Читать книгу A Very...Pregnant New Year's - Doreen Roberts - Страница 10

Embarrassed, Anne retrieved her purse from the two grinning young women, then turned to face the man who seemed determined to make a fool of her.

He towered over her, like some awful instance of déjà vu, with just a hint of amusement in his expression. His hair looked darker than she remembered—more gold than yellow—and curled almost to his collar.

Determined not to let him destroy her composure, she decided that to attack was her best defense. “Well, if it isn’t the delinquent,” she murmured. “I’m surprised to see you. I would have thought a town like Grand Springs would have cramped your style by now.”

“Ah, that’s just where you’re wrong. Grand Springs still holds plenty of opportunities for an enterprising young man or woman with ambition.”

“So I heard,” Anne said dryly.

He gave her an audacious grin. Against her will, she noticed how well his creamy white sweater emphasized his broad shoulders, and how closely his black wool slacks skimmed his hips in a perfect fit. Brad Irving had grown up. And he was still drop-dead gorgeous. No wonder the women were falling all over him. If she’d known he was going to be at the lodge, she told herself fiercely, she definitely would have stayed at home.

“Rumor has it that you’re thinking about coming back here to live,” Brad said casually. “Big city life got to be too much for you?”

She shrugged, wondering how much he’d heard on the small town grapevine. “Something like that.”

“You’ll find the town has grown quite a bit since you left. Let me know if you need some pointers on the hot spots. I’m always available for advice and assistance.”

Annoyed at the way her pulse had jumped, Anne said cooly, “Thanks. I’m sure you’re an expert on the subject but I’m not interested in the nightlife of Grand Springs right now.”

She didn’t like the gleam in his eye when he answered her. “I was talking about apartments, places of business, that kind of thing.”

Again, he’d managed to make her feel foolish. “I think I can find my way around.”

“Well, the offer’s always there.”

She wasn’t about to be added to his list of conquests, she vowed silently. “I’m sure you have better things to do than entertain a Parker. Unless you’re figuring on starting World War III.”

He shook his head. “I decided a long time ago to stay neutral as far as the Irving versus Parker feud is concerned. All that pent-up hostility and backstabbing takes up too much energy.”

She suspected he was making fun of her family, but wasn’t sure enough to call him on it. Anxious to escape the magnetism of that killer smile, she said cooly, “Well, I have to run.” Good manners nudged her to say something conventional, such as how nice it was to see him again. She smothered the urge and turned to leave, just as the clatter of high heels echoed across the spacious dark-paneled lobby.

“Really, Brad,” a husky voice exclaimed, “can’t you find something better to do than hang around the lobby all evening?”

Brad’s face seemed to close up. “I was just on my way in to dinner, Mother.”

With a great deal of reluctance, Anne paused to acknowledge the woman standing behind her.

Darlene Irving was not a tall woman, but what she lacked in height she made up for in flamboyance. Taste had never been one of Darlene’s attributes. Her long, tight black skirt was slit up to her thigh, and she’d teamed it with a low-cut red halter top that revealed more of her uplifted bosom than Anne cared to see. Obviously Darlene had not lost her fondness for exploiting her generous figure. Her bleached platinum hair was drawn back in a tight knot at the back of her head, which displayed her cheekbones but emphasized the deep wrinkles in her neck.

Darlene looked like an aging hooker, Anne thought, and immediately chastised herself. “Good evening, Mrs. Irving,” she murmured, wishing she’d simply pretended not to notice the woman.

Darlene patted her immaculate hair, allowing Anne to see the flash of light explode from the large square-cut diamond on her right hand. “Oh, it’s you, Annie.”

Anne pursed her lips. “I prefer to be called Anne.”

“Really.” Darlene looked momentarily taken aback, but instantly recovered. “I heard all about your unfortunate experience, you poor dear. Fancy being dumped practically at the altar like that. Must have been devastating for you. Men can be such arrogant beasts. I suppose some people might say it was poetic justice, considering what happened to poor Henry Irving, but of course I wouldn’t dream of making such an assumption.”

“Mother—”

Brad’s muttered protest was ignored as Darlene rushed on. “One has to be so careful whom they trust in a big city. So many weirdos. And all that pollution! Such an aging effect on one. You look positively worn out, Annie. I heard you were painting office buildings now.”

