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Amanda's phone volume nearly knocked Sady out of bed in the morning. Her ring tone was Elvis' Viva Las Vegas. Sady was ready to throw Elvis across the room when Amanda answered the call. Sady covered her head and tried to ignore the conversation, but it was soon clear something was wrong.
Amanda yanked the covers off Sady. "I need to leave!"
"What's wrong, Amanda?"
"My Mom- she slipped on the ice, twisted her ankle, and broke her wrist. Can you believe it? I have to go stay with her before she falls down the stairs and breaks her hip. Go tell Stubbles he's my taxi." Amanda tossed clothes into her bags.
Sady went down the hall to the guy's room and knocked until one of them answered. Matt stood with his hair a mess, dressed in a T-shirt and lounge pants. "Can't it wait until morning?" he grumbled. Sady pushed her way into the room and opened the drapes. Eric yelled in protest, so she turned on the lamps as well.
"It is morning, and someone has to drive Amanda home. Her mom had an accident and needs her help." Matt stared at Sady without a word. "WHAT?" she demanded.
"Where's your night-shirt?" Sady looked down at the striped, long-sleeved footie pajamas she wore.
With big eyes she looked back up. "You must be joking. It's the middle of the winter and we're at a ski resort!"
"You look like Big Bird," he teased. "No, make that a candy cane."
Sady shook her head to clear it, then she smacked his head. Turning to Eric she asked, "Do you need a wake up head clearing as well?"
"No, ma'am!"
"Why can't you wake up like that?" Sady asked Matt.
"It's not my fault. You choose your sleepwear. I just comment on it."
"It's too early for this," Sady yelled.
"That's what I thought." Eric reached over and turned off a bedside lamp. Sady smacked the back of his head and turned on the switch again.
"I meant it's too early to be dealing with idiots," she glared. "Now, one of you boys is driving Amanda home." She pointed to Eric. "You. Get yourself packed." Matt laughed until she held out her hand and said, "Keys. They aren't flapping home and the rest of us can't all fit in your half truck."
"Cab and a half," he corrected her.
"Whatever! It's still a half size too small. I'm going to text CJ. Unless you have a better idea. Like Amanda driving herself home in your truck?" Matt shook his head. "Or me driving Amanda in your truck?" Vigorous head shaking. "Or you driving Amanda in your truck?" Matt threw his truck keys at Eric.
"Don't scratch it," he said. "And make sure she doesn't spill her chili dog again. The coffee was bad enough."
"Stop whining," Sady said unsympathetically. "This is an emergency."
"No kidding," Eric muttered. Matt answered the knock at their door. It was CJ. She looked around and said to Sady, "Good, it looks like you have things under control. I was afraid I'd have to knock their heads together."
"She already did," Eric complained. "Why do I have to drive Amanda?"
"Because you're not on the payroll, little brother. Matt's needed here, since he is part of the company. We'll call if we need you to come back and help. Otherwise, enjoy the house and don't drink all our good booze."
Amanda waltzed through the open door. "What's taking you so long?" she asked Eric. "Stubbles, my bags are packed, so go put them in your truck, and get it warming for me." She gave Sady and CJ a quick hug. "Tell Harry I'm sorry I didn't have time for a hug! I know how much he'll miss me." She pulled the protesting Eric into the hall.
To Matt she said, "Come on, Blue Eyes! I don't have all day!" He sighed and shoved his feet into his boots. Sady heard her tell Eric in the hall, "We'll stop for food on the way. No need to worry about spilling anything. That truck's already broke in."
"Well, I'm glad that's settled," CJ said to Sady. "I'm going to dress, then I'm grabbing a bite. I'll talk to the Hills about dropping this room. Harry and Matt can share your room, and you can bring your stuff to ours. See you at lunch."
Sady waited until Matt returned. "Get ready for the day, then pack your bags. You're changing rooms." His eyes lit up and Sady left him with a roll of her eyes.
