Treacherous Slopes

THREE

Julie’s jawed dropped. She snapped it shut as his words reverberated through her brain. Someone was trying to kill Nick?

Her mind reeled. First his talk of dating if she’d drop the feature on him and now this? Nick’s story was bigger than she’d ever imagined. Her mind popped with questions. “Why would someone want to kill you? Who wants to kill you? What’s happened that would lead you to believe that?”

“Whoa.” Nick held up a hand. “Slow down. Shouldn’t you be waiting for me to answer one question before you throw me another?”

Her face flamed. “Of course. Yes. Sorry. You’re right. Of course, you’re right.”

He touched her arm. “It’s okay. Take a deep breath.”

She took in a shuddering breath to calm her racing heart.

“Better?”

“Yes.” She poised her pencil over the pad of paper. “Okay. This is huge, Nick. Where’s Bob and his camera?” She tapped the pencil against the pad. “I’d like to get a shot of you here in the hospital, if you’d be comfortable with that.” From the appalled look on his face, she guessed he wasn’t. “Okay, scratch that idea.”

“Please do. In fact, let’s call the whole interview off.”

She searched his face, trying to decide if he was serious. His jaw was set. His eyes flinty. Yep, he was serious. “But we can’t. Surely you understand that.”

He shook his head. “I’m not thrilled about being the subject of your interview.”

“But you will go through with the interview, right?” She hated how desperate she sounded.

His dark blue eyes narrowed. “Why is this so important to you?”

Should she tell him what was at stake? She didn’t want to sound whiny or pathetic, but if he understood that her shot at becoming an on-air reporter hinged on how well she delivered this story for Northwest Edition, then maybe he’d cooperate. She didn’t have anything to lose except her pride.

“This is my first big break. I went out on a limb and pitched this idea for a feature on you to my boss in hopes of securing a permanent on-camera spot. I can’t afford to keep working there if I don’t get this promotion.”

“So what is your actual job now?”

“I’m a production assistant.”

“Ah, okay.” Nick repressed the chuckle that bubbled up. No wonder she’d been nervous and overly enthusiastic with her questions. And why she needed the promotion. He doubted being an assistant paid that well. “I’d like to help you, but...”

She sat forward. “Mr. Davenport at Thunderbird was excited about the idea. He said he wanted to make new skin designs for your skis and to unveil them live during the segment.” Her voice rose slightly. Her teeth tugged on her bottom lip.

His gaze landed on her mouth. She’d always had perfectly shaped lips. Soft and supple. Kissable. He remembered thinking that in high school. Of course back then her lips had been devoid of lipstick. She’d never been one to wear all that stuff on her face the way most of the teen girls did.

Her lips parted slightly, making him aware he’d been staring.

He could tell this meant a lot to her. But the anger he’d felt over the media raking Cody through the mud grated something fierce.

She reached to touch his hand. Sympathy tinged her gaze. “I was sorry to hear about Cody’s accident. I sent flowers.”

Nick’s breath hitched. Grief stabbed him. He fought the burning behind his eyes. The place where her fingers rested lightly on his hand created a hot spot, distracting him from the pain stirred up by her words. He hadn’t known she’d sent flowers. Of course, he hadn’t really been aware of much at the time. “That was thoughtful of you.”

A commotion outside the door drew his attention away from the pretty lady sitting beside him.

Ted blocked the doorway.

“But I want to see him!” said a female blocked from Nick’s view.

He didn’t have to see the woman to recognize Kitty’s voice. She was making a scene and disturbing the peace of the hospital. Nick winced. He’d thought Gordon was going to deal with her. Obviously he hadn’t been successful.

“That other woman was allowed in,” Kitty shrieked. “Nick! Nick, tell this man to let me in.”

“Who’s she?” Julie asked in a whisper.

“A fan,” Nick said. He sighed. Thinking of the other patients, he called out, “Ted, it’s okay. I’ll see her if it will make her stop fussing.”

Ted glanced over his shoulder. “You’re sure?”

“Why not? Let’s just add to my humiliation.”

Julie gave him a chiding look as Kitty barged into the room, carrying a small, wrapped present. She was an attractive woman with dark hair curling around her impish face, wide dark eyes, red lips and a Marilyn Monroe–type mole at the corner of her mouth. He wasn’t sure if the detail was real or for effect. She had on well-worn jeans and a red sweater that emphasized her assets. But to Nick, Kitty was a dark shadow compared to the shimmering lightness of Julie. The two couldn’t have been more opposite in looks or personality.

