Everly sidled up to Isaac in front of the wind-cleared landing pad, her heart a frightened bird inside her chest. She held Alpine’s collar firmly. The silver-and-blue helicopter sat like a moveable metal tomb, its blades slowing. But inside were friends. Allies. Isaac’s partner was on their side.
His partner in the FBI. Everly turned her head, pressing her cheek to her shoulder as Isaac’s words raced across her mind like a level nine skier on a black-diamond trail. He’d briefly explained it was best for her to know as little as possible about Hugh’s case, and that was why he hadn’t told her initially. For her safety. The surprising announcement almost made her forget she was about to get into a helicopter.
She’d ridden in one once—the day she’d been rescued from the avalanche. Her anxiety spiked, but she slowed her breathing and squared her shoulders. Now they could get to Hannah faster, and Isaac would get the medical help he needed. Plus, they could track down the evidence to prove her innocence.
She could do this.
A tall, silver-haired man stepped out of the helicopter as they approached. His lanky stride and intent expression seemed vaguely familiar. “Isaac. Glad you two—” he shot a surprised look at Alpine “—you three made it out of that blizzard all right.”
Isaac strode closer, and the two men shared a firm handshake. “Dan.”
Dan inspected Isaac’s sleeve. “It looks like that might sting a bit. I’ve got something inside the chopper for that.” Then he removed his sunglasses and assessed Everly with direct blue eyes that struck a déjà-vu chord. Where had she seen him before? He crossed his arms. “Ms. Raven. Are you ready to get this misunderstanding sorted out?”
“Yes, but first I need to know if my daughter is okay.”
“She is,” he said, the words an instant balm to her fears. “One of my men is set up near your apartment.” The man’s sharp gaze cut to Isaac. “The break-in that occurred last night happened on the other side of that neighborhood—an empty rental apartment, apparently.”
“An attempt to flush Everly out.”
“Most likely,” Dan agreed. “But still, there’s the question of her guilt.”
“I didn’t kill anyone, if that’s what you’re implying,” Everly spoke up. “I have no idea how that bloody shirt got in my office.”
“Did you go back in your office after you discovered Lars Henken’s body that day?”
She hesitated, glancing at Isaac. “Yes. But my dad was with me, and a couple other employees came in. We were all crying. Upset.”
“Understandable. We’ll take your sworn statement soon.” He glanced at Alpine. “Is the dog friendly?”
“If you’re not a threat,” Isaac volunteered with a chuckle.
“She’ll be fine.” She bent to murmur, “stay” to the dog, then took Dan’s offered hand. As she let go, recognition flared. “We’ve met before.”
“That’s right. You might remember my daughter?”
Everly racked her memory. Williams... “Are you Lizzie’s dad?”
“That’s correct. Lizzie’s my youngest.” Dan turned toward the chopper.
Everly blinked at this revelation. Lizzie had been a gangly downhiller—a junior national silver medalist—with an easy smile who’d torn her ACL a few years ago. She’d finished college and become a physical therapist, turning her tragedy to triumph. If Dan was Lizzie’s dad, then trusting him wouldn’t be so hard after all.
“The dog comes along.” Isaac scratched Alpine’s ears, then looked Everly’s way. “You ready?” He pressed his palm to the small of Everly’s back, and they climbed aboard.
There were two seats beside the doors, and a third bucket seat caught her eye behind them. Away from the windows. Everly pulled in a haggard breath and sank onto the creased leather. Alpine jumped inside and beelined for Everly, lying underneath her feet.
She tugged off her gloves and hat and ran a hand through her hair. She must look a straggly mess.
Dan and Isaac took the other seats, engrossed in a conversation she couldn’t quite catch. Isaac slipped two small objects to Dan, then took the medical kit Dan offered him.
What had he given him? The key and note?
Everly’s phone chimed in her coat pocket. She pulled it out. Reception at last. Numerous texts filled the screen, covering her home-screen picture of Hannah’s sweet face, which was a tiny replica of Isaac’s except with Everly’s nose. Tears seared her eyes. Once this awful mess was over, Everly needed a long tickle hug with Hannah, a hot shower and eight hours of sleep.
