Harte's Peak Read online

  “Both of you mind your own business. Now Ryan, tell me all about this contest.”

  He had no idea why she would want to enter the tournament. And she had no clue what kind of competition she’d be up against.

  “It might be too late to enter,” he stalled. “Any amateur that isn’t already ranked will have to qualify with their time before the tournament.”

  “Either you tell me, or I’ll ask Kyle when he comes in. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to talk about it. Might give him a chance to talk about himself, too.”

  Ryan sighed. “Fine. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

  Vera came from behind the counter and sat down at an empty table as she waved for Ryan to join her. “How can I enter?”

  “Whoa, let’s talk about this. When’s the last time you skied?”

  “What does that matter?”

  “You can’t be serious. Do you even remember the last time?”

  “I grew up skiing. My dad took us every year.”

  “That’s nice, but family vacations don’t make you a skier. Did you know I ran the pro ski circuit before I became a deputy?”

  “Did you?”

  “Maybe I could enter and try to place. It’s been a long time and even I’d have to qualify again. It’s a long shot for me, too, but I have a better chance. If I win, and that’s a big ‘if,’ I’ll give you the money.” Even as he said the words, his body tensed. He hadn’t been on the slopes since the accident.

  Twenty-five thousand dollars was a lot of money and she obviously needed it, although he wasn’t sure why. Still, she had to be desperate to consider this and too proud to admit she needed the money. And even though the thought of getting back up on skis caused him to break out in a sweat, he’d do it for her. It would all come back to him.

  She seemed to consider it for a nanosecond and then shook her head. “No. I don’t need your charity. I can ski the slopes myself.”

  “Be reasonable. Even if you make a qualifying time, you’ll be up against someone like Kyle who does this for a living.” Why was she so stubborn? And why on earth did she need that much money?

  “That’s fine, I don’t scare easily.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that.” He sighed. “Do you have all your equipment?”

  “I have it all somewhere at my house.”

  Great. Any skier who couldn’t locate their equipment at a moment’s notice wouldn’t be ready for a tournament like this. “I’ll check out your equipment and make sure everything’s in working order. I’ll help you with that unless you consider it charity. I wouldn’t want to offend you.”

  “Actually, I probably need a coach. Maybe some refresher lessons.” She nodded.

  At last, some logic from her. “We can go the slopes day after tomorrow. I’m not working, and I can see if there is anything in particular you need to work on.”

  “Thanks. I do appreciate this.” She smiled.

  His pulse quickened. “It’s no big deal.”

  “One more thing. What does it cost to enter?”

  He leveled a stare at her. “Five hundred dollars.”

  “Five—hundred?” Vera bit her lower lip.

  “I can lend it to you.”

  Vera was obviously in some kind of financial bind. He didn’t think she’d resort to this, no matter how competitive her nature.

  “What makes you think I need you to lend it to me? I’ve got it.” She turned and went back behind the counter.

  But she wasn’t fooling him.

  While he trained her, he’d get to the bottom of the real problem one way or another.

  

  Snow. Three feet of fresh snow was expected by day’s end, and Ryan imagined the usual traffic complications that went along with it. The skiers, including Kyle, who spent their days on the ski slopes in preparation for the tournament, would welcome it. Ryan had heard plenty of complaints about the hard-packed snow giving way to more injuries than normal.

  He threw a pair of chains in his truck and drove to Vera’s home to assess her ski equipment. Although he’d at times envied people who lived in her sterling neighborhood, the past year had taught him that appearances were often deceiving. The homes had lost more than half their value and for anyone who was forced to leave the area it meant the loss of a small fortune.

  He’d been praying that she would see the error of entering this type of tournament, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to talk Vera out of her harebrained idea. Best to be nearby to help when she fell in the cold, wet snow or broke a nail and reconsidered.

  As he pulled up to her home, Vera stood in the open garage sorting through boxes. An older foreign sedan looked out of place in the driveway, and Vera’s fancy car was nowhere in sight.

  “Let me help you with that.” He grabbed a box just out of her reach and handed it to her.

  “I think my boots might be in here.” She opened the box and began rummaging through it.

  “Whose car is that?” Ryan pointed to the vehicle.

  “Mine.”

  “What happened to your other car?” He regretted his words as the truth hit him. She’d downsized. A smart thing to do if she had money trouble, but it must have been difficult.

  “Maybe I’m tired of you chasing me down and giving me speeding tickets. I figured if I got a slower car, I’d be better off.” She shrugged as though it were no big deal and his heart clenched. Everyone in town knew how much Vera loved that car.

  “Smart move.”

  He helped her to locate and stack her outdated equipment. She couldn’t compete with what she had. Still, they’d be worth trying out on the slopes. He didn’t want her to stress about spending any money. If nothing else, his old equipment would be better than what she owned.

  “Are you sure I can’t talk you out of this?” He grew increasingly worried about Vera on the slopes with amateurs who were one race away from qualifying on the pro circuit. She wasn’t anywhere in their league. And worse, she could get seriously injured.

  “You ought to know better than that by now. Besides, isn’t it usually me doing the talking? Out of speeding tickets and such?”