“Hello, Kitty,” Nick said, trying hard to keep his irritation from showing. “What are you doing here?”

She laughed lightly and shot Julie a curious glance. “You know I come to every one of your competitions that I can. I’m so excited to see your hometown. You gave me quite a scare today. I thought for sure you were going die when that ski flew off.” She moved to wedge herself in front of Julie and put one hand on his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“As you can see, alive and well.”

“Then why are you in the hospital?”

“Observation. I’ll be leaving soon.”

She thrust the gift at him. “I brought you something.”

He didn’t take it. “That’s thoughtful, but you shouldn’t have. Really, you shouldn’t have.”

A steely glint flashed in her eyes. “It’s for you.”

Apparently she wasn’t going to let him refuse. He took the present and quickly unwrapped it to reveal a money clip engraved with his initials and a note telling him where she was staying. As if he’d ever take her up on her propositions. He tucked the money clip back in the box. “Thank you, Kitty.”

Julie cleared her throat.

Nick gave Julie an apologetic grimace. “Julie, this is Kitty Rogers. A fan.”

Kitty’s fingers dug into the top of his shoulder. “His number-one fan.”

Julie’s speculative gaze bounced from Kitty to Nick to the hand on his shoulder and back to Kitty. “I can see that.” She stood and held out her hand, forcing Kitty to relinquish her hold on his shoulder. Nick gave Julie a grateful smile.

“Nice to meet you,” Julie said.

“What are you doing here?” Kitty asked with barely veiled jealousy.

Julie opened her mouth to respond, but Nick jumped in. “She’s with me.” He reached past Kitty to take Julie’s hand.

Two sets of eyes blinked at him.

“I am?”

“She is?”

He squeezed Julie’s hand, hoping she’d go along with the ruse. He needed Kitty to back off. He didn’t want her attention. And faking a girlfriend might just be the ticket to sending Kitty scurrying back to Idaho, where she’d come from. “Julie and I are rekindling our relationship.”

* * *

Julie choked at Nick’s words and wished she had a drink of water to wash away her surprise. Nick’s eyes implored her to confirm his statement.

The need to back him up compelled her to admit, “We are old friends.”

Kitty’s eyes narrowed. Shockingly obvious anger flared in the dark depths. “Nick and I are friends, too.”

Sensing how uncomfortable the woman was making Nick, Julie sought to defuse the situation. Most people wanted their fifteen minutes of fame, and Julie counted on Kitty to be no different.

Julie smiled sweetly. “Kitty, I work for Northwest Edition, a weekly lifestyle television magazine, and I’m doing a piece on Nick. And because you are his self-professed number-one fan, I’d love to interview you.”

For a moment uncertainty crossed Kitty’s face, then slowly her demeanor shifted and excitement built in her eyes. “You want to interview me? On TV?”

Ignoring Nick’s sudden coughing fit, Julie kept her voice smooth. “Yes. I’d love to have your take on Nick’s career and the upcoming games. Nick will be competing in the fiercest contest of his life. I want to explore all the facets of an elite athlete. Including the fans. Maybe you could give me some insight on what it’s like to be such a devoted fan?”

Kitty practically glowed. “That would be super.”

The possessive-woman bit fell away. Kitty appeared younger than Julie had originally thought when she’d forced her way into Nick’s room. Julie slipped a card out of her purse and handed it to Kitty. “Here’s my card. Call me and we’ll set it up.”

“Thank you.” Kitty hugged the card to her chest. “Isn’t this fabulous, Nick?”

“Fabulous,” he repeated dully.

“I can’t wait to tell everybody.” Kitty hurried away.

Julie wondered who everybody was.

“Why did you do that?” Nick asked the second Kitty disappeared out the door. “Don’t encourage her.”

“It will be fine,” Julie assured him. “It will give her an opportunity to talk about you. And she might have some useful insight. Maybe even have some ideas of who would benefit with you out of the way.”

“I can name a hundred aerial freestylists who’d benefit, but not one that I could point a finger to and say they’re the type to go to those lengths.”

She shrugged. “If nothing else, interviewing Kitty will give her something else to focus on.”

His intent gaze met hers. “And you’ll say we’re in a relationship if she asks?”

“If you’re doing the interview, then we have a working relationship,” Julie stated.

