Читать книгу Colton's Rescue Mission - Karen Whiddon - Страница 13

After getting a message to call Vanessa, Remy dialed her number immediately. When he heard her soft hello, he exhaled. “Are you all right? I was worried about you,” he said.

“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice shaking. “But I’ve left Seth’s condo. I’m not sure what to think about his behavior.”

Remy wasn’t sure, either. In all honesty, his brother’s mood swings, heavy drinking and barely leashed rage worried the hell out of him. The breakup with Vanessa must have affected him strongly, though if his end goal was to get her back, he was going about it the wrong way. He couldn’t blame Vanessa for being scared off.

“Is there somewhere we can meet and talk?” Remy asked, pushing away the sharp thrill of anticipation that went through him at the thought of seeing her again. He only wanted to make sure she was safe, he told himself. Nothing more. “Where are you now?”

Her answer surprised him. “Well, actually I’m in the lobby of The Chateau. I was hoping a room would miraculously open up, but no such luck. I’m still not sure the tunnel is open yet. I seriously doubt I could get back home to Boulder in this storm.” She laughed self-consciously. “And I really was hoping to ski Pine Peak once it opens. As long as I’m up here…”

“I’ll be there in five,” he replied. He could tell she wasn’t the kind of person who enjoyed asking for help from anyone. “We’ll go grab a cup of coffee or something to drink and I’ll see what I can do to find you a place to stay.”

Sounding relieved, she agreed to wait for him.

“Save my number in your phone,” he told her. “This is my cell. You can call or text me anytime.”

She promised she would.

Hanging up, Remy walked out into the still-too-quiet office and told everyone they could take the rest of the day off. Despite The Chateau being booked to capacity, the PR department took it easy over the holidays. With so many already on vacation or personal days, they weren’t getting any work done anyway, and if the snow continued to fall at the same rate, the plows would have trouble keeping up. They might as well go home and stay warm.

His good-natured order was met with cheers. He stood near the door and watched everyone gather up their coats and head out. A few people high-fived him and one of the older women gave him a hug. Hiding his impatience, he wished they would hurry up so he could lock up the office and go spend the rest of the day with Vanessa.

The rest of the… The realization should have shocked him, but he could barely get past his eagerness to see her.

Finally, everyone had gone. He busted out the door with an unusual spring in his step before he reminded himself to slow down. Vanessa needed a friend, not a suitor. Plus, with Seth so volatile, he didn’t want to take a chance of doing something to set him off.

Before heading out into the lobby, he decided to get a breath of fresh air. Mostly so he could get a handle on the conflicting emotions that filled him when he thought of spending time with Vanessa.

Stepping outside, he stood for a moment, letting the snow swirl around him, barely feeling the cold. He took several deep breaths, letting the icy air fill his lungs. He’d always found winter exhilarating, which made living high up in the Rockies perfect.

Glancing at the street and the tire tracks left by his employees, he decided he’d go ahead and walk around to the front entrance of The Chateau and go in that way.

As usual, when he strolled around to the front of The Chateau, a sense of pride and contentment filled him. He loved the structure, inside and out, and loved the people who worked there and made it one of the top vacation destinations in the United States even more.

Stepping into the lobby, he stuffed his gloves into his pocket and caught sight of Vanessa seated on one of the ornate chairs under the skylight, sunlight illuminating her dark hair. Scrolling through her phone, she didn’t see him until he’d gotten a few feet away. When she looked up, their gazes met and locked. Once more, something intense flared between them. One-sided? he wondered. Or did she feel it, too?

“Hey.” Vanessa stood, greeting him with a smile and an outstretched hand. “Thanks so much for meeting with me.”

When his fingers connected with her slender ones, he fought the completely ridiculous urge to pull her up against him. Instead, he managed a civilized handshake and reluctantly released her.

“Let’s go get something to drink and see what we can figure out,” he offered.

“Here?”

He debated with himself, weighing the chances of Seth walking in, since the last thing he wanted to do was provoke some kind of scene. Deciding that possibility highly unlikely, he nodded. “There’s a wonderful little coffee shop right off the lobby,” he said.

“I saw it. It was very crowded, though. I don’t think there was any place to sit.”

Which wouldn’t be surprising. “Let’s go check it out.” But even before they were close, he could tell they’d need to make another choice. “I tell you what,” he told her. “Since the slopes are closed right now, everywhere downtown is going to be packed.”

She nodded, eying him. “How about we take a walk? Or are you averse to a little snow?”

Unable to help himself, he laughed. “I love to be out in the snow and cold. People are always acting like I’m crazy when I say I want to go out for a stroll in the winter.”

Eyes sparkling, she nodded. “I have snow boots in my car. How about you?”

“Of course,” he replied. “In my back seat.”

Impulsively, she took his arm. “Then let’s go.”

