Читать книгу The President's Daughter - Annette Broadrick, Annette Broadrick - Страница 7

Denver International Airport

Monday, December 28

A wave of noise hit Nick when he stepped out of the jetway in the Denver terminal. Loudspeakers were blaring, carts carrying luggage beeped loudly to clear a path, and a mob of people milled around looking for gates, getting off planes, searching for people, and talking at the top of their voices.

It was enough to give anyone a raging headache.

The holiday spirit was alive and well and going full blast, from all indications.

His group immediately fit in—all laughing and talking at once, asking questions, reading the signs, arguing about where they would find their luggage.

Craig took his role as one of Ashley’s bodyguards seriously by draping his arm around her shoulders, keeping her snug against his side. Although he was only a few inches taller than Ashley, Craig was twice as wide. She looked smothered in his embrace. From what Nick could see, she wasn’t complaining.

Nick glanced around for Ron, who was trying to get through a family group noisily greeting passengers following him off the plane. As soon as he was free of them, Ron gave Nick a thumbs-up motion accompanied by a grin. Nick just shook his head.

Their group finally agreed on the direction they needed to go and were now dodging people and moving toward the exit signs.

The agents hurried after them. Nick realized that trying to keep this group corralled would take all the energy he had and then some.

Ron caught up with Craig and Ashley and stayed with them as well as he could, considering the oncoming foot traffic. Nick followed along behind. Trish showed up beside him, chattering away, giving an occasional skip to keep up with his longer stride. He did his best to ignore her.

Nick felt out of place in the holiday hustle and bustle. Would anyone believe that he and Ron were here to play in the snow and bask in the sun? Nick knew his expression wasn’t particularly relaxed. Maybe he could work on that part of it. The problem was that he couldn’t relax and do his job. Somehow being around so much exuberance made him more conscious of the wide gulf between vacation mind-sets and attitudes versus his type of work.

When they reached the baggage-claim area, Nick was surprised to see Sam Masters standing near the sliding doors that led to the street, his thick blond hair gleaming in the light. He and Sam had worked together overseas during his stint with Intelligence. They’d both gone to work for the Treasury Department at the same time, but somehow had lost touch over the years.

Nick walked over to where Sam waited and said, “What in the world are you doing in Denver, Sam? The last I heard, you were in L.A. working on a counterfeit ring.”

The two men shook hands, grinning at each other like old friends at a class reunion.

“I could ask you the same thing, Logan. I thought you were working the Naval Observatory, keeping Jason Freeman safe for democracy. What happened? Our VP boot you out?”

“Nope. Just a shift in my assignment, that’s all.”

Sam looked over at Ron, who stood near Ashley while the group watched for the luggage to appear. “So, what are you doing on the kiddy detail?”

Nick cleared his throat. “For your information, the prez and all his family left today for a fishing vacation in the Gulf. These are just a group of college kids getting in a little skiing before returning to school.”

Sam adjusted his mirrored sunshades and grinned. “My mistake. I brought you one of our vans. Thought it would be more simple than attempting to rent one. Rentals are at a premium this time of year, if you can even find one available.”

They turned and watched as Joe, Derek and Craig claimed various pieces of luggage as it was pointed out to them.

“Good grief, how many bags are there?” Sam asked. “Hope the van will hold everyone and the luggage, too!”

Nick was wondering the same thing. “There’s my bag. Guess I’d better grab it. We’ll meet you outside in a few minutes.” He hurried back to the carousel and scooped up his bag, then joined the line to show their baggage claim at the gate.

After they cleared the claims-check area, Nick said, “Okay, everyone. We have a van waiting for us outside.” They scrambled into their parkas before following Nick through the wide doorway. Ron brought up the rear. Once outside, he looked across the street and spotted a dark green Dodge van by the curb. Sam leaned against the front fender, tossing the keys, then catching them.

Once they were able to cross to the other side, Sam handed the keys to Nick. “Here you go. By the way, if you have any free time while you’re here, give me a call. I’d enjoy catching up on everything with you.” He handed him a card. “Here’s my number.” He glanced at the laughing, boisterous group piling into the van, affably arguing over the seating arrangements. Nick could feel their impatience as they waited for him to join them. Sam chuckled. “Some tough assignment you’ve got there, buddy.”

Nick grinned. “Must be living right, huh?”

“No sampling the merchandise, now.”

“Wash your mouth out, man. I’m here to protect and serve, nothing else.”

