Chapter 11
They rode to The Snow Zone together in the yellow Hummer. “I take it this thing isn’t going to leave us stranded,” she quipped as they wound over the winding road that led to the main area of Maximum Glide and The Snow Zone.
“There wasn’t anything wrong with it last night. Patrick said it didn’t move because I left the emergency brake on.”
Hannah laughed. “That’s a good thing, then.”
“Well, I felt pretty stupid.”
“You’re not stupid, just in an unfamiliar car. I always mess something up when I’m in a rental. Give me my little red Thunderbird any day.”
“You look like you’d own a red car,” Liam said.
“Red’s my favorite color. Isn’t it odd that these ski clothes just so happen to be red? Don’t you find that the least little bit strange?” She needed to know if someone had checked up on her. Maybe Max had contacted Camden, or maybe Grace had. For some silly reason, it mattered to her that whoever put this outfit together knew it would be perfect for her. Had it come from anyone else other than Max, she would have thought the coincidence a bit on the creepy side.
“Wait until you see the skiers on the slopes,” Liam said as they pulled into The Snow Zone’s parking lot. There was only a smattering of trucks and SUVs so early. The slopes didn’t open until nine, so Hannah had a good half hour for Candy Lee to train her on what to do and what not to do. They’d agreed last night that when the shop was empty, Hannah would use the time to continue reading over the applications. Liam had sent her forty-seven, and she’d gone through three of them already. At this rate, she’d be reading them every spare minute she had. She wanted to find out who was stealing from Max and why. She did not like thieves and enjoyed catching them when she had the opportunity.
Liam parked the Hummer next to a black one. “Patrick’s here.” Liam pointed to the Hummer. “Max says he’s the king of Hummers.”
“Good to know,” Hannah replied.
“Yep, it is.”
“As you said, let’s get this show on the road. We’ve got a thief to catch.”
“Hannah, wait a minute,” Liam said. “I know we’re here as professionals, and there isn’t time to . . . play around, but if we have an extra hour or so, would you ski with me? I haven’t skied in years, and I can’t imagine enjoying it with anyone else but you.”
She hated cold weather. Hadn’t she made that clear? She was not cold now. The ski clothes kept her extremely warm. She did not know how to ski, but right now, she was willing to learn. “You know what, Liam McConnell? I detest cold weather and snow, but I’m so warm right now, I am going to have to take you up on your offer. Just to see if this ski stuff really does keep me warm all day.” She was grinning from ear to ear when she spoke, so she was sure Liam knew that she was fine with skiing. “But you need to know: I have no clue how to ski.”
“Listen, I was taught by the best. I’ll show you a couple of moves. If you don’t catch on, we’ll have a hot toddy. Sound reasonable enough to you?”
She wanted to tell him it was the best offer she’d had in years but didn’t want to come off as hard up and desperate. She was just picky, that’s all.
“It sounds like a plan. Now, let’s go introduce ourselves to Candy Lee.”
They were greeted at the main entrance by Patrick. They still had half an hour before the shop opened to the public. “That suit looks great on you,” Patrick said as soon as he saw her.
“I like it. And red is my favorite color,” Hannah said. She was so excited, she just couldn’t keep it out of her voice. She probably sounded like a teenager, but she was happier than she’d been in a very, very long time. And it had something to do with Liam, of that she was sure. Not lust. Well, yes, lust, just not full-fledged, knock-you-down, drag-you-to-bed lust. She didn’t know him that well, and she had never been a bed hopper.
Inside the shop, they were greeted by the pleasant scent of pine mixed with cinnamon and chocolate. Christmas music was playing in the background. A giant spruce was centered in the middle of the store. Hannah walked over to the tree and touched a delicate glass ornament in the shape of a mitten. And it was red, too. She laughed. “This tree is beautiful.”
“I decorated it myself. I do it every year. Or at least every year since I’ve worked here. You must be Hannah, the fashion model. That suit fits you like a glove. You’ll have the guys crawling over you like spit on snow.”
“Candy! For crying out loud, do you always have to be so gross?” Patrick asked.
Hannah and Liam laughed.
“It’s okay, Candy. In my business, I’ve heard much worse,” Hannah informed her.
“And you’ll hear more today, trust me. The ski bums cuss like sailors and the snow bunnies eat it up. Disgusting, don’t you think?”
Again, Hannah laughed. “I promise I won’t be offended and yes, it is disgusting. Now, why don’t you tell me a bit about this ski suit I have on, just in case one of the bums or bunnies asks.”