Anne placed a smile on her face. At least Brad had the decency to look uncomfortable, she noticed. Wondering why she was bothering to defend herself against this obnoxious woman, she said deliberately, “Not painting. Designing. I’m an architect.”

“Really.” Darlene looked as if she’d just smelled something bad. “How terribly quaint.” She reached out a manicured hand and patted Brad on the shoulder. “You hear that, Brad? An architect. It’s really amazing what they allow women to do nowadays.” She gave Anne the kind of look a cat gives when it’s brought home a dead mouse. “Brad’s law firm is doing very well, you know.”

Brad shrugged, looking embarrassed, as well he might.

“Well, good for him.” Anne kept her icy gaze on Darlene’s face. “You must be so proud of him.”

“I am. He’s been such a comfort since poor Wally died.”

Remembering her manners, Anne swallowed her temper and said quietly, “I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. It must be very hard for you.”

Darlene sighed. “Yes, it is. One tends to lean on family at times like these.”

“Speaking of which,” Anne said, grasping the opportunity, “I’m supposed to be at the dinner table right now with my family.”

Darlene’s heavily painted face took on a look of dismay. “Your family is here, too?”

“The entire family,” Anne assured her with ill-concealed satisfaction. “My parents, my brother and sisters, as well as my grandfather are all here to celebrate the new year.”

“Good heavens,” Darlene murmured. “The whole clan. I had no idea.” She turned to her son, her oversized, gold earrings swinging an inch or two above her shoulders. “Well, Brad darling, I suppose we shall just have to make the best of it. No doubt we’ll be falling over Parkers all weekend.”

Anne had finally had enough. With a muttered “Excuse me,” she turned her back on them and headed for the dining room. Revolting woman, she thought, seething with indignation. Anyone would think the holiday celebration had been planned entirely for her benefit, and that the Parkers were irritating intruders. Brad might have declared his neutrality, but his mother obviously intended to keep the Irving banner flying.

Her encounter had robbed her of an appetite, but she was not about to let anyone know that. Nor was she about to let the insufferable Irvings ruin the weekend. She would simply have to do her level best to avoid them.

Brad watched Anne disappear through the main doors of the dining room, feeling more than a little sorry for her. She’d met her match when dueling with his mother’s acid tongue. Though he had to admire the way she’d hung on to her composure. The fourteen-year-old kid he remembered would have instantly retaliated with a barrage of insults.

Remembering that last encounter in the halls of Burke Senior High, he twisted his mouth in a wry smile. He kind of missed that hot-tempered, spunky attitude of hers. Though her green eyes still sparkled with fire when she was mad.

“Pretentious little brat,” Darlene sputtered. “Did you see the way she looked at me? I prefer to be called Anne. The Parkers think they’re all so superior. Not that she has anything to preen about. Little wonder her boyfriend dumped her at the altar, if she patronized him the way she does everyone else. She deserves what she gets, that’s what I say.”

“Mother,” Brad said mildly, “I’m really not interested in anything that is remotely connected to the Parkers, so why don’t we just change the subject.”

Darlene sniffed. “Well, you should be. It was the Parkers who put your father into an early grave.”

He felt the familiar stab of pain at the mention of his dad, and he made an effort to keep his tone even, “Dad died because his heart couldn’t handle the stress of running the resort. You know that as well as I do.”

“He died,” Darlene said deliberately, “because he killed himself trying to hold on to that stupid piece of property rather than allow it to be sold back to the Parkers. He’d turn over in his grave if he knew it was shut down.”

“The Coldwater Spa was operating at a loss for the last few years. It was just a matter of time before he closed it down.”

“The right person could have made it profitable again.”

He knew what she was getting at, and he knew where that topic would lead. He’d fought with his father often enough over his decision to go to law school instead of taking over the management of the resort. He wasn’t about to fight with his mother over it, too.

“Well, it’s closed down now,” he said cheerfully, “so let’s just stop worrying about it and enjoy this weekend.”

He might have known she wouldn’t let it go that easily.

“If your father hadn’t stipulated in his will that the land had to stay in the family,” Darlene said, as they crossed the lobby together, “we could have asked a good price for Coldwater and been rid of it. If it hadn’t been for the Parkers and that ridiculous feud, we wouldn’t be stuck with it.”