  “You are pretty good at that. I guess I could use some lessons from you in that department.”

  “Sure. After you help me with this ski tournament.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  Now, if he could only convince her to let him know what was going on instead of her risking life and limb for the purse. Lord, I’m going to need Your help here.

  4

  Only expert skiers were aware that one of the top-rated resorts in the country stood outside Harte’s Peak. Dodge Ridge Ski Lodge was one of the best kept secret of the Sierras, with its expert trails and a fully implemented ski school. A little something for everyone.

  And one of the reasons Ryan had landed here several years ago. When he’d abandoned the competitive ski tour, the desire to be in the mountains had never quite left. Of course, flying down them at high rates of speed was another story. But these hills—the trails—represented a past from which he couldn’t hide.

  Ryan scoped out the skiers dotting the hills wearing black, white, and the range of rainbow colored parkas. Clearly, Kyle was not the only one who had arrived early. By the looks of the money spent on equipment alone, Vera should be worried. And now he was apprehensive, too.

  And not only about Vera. Uncomfortable memories of the last time he’d skied pricked his mind, but after all this time there should be no reason he couldn’t get back up on a pair. At one time, the sport had been second only to breathing. He shook off the worry that anyone could take away the peace he’d found. Not Kyle, and certainly not sliding down these mountains.

  Vera waited for him outside the check-in, all suited up with her competitor lift ticket displayed on her pink and black jacket. “You showed up.”

  “What did you expect?” The thought that she’d entertained the notion that he might not even show up for their first training less
on stung.

  “I don’t know. I thought maybe it was a line.” She bit her lip.

  “That’s not me.” He stared at her. “Not anymore.”

  “All right, I apologize.” She shrugged.

  Sure, there was a time when he would have done or said anything to spend time with a pretty woman. Those days were gone. Sooner or later, everyone would get the message, even Vera. He reminded himself to be patient.

  He was here to show Vera part of that change and even though her blue eyes reminded him of the San Francisco Bay, it would have no effect on his ability to teach her. This would be a strictly teacher-student relationship.

  “So did you sign up yet?” Ryan glanced in the direction of the contest headquarters. A sign announced that the deadline to enter was in two days.

  “I’m about to do that now. I called ahead and they agreed to waive my entrance fee.”

  “How’d you do that?”

  “Business. I’m a member of the Chamber and I agreed to serve as secretary for the next year. It’s the hardest position to fill.”

  Ryan nodded. Vera apparently had a real knack for negotiating.

  Chip, a local teenager, stood behind the counter for sign-ups and recognized Ryan right away. “You entering?”

  “Not me.” He turned to Vera.

  “Huh. Hello,” Chip said, gawking. The kid was eighteen and one of the many who seemed to lose the power of speech around Vera. “Uh, here.” Chip reached for a clipboard, but it fell out of his hands. He bent down to pick it up off the floor and gazed at Vera with a lopsided grin. “Sorry.”

  Vera reached for the clipboard and filled out the paper work. “This sure is a lot of information you need. Do I also have to give you a blood sample?”

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Chip put up his hands.

  “She’s kidding,” Ryan said. “I think.”

  “Of course I am.” Vera laughed. “I’ll need dinner before I give any blood.”

  Chip laughed loudly. “I never knew you were funny.”

  Containing the eye roll, Ryan steered Vera toward the ski lifts.

  With his own lift ticket pinned, Ryan suggested the bunny hill. It would be far away from the competitors and they’d have some privacy for some refresher lessons.

  “No way. Are you purposely trying to embarrass me? I haven’t been on the bunny hill since I was ten.”

  “Let’s be reasonable. We’d be out of their way while we go over a few things.”

  “I don’t want to be out of their way.”

  “You might rethink that. Have you taken a look at your competition?” He glanced pointedly in that direction.

  “But you haven’t seen what I can do yet.” Vera’s blue eyes pierced into him.

  “Have it your way. Let’s start with the moderate hill. I’ll ride along with you and check out your form.” In the next moment he hoped she realized he meant her agility and not her long and shapely legs. He’d barely noticed those. C’mon, Ryan, stop second guessing your every word.

  The first few minutes and he was already annoyed with her. The word stubborn came to mind. His nerves pricked like a sharp blade and bickering with Vera would help nothing.

  They headed toward the ski lift.

  Kyle was there with a large group. Some would have called it an entourage. Kyle never seemed to be alone.

  “Hey, Ryan, what are you doing here? Did you change your mind?” Kyle yelled from the front of the line.

  “He’s helping me,” Vera answered.

  “Helping you do what?” Kyle raised his eyebrows.

  “She’s entering the tournament.” Ryan wished he could wipe that smirk off Kyle’s face. That Kyle would be highly favored to win didn’t change the fact that he could use a speck of humility, apparently still a foreign concept to the man.

  “How long have you skied?” Kyle asked.

  “About twenty years, give or take,” she snapped.

  “Huh, well you ought to be pretty good, then.” Kyle grinned.

  “I am.” Vera smiled.

  Kyle eyed Vera like a wolf would a lone rabbit.