They both laughed, then Sam waved to the group and walked a few feet in front of the van where an unmarked government car waited with a driver inside. Once they drove away, Nick circled the van for a quick visual check before he opened the driver’s door and got in.

Ron had taken the front passenger seat, silently designating Nick as the driver. Nick didn’t blame him, not if he wasn’t used to driving in this kind of climate.

“Everybody present and accounted for?” he asked, adjusting the mirrors. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his sunglasses.

“Oh, wow!” The irrepressible Trish sighed. “Now you really look like a man of mystery.”

Nick happened to catch Ashley’s expression in the rearview mirror as she rolled her eyes in disgust.

“That’s me, all right,” he agreed with a grin and pulled away from the curb. Ron laughed.

Trish continued, “Why didn’t you introduce us to your friend, Nicky? He was cute!”

Ron had suggested to the group when they first met that they call the agents by their first names. Trish was taking the suggestion an additional step.

“What are we, Trish?” Derek retorted. “Chopped liver?”

Nick glanced into the rearview mirror and saw Trish pat Derek’s cheek. “You’re cute, too, honey. Don’t fret.” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “I just happen to go for those tall, dark, mysterious males like Ron and Nicky…and their friends.”

“Well, I guess I fit the tall and dark, Trish,” Ron replied wryly. “But I don’t get the mysterious stuff you’re talking about.”

Joe spoke up. “Oh, she’s referring to all the secret handshakes, the code words, the radio signals, all that junk you guys do.”

Ron looked over at Nick and mouthed, “Secret handshakes?” and Nick just shook his head. An imaginative bunch.

“At least the weather is cooperating,” Nick said. There was a chorus of agreement behind him. The weather was beautiful, with crisp, cold air, a sky so blue it looked artificial, and the nearby peaks covered in glistening white. It felt good to be back in the western part of the country. He’d missed it and had really looked forward to visiting and seeing his family again.

Well, at least he was here. The visit with the family would have to wait for another time.

The drive to the ski resort was filled with songs, outrageous stories and laughter. All of them—with the exception of Ashley—were in tensely curious about what it was like to be a Secret-Service agent. They were full of questions. Nick kept his mouth shut and let Ron field the questions. The man was good at side stepping questions that would involve revealing more than was necessary about their security measures.

The more Nick was around Ron, the more he appreciated the way the man handled himself. He’d lucked out, being paired with someone he liked and respected. That wasn’t always the case in this business.

He gave Ron the resort map so that when they pulled into the gated area to the resort, Ron directed him to their chalet. The driveway had been cleared of snow. When he pulled in, there was a rush to get out and explore.

The place was a modified A-frame, quite large, with a great many windows from which to view the mountains all around them. The inside was filled with pleasant surprises. There was a large living area and an equally large den off the main room. A fire was going in the den, making the place seem cozy. Their hosts had been there to prepare a warm welcome.

Everyone explored. They found three bedrooms upstairs, as well as a full-size basement. Nick was relieved to discover that whoever owned it was security conscious, as evidenced by the state-of-the-art security system installed. It made their job a good deal easier.

The kitchen was fully equipped, and someone had provided coffee, cream and sugar, fruit and snacks.

He and Ron returned to the living room and waited while the party of six sorted themselves out and decided who was going to room with whom. It wasn’t long until they returned to the foyer where they’d left the luggage. When the group saw the agents relaxed in the living room, they followed them in there.

Derek was the first to say, “Hey, I’ll do my patriotic duty and sleep in Ashley’s room.” His unstinting selflessness garnered a fair share of catcalls and giggles.

Nick watched Ashley’s reaction. She blushed before laughing and shaking her head. “No way!” she said. “You probably snore.”

“Or walks in his sleep,” Craig said with a grin. All the rooms were equipped with twin beds. “So how are we going to do this, anyway? We’ve got an odd number here.”

Joe spoke up. “All right, you clowns. Erin and I are taking one of the bedrooms, so Trish and Ashley can have one, Craig and Derek the other.”

Now it was Erin doing the blushing, but Nick noted she wasn’t protesting.

Since none of this was his business, Nick chose to keep quiet and watch.

Joe settled the matter by picking up his and Erin’s bags and going upstairs. Trish turned to Nick and asked, “But where will you and Ron sleep?”

Ashley spoke up. “Didn’t you know? They don’t need sleep. Actually they’re androids programmed to do their job. I doubt they ever eat, either.”