“You can’t blame everything on the Parkers.” Brad paused at the entrance to the dining room. “We’ll enjoy the weekend a lot more if you just forget about the feud and the Parkers. Pretend they’re not here.”

Darlene sniffed. “That’s going to be a little difficult considering the entire mob is here. I don’t know how you can be so calm about it. After all, if it hadn’t been for that family, you would probably have had a better relationship with your father.”

Brad winced. It was a low blow, and there was just no answer to that. Wishing he were anywhere else but at Mountview Ski Lodge that weekend, he escorted his mother into the dining room.

A few yards away, Anne sat at a long table at the far end of the room, next to one of the tall windows overlooking the slopes. She’d always loved the rustic atmosphere of the lodge, with its wide, natural beams and cathedral ceilings. Logs crackled and spat in the huge stone fireplace just feet away, and she could feel the heat from the hungry flames as she looked around the table at her family.

It was so good to be with them all again, though she missed her grandma Nellie. She smiled at Grandpa James, who sat next to her. She couldn’t resist giving him a hug. “How are you doing, Grandpa?”

His pale gray eyes peered at her over the top of his glasses. “I’d feel a damn sight better if it was colder.”

She was immediately concerned. “Are you too hot? Would you like to move? I’m sure they’ll be happy to set up another table further away from the fire.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s the snow I’m worried about.” He nodded at the window. “Looks a little mushy to me.”

Paul, who was sitting on the other side of him, gave him a nudge with his elbow. “You planning on skiing with us, Gramps?”

Grandpa James shook his head. “Got too much respect for my old bones.” He gave Paul a stern look. “Stay off that mountain, sonny, if you value your skin.” He glanced around the table. “That goes for all of you. Not safe out there. Temperature’s rising. Take my word for it.”

Paul laughed. At twenty-four he was a carbon copy of their father, except his dark blond hair showed no signs of the thinning that plagued Dan Parker. Paul had inherited his father’s broad shoulders and chunky build, and was supremely confident of his immortality. “You worry too much, Gramps. We’re all fantastic skiers. After all, we’ve been doing it since we were old enough to walk.”

Grandpa scowled at him. “Don’t mess with Mother Nature, boy. You’ll find out she has a mean hand.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Father, stop treating them all as if they were still toddlers.” Carol Parker, an attractive woman from whom Anne had inherited her thick hair and green eyes, gazed fondly at her four children. “Though sometimes I have to admit, it’s hard for me to realize you are all so grown-up. Especially now that we’re all together again.” She reached out and lightly pressed Anne’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re coming back to Grand Springs, darling. We’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you all, too.” Anne sipped at her iced tea before adding casually, “I bumped into the Irvings in the foyer.”

Her father groaned. “Oh, no, don’t tell me that awful woman is here. You didn’t speak to her, did you? She gives the place a bad name. I suppose she’s got that scheming son of hers with her? She never goes anywhere without him now that Wally’s gone.”

“Now, Dan, let’s not let those dreadful people spoil our weekend.” Carol looked hopefully at Anne for support. “The best thing to do is completely ignore them. Pretend we don’t see them.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Secretly Anne thought that might be impossible, considering the lodge wasn’t that big.

“Well, I’m glad Brad Irving’s here,” Sharon said, smirking at Elise. “I think he’s positively awesome looking.”

“The sexiest man in town, that’s for sure.” Elise flicked her long blond hair over her shoulder with a careless hand. “I wouldn’t mind spending a night with him, I can tell you.”

“That’s enough, girls,” Carol warned mildly. “You know how talk like that irritates your father.”

“The man’s a damn crook,” Dan muttered. “How can you two talk like that about a man whose family stole your heritage? If it wasn’t for the Irvings, we’d still own that damn land, and I wouldn’t have to face bankruptcy to keep you two in college.”

Sharon’s face burned as she reached for her water glass. Elise lifted her chin, and Anne knew her youngest sister was going to argue. She should have kept her mouth shut about seeing Brad and his mother, she thought, cursing herself for starting a familiar argument.

“Well, it’s not worth much now,” Elise said, with a hint of defiance. “Now that they’ve closed down the spa it’s just empty buildings sitting there doing nothing.”

