Читать книгу Snow Angels - Fern Michaels - Страница 16

The road leading off the mountain was completely cleared of the afternoon snowfall. The forecasters had been wrong. They’d barely gotten a foot of snow. Max was glad because he didn’t want to wait any longer to do what he’d decided to do as he’d skied down Powder Rise yesterday afternoon.

With both dogs securely buckled in the backseat of the fire-engine red Jeep, Max carefully drove down the mountain to his destination: Denver. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to the city, but now was as good a time as any.

The traffic on I-70 was heavy since it was Sunday morning. Hundreds of residents of Denver and the surrounding area drove to the resorts on the weekend. With Christmas just four days away, the traffic was horrendous.

Three hours later he made it to the city. First on his list was the Hummer dealership, where he traded in the Jeep he’d bought for Kayla for a bright yellow Hummer. Eddie would love this.

Next, he drove downtown to the police station. He had already dropped the dogs off at a doggie spa for grooming, figuring by the time they were finished, he would be, too.

He was taking a chance, hoping to take advantage of his acquaintance with Kayla’s former partner, Paul McCormick, who, he remembered, was a decent guy.

Luck was with him. According to the girl manning the front desk, Paul’s shift had just ended. She paged him and told Max to have a seat.

“Max Jorgenson, good to see you,” Paul said when he saw him. “I couldn’t imagine who it was when Kathy paged me. How are you?”

“Actually, I’m doing okay. Listen, I need a favor. I hate to ask you, but it’s important, and I don’t know who else I can trust.”

“Sure. Let’s go to the break room. I can’t guarantee the coffee, but it’s private.”

“Great,” Max said.

Once they were seated, Paul poured them each a cup of coffee. Max sipped his, trying hard not to gag.

Paul got straight to the point. “So what can I do for you?”

“Have you ever heard of a woman’s shelter called Hope House?”

Paul raised his eyebrows. “Everyone in law enforcement knows about it. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in Gypsum. Why? Do you know someone who needs protection?”

“No, no, nothing like that. You see…” This wasn’t as easy as Max thought it would be. It felt like a betrayal of Kayla. “The woman who runs the place, Grace Landry. What can you tell me about her?”

“Now wait a minute, Max, Grace Landry is as good as it gets. Just ask around. Whatever beef you have with her, I’ll warn you, there’s a thousand guys that’ll come to her defense.”

“Look, Paul, I owe the woman a favor. She broke down on Blow Out Hill the other night. She had two little girls with her. I just need to find a way to contact her.”

“In my day, when a lady wanted any contact from a man, she usually gave him her phone number.”

“I have her number. Here.” Max removed the crumpled slip of paper that Grace had written her number on from his pocket. “I want to surprise her. I don’t want to call her. Can you help me or not?” Max didn’t like begging, but if he had to, in this instance he would.

“Remember the old Sutton Mansion in Gypsum? It was in the paper a few years ago, something about it being on the historical register.” Paul looked him squarely in the eye. “No one knows about this, Max. If word got out that it was a shelter, the women Grace works so hard to protect wouldn’t stand a chance. There are a lot of angry husbands and boyfriends out there who would like nothing more than to see her shut down.”

“You have my word I won’t tell a soul. Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate your going out on a limb for me.”

“Anytime.” Paul stood, and Max clasped his outstretched hand.

“Whenever you want to go skiing, take a ride up to Maximum Glide. Ask for Eddie and tell him to give you and your family anything you want.”

“Thanks, Max, I might just do that. Skiing is getting a bit pricey these days.”

Max laughed. “Don’t I know it. Be careful out there.”

Max left the police station, picked up Ice-D and Cliff, who now smelled like strawberries and cream. There was one more stop Max needed to make on his way home.

He was going to buy a Christmas tree. He was sure the decorations were stored in the shed, along with everything else he’d packed away when he moved. Better yet, he’d buy all new decorations. He’d kept the ones Kayla had purchased packed away, but if he was going to make a fresh start, he might as well go all the way.

Three hours later, with two dogs that smelled like dessert, a fifteen-foot blue spruce strapped to the top of the Hummer, and six hundred dollars’ worth of decorations, Max drove his new vehicle up the winding road heading for home.

Home. How strange it sounded to refer to his log cabin as home. He’d been living there for two years and never once thought of the place as anything other than a place to sleep, eat, shower, and drink. Funny, he hadn’t even thought of taking a drink since Grace landed on his doorstep.

“That’s a good thing, right, guys?” Max asked the two dogs.

“Woof, woof.”

Max let the dogs out and unloaded the Hummer. Once inside, he put the stand together, wrestled with the tree until he got it in the stand, then filled the stand with water and the package of stuff they’d given him to help the tree stay fresh longer. Both dogs barked at the front door.

“I’m having so much fun I forgot all about you guys.” Max stood aside as the two leapt through the door. Both cocked their heads to the side when they saw the giant tree in the center of the den. To prove they were still in control, both Huskies trotted over to the tree, where they lifted their hind legs and proceeded to piss all over it.

Max stared at the pair, shocked by their actions, then he started to laugh. He laughed so hard his sides hurt, and his eyes filled with tears.

“I take it you guys don’t like the tree. Too bad ’cause it’s staying. If you want to pee on it, be my guest, but you’d better not mess with the decorations. Or else.”

“Woof! Woof!”

Max strung the multicolored lights on the tree, then one by one he carefully placed the ornaments on the branches. Ice-D and Cliff were mesmerized when he turned all the room lights off and plugged in the tree lights. The giant log cabin instantly became a home. To honor the woman who’d been his wife, he’d bought a silver star and placed it on the front of the tree where he could see it. To honor the woman who’d given him his life back, he carefully placed a crystal snow angel next to the star.

Max stepped back to admire his handiwork. He gave a long whistle as he stared at his tree. This was a time for new beginnings, a time to start fresh. Kayla would want this for him, but more important, now he wanted it for himself.

It was about time he gave old Bryce a run for his money.