Side by side they hurried out of the hotel. He felt giddy, as if he was seventeen again and a love-struck teenager. While rationally, he knew he had to get a grip, for now he decided to go with the flow and simply enjoy the day.

She led him to her vehicle first, a practical and sturdy Subaru. “Four-wheel drive,” she said, grinning as she unlocked the doors. “She also gets great gas mileage.” Grabbing her boots, Vanessa sat down on the front passenger seat to put them on.

“She?” he asked. “Don’t tell me you named your car.”

“Of course I did.” Boots in place, she hopped out and tugged on her gloves. “Your turn.”

Her infectious enthusiasm made his heart pound. Slipping and sliding, he took off for his Jeep, hoping he had an extra pair of socks, too, since his were already soaked.

Luckily, he’d had the foresight to tuck a pair into his snow boots. He motioned her to hop inside, front or back—her choice. She chose the front passenger side, which probably was a good thing. He got in the back seat and closed the door to keep the blowing snow out while he peeled off his wet socks and slipped his feet into a pair of dry ones. Once he’d laced up his Sorel Caribou waterproof boots, he gave her a thumbs-up. “Ready.”

She hopped out, pulling on a jaunty ski cap with a pom-pom on top. “I’m hoping the storm has driven most of the people inside,” she said. “But with this being a ski resort, you never know.”

Debating, he gave in to impulse and took her arm. “I’m sure there’ll be a few other hearty souls, but I guarantee it won’t be anywhere near as crowded as inside.”

“Good.” Her teeth flashed as white as the snowflakes. For someone with nowhere to stay, she seemed awfully chipper. Maybe she was one of those people who never worried, and simply figured things would always work out. He’d often wished he could be like that. Instead, he planned and scheduled, feeling as if he had to have control over every aspect of his life.

Walking side by side with Vanessa, he realized it felt amazing to be able to let that überpreparedness slide, if only for a little while.

After a few steps, she pulled her arm free, turning this way and that, surveying the picturesque downtown area with wonder. Bright lights shone from inside the shops and cafés, and in most of the eating and drinking establishments, it appeared to be standing room only. Quite a bit different than the normally bustling sidewalks.

The heavy snow and blowing wind had discouraged most of the tourists from venturing out. Those few people they encountered were bundled up so much that they were unrecognizable. Glancing at Vanessa, he saw she’d pulled out a scarf and wrapped it around her lower face. He reached into his pocket and did the same. They needed to talk, but for now he wanted to simply enjoy being with her like this.

When they reached the end of the commercial part of Main Street, she turned. “I guess we can go back down the other side,” she said. “Though I wouldn’t mind going in somewhere and warming up a bit.”

Since the chill had begun to seep into his bones, too, he nodded. “There’s another coffee shop one block back on the opposite side of the road. Maybe since everyone seems to be frequenting the bars, it won’t be as bad.”

She nodded, her long lashes white with snow. “I’ve reached my limit on coffee, but I can get hot cider or tea.” She missed a step and nearly fell. Without thinking, he reached for her hand and took it, helping to steady her. If this surprised her, he couldn’t tell.

Gloved hand in gloved hand, they crossed the street. Traffic was almost nonexistent and even the streetlights had taken on a magical glow. The deep, powdery snow had begun to make walking difficult, even though a few intrepid shop owners appeared to have attempted to shovel the sidewalk.

By the time they reached the No Doze Café, they were both out of breath. Luckily, the inside appeared to be only moderately crowded, rather than packed.

The instant they stepped through the door, Vanessa pulled her hand out of his and removed her gloves. “Oh, it smells wonderful in here,” she said, inhaling deeply. “And look—a table just opened up over there in the corner!” She made a beeline for it, grabbing a chair and taking a seat before anyone else could. Grinning triumphantly, she beckoned Remy over.

Entranced by her, he went. “Do you mind ordering while I guard our spot?” she asked. Rummaging in her pocket, she pulled out a crumpled five-dollar bill and slid it across the table. “Here. This will take care of mine. I’d like a large hot apple cider with whipped cream.”

“I’ve got this,” he said, ignoring her money. “I’ll be right back.”

At the counter, he waited in line. Finally, he placed their order—the cider for her and a black coffee for him—and paid. The drinks were ready quickly and he carried them back to the table, noticing how a group of twentysomething guys were eying Vanessa. He had to love the fact that she appeared to be oblivious as she scrolled on her phone.

As soon as he approached her, she put it down and reached for her drink. “Thank you so much.” She took a deep sip and made a throaty sound of pleasure that had him aching with desire.

Damn. He reminded himself to focus. He sat, wrapping both hands around his coffee cup. “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on with Seth?”

Her eyes widened. “Wow, you clearly believe in getting right to the point.”

“I do,” he admitted, aware he couldn’t tell her he’d simply needed a distraction from the way he couldn’t stop wanting her.

