Tony Anderson was a liar. Skiing was nothing like riding a bike.
Terror tightened Maddie’s throat as the lift carried them higher up the mountainside.
Why did she agree to do this? Workaholism was at least safer! She was never comfortable on skis, never much good at it. She was much better at cheering others on from the warmth and safety of the lodge. Only the truly adventurous wanted to rocket down the side of a mountain on two toothpicks.
“Relax, Maddie.”
She glanced at Tony. “Is it that obvious?”
“Afraid so.”
“What happens when we get to the top? I don’t remember how to get off this thing.”
He pointed to where the lift deposited skiers before turning sharply for its return to the bottom of the mountain. “Just let your skis carry you off the seat and down the ramp. I’ll be right beside you. You did fine down below. This isn’t much different.”
He was wrong about that. There was a great deal of difference between staying upright on the bunny slope and staying upright while plunging down the mountain she could see below.
Why did I listen to David? This isn’t fun!
“Ready, Maddie? Here we go.”
Was he kidding?
Somehow she found her skis flat against the ground and her bottom rising off the chairlift. Next thing she knew, she was down the ramp and stopped out of the way of the skiers who’d disembarked behind her.
“Good job.” Tony grinned as he lowered his ski goggles into place. “Told you it wouldn’t be hard.”
She tried to return his smile, but it was a halfhearted effort.
God, get me down this mountain in one piece. Please.
Tony pointed with one of his poles. “That’s the easiest trail on the front side of the mountain. I’ll lead the way and set a nice, slow pace until you’re comfortable.”
I won’t be comfortable until I’m back in the lodge.
“Ready?”
She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He pushed off in front of her, his skis gliding over the snow without a sound. Drawing a quick breath, she followed suit, albeit without the same fluidity of motion. It was obvious, even to Maddie’s untrained eyes, that few skiers used this particular trail. Probably too tame, even for the kiddie set. Which meant it might be okay for her.
Hmm. This wasn’t too bad. She was managing to keep her skis parallel. Her knees were nicely flexed. No problem with the poles.
Lean. Turn. Glide.
Lean. Turn. Glide.
No, this wasn’t bad at all.
Tall, snow-covered pine trees rose on either side of the track. Sunlight filtered through their branches, casting lacy shadows across the snow. Despite the frigid air, Maddie felt warm inside her snowpants, down-filled parka, knit cap and insulated gloves.
She might actually get to like this.
In front of her, Tony skied back and forth across the snow. About every third turn, he glanced back in her direction, no doubt to see if she’d fallen yet. This time when he looked back, she gave him a thumbs-up, letting him know she was A-okay.
Or not.
The almost level trail changed without warning. She felt the downward pull of the mountain. Her skis responded, moving faster over the snow. Maddie’s heart quickened right along with the skis.
Too fast…too fast…too fast.
If Tony looked at her again, Maddie was too busy to notice. She needed her skis to behave.
Snow plow…snow plow…snow—
“Maddie!”
Her name on Tony’s lips was the last thing that made sense to her. Then the world turned upside down and inside out. Her right ski went this way and her left ski went that way. She hit the ground—the snow wasn’t nearly as soft as it looked—and felt it scrape her cheek before she tumbled, head over heels, for what seemed an eternity. She came to an abrupt halt at the base of an innocent-looking fir.
“Maddie?” Tony knelt beside her.
She looked up at him, dazed.
“Don’t move yet. Let’s make sure you’re all in one piece.”
Don’t move. Was he kidding? With everything spinning like a top? She didn’t want to ever move again.
“How many fingers am I holding up?”
She groaned. This wouldn’t have happened if David Fairchild hadn’t told her to have fun. Better hunched over her laptop than lying on her back in the snow while—
“Maddie? How many fingers?”
“Three. You’re holding up three.” This was too embarrassing for words. “I’m all right, Tony. The only thing hurt is my ego.” She placed her elbows on the ground and pushed herself into a sitting position at the exact same moment her brain registered the pain shooting upward from her right leg. It stole her breath away. She dropped back to the ground.
“You’re not all right.”
Eyes closed, she clenched her teeth. “No.”
“Where does it hurt?”
“My right leg. My ankle, I think. I don’t know. I’m not sure. It hurts everywhere.”
“We’ll need a stretcher to get you down the mountain.” He was silent a few moments. “I’ll have to leave you alone while I get the Ski Patrol. There’s nobody else in sight. Will you be okay?”
“Yes.” She wondered if she sounded as uncertain as she felt.
“Let’s get my coat around you. We don’t want you taking a chill while I’m gone.”