He showed up at her door with his bags at the same time as Harry. "You had to ruin it, didn't you?" he glared at Sady. "And don't forget what room you're in tonight, Harry," he warned. "I'm sleeping with my gun under my pillow, just in case."
"Make yourself useful, Stubbles, and take my bags to my new room," Sady teased.
"Oh, no. Stubbles left with Amanda, and I refuse to acknowledge that name."
"I was just trying it out. Is Blue Eyes better?" Sady asked. He picked up her bags and took them to the room Harry recently occupied with CJ. Then he threw them into the room.
"Don't hold your breath for a tip," she warned him.
"I'm worn out from all the bag handling this morning," he replied. She narrowed her eyes at the implied insult, and he grinned. "Just kidding, Big Bird."
"Don't get too cocky," she cautioned. "You now have Jenna all to yourself."
"I forgot! I'm not sure whose banana peel is bigger- Eric's or mine." he grumbled.
"Well, I'm pretty sure that George is out of the picture as a suspect. Maybe I can help you with Jenna," Sady offered.
"Can you teach her how to shave?" Matt asked. "You might have to start with hedge clippers."
"I was thinking we might try decorative hair braiding on her," she suggested. "You know, with beads and ribbons..."
"And you tell me I'm warped!"
"I wonder if any of her hair is long enough for corn rows?" she continued.
"You keep that up and I'll chase my truck, and beg for a ride," he threatened.
"I could get power putty hair sculpt, and we could do decorative designs on her legs. It would be like an art class."
Matt’s lip curled in revulsion. "Are you trying to ruin my day? Because, if so, you're off to a good start!"
"How liberating would it be to never shave again?" Sady mused with an evil twinkle in her brown eyes. "I wonder how long..."
"How long you can torture me? You just found out." He pushed her against the door and took her long dark hair in his hands. He ruffled his fingers through her hair. "This- I love." He leaned over and feathered his lips across hers. "And this." Then he held a chunk of hair across her upper lip. "Together- absolutely not!"
She reached up and rubbed the stubble on his face. "That's not fair. I like it on you."
"You just like it?" he demanded. She smiled and shook her head. "That's better." He moved closer to her and CJ pounded on the door.
"Open up! I had to cancel the extra room. Now let me in," she demanded.
Sady whispered to Matt, "Is this where I say 'not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin'?"
"Your mind races on an evil track, Sady." But he couldn't help smiling as he opened the door for CJ.
She gave him a dirty look. "You keep your hands off my husband. I told him to sleep with a gun under his pillow, in case you forget where you are," she warned.
"The gun won't be necessary, CJ, unless Sady is in the room instead of Harry," he replied shamelessly. He stopped to check an incoming text and his blood pressure notched up as he returned the phone to his pocket.
"Bad news?" Sady asked.
"Amanda," he replied in a clipped tone. "She'll see if there's a product that removes mustard stains... when she has time."
"Have you thought about seat covers?" CJ asked.
"Several Amanda accidents later I have! Unfortunately, their only purpose now would preserve the scene of the crime," he sounded defeated.
Sady grabbed his arm and winked at CJ. "Let's go see if we can rattle Jenna's cage," she suggested.
"Harry and I will check on the man with tattoos," CJ told them. "I guess since we're down to four we might as well eat together. We'll see you for lunch."
Matt and Sady looked for Jenna, but couldn't find her. "What now?" Matt asked.
"We search her room," Sady replied.
"Are you crazy? We're supposed to be helping here, not getting arrested," he said crossly.
"Oh, don't be a such a wuss," she replied. "If Amanda was here, she'd be right next to me."
"Yeah, until you got busted. Then she'd flatten you and leave you to take the rap."
"Then you'd better be a good lookout," Sady told him, "because we're doing this."
"I protest," he said.