She sighed. “I came here because I felt I owed Seth an explanation for the way I broke things off with him. I was abrupt and…” Expression rueful, she shrugged. “I was wrong. Not for ending it, but the way I handled it. I wanted closure. I forgot guys don’t seem to get that word.”

Her comment made him smile. “Truth. We—or at least I—tend to see things a bit more cut-and-dried. Either something is or it isn’t.”

Considering him, she shook her head. “Despite my best efforts, Seth seems to believe I’m here for another reason—to get back together. He’s hurt and angry…understandably so.” She took a deep breath. “He’s your brother, but I’ll be honest with you. Seth’s taking it to another level.” Leaning forward, she met his gaze. “He’s frightening me.”

“Me, too,” he admitted gruffly. Then, because he was curious, he asked her how long she’d known his brother.

“A couple of years. We met on the slopes. We were friends, just that, nothing more. Then I went through something…” She bit her lip, her dark blue eyes huge. “Both my parents were killed in a car crash. Seth was there for me. He became my port in the storm.”

Surprised, Remy simply nodded, hoping she’d continue. Maybe his brother had matured in ways he didn’t always reveal. For Seth to stand by Vanessa while she endured her own private hell, expecting nothing in return… That showed the sort of personal growth, the kind Remy had long wished Seth to have.

She fell silent. He didn’t press her, and instead drank his coffee in silence.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, getting up quickly and heading toward the restroom. Right before she reached the short hallway that led to the ladies’ room, she turned and looked at him. “Please wait for me.” And then she disappeared behind the door.

For reasons he didn’t entirely understand, that broke his heart.

Had she said too much? Or not enough? Standing in front of the washroom mirror, Vanessa put her hands to her flaming cheeks. She needed to remember that Remy and Seth were related by blood, while she was merely a stranger who’d come to town for what now seemed to be entirely selfish reasons. Clearly, Seth would have been better off without her attempt at obtaining a respite from her guilt at the knowledge that she hadn’t handled their breakup well.

Turned out maybe that had been all in her head. She should have left well enough alone. And she couldn’t believe she’d almost revealed the fact that she and Seth had never even been intimate. If she had, then Remy would know what a cold fish she was.

During her brief engagement to Seth, she’d managed to deflect every attempt he made to get her in his bed. At first, she’d chalked it up to her sheltered upbringing, but she’d come to the realization she didn’t want him at all that way. She’d seen the way other women looked at him—he was a handsome man, after all. So it had to be her. With that bit of awareness, she’d understood they both deserved better.

But she’d lacked the courage to say that to Seth. Of course, the fact that when she’d called off the engagement, he’d been so furious that he’d punched a hole in the wall might have had something to do with it. He’d scared her so badly, and after he’d stormed out she’d had all her locks changed so he couldn’t come back.

He hadn’t. He’d hightailed it back to Roaring Springs, which had given her both relief and peace. Until she’d gotten the foolish idea that she needed to make things right with Seth so they could both move on.

All she’d managed to do was make everything worse.

Though she had learned one thing about herself. Apparently, she wasn’t as much of an ice princess as she believed. One look from Remy Colton’s hazel-green eyes set her on fire. She craved his touch, wondered about how his lips would feel on hers and imagined carnal scenarios she’d only previously read about.

Had she lost her mind? Seriously, she needed to get a grip on this ridiculous attraction she felt toward Remy. Talk about creating a huge mess! That’s what it would be if she even considered acting on these forbidden desires.

So nope, nope, nope. Luckily, Remy seemed oblivious to her feelings. Thank goodness. She needed to remember she simply needed his help to find a place to stay for one or two nights and then she’d be out of this town for good. Hopefully before she managed to make an even worse mess out of things.

Once she managed to regain her composure, she left the sanctuary of the restroom and went back to her table. Remy looked up from his phone and smiled. The warmth of it went straight to her heart.

Shaking her head at herself, she sat back down and took a sip of her hot cider. Though it had cooled down significantly, the drink still tasted delicious.

“I’ve done some checking,” he said. “We keep a family suite at The Chateau and since no one is using it at the moment, it’s yours.”

She stared. “A suite? That’s amazing.”

“And in case you’re worrying about the cost, we’re not going to charge you anything. You can have it for as long as you need it, within reason.”

Within reason. His caveat made her smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t be moving in or anything. I’d just like to ski the mountain once it reopens. And then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Gaze steady, he shrugged. “How long is up to you. No one will be using the suite until after the holidays.”

“Wow. Okay, thanks. I confess I’m a bit surprised you don’t have family coming in for Christmas, though.”

“We do. But they’ll be staying at Colton Manor,” he replied.

“Colton Manor?” She couldn’t help herself. “That sounds like something out of a movie about royalty or something.”