Maddie feared she might start to cry and the last thing she wanted to do was blubber like a baby in front of someone she had to negotiate with in the next few days.
“Here you go. I’ll lift you up enough to slide the coat under your back. Ready? Here goes.”
Tony’s voice was quiet, but somehow it was strong, too. Her fears lessened.
“Can you open your eyes?” he asked. “I need you to look at me.”
She complied.
“Now keep your eyes open. You need to stay alert. If someone comes down that trail, ask them to wait with you until I get back. I won’t be long. I promise.” He squeezed her hand, emphasizing his words.
“I’ll be okay. Stop worrying and go.”
He gave her a nod, his eyes filled with concern, and then he was gone, swooshing his way out of sight. The silence of the snowy mountain fell around her. She shivered, wishing she hadn’t sent him away so soon.
It already seemed a long while since he’d left.
If this had been a downhill race, Tony might have given Bode Miller a run for his money. But no matter how fast he went, it wasn’t fast enough. He remembered too well Maddie’s pale face as she told him she would be okay. She hadn’t looked okay. Pain had been evident in her big brown eyes.
Why hadn’t he listened to her when she’d said she wasn’t a good skier? Why hadn’t he been content to buy her a treat in the candy shop?
Simple. Because he’d wanted to spend time with her. He’d wanted to enjoy her company before they got down to the business of haggling over the Uriah Small manuscript. She’d only be here four days and he’d wanted to make the most of them. Skiing seemed the natural option. It was, after all, why people came to Cloud Mountain, to ski and enjoy the great outdoors.
Still, her accident was his fault.
“Idiot.”
As soon as he reached the base of the mountain, Tony contacted the volunteer Ski Patrol. Next he asked the lift operator to call Dr. Martin and make sure he was waiting for them at the clinic. Then Tony got back on the chair lift, anxious to reach Maddie, hating the thought of her lying there alone in the snow, cold and scared.
Relief overwhelmed him when he turned a bend in the trail and saw two other skiers waiting with Maddie. As he drew closer, he recognized them. Gary and Betina Patterson. The brother and sister, both in their early twenties, had moved to Cloud Mountain this past summer to manage the local hardware store for their great-grandfather, Jake Patterson.
Gary saw Tony and came to meet him. “She told us you’d be here any minute.”
“How’s she doing?”
“In pain but trying not to show it.”
“The patrol should be right behind me.” He skied forward. “I’m back, Maddie. We’ll have you down the hill soon.” He knelt across from Betina. “I know you’re hurting. I’m sure sorry it happened. I shouldn’t have brought you up on the lift. You were doing fine down below.”
She gave him a game smile. “It isn’t your fault. I could have declined your invitation.”
“Right now, I wish you had.”
She winced. “Right now, me, too.”
In honor of the Christmas season, Maddie opted for a red moon boot on her broken ankle. If she had to be miserable, she might as well be festively fashionable.
“No weight on that leg for two weeks,” Dr. Martin told her as he dried his hands. “Use the crutches. Fortunately, the break is in the distal fibula and doesn’t involve the ankle joint itself. You should be able to get around without crutches in a couple of weeks.”
“I’m supposed to drive back to Boise on Monday.”
“Sorry, young lady. No driving for now.”
“But—”
“No driving.” The doctor shook his head. “Not for at least two weeks.”
Wasn’t that just terrific? How was she supposed to get back to L.A. if she couldn’t drive? It wasn’t like Cloud Mountain had an airport where she could catch a flight. What would she do with herself for two weeks? Her negotiations with Tony wouldn’t take but a couple of days. And then what? Besides, she couldn’t afford to be away from the office for that long. There was no way she could stay here for two weeks. She would have to hire a car service.
“How long will I be in this boot?”
“Six to eight weeks.”
Perfect. Just perfect.
“Don’t worry about where you’ll stay,” Tony offered. “We’ll move you to one of the rooms on the ground floor. It isn’t as nice as the one you’re in now, but you’ll be comfortable there. Audrey and I will make sure you don’t need for anything.”
Maddie cringed on the inside. How could she be a tough negotiator if Tony thought her needy and helpless? There must be something else she could say, something else she could do. She pressed a hand against her forehead, trying to focus her thoughts. If she could think straight—
“Take another one of these pain pills when you get back to the lodge.” The doctor spoke to Maddie, but he handed the prescription bottle to Tony. “They’ll make you sleepy, but that’s a good thing. It’ll keep you down and your leg elevated.”
But I’m not supposed to be sleeping. I’m supposed to be working.
“I’ll send in a wheelchair to see you out to your car.”
Maddie hadn’t the energy to do anything but nod.