"Noted. Now shut up and quit whining. Which room is she in?" He refused to answer, so she sent CJ a text. When she got a response, she grabbed Matt's arm and dragged him to the wing where Jenna's room was located.
She pulled a key card out of her pocket and used it on Jenna's door. "Do I even want to know how you got that?" Matt asked.
"Probably not," she replied. "Let's just call it a parting gift from Amanda. You go hang out at the end of the hall, and if she comes this way you had better give me a chance to get out of here or I'll make sure Amanda needs a ride from you every day. Is that clear?"
He nodded with a sigh and said, "Hurry up! You and Amanda are corrupting me. My mother would be ashamed of the things I'm doing."
"I think your mother's already past that point in her life."
"She won't be if I have to call her for bail."
"Just go do your job and we'll be fine," Sady insisted. She closed the door and looked around Jenna's room. Her purse sat on the bedside table, so Sady started there.
No surprise- Jenna was a certified, card carrying nutcase, devoted to the preservation of bed bugs, dust mites, and other bothersome pests. Sady wondered if she'd find rodent CPR certification in Jenna's bag.
Sady checked her appointment book. There were three dates marked with an "X" in pencil. Sady grabbed a sheet of the stationery and wrote the dates. Flipping ahead, she found a note regarding the start date of the proposed ski run expansion project.
After Sady finished with the purse, she checked the drawers and hanging clothes. Nothing important there. She entered the bathroom, noting that her bath products were all natural and weren't tested on animals. No razor, she grinned.
The door handle rattled. Where the heck was Matt? Housekeeping had already been through this wing! Sady jumped into the tub and pulled the shower curtain, hoping Jenna wasn't back from a sweaty ski run. She was grateful Jenna's room had a regular tub so she could hide.
She heard Matt say, "I thought we could sit by the fire."
"I'm not one for sitting. Besides, after the way I saw you hanging all over that brunette animal abuser at the pool, I thought you were no longer interested."
Sady's ear perked up with interest. "You mean Sady?" Matt asked. "What makes you think she's an animal hater?"
"I bet she doesn't buy products that are cruelty free, does she?" Jenna demanded.
"Uhm, well I couldn't say," Matt answered. Sady could tell by his tone he was jumpy. He rightly assumed with her in the bathroom he had to be careful, or this would blow up in more than one way.
"I can tell she doesn't. She's more interested in herself. That bimbo probably doesn't even look at the labels on her bottles of makeup. I bet she has drawers full of animal tested products."
"Uh, about that drink?" Matt interrupted hastily.
"What drink? I thought we were going to the fireplace." Jenna sounded confused and Sady nearly smacked her own forehead at Matt’s stupidity.
"That too. How about both?" he suggested.
"I have a better idea. How about if we stay here?" she offered suggestively.
Sady was ready to erupt from the bathroom. Matt must have felt the vibes because he yelled. "No! I mean, not right now. Heh, heh."
"Well, I wouldn't mind going for a swim," Jenna proposed.
Sady could almost hear Matt swallow the huge lump in his throat. "The pool? Are you sure?" Serves him right, she thought with an evil grin.
"Oh, I'm sure," Jenna’s voice was velvety. "If we're lucky, we'll have it all to ourselves."
She must have started removing her clothes because Matt yelled again. "No, stop... wait! I mean, how about if I go change and meet you there?"
Really? He’d leave her in the bathroom and run for his room? Sady seethed and vowed to make him pay dearly for his cowardice.
Jenna sounded perplexed at his rapid changes of direction, "Well, if that's what you want."
Sady assumed Jenna made a move because Matt stuttered, "Maybe you should save that for the pool."
"You're an exhibitionist, aren't you?" Jenna teased. "All right. Make sure you're at the pool in fifteen minutes or I'll hunt you down in your room."
Sady stood in the shower with her mouth hanging open. He bailed on her! Fortunately, Jenna was eager to get to the pool. Sady heard the door close a few minutes later. Jenna had peeled her clothes and left them on the floor of her room. Sady peeked out the door to make sure Jenna was no longer in the hall.