“It’s still good land.” Dan set his fork down on his plate with a clatter. “I’m damn sure I could find something to do with it. Trust that thieving lawyer to let it go to waste. Too damn busy cheating people out of their hard-earned money, that’s his problem.”

“Now, dear, let’s just forget about it, shall we?” Carol looked pleadingly at her husband. “I really would like to enjoy this weekend with my wonderful family, and for once forget the existence of the Irvings.”

“That’s not going to be easy,” Sharon said, echoing Anne’s thoughts. “Brad will be on the midnight ski run. There’s only fifteen of us signed up, so we’re bound to bump into him.”

“Cool,” Elise murmured softly, earning a frown from her father.

“We signed you up for it, Anne,” Sharon said eagerly. “Paul’s going, too. It should be fun. I love skiing at night.”

So did Anne, but the thought of racing down a dark mountain next to Brad Irving took the joy out of it. She smiled at her sisters. “I think I’ll pass. It’s been a while since I was on skis.”

“I think you should all pass it up,” Grandpa James muttered. “You’re all crazy if you go down that mountain.”

“You’ve got to go, Anne!” Elise cried in dismay. “It won’t be the same without you. There’s going to be a welcome-back party for the skiers and everything.”

“Not afraid of Brad Irving, are you?” Sharon asked slyly.

Anne felt her cheeks grow warm. “Of course not,” she said sharply. “If you really want me to go that badly, I’ll go.”

Grandpa James shook his head. “Crazy,” he muttered. “Every last one of them.”

“We’re bound to see Brad at the New Year’s Eve party, anyway,” Paul said, eyeing the huge tray of desserts placed on the table by an attractive waitress. “So we might as well meet the enemy on the slopes and beat the heck out of him.”

Carol looked alarmed. “You’re not going to fight that man, are you Paul? I despise the Irvings as much as anyone, but I wouldn’t want to see you fight.”

Paul grinned. “Relax, Mom. I just meant we’d all beat him down the mountain, that’s all.”

“That’s if you get down,” Grandpa muttered darkly.

Aware that no one was listening to him, as usual, Anne patted his arm. “Don’t worry, Grandpa,” she said softly. “I’ll keep an eye on them all.”

“Tell us about your plans for the new year, Anne dear.” Carol picked up a dish of cheesecake and offered it to her eldest daughter. “I’m dying to know what you intend to do next.”

“I thought I’d find an office to rent downtown,” Anne said, doing her best not to notice Brad and his mother seated at the opposite end of the room. Elise and Sharon might think that Bradley Irving was the sexiest man in town, she told herself, but personally, she couldn’t see it.

Trust Darlene Irving to mention her aborted wedding. The thought of Jason didn’t enter her mind anymore until someone mentioned him. Actually, compared to the suave, confident man across the room, Jason was a wimp.

The thought surprised her. She hastily reminded herself that, wimp or not, Brad Irving was just as much a womanizer as Jason, and infinitely more irritating. Then she deliberately put them both out of her mind for the rest of the meal.

By late afternoon the following day, the clouds that had been gathering all afternoon had gradually thickened to a thick gray mass above the slopes. By the time Anne and her siblings joined the midnight skiers at the chairlifts, the wind danced through the branches of the pines and tossed mounds of snow to the ground below. A fine mist hung over the lodge, obliterating the night sky.

Grandpa James had already retired for the night, but Dan and Carol had settled themselves by the fire to await the return of their family.

Elise and Sharon chattered endlessly as they waited for their turn on the lifts. Standing behind them, Anne listened to Paul’s account of his work as a computer analyst without really understanding what he was talking about. Her attention was on a tall, blond man at the rear of the line, deep in conversation with a redhead who laughed at everything he said. Anne wondered if they were at the lodge together, then told herself it was none of her business. Though she did wonder how romantic a rendezvous could be if Brad had brought his mother along.

Some of the guests had braved the cool night wind to cheer on the skiers, and would remain on the terrace to watch the descent. The team’s headlamps would provide a pleasing display of bobbing lights as they swooped down the mountain.

Anne clasped her ski poles as she stepped onto the line next to Paul and waited for the chair to swing in behind them. Tiny flakes of snow drifted down in the flare of the lights and danced now and again in a flurry of wind.