Ron laughed. “You got that wrong, Ashley. As a matter of fact, my poor ol’ stomach thinks my throat’s been cut. So what do we do about meals around here?”

Since Ron already knew the answer to his question, Nick knew he was attempting to deflect some of Ashley’s sarcasm. It also directed everyone to thinking about how long it had been since they’d been served breakfast on the plane. They began to clamor with suggestions, each volunteering the others to do the KP duties.

Nick finally held up his hand in the “T” that signaled timeout in sports. “We eat at the lodge. The kitchen never closes. I suggest we head out now if you intend to get any skiing done this afternoon.”

Once the thought was planted, everyone grabbed his or her bag and rushed upstairs, eager to get unpacked and change into ski clothes. While they were upstairs, he and Ron checked out the den. The two sleeper sofas were arranged at right angles to the fireplace, opposite each other. Nick knew they wouldn’t be the most comfortable beds, but he could survive. Since the sofas were long, he decided to leave his closed and treat it as a single bed.

Ron peered out one of the windows. “I’m glad I don’t have to get out in this stuff,” Ron said with a shiver. “Sitting by the fire at the lodge and waiting for you guys to come back inside suits me just fine. Guess you have to be born around this kind of weather to enjoy it.”

“I suppose. I know I prefer the cold dry air of the mountains to the heat and humidity at the beaches.”

“Good thing, since there’s plenty of us who prefer hot sand and cool seawater.”

The clatter on the stairs warned them that the troops were on the move again. Nick grabbed his down-filled parka and said, “Guess it’s time to head ’em up and move ’em out.”

“You know, this is going to be tough, doing round-the-clock protection. Does Ashley have any idea what she’s asking of us?”

Nick glanced over his shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. “Do you really think she cares? I have a hunch she hopes I break a leg first thing and you injure yourself falling off a bar stool.”

Ron shook his head. “I don’t think she’s quite that adamant about having her privacy.”

“Don’t bet on it!”

Hours later Ashley finished a run down the side of the mountain and paused to catch her breath. This was just what she’d needed—a chance to get away from routine for a few days, a chance to be with friends.

She’d chosen an easy trail her first time, not wanting to come to grief her first day back on the slopes. She looked around, watching as Craig, then right after him, Trish, came down, both of them whooping with glee, exhilarated by the fresh air, the fresh powder and the physical release after having been cooped up for so many hours.

She’d missed winter in Colorado more than she’d remembered. The mountains were home to her and always would be. This was the first time she’d been allowed to join her friends, some of whom came every winter holiday. Thank God her dad had finally agreed to let her go on this ski trip.

She was glad Ron was along. He was fun…and funny. They’d all indulged themselves at the buffet in the restaurant at the lodge. When it came time to see about renting equipment, he’d waved them off with a shiver that may not have been totally faked, promising to be right there by the fire when they decided they’d had all the fun they wanted with that foreign white stuff.

She was sorry that it wasn’t Ron who was out there with them.

“Going up again?” Craig hollered, motioning to the nearby lifts.

“You bet!” she replied, and started to the lifts to join them.

She wouldn’t have minded Ron being out there with her, but everything Nick the Noble did grated on her nerves. He’d taken charge of seeing that everyone was properly fitted for their skis, obviously enjoying the teasing and flirting he received from the other two women in the group.

He’d missed his calling. As a professional ski instructor he could have spent his days impressing all the giggly females. He certainly seemed to thrive on all the attention. He wore a black ski suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and slim waist. She noticed that Erin did a quick visual of him when Joe wasn’t watching. Oh, yeah. He looked good.

She also had to admit that he was something to watch on a pair of skis. All that controlled energy came to the fore as he swooped down the side of the mountain. Trish was already lamenting the fact that he stayed so close to Ashley, leaving her to ride the lifts with Derek or Craig, while Joe and Erin continued the twosome they’d formed.

Ashley would gladly change places with Trish, but she knew better than to suggest it. At least while winging down the slopes she could pretend to be alone. She wasn’t going to do anything foolish that would be reported to her father.

“Let’s find us a blue run this time,” Craig suggested as he grabbed for the lift. “Green’s too easy.”

Ashley and Nick grabbed the next bar, sliding onto the seats and holding on. She looked over at him. He was cleaning his goggles and not looking her way. His profile caught at her and she forced herself to look away.