Fuming, she headed toward the room she now shared with CJ. She checked the dates from Jenna's book against the dates of the lodge incidents. It didn't surprise her that they matched. What Jenna lacked in brains she made up for in hair, she thought savagely.
She was tempted to ignore the desperate text Matt sent. You heard! Get to the pool and save me. Or I'll drown myself!
She sent back, I might drown you first, you traitor!
His reply, This isn't funny. I'm desperate, Sady.
Is that like being trapped in the bathroom of a room you broke into?
This is worse. I'd rather be arrested! Now hurry.
Sorry, I have to read my bottles for animal cruelty disclaimers first, she sent.
You offered to help me with Jenna. Now help, or I'll sign you up for the nudist colony, his message threatened.
She laughed out loud and sent, I'm too young. It's for senior citizens, remember?
"Fine! Just tell my parents I love them, and I always tried to be a good son."
Stop being a drama queen, she texted. I know how to perform a rescue. Maybe you should take notes because you just failed miserably. Watch and learn.
She appeared at the pool five minutes after Matt and Jenna arrived. Matt was sweating, trying to keep out of Jenna's grasp. He was so relieved to see Sady that he didn't even comment on her bathing suit when she dropped her robe... what there was of the suit. Jenna took note, however, and she wasn't pleased.
"Nudist camp was the other night, stick woman," Jenna spat at Sady.
Sady smiled and made an elegant dive into the pool. She turned onto her back to float, then paddled her way across the pool to where Jenna had Matt trapped.
"Would anyone like a candy bar?" she asked. Then she paused with her brow furled. Something about that comment didn't seem right. Matt waited expectantly, and he cleared his throat, bringing Sady back to the present.
Sady shook her head to clear it. "How about it, Womanimal? I hear candy bars in the pool are all the rage. I understand you are partial to Goobers, Mounds, and Chunky bars."
Jenna paled. "Where did you hear that?"
"The police report for one. Also, the video camera footage, and your big mouth friends," she lied. "Shall I continue? We can always talk about laundry and freezers," she suggested.
To her shock Jenna burst into tears and threw herself at Matt. He looked repulsed when she wrapped her arms around his neck. Sady tried not to smile as Jenna confessed her sins, admitting to the pool, freezer, and laundry incidents.
"How about the rental shop and the cross-country ski trail?" Sady asked.
Jenna had Matt in a near head lock, and he tried not to gag. "Well?" Sady snapped. "Are you responsible for those as well?"
"No," Jenna blubbered. "We only wanted to protest the expansion of the ski lodge in harmless ways. We wouldn't hurt anyone." She held Matt in a death grip. "You believe me, don't you, Matt? You know I'd never hurt anyone. I thought you liked me. I mean that day we spent skiing together..."
Matt looked anxiously at Sady as he tried to unwrap Jenna. "What about that day? Is there anything you'd like to confess?" Sady asked, her voice low and angry.
"I think we're getting off track here," Matt said, bravely trying to change the subject. Jenna stuck to him like a leech. Sady glared and left him to his fate. It wasn't until she was leaving the pool that Matt noticed the little bikini she wore. From the look on her face he knew he wouldn't be seeing it again anytime soon. "A little help here?" he pleaded before she left.
"I'll see what I can do." She left in a huff. Matt was turning into a prune from the pool water before help arrived in the form of the Knights and the Hills.
"Is your butt glued to that pool wall, Meadows?" CJ asked with narrowed eyes. Matt sent a pleading look at Harry. CJ rolled her eyes.
"Hey, nature girl. Unhand him, and get out of that pool before I drag you out by your hair," she commanded. Jenna reluctantly released Matt. He made world class time to the other side of the pool while Jenna climbed out and confessed again.
CJ and Harry left the Hills to deal with Jenna. They still had another vandal to catch.