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Maybe he’d call his folks tomorrow and let them know he was at least here in Colorado, even if he’d missed having Christmas with them. He wished he could figure out a way to get up to Casper to see them. Both brothers and their families would be going home the first of January, the same day this group was scheduled to return to Washington.
There were times when he envied his brothers their normal lives. Times like tonight, when he had too much time to think about the roads not taken. Ron was a good example of how the opposing pull of work and family could tear a man apart. Most of the time Nick refused to allow himself to think about what he could have had.
It was a waste of energy. He had a hunch it was his strong attraction to Ashley Sullivan that had him fantasizing about a wife and family. He smiled to himself. He certainly didn’t have to worry about that fantasy coming true.
The woman disliked him too much to ever consider a relationship with him. Therefore, she was one temptation that would be easy to resist.
Chapter 4
Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Tuesday, December 29
“They sound like a bunch of birds up there, don’t they?” Ron said, seated across the table from Nick. It was early morning. The two men had already finished their first pot of coffee and were working on a second one.
Nick glanced up from his serious study of the steam slowly rising from his coffee. He’d never been one for early-morning conversations. Thank God Ron seemed to share his aversion. This was the first time either of them had spoken in the hour they had been sitting there.
“Birds?” He turned his head slightly, trying to focus his mind on the present. After a moment he smiled. “Sounds like a herd of elephants trampling around, if you ask me.”
Ron grinned, his teeth flashing in his dark face. “No, I mean in how it was quiet for so long and then…” He shrugged his shoulders, settling back into the com fort ably padded banquette that formed a U around the large table. “I guess I was reminded of the times as a kid when my dad used to take us camping.” His gaze softened as his thoughts turned inward. “We’d wake up before dawn. I can remember being amazed at how still everything was. I’d lie there listening and watching as the sky gradually lightened. Then I’d hear sounds of rustling in the bushes. Finally there would be the sound of a lone bird—just one—and it was as though his call was the signal for everything out there. The whole area would suddenly be alive with all kinds of bird noises and songs.”
Ron glanced out the kitchen window. Nick followed his gaze and noticed that the sun was, indeed, peeking between the mountains.
Ron went on. “The house was quiet this morning, neither of us talking, and then I heard a voice speak softly upstairs. As though that was a signal, all of them began talking at once, just like birds in the wild.”
They were sitting in companionable silence when Trish bounced into the room.
“Mornin’.” The jeans she had on today were even tighter than those she’d worn on the plane yesterday. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving. Is there anything to eat in this place?”
“There’s some fruit and a few snacks, but nothing substantial,” Nick replied. “I suppose I could do a run for groceries, or we can all just go over to the lodge for their buffet.”
“Oh, that sounds even better. No cooking, no cleaning. I’m all for that.” She reached for a cup. “Thank God there’s coffee.”
Ron chuckled. “Nick had made a pot by the time I woke up this morning.”
She turned from filling her cup and gave Nick a very sultry smile. “You are definitely my kind of guy,” she said in a throaty voice.
Ashley appeared in the doorway. “Yours and a dozen other women’s, I’m sure,” she said sweetly. “I bet they all line up for a chance to be with our noble protector, don’t they, Nick?”
She was dressed for the slopes, her red jacket unzipped to reveal a snug-fitting black turtle neck sweater. He had to admit that the color was very flattering with her hair and skin coloring.
“Not so I’ve ever noticed,” Nick replied dryly.
Trish spoke up. “We’re going for the breakfast buffet. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it?”
Ashley shrugged. “I don’t care. I just want to get outside for some serious skiing.”
Nick stood, pulling his jacket off the back of his chair. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
She rolled her eyes. “Look, you don’t have to be so diligent in your duties, you know. Nothing’s going to happen to me between here and the ski area.”
“You’re right about that.” He slid his arms into his jacket, pulled his cap down around his ears and removed his sun shades from his pocket. “Let’s go.”
“Hey, wait for me,” Trish said, hurriedly finishing her coffee. “I’ll come back to change clothes after breakfast.”
Ron stood and shrugged into his coat. “breakfast sounds good to me, too. Guess I’ll join you.”
“Oh, great,” Ashley said. “Am I going to walk in with each of you holding one of my hands?”
Nick looked at Ron. “Now there’s a thought. Maybe we should—”
“Don’t even think about it!” she retorted, and stormed out the front door. Trish went to get her coat.