  After some instruction and reminders to control speed with the wedge, Vera was ready for a first run.

  “All right, show me what you got. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Vera started, and he pushed off after her.

  His knees buckled almost immediately, and his vision blurred. Maybe this hadn’t been such a great idea. He let out a breath and struggled for focus. Get back on the edge. That precipice he’d thrived on was now accompanied with much more than a quickened heart beat and a surge of adrenaline. This time his heart pounded, and he broke out in a sweat even as the cold wind whipped across his face.

  He could do this.

  He didn’t want to be the kind of man he used to be when he’d ridden the competitive trails. That man hadn’t known the Lord, and he sure hadn’t cared much about people. Only winning.

  He slowed down to observe Vera critically since this wasn’t his race. That reminder steadied him, and he got his legs back. While her ski skills were not at the beginner level, in comparison to the others flying down the hill and catching air, he still had reason for concern.

  Vera, a vision in pink and black against the white snowy back drop, whipped down the hill. She was fast all right, in a way that worried the heck out of him but didn’t surprise him in the slightest. Vera the Speedster.

  The control, or lack of it, was another matter. She wobbled on her skis and at times looked like she’d face plant at any minute. The loss of control at those speeds could be disastrous. He considered that he might still be able to talk her out of this idea if he could only find the right words.

  They met at the bottom of the slope. “That was pretty good, but—”

  “But what?” Vera frowned.

  “There’s always room for improvement.”

  “Why, officer, what did you have in mind?” Her tone was light, teasing.

  “You’re fast all right, but you need better control.” She needed to take this seriously.

  “Better control? You don’t think I can handle myself?” Her voice rose in protest.

  “Are you here to learn or argue with me?” The girl had no fear, and he considered offering her some of his own. Accidents did happen on the slopes, and she’d do well to remember it.

  She shrugged. “Fine. Show me.”

  Ryan tried to find an example in the skiers on the slope. He pointed out Kyle, as his old friend flew past the expert slope at what appeared to be near the speed of light. Kyle was her real competition. Getting her to see past her rose-colored glasses would be another matter altogether. Tread lightly, Ryan.

  “See how he crouches down a bit as he rounds that trail?”

  “Right. I’ll try that.” She bent her knees.

  He grabbed her gloved hand before she pushed off. “Wait a minute. I’m not done.”

  “There’s more?”

  “I notice you started off with the French fry position. And you’re going to gain speed that way, but try the wedge next time for better control as you start out.”

  Vera’s eyebrows rose. “The French fry? The wedge?”

  So she didn’t know ski lingo. He translated and explained how the wedge controlled speed while the French fry meant immediate speed.

  They took the ski lift up several more times that afternoon, and each time, Vera gained a little more control. By the end of the day, she appeared exhausted and dragged behind him. For once, she kept quiet.

  The days when he could ski for hours without being winded were a part of his past now, but so was the constant state of panic he’d lived in both on and off the slopes. All things considered, he’d made a better trade.

  Vera took off her helmet and shook her wet hair out. She ran a hand along the helmet hair plastered to her crimson red cheeks. “Do I really have to wear this every time?”

  “Don’t even think about taking it off when you’re on the slopes,” Ryan said.


  “Yes, sir.” She saluted. Her beaming smile, like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day, unsettled him.

  They followed some of the skiers into the lodge for their first real break of the day.

  Kyle was there holding court.

  A brief chill rolled through Ryan as he recalled doing much the same in the old days. Before everything had spiraled out of control.

  He offered to get Vera a hot chocolate and by the time he returned, Kyle had joined Vera at their table. Kyle leaned in to Vera as though telling her a secret. In the next second, Vera threw her head back and laughed. Ryan tensed, reminded of why he’d never let a girl he cared about be alone with Kyle.

  “Hey.” Ryan set Vera’s mug in front of her.

  “Hey, Champ.” Kyle leaned back, arms crossed. “I was telling Vera that you should be the one on the slopes. You can cut the trails with the best of us.”

  “That was a long time ago.” A time he’d rather forget.

  “Until his injury, he was my biggest threat.” Kyle kept talking, and Ryan found himself wishing he had a mute button. The last thing he wanted Vera to hear about was the person he used to be—the one who would do anything to win.

  “What injury?” Vera cocked her head to the side. She looked genuinely interested.

  “It was nothing.” They were edging near dangerous territory for him. Parts of his past life he’d rather leave buried where they belonged.

  “He hasn’t told you?” Kyle pressed.

  “I don’t talk about it.” Ryan glared at Kyle.

  Kyle took the cue and rose from the table. “Excuse me, doll. I have some friends waiting for me.”

  “Wow. That guy is a real piece of work.” Vera rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe anyone could tolerate him for longer than a minute or two.”

  Ryan relaxed immediately.

  Vera hadn’t been taken in by Kyle.

  “He believes his own good press. Happens to the best of them.”

  “I guess. It didn’t happen to you, did it?”

  “Where did you think I got the idea that you’d go out with me?” In the competitive ski days he had as many dates as he could handle. He’d carried that same attitude over when he’d become a police officer.