She could see him debating with himself. Finally, he said, “Good enough. Maybe she’ll back off.” He visibly relaxed. “I owe you.”

She smiled. “Then you’ll talk with me.”

“Talk? You don’t want to talk, you want to dissect me like we did those frogs in biology class.” He held up a hand. “Oh, wait. I did the dissecting. You couldn’t watch.”

Her nose wrinkled up. “I still can’t look at a frog without gagging.” She suppressed a shudder. “You were my hero that day.”

An answering grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You did turn a nasty shade of green, like I’d never seen before or since.”

“Not my finest moment.” But it had been worth it since she got to spend time with him. He’d sat in front of her in class. Most days all she saw was the back of his head. But that day...she’d been the envy of the other girls in class when Nick had turned around and asked her to be his partner.

She held his gaze and something indefinable passed between them. A shared past, memories of simpler days. The longing to go back to those days grabbed ahold of her as she lost herself in the blue depths of his eyes. Was that same yearning there in his gaze?

“Wouldn’t you rather tell your story to me than someone who doesn’t care about you?”

His eyes widened. “You care?”

She touched his arm. “Of course I care. You’re a big deal in this town.”

“Right.” He tapped a finger against his lip as he contemplated her. Finally, he let out a short laugh. “I’m nuts to agree to this. But you’re the only reporter I would ever trust.”

Gratified and hoping that his words were a forecast of a successful promotion, she sat in the chair. “You won’t regret it.”

“We’ll see.”

“Are you always so skeptical?” She hadn’t remembered that from when they were young. She’d considered him to be one of the most laid-back and driven people she knew. The dichotomy was what made him so interesting.

“I’ve become more so,” he stated.

“Mr. Walsh, this man says he’s with her,” Ted said from the doorway.

Seeing Bob over Ted’s shoulder, Julie said, “That’s right, he is.” She stood. “I should let you get some rest.”

He reached for her hand again. “You don’t have to run off yet.”

His warm palm pressed against hers, making her feel connected to him. She swallowed back the jolt of yearning that grabbed her by the throat. She wanted to feel connected, to be a part of a couple. Had thought she’d found that sort of connection with John, but he’d proved less than trustworthy. She wasn’t ready to put her heart on the line again. Especially not with Nick.

Flirting came naturally to a guy like him and meant nothing. She had to remain unaffected by his charm and charisma. She quickly extracted her hand. “It shouldn’t be too long before you’re released. Besides, Bob is my ride. I can’t ask him to wait around.”

“We’ll drop you off when I’m released,” he said. “Or rather, Gordon will since he’s the one with the wheels.”

As tempting as it was to stay, she shook her head. She needed to keep her perspective. Theirs was a business relationship. She had to remember that and act like the professional she wanted to be. “No. I need to go. I’ll be in contact with Mr. Lewis so we can set up a time for you to come to the station for the interview.”

His mouth twisted in a rueful way that she found appealing. “You can call me directly. In fact, why don’t you come by the motor home tomorrow? You can see how I live when I’m on the road.”

Excited by the unexpected invitation to visit his home on wheels, she couldn’t help but beam. “That would be great. I’ll make sure Bob’s free.”

Nick’s gaze went to the doorway, where Bob waited, and back to her. “Sounds good.”

Was that disappointment in his eyes? Couldn’t be.

Suddenly reluctant to leave and half afraid he’d change his mind about the invitation tomorrow, she dug out one of her cards and wrote her cell number on the back.

“Here.” She thrust the square piece of card stock at him. “Call me with a good time for us to come over.”

He took the card, his fingers brushing over hers, setting off little sparks shooting up her arm. She released her hold and backed away. Time to beat a hasty retreat before her resolve to keep their relationship strictly business weakened.

* * *

With Julie’s departure the room seemed duller and the hospital more oppressive. Nick stared at her business card. It read, “Julie Tipton, production assistant for Northwest Edition” and had the call letters of the local affiliate television station. He turned the card over to where she’d written her number in a neat script.

He still couldn’t believe it. Julie. Shy, sweet Jules had blossomed into a beautiful, ambitious woman. A reporter. Wannabe. Which made her worse. No doubt she’d do whatever it took to make her story. Including dragging Cody back through the muck.

When she’d said she cared, his heart had sped up, but then she’d clarified that it was because “he was a big deal in this town” and his stomach had dropped as if he’d caught a tip. She was no different than anyone else. He was a ticket to ride. A commodity to exploit. And she wanted her piece.