Ron followed Nick down the front steps of the chalet. “I think you enjoy setting her off, don’t you?”
Nick shook his head. “Not particularly. I’m just not going to play her little games. She’s acting like a spoiled brat. If she wants to get her nose out of joint every time I do my job, then she’s going to have a really silly-looking face. In the meantime, I will do my job, with or without her cooperation.”
Ashley strode along the paved road that led to the lodge several feet ahead of them. Trish was content to walk along beside them, chattering about all kinds of things. Nick tuned her out.
Ron finally interrupted by asking, “Did you tell the others where we’re going?”
Trish tossed her head. “They’re all grown-ups. If they get hungry enough, they’ll figure out where the food is.”
Uh-oh, Nick thought. A little dissension in the ranks already. What a fun day this was shaping up to be.
As soon as they walked into the lodge, the savory scents of ham, bacon and hot syrup wafted toward them.
Once Ashley filled a plate, she headed for a table for two located in one of the corners, hoping that Trish was right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Nick was already moving toward a table nearby. She gave a silent sigh of relief.
She was going to have to get a grip on her emotions, that was all there was to it. She knew she was acting like an adolescent and there was no excuse for her behavior. What was it about the man that set her nerves to screaming whenever she was anywhere around him?
Her behavior wasn’t due to the fact that there were Secret-Service men with them. She actually enjoyed Ron and his quiet sense of humor. Somehow she had to get over her irrational dislike of Nick Logan. She just wished she knew how.
“What do you have against Nick?” Trish suddenly asked, sitting down across from her. “You’ve been on his case ever since we got here.”
Ashley rubbed her forehead with her fingers, feeling the hint of a headache looming. “I don’t know, Trish. I honestly don’t. He just rubs me the wrong way, that’s all.”
Trish grinned. After taking a big bite of her food and chewing it, she carefully swallowed before saying, “I really don’t think I’d care which way he rubbed me, as long as he was interested in trying.”
“Yeah, right. We both know you’re all talk and no action…so why the siren routine?”
Trish didn’t answer right away. Ashley continued to eat and was taken aback when Trish finally responded by saying, “I didn’t know Joe was coming on this trip to be with Erin.”
After a moment Ashley responded, “I think we all came to ski, Trish. That’s what this trip is about, isn’t it?”
Trish sighed. “I came because I thought if I was in a small enough group with him, Joe would finally notice me.”
Ashley studied her friend’s woebegone face. “Oh, Trish, I’m sorry,” she said in a quiet voice. “I had no idea you felt that way.”
Trish sighed and continued eating. In a moment she said, “As long as Joe doesn’t know, I guess I’ll survive. You could have thrown me into a crocodile pit and I probably wouldn’t have noticed yesterday when Joe said he and Erin would share a room. I was totally freaked.”
“But would you have shared a room with him?”
“Are you crazy? Of course not! I’m not going to bed with some guy just because—” She stopped her tirade and shrugged her shoulders. “I just didn’t think this was going to be a trip about sex.”
“It isn’t. It’s about skiing.”
“For you, maybe.”
“For me, definitely. Do you think my dad would have agreed to let me come if he’d thought I’d be sharing a room with some guy?” She made a face, hoping to lighten Trish’s mood a little.
Trish chuckled. “He doesn’t have to worry about you, not with two chaperones following you everywhere you go.” She nibbled on a piece of toast before adding, “Wow. I just realized. That could really cramp your social life if you were seriously involved with someone.”
“Tell me about it. I’ll probably end up single for the rest of my life.”
Trish gave her a devilish grin. “Either that, or have an affair with one of your guardians.” She glanced over at the other table where Ron and Nick were eating. “If I were in your place, I would definitely be tempted.”
Ashley replied, “Ron’s just getting over a painful divorce. I don’t think he’s ready for another relationship anytime soon.”
“Not Ron, you idiot! Nick. I bet he could teach you all kinds of things.”
“The thing is, Trish, I think you’re supposed to like the guy before you decide to have an affair with him. At least that’s always been my take on the matter.”
“What’s not to like? Don’t you just adore his eyes? And the way he looks at you, as though he can read your very soul? Not to mention that body? Sometimes I have this urge to walk up and just stroke his backside in unabashed admiration, you know what I mean?”
Unfortunately Ashley had just taken a sip of coffee when Trish nonchalantly threw that suggestion at her. She almost choked when the liquid went down the wrong way at her gasp.