And, she acknowledged grudgingly, time to talk to Isaac about their past. While he wasn’t husband material, so far, he’d proven he could be a trustworthy father to Hannah.
The pilot began flipping switches until the engine turned over, blades rotating above them. Alpine yelped at the noise, setting her head on Everly’s shoe. She stroked Alpine’s neck, understanding the dog’s concern about this form of transportation. With each click and jerk of metal, her fatigued muscles tensed up. Outside, the blizzard sputtered its dying breath. Weak gusts of wind nudged the helicopter’s attempt to come back to life.
“You okay?” Isaac pivoted to face her as they lurched slightly forward, then rose, the sensation sending her stomach into her mouth. He’d removed his coat and wrapped gauze tightly around the cut.
“Slightly better than I was up there. Are you okay?”
“Definitely better.” He tucked his wounded arm to his side.
She pointed a shaky finger toward the peak where the four-wheeler had crashed and remained. In pieces. “Roger’s going to kill me.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that right now,” Isaac said.
Dan cut in. “From my earlier conversation with him, Roger seemed legitimately concerned about your safety. I’m fairly certain he’ll be glad you’re out of danger.”
Was she out of danger?
She flicked her gaze to Dan, who was perusing two files. “So, where’s Hugh?”
Dan didn’t look up when he answered. “My source said Hugh is taking Ingrid to her sister’s in Boston. I have word that he won’t return until this evening at the earliest.”
“What about the men working with him?” Isaac inquired. “We haven’t seen them since their helicopter took off. Any idea where they went?”
“I have a man posted at the gas station near the entrance to Raven’s. Said the chopper headed back to Maple Creek not long ago. There’s a helicopter service based out—”
“Stan’s Scenic Tours,” she provided.
“Right.” Dan dipped his chin then continued. “Now, about what I found. I pulled info on Hugh from the database I’d like to go over.”
“Wait.” She lifted her hand from Alpine’s head. “How did you two even meet?” Isaac worked for the FBI. The knowledge still felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit in her brain.
Isaac shot a questioning look at Dan. The older man raised his wiry gray brows, then returned his attention to the files in his lap. “Go ahead.”
“Dan and I connected after my accident. He’s familiar with the skiing world because of his daughter but works for the FBI. He was in France with Lizzie for the same competition when I—when I hit that tree. He saw it all. He came to the hospital to check on me later, we talked, and...that eventually led me to give the FBI training academy a try. To work with him.”
The chopper rocked sideways like a dangling Christmas ornament batted by a cat. Everly sucked in quick, tiny breaths, attempting to focus on Isaac’s explanation and not the closed-in, moving metal box powered by paper-thin blades they were flying in. Alpine whined from the floor, inching closer.
“Dan and I are part of a new FBI task force monitoring corruption in professional sports. My sports journalism reputation was a great cover. We work in tandem with local law enforcement, and since Hugh’s case crossed state lines, here we are.”
“It does seem like the perfect fit for you.” Admiration bloomed in her chest. It felt as though everything she knew about Isaac had been wiped away like marker on a white board, and he’d stepped into a new identity. What would her dad say if he knew how Isaac had turned around his life?
Dan waved his phone. “Excellent. Hugh’s former coworker at the Park City resort agreed to testify.”
Isaac made a victorious sound. “That’ll nudge the DA to reopen the case, then. Maybe reexamine evidence.”
“Let’s hope. That’s the goal.” Dan handed Isaac a file, a loose piece of paper sitting atop it. “Look at this. Specifically, the names.”
Isaac went silent as he read the offered page. His head jerked up, and he turned to face Everly. “Did Lars ever talk about how he knew Hugh before he recommended hiring him?”
“No, not to me. But the skiing world isn’t huge, so no one questioned their relationship.”
Isaac held out the paperwork. “Looks like they co-owned a business years ago.”
Everly snatched it, devouring the print on the decades-old document.
R. Hugh Markham and Lars H. Henken, co-owners, No-Fall Ski Rentals. Anderson Circle, Park City, UT.
She met Isaac’s eyes. “I knew Lars and Ingrid met and married in Park City, but we had no idea Hugh and Lars ran a business together.”
“Your dad didn’t know?”