By the time they got off the lift, the others were waiting for them. A large map of the area was posted, naming each trail, color coding them to show their degree of difficulty. They stood there debating various ones. Ashley agreed with Craig. She was ready for a little more challenge.

She followed him to Duke’s Run, gave him some time to push off and build up some speed, then shoved forward with a sense of excitement. There was nothing better than experiencing the silence of the mountain, with only the sound of the wind as it whistled past your ears.

Ashley gave herself up to enjoying the moment.

Nick kept her in sight but wasn’t worried about her. She handled herself well, didn’t take too many chances and was quite good. This assignment wasn’t going to be bad, after all. He was actually getting paid for doing something he would have offered to do for free.

Too bad Ashley had taken such an active dislike to him. If she would unbend a little where he was concerned, they could have a great week here. Somehow he didn’t see that happening.

By the time the sun settled behind the peaks, the group was more than ready to call it a day. They headed for the lodge, hoping to have some hot beverages and a chance to warm themselves in front of the oversize fireplace that dominated the cavernous lobby at the lodge.

Ron met them at the door, waving them inside, and listened to their tales of spills and near misses. They settled around the fireplace as soon as they had hot drinks in their hands. Nick sat down next to Ron and listened to their stories with a contented smile. He’d enjoyed the afternoon. He’d had no problems with Ashley other than the fact she treated him as though he were invisible. He could already feel some of his muscles protesting and wondered if he was the only one.

“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Derek announced, “but I, for one, vote for an early night. This has been a long day. Don’t forget we’re on eastern time. That’s a two-hour difference and my body’s already letting me know it!”

“You’re just out of shape,” Craig said. “I’m ready to party tonight.”

“Sure you are,” Trish said. “Who was complaining about already getting stiff before we ever left the slopes?”

Everybody laughed. He shrugged good-naturedly. “Okay, so I lied.”

Erin spoke up. “Why don’t we have an early supper and go back to the chalet? A hot bath sounds like just the thing to me.”

During dinner Nick was amused at how quiet everyone had become. There was very little conversation while they ate. He drove them back to the chalet, listening to them discuss who would use which tub first. Luckily there was a bathroom with each bedroom. He and Ron had the use of another one downstairs.

Now if only the hot water holds out, he thought as he watched them go inside.

He turned on the television in the den and stretched out on the sofa he’d chosen to watch the national news. It was the usual stuff—tension in the Mideast, increased drug problems along the southern borders, a terrorist group protesting the jail sentence of one of their leaders, increased drive-by shootings in L.A.

The weather looked a little more interesting. A storm in the Pacific Northwest would be heading into the Rockies by late tomorrow. That might curtail some of their ski activities. The lifts closed whenever the weather turned bad. Perhaps the group would have to find another way to keep themselves entertained tomorrow.

He waited until it was quiet upstairs, then went in to take a shower. When he came back, Ron had made up the other sofa and was watching a sitcom.

“Now this is the life,” Ron said. “A nice fire—thanks for rebuilding it, by the way—a beautiful view and a comfortable bed. This is one assignment you won’t hear me complaining about.”

“Glad to know you’re enjoying it. I was afraid you’d be bored sitting around inside all day.”

“Not so far, but I’ll let you know. Although I have to admit I’m feeling the altitude a little. It takes some getting used to.” He clicked off the television. Now the only light came from the fireplace.

Nick found the extra bedding and made up his bed, glad to stretch out. He was tired, but it was a good tired.

He found it amusing, or maybe ironic, the way things had worked out. Here he was back in the mountains of Colorado, only a few miles away from the family cabin where he’d spent many an enjoyable visit with his family. Coming to this area was almost as good as coming home. He just wouldn’t see his parents this trip—or his brothers and their families.

Maybe he’d call his folks tomorrow and let them know he was at least here in Colorado, even if he’d missed having Christmas with them. He wished he could figure out a way to get up to Casper to see them. Both brothers and their families would be going home the first of January, the same day this group was scheduled to return to Washington.

There were times when he envied his brothers their normal lives. Times like tonight, when he had too much time to think about the roads not taken. Ron was a good example of how the opposing pull of work and family could tear a man apart. Most of the time Nick refused to allow himself to think about what he could have had.

It was a waste of energy. He had a hunch it was his strong attraction to Ashley Sullivan that had him fantasizing about a wife and family. He smiled to himself. He certainly didn’t have to worry about that fantasy coming true.

The woman disliked him too much to ever consider a relationship with him. Therefore, she was one temptation that would be easy to resist.