“Trish!” she finally was able to hiss, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Well, it’s the truth. I’m not really into body building and stuff like that, but I have to admit that I’ve wondered what that man would look like in the buff. I have a hunch he would be all burnished muscle and sinewy strength.” The expression she got on her face was embarrassingly dreamy.
“Could we change the subject now?” she asked, with more than a hint of annoyance.
“Sure.” Trish waved to someone and Ashley glanced around. Joe, Derek and Craig had just walked into the room. Trish jumped up. “I’ll go see what happened to Erin. See you later.”
Ashley took the opportunity to make her escape. She gave a brief wave to the others before she hurried toward the door. She would return to the chalet long enough to gather her skis and poles before she headed up the mountain.
Just as she reached out to push on the door, a masculine arm reached past her shoulder, swinging it open for her. She didn’t have to look around to know that Nick Logan had joined her.
This was just great. She wouldn’t be able to look at him without thinking of Trish’s ridiculous comments. She glanced over her shoulder at him and forced herself to smile.
“Thank you.”
His expression didn’t change. Since he’d placed his sunglasses over his eyes, she couldn’t visually gauge his reaction to her politeness, but his answer came readily enough. “Don’t waste your breath, Ms. Sullivan. No one else is around to hear it.”
It was that very trait that she found so offensive. She was trying to be nice, for heaven’s sake. His response was to be sarcastic.
She decided to retreat into silence.
Even that wasn’t good enough.
“Yeah, that’s much better,” he drawled, matching his steps to hers. “I’m familiar with your silent sulks.”
She would not dignify his sniping with a reply. Not even one.
They gathered their equipment and returned to the ski area.
There were eager skiers everywhere this morning. Clouds were beginning to form just above the mountains to the northwest of them. From the looks of things, it could be snowing by noon. If there was a storm coming, she wanted to be off the slopes before it hit.
“Hey, guys, wait up.”
Derek and Craig hurried toward them, carrying their equipment. “What’s the hurry, Ashley?” Craig asked. “Couldn’t you have waited another few minutes for the rest of us? I thought this was a group experience.”
She could feel her face heating up. “I’m sorry, Craig. I guess I wasn’t thinking.” She glanced toward the darkening sky. “I didn’t want to miss out on skiing today, and those clouds are certainly beginning to look threatening.”
Nick nudged her. “Here comes our ride,” he said, suddenly lifting her onto the seat and swinging around to sit on the other side of the bar. Ashley was so startled that she almost lost her poles. She looked back and saw Derek and Craig putting on their skis.
“That was rude,” she muttered. “We could have waited for them.”
“Yes, we could have. However, if you’re serious about getting some ski time in today, we needed to get moving. This may be our only chance before the storm hits.”
She frowned. “Not necessarily. I’ve skied when it was snowing. There’s no reason to—”
“Do you enjoy arguing, or is it just with me? You find fault with everything I say.”
“I just find you unnecessarily rude, that’s all. This is supposed to be a fun trip, but you’ve certainly managed to take all the fun out of it…for all of us!”
A burst of swirling snow blew past them, and she ducked her head to get away from the stinging spray.
“I had no idea I had enough power to ruin six people’s vacation time. Damn, but I’m good.”
When she looked at him he was staring ahead of them, watching their progress up the mountain. “Is that supposed to be funny?”
He still didn’t look at her. “I should hope not. I’m the guy with no sense of humor.”
Ashley had never felt so much animosity toward another person in all her life. If she’d thought she could do it, she would have shoved him off the lift right then and there.
They reached the top of the lift. She got herself ready and eased off, moving through the snow. Only then did she realize that the gusts of snow-laden air blowing around her were not recirculating snow that had already fallen. This was new stuff coming down, growing thicker by the moment.
“Let’s go,” Nick said brusquely.
“I’m waiting for Derek and Craig. They’ll be here shortly.”
“Ashley—”
She looked away from him. “If you’re nervous about the weather, go ahead. I’ll meet you at the lodge.” When he didn’t say anything, she casually turned her head and looked at him. She was a little alarmed by how fast the snow was falling. He was covered by snow and she was already having a little trouble seeing him. His expression was blurred. She adjusted her goggles and looked around.
There they were! Craig and Derek joined them. “Joe had the right idea. He said he was going to wait to see what this weather was going to do. I don’t like this at all,” Derek said with more than a hint of uneasiness.