“Okay, listen up. This particular jacket you’re wearing is one of the latest styles. Made for a woman, girl, whatever, the cut is slim. Some girls really want to show off their figures when they’re skiing or snowboarding. The jacket is lightweight; the insulation is synthetic. It has a great warmth-to-weight ratio, meaning it’ll keep you nice and toasty without all the bulk. You’ll appreciate this when you have to pee, too. Easy to get into and out of. The pants, I meant. They have thigh vents that help to release excess heat.” Candy Lee stopped and smiled at Patrick.
He rolled his eyes. “Knock it off, Candy.”
“That’s what it says on the label, trust me. I have it memorized. Basically, all you need to do is shake your booty a bit, smile, and leave all the details to me.”
Hannah let out a deep sigh. “It’s been awhile since I’ve flirted, but I’ll do my best. Now, is there someplace I can set up my laptop so I can do a little brain work when I’m not shaking my booty?” Hannah asked.
“In the office; I cleaned the desk for you. It was covered with empty donut boxes and People magazines. I can’t imagine what Stephanie would say if she saw how messy her office was.” Patrick narrowed his gaze at Candy Lee.
“I’ve been too busy to clean up. By the way, some man keeps calling here for Stephanie. He’s rude, too. I told him she was away on maternity leave, but he keeps calling anyway.”
Patrick, Liam, and Hannah instantly became alert.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” Patrick asked.
“Men call here for Stephanie all the time, Patrick, you should know that by now. Just because she married you doesn’t mean other men don’t find her attractive. I’m still trying to figure out what she saw in you.”
“Enough, Candy, and I mean it. This isn’t the time or the place. You know we’ve had some serious theft going on here. If Max hadn’t vouched for your character and honesty, Hannah and Liam would probably be running a background check on you right now.”
Candy’s mouth dropped open like a treasure chest. “Do you think I have something to do with all this theft, Patrick? Because if you do, I am quitting right this very second. You really are an asshole, you know that!”
“Candy, wait!” Patrick called out, but she was already heading for the back of the store.
“I shouldn’t have said that. Candy Lee is one of the best employees we have. Excuse me while I go to apologize.”
“Don’t bother, I heard you,” Candy Lee called out from the back of the store. “I’m telling Max, too, just so you know,” she said as she made her way back to the front of the store.
“Seriously, Candy Lee, tell me about this man you said was calling Stephanie.”
“Yes, you should. It might be something, or not,” Hannah said as kindly as possible. The young girl’s feelings had been hurt. She felt bad for her and would try to make it up to her later. Patrick was a bit of an asshole, but she knew he was good at his job. His relationship with Candy Lee was rough, but one could tell that they really did like each other. At least that was Hannah’s current assessment of the situation.
Liam whipped out his ever-present iPad. “Can you remember how long ago this particular man began calling?”
Candy Lee took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. It was a calming technique Hannah recognized.
“About a month ago. I remember because he called like three times in one day. He was rude, but then I got rude back, and he started acting all ass-kissy with me. I tried to explain to him that I didn’t know when Stephanie was coming back to work. She’d just had a son, I told him. She wants to spend as much time with her baby and the girls as possible. He hung up on me that time.”
“I’ll get the phone records, though I doubt it will do any good,” Hannah said. “Unless you can be as specific as possible with dates and times.”
“He usually calls in the morning, that much I know. Right after we open. I think he’s probably some perv who saw Stephanie in the shop and is getting his kicks by calling all the time.”
“Okay, it’s time to open up. Candy Lee, you make sure to show Hannah the ropes. If anyone, and I mean anyone, lays a finger on her while she’s prancing around, she has Max’s and my permission to knock the shit out of him.” Patrick grinned at Candy Lee, and she grinned back.
“Can I add a punch, too?” she asked eagerly.
“If you have to. What I need from you more than anything is to monitor the phone. If this guy calls, I want you to write down the exact time he called, and look at the caller ID. Shit, why didn’t I think of that?” Patrick asked.
“I already did. It comes up as a private number,” Candy informed them.
“Then I’ll need you to record the exact time. Try to remember exactly what he says. Get a feel for him; ask him a question. Come on to him if you have to, or say something to piss the guy off. His tongue might loosen a bit,” Patrick indicated.
“He’s right, Candy,” Hannah said. “Try to get friendly with him, see what he says. Now, I’m going to set up in the back office. Patrick, you want to show me around?”
Hannah hated walking out of the room without telling Liam ’bye, or see you later, but the doors opened, and a crowd of skiers piled in.
And they were all wearing red ski suits.