to pack and leave.

Mondays were ordinarily the first busy day. This week, with Christmas on Friday, it would become increasingly crowded as the week progressed. For the employees of the resort, there was no such thing as having holidays off. Holidays were their busiest days because everyone else was off.

Briah tried to work the schedule so that the employees that had children could come in late on Christmas Day and leave early on the night before. Trading that with the people who didn’t have children so they could get out early on New Year’s Eve and come in late on New Year’s Day. Because she was the manager, she took the hours no one wanted.

After working through her lunch again and cleaning up after everyone, it was well after dark before she left to go home. She had a crick in her neck from looking at the keyboard as she typed out her orders for the first of the year deliveries. Sadly, she never learned to type all that well even though she had worked as a secretary for the last few years. She was a two-finger typist.

Briah hadn’t noticed the man standing at the car parked two rows in front of hers. She was stretching her neck and shoulders as she walked. She had several folders in her arms. Time sheets and other work to do once she got home.

She walked between the cars three spots away from him. He stood there watching, but said nothing. Briah got to her car and opened the passenger side to put her homework and purse on the seat beside her. She shut the door and faced in the direction of the man. He straightened up from his place leaning against the car.

Now she saw his form as he began to walk slowly towards her. Her sense of fear rose and she quickened her pace around her car to the driver’s side. She fumbled with her keys dropping them in the snow. She bent down to try to grab them but in the dimly lit parking lot, she couldn’t immediately locate them.

Panic was setting in as her heart was pounding and she could taste adrenalin mixed with terror. She began to yank open the car door figuring she would get in, lock the doors, and lay on the horn. If he had a gun it wouldn’t matter, she would be dead, but if he didn’t, someone might hear her and come to her aid. As the door opened, she heard, “Briah don’t be afraid. It’s me, Aiden.” She knew that voice. She stood still, not breathing as he came closer.

She placed her hands on the top of the door to brace herself as she faced the car. Aiden came up behind her and stood a few inches from her. She could feel his warmth on her back. Just as he had when they were in bed as he spooned behind her. “May I touch you, Briah?” She swallowed hard.

“I don’t think that is a good idea, Aiden,” she said as the tears she had fought off for months began to cloud her eyes.

“I more than deserve that. I just want to touch your shoulders. You’re shaking and I want to help settle you,” he said quietly. She could feel his breath on her cheek. She didn’t say anything because speaking was difficult. She just nodded her head.

Aiden took a deep breath and stepped right against her placing his hands on her shoulders. Briah leaned back and accepted his touch. Aiden took his left arm and wrapped it around her shoulder pulling her directly against him. Briah’s head fell backward against him and he smiled for the first time in a very long time.

Briah turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around him. He closed her into his embrace, finally taking another breath. “I’m not forgiving you, Aiden. I’m just so relived you’re not some assassin, hell bent on killing me.”

“I’m not asking that you forgive me just yet. Can we get out of the cold and maybe go somewhere so we can talk?” he asked holding her.

“You can follow me back to my house. We can talk there,” she said looking up at his face. Crap, she thought, it was the same beautiful face she had fallen in love with.

“You’ll let me in your house?” he said continuing to smile.

“I’m not afraid of you. I know you would never physically hurt me.”

“Ouch, I guess I deserved that too. Are you sure you can drive? We could take my car and leave yours here.”

“No, I can drive. I have to work tomorrow and I’ll need to drive here,” she said turning back to open the door. Aiden gave her room to get in and then walked back to his car. He thought, in the grand scheme of things, that had gone well for him. She could have run him over with her car. He got in, started the car, and pulled in behind her.

Roland watched the whole reunion scene unfold in front of him. He thought it was very touching and sweet. Naturally, the two ex-lovebirds were so engrossed in each other that neither one of them noticed their audience of one. He didn’t know who the man was but it was obvious to him that she did. He took his phone out and dialed. “Widow-maker, how goes it?”

“Real funny, jackass. Put him on,” Roland growled into the phone.

“You can’t even take a joke.”

“Let me know when you tell one and I might laugh,” Roland said listening to the shuffling noises as the phone was handed off.

“Is she dead?” the very familiar voice said.

“Not yet. I was going to take her out tonight but her shadow got in the way. Turns out they are close.”

“How so?”

“They were hugging by her car. I’m thinking I’m not the only one that has found her. She may have had a boyfriend or something. Anyway, he might be a problem. You may get two for the price of one, boss. I’m calling to see if that’s okay.”

“I would prefer to have it look like an accident still. But if you have no choice, do what needs doing. We’ll deal with the consequences after.”

“I’ll do what I can, sir. It will be over in the next few days.”