“I don’t think so.” Doubt wound around her tongue. “He never mentioned it.”
Dan cleared his throat. “I’ll dig deeper into that connection. Isaac, you mentioned the name Bobby several times. You believe this man is working with Hugh, correct?”
“Yes.” Isaac ran his hand through his hair, and Everly’s fingers twitched as the wayward locks stuck up in all directions. Once she’d enjoyed fixing his thick brown hair, but now—that was in the past. She massaged her temple to erase the absurd thoughts.
Isaac handed the paper back to Dan, and the older agent’s gaze jumped to her. “Ms. Raven.”
“Yes?” She sat up straight, feeling for all the world like she was still in elementary school and the principal had just admonished her.
“There’s one more thing you need to know. I received news an hour ago that your father is at Maple Creek Hospital.”
Her stomach dropped despite the helicopter remaining steady in the air. “Dad’s back in the hospital?” Was it from stress and worry about the murder investigation—or from poison, like Isaac believed?
“I have a man at the hospital keeping an eye on his room.”
“Is he okay?”
“He was discovered this morning in his home, passed out. Blood pressure was extremely low, and last I heard he was in ICU.”
“I need to see him.”
Isaac’s features pinched into a scowl. “Not a good idea, Everly.”
“Please. I’ll be safe with you there.” She shifted her gaze to Dan. “Seeing me may improve my dad’s condition.”
Dan tugged his ear and scowled as Isaac mumbled something under his breath. Finally, the older man motioned at Isaac. “I have a car. You take Everly into town so she can see her dad. A quick visit. Then we’ll track down a judge to sign off on the search warrant.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you.” Relief was a short-lived gift as she looked into Isaac’s tense face and flatlining mouth. What could go wrong at the hospital?
Isaac shut the SUV’s front passenger door and jogged around the car. He folded himself inside and buckled the seat belt, glancing Everly’s way. She’d been silent since they exited the chopper and handed Alpine off to Dan to bring to Sheila, a longtime Raven’s employee who ran Eichhorns Meats and Eats.
He turned the ignition. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Her eyes met his but slid away, returning to Dan’s vehicle as it made its way toward the restaurant where Alpine would wait for them until they returned. “Do you think my dad will be okay?”
“I don’t know. Dan didn’t have much information about his condition.” He released his death grip on the steering wheel to set one hand on her knee briefly. “I hope so.” For Everly’s sake. For the sake of their resort. Even for their daughter’s sake, as it sounded like she adored her Poppy.
Isaac withdrew his hand. It burned him that Ted Raven had been the sole male influence in his daughter’s life because he’d been absent. Much like his own dad. But that would be changing.
He jerked the car into Reverse, then Drive, guiding it out along Fall Line Road. At least the plows had come through to clear the roads. Trees blurred out the windows, capped in white and weighted by snow. German-style lodges crowded the main road, light tan and white with brown roofs and brown accents. Smoke swirled from the main lodge and a couple of other buildings, including Eichhorns. Bittersweet nostalgia washed over him. In the summer, green blanketed the landscape, but in the winter the structures Everly’s grandfather built were perfectly set in their element, hearkening back to a German village.
They sat in silence for most of the ten-minute drive, until they crossed into Maple Creek’s city limits and he asked for directions to the hospital. He could’ve used his GPS but wanted to drum up conversation again. Instead, Everly directed him the right way and went back to staring out the window, showing him her profile and remaining quiet.
Was she upset about the fact that he worked for the FBI now, or just worried about her dad? He’d kept his position under wraps because Dan believed it would protect Everly. Now, Isaac wasn’t so sure. Maybe it would’ve been smarter to share the details right away so they were on equal ground. After all, secrets always had a way of biting the hands of the one who held them.
Speaking of secrets. He rolled his shoulders as guilt about their unfinished divorce paperwork twisted his nerves. Now wasn’t a good time, though. Clearly her mind was elsewhere.
They rolled through light traffic on Maple Drive, the main road cutting through the small city. Visitors thronged in front of Gondola Gifts, and a line curled out from Blizzard Brews. He kept one eye on the road in front and one behind them, but so far the only threat came from bored tourists, who’d spilled into town when Raven’s closed, running across the road.