He couldn’t work up the usual animosity he felt when thinking about the press, though. Julie had had his back with the Kitty situation. Even going so far as to prevent a scene by asking Kitty for an interview.

This was one debt that he unexpectedly didn’t mind paying.

* * *

The next morning, Nick stepped out of the motor home onto the snow-covered ground and filled his lungs with crisp mountain air. The scent of pine teased his senses.

After giving an acknowledging nod to Ted, who’d been waiting outside the door for him, Nick lifted his gaze, drawn by an invisible cord to the snow-capped peak of Mt. Bachelor. The playground of his youth.

The Oregon mountain, part of a string of volcanoes making up the Cascade mountain range, was home to some of the Pacific Northwest’s best skiing. It was on these picture-perfect slopes that Nick had learned to ski, learned to love and learned to grieve.

A familiar wave of sorrow and guilt washed over him, bowing his shoulders slightly and making the pressure build in his chest until he thought his ribs would collapse. He forced himself to breathe. His arm throbbed in tempo to the beat of his heart. He sent up a silent thank-you to God that all he’d suffered yesterday was a bruise. He hoped God was listening, because he was going to need His protection.

Whoever wanted him dead had failed this time.

Nick shuddered with certainty that there would be more attempts.

So far the police had had no success finding out who wanted to kill him or why.

Nick had to stay strong and focused. He was so close to realizing the dream he and his younger brother, Cody, had worked their whole lives toward.

Only Cody was gone now. A year ago this coming Thursday. His parents had a one-year anniversary memorial service planned—the reason Nick was staying in town instead of returning to his condo in Lake Placid to await the announcement of who had been chosen to compete in the Winter Games.

Nick hadn’t been home since the funeral, because he couldn’t bear to see the anguish on his mother’s face or the sadness in his dad’s eyes.

He’d worked hard this year once he’d gotten his head back in the game after Cody’s death. Nick had thrown everything he could into each competition, winning or placing high enough that even without scoring at last night’s competition he had earned enough points to qualify for the U.S. team traveling to the games.

He wanted to win gold for Cody.

Nick had a good shot at securing one of the four positions on the U.S. men’s aerial team. But so did the other ten U.S. competitors who’d qualified to make the team, including both of his traveling companions.

And Cody would have been among them, too.

The door to the motor home opened behind him and Lee Thompson stepped down and clapped Nick on the back. “Forget your way?”

“Naw, just taking it in.” The parking lot adjacent to the West Village Lodge was busy with skiers arriving for a day of fun on this beautiful late-January morning. The sun shone like a bright ball in the clear blue sky and fresh powder dumped sometime in the night glistened in the sun’s rays. Perfect conditions for a day on the slopes.

Lee stretched, lifting his arms high and letting out a noisy yawn.

“I’m surprised you’re up,” Nick stated, noting the dark circles under his teammate’s brown eyes.

“Can’t waste a beautiful day sleeping.”

Lee and Frank had returned to the motor home long after Nick was released from the hospital. The two buddies liked to find the nearest hot social spot and unwind after competing. Nick had always preferred some alone time after a competition.

“You know you and Frank can head back to Lake Placid anytime,” Nick said.

Now that last night’s qualifier was done, the two men had no reason to stick around Bend.

Lee shot him a sharp look. “We’re here for Cody’s memorial, too.”

They’d loved his brother, as well.

Nick’s heart spasmed in his chest.

Cody’s death shouldn’t have happened. Nick should have prevented Cody from taking that last run.

Despite the way the press had raked Cody’s reputation across the coals with accusations and insinuations, Cody had not been high or drunk. He’d been tired and trying a trick that got away from him.

The burn of anger smoldered in Nick’s gut any time he thought about the way the news reporters had spun Cody’s accident into something sordid, leaving a taint of speculation blanketing the tragedy.

The image of a blue-eyed blonde marched into his mind. He blew out a breath. He had to trust that Julie would not be made of the same ilk.

“Uh-oh. Sheeee’s baaaack.” Lee’s singsong tone drew Nick’s attention.

“Who?”

Mirth danced in Lee’s eyes. “Your number-one fan.”

She was like a bad penny, showing up unexpected and unwanted.

It occurred to Nick that Kitty’s presence had precipitated the last attempt on his life. And she was here now.

Was she somehow involved?

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