The faint smell of pine perfumed the clean night air, and Anne felt a stirring of anticipation as the edge of the chair closed in behind her knees. She settled herself on the seat, prepared to enjoy the ride to the top of the run. This was the part she loved—the moments before she launched herself into the wild, exhilarating journey down the still, silent world of the slopes.

She had never lost her thrill of the run—that rush of heady excitement as her skis swished through the smooth, white snow and the cold wind whipped her face. For a few brief minutes she could leave behind all the worries and stress of her workday world, and transcend to a calmer, more peaceful place where all that mattered was the frosty ground slipping away beneath her feet as she sped on wings to the earth below.

“The snow’s coming down pretty good,” Paul remarked, as they reached the end of their ride and slid gracefully from their chair. “If those clouds get any lower they won’t see our lights from the lodge.”

Anne glanced up at the black sky above her. “We should be down before the worst of the storm comes in.”

“I see our hotshot lawyer has found himself another candidate for heartbreak,” Paul muttered.

She followed his gaze to where Brad was helping the redhead out of the chair. The woman fell against him and he caught her, wrapping his arms around her to steady her. Anne watched her laugh up at him, clinging to him as if she were helpless to stand by herself. Heaven knew what the silly woman would do once she got on the slopes, Anne thought.

She tried to ignore the two of them as she took her place at the top of the run. Paul and his sisters lined up on her left, and she was relieved to see Brad and his giggling girlfriend at the opposite end of the line.

Their leader stood in the middle of the group, ready to lead off on his own. After a count of five, the person on each side of him would follow, then the person on each side of them, until all fifteen skiers were descending in a giant V formation.

Anne forgot about Brad as she poised on her mark, waiting for her turn. With a shout that echoed across the still mountain, the lead took off, disappearing into the eerie half darkness. Within seconds the beam of his flashlight sliced through the falling snow, which was the signal for the next two to go, then the next.

Anne waited for the flash of light to signal her turn, then launched herself forward. Her spirits soared as her skis cut through the snow, and she crouched to gain speed. Ahead of her the bobbing lights of the skiers guided her down a trail that was hard to see against the blowing snow. Thick flakes slanted across the wide beam of her headlamp, bringing her visibility down to a few feet ahead of her.

A quick glance back assured her that Paul and her sisters were close behind her, though it was impossible to distinguish their faces in the dark. She faced forward again, and as she did so, a loud crack echoed across the mountainside, followed by an ominous rumbling.

At first she thought it was thunder, but when the sound grew louder instead of fading away, she flicked a glance over her shoulder. Faintly she heard Paul’s shout above the ever increasing roar, but she couldn’t understand what he said. The next time she looked back he waved his arm frantically up and down. Her apprehension leapt to alarm when she saw her two sisters veer off sharply to their left.

Then the significance of the thundering roar hit her, and her heart seemed to freeze in fear. Just a few yards behind Paul, barely distinguishable in the dim light, a wall of snow loomed above him, bearing down on him fast.

Avalanche. The thing every mountain skier and climber dreaded. The tumbling, suffocating mass of snow and debris was hurtling down on the skiers, with the lodge itself directly in its path.

Instinctively, Anne dug in her poles and leaned to her left, beginning the curve that would take her out of the path of the deadly flow. One frantic glance back assured her that her sisters had reached the trees and were clear of the onslaught. Seconds later she saw Paul plunge after them, barely escaping the edge of the swirling, heaving mass of destruction.

The furious white wave was almost on her now, like a giant breaker in the rolling surf. The noise was deafening. Twenty yards. She dug her poles frantically into the soft snow, desperate for more speed.

Almost there. She could see the edge of the trees, then suddenly lost sight of them as a cloud of wet snow enveloped her. The freezing air closed around her, choking her, blinding her. She fought to keep her balance as she felt the ground shift beneath her. Then something hit her hard in the shoulder.

She went flying, rolling and tumbling at a terrifying speed inside the cold, wet suffocating blanket of snow. Just when she thought she would never draw breath again, the ground abruptly gave way beneath her.

Barely conscious now, she realized she was falling. Her last thought was to wonder how long it would take for her grieving family to find her body at the bottom of a ravine. Then the darkness wiped out the world.