When they pulled in to the hospital lot, he parked away from the other vehicles and scrutinized the surroundings. Only a few cars of note—one white cargo van with a hospital logo on the side and a police cruiser idling at the ER entrance. A black truck beside a mini-van. Otherwise, the unassuming brick hospital sat quiet. Isaac let out a loaded breath. Could it be that Hugh really had cleared out of town? What about his men, though? Either way, he wasn’t letting his guard down.
“Ready to see your dad?”
“More than ready.” She released her seat belt, but Isaac threw his arm out to stop her.
“Hold up. Let me go first.”
Isaac scanned the lot once more, then climbed out, came around and opened Everly’s door. They hurried toward the hospital’s sliding doors.
“Let me do the talking,” he said, brushing her arm with his. The front desk was quiet, and the receptionist directed them to the third floor without looking up from her computer.
At the elevator, he slowed. “Do you want me to stay outside his room?”
She turned to face him, her features a study in barely controlled tension. The urge to wrap his arms around her hit him hard, but they weren’t out in the storm any longer, and she likely wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. “You don’t want to see my dad.”
He didn’t bother denying his discomfort about seeing Ted Raven again, sick or not. “I’m here for your support. That’s it.”
She gazed at him for several seconds. “And for my protection.”
He nodded, drowning in the hazel depths of her eyes. But he broke off the connection because he needed to focus and shut down that foolish part of his heart that still held out hope.
“If it’s okay, I’d like you to come inside.”
“I can do that.” If Ted Raven didn’t mind, at least.
Suddenly her eyes widened at something she saw behind him, and she dove forward, into the embrace he’d just longed for. His arms automatically wrapped around her back, and hers came around his middle, her face nestled into the fabric of his coat. He ignored the electric thudding of his heart and bent his neck to speak in her ear. “What is it?”
“Behind you. I think that’s Ingrid. I...I can’t deal with her right now.”
So, she was hiding. His body hummed with adrenaline, and he edged his face sideways to scan the situation. A couple walked out of the hospital, backs to him and Everly. A woman and a man. The woman’s short white-blond hair and designer ski coat caught his eye, and slowly he turned them around, keeping Everly and her identity in the safety of his arms. The pair headed left and disappeared from sight. Which car had they driven—or was Hugh picking them up?
“Are you two on bad terms?” he asked into her cheek.
Everly pulled away from him. “Not really bad terms. She’s just a lot to take. There’s always drama and everything is about her, you know? I just can’t handle it right now.”
“She changed her hair.” When he’d met her, years ago, it’d been long and dark. “Does it make sense that she would’ve come here to visit your dad?”
She tilted her head back and forth, considering. “I guess so. It just seems...strange with Lars gone, that she would do that. But she and my dad have known each other a long time, so...” She raised a shoulder. “Maybe it’s nothing.”
He wasn’t sure about that. Especially since Dan had gotten word that Ingrid was going to her sister’s with Hugh. Which meant Hugh wasn’t out of town. A frustrated sound very much like one of Alpine’s growls rumbled in his chest.
“Come on.” He pulled her into the elevator. “Let’s get this over with and get you back to Raven’s ASAP.”
They stood apart as the elevator dinged shut and rose three floors. Once they exited, he located the room numbers and headed straight for 310. A plainclothes officer sat in one of the waiting-room chairs, flipping through a magazine. The man didn’t look up when Isaac and Everly passed, instead setting two fingers on his knee as a silent acknowledgement. Everly didn’t seem to notice, and they continued toward Ted’s room.
The door was open, and a petite nurse trotted past just as they arrived.
“You’re here to see Mr. Raven?”
“Yes, we’re family.” He spoke before Everly could, and she nodded, her slender form trembling slightly and leaning against his. In his peripheral vision, he could see her dad laying in the hospital bed, the TV on in the background like a buzzing insect.
Painful snippets of the time he spent in the French hospital after his accident flashed through Isaac’s mind—Ted Raven coming and going in his room, giving Isaac an earful when he was barely conscious. Isaac flexed his jaw, pushing back the uncomfortable memories. He set his palm on the small of her back and guided her toward what felt way too much like a firing squad inquisition.