He laughed. “That’s closer to the truth than you realize. My family has this huge and utterly pretentious mansion where my uncle Russ and my aunt Mara like to entertain. My grandfather, Earl, has a separate suite of rooms all to himself.”

“Your father doesn’t live there?”

“No. He tends to do his own thing.”

“What about your mother?” Utterly intrigued, she leaned forward.

“Cordelia?” His mouth twisted. “She dropped me off on Whit’s doorstep when I was five. She has… substance-abuse issues. My grandparents basically raised me. And Cordelia has been out of the picture ever since I got legal custody of Seth.”

“That’s a lot to take in,” she mused. “You must have been so young yourself and yet still took on trying to raise your little brother.”

He shook his head, his expression distant. “I didn’t have a choice. I simply couldn’t leave him in that environment.”

She wanted to tell him how much she admired him for that, but kept it to herself. Remy clearly was a good, honorable man, and men like him weren’t comfortable with compliments on actions they considered to be second nature.

They finished their drinks in companionable silence while the snow continued to fall outside. She liked the way Remy put her at ease without even trying.

“Would you like another cider?” he finally asked.

“I think I’m done,” she said and stretched, even though she was reluctant to move. “Thank you so much for helping me.”

Wearing a pleased expression, he nodded. “We’ve solved your immediate problem. But I’m still worried about Seth.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she began.

“Oh, he will, once he thinks about things rationally and calms down. But that’s not what I meant. I love him—he’s family I didn’t even know I had until fifteen years ago. But he’s had his share of troubles since we reconnected. He’s not always successful in conquering his demons.”

Intrigued, she grabbed her empty cup and stood. “You know what? Let’s both get another drink. On me this time. That’s a story I’d really like to hear, if you don’t mind sharing.”

“I don’t mind at all.” His steady gaze touched on her and she felt it like a caress. “Though I have to say, I’m surprised Seth never told you.”

She was, too, though she didn’t voice that thought. “I’ll be right back.”

Instead of a line, only one other person waited at the counter. She placed the order and paid, waiting just a minute until the drinks were ready.

“Here you go,” she said, placing Remy’s coffee on the table in front of him. She waited until she’d gotten settled back in her seat before she took a sip of her own hot cider drink. “Seth didn’t really talk much about his past. He always said he liked being an enigma.”

Though Remy raised one eyebrow at that statement, he didn’t comment. He drank his coffee, appearing contemplative, as if trying to figure out the best way to tell his story.

She waited patiently, enjoying the warmth of the room, the scent of fresh-roasted coffee, the delicious drink and the intriguing man seated across from her.

“When I was five years old, my birth mother dropped me off on my dad’s doorstep,” he began. “Whit Colton has always been a playboy. Still is, even though he’s well past fifty. He had no time for a son, but he made sure to take care of me financially, for which I’m grateful. His parents were delighted to have a grandchild to coddle, so they took care of me and loved me.”

He looked down, wrapping his hands around his coffee cup.

Unable to help herself, she made a sound of sympathy and reached across the table to put her hand on his. “That must have been hard on you. You were so young to go through such a thing.”

Remy grimaced. “It wasn’t easy. For years, I was convinced I must have done something wrong for my mother to send me away like that. And when my father didn’t seem to want to have much to do with me, well, that reinforced my belief that it was all my fault.” He released a ragged breath then went on. “As a consequence, I became very, very well behaved. Straight-A student, outstanding athlete, all of that. My grandparents cheered me on, encouraged me and treated me as if I mattered. Despite their belief in me, I always felt something was missing. So when I was twenty, I set out to find my birth mother.”

Vanessa gasped. “Did you have any luck?” Then, as she realized what that meant, she shook her head. “Of course you did. I’m guessing that’s also how you found Seth.”

“Exactly. My mother, Cordelia, was an ex-model, which is how she met Whit Colton. She became a drug addict, probably before she dumped me off on Whit.” He took a deep breath, his gaze faraway, as though he was lost in his memories. “Though she’d gotten married to Seth’s father, he also had drug problems and, worse, anger issues. She’d neglected Seth the way she’d neglected me, except he spent his entire life in that environment. Seth’s dad was abusive, verbally and physically, which in turn caused Seth to take out his anger on others, even animals. Though he was only fifteen, he started to have problems with drugs and alcohol too.”

Stunned, she covered her mouth with her hand. “That’s horrible. I had no idea. Seth never mentioned any of this to me.”

Remy shrugged. “He says he prefers not to look back at the past. I’m sure he didn’t want your pity.”

Pity. She considered Remy’s choice of word. Maybe he was right. But then again… “Knowing about this might have helped me understand him better. The anger issues. The times he got falling-down drunk.”

“Well, now you know.” Remy’s matter-of-fact tone didn’t fool her one bit. Raw emotion shone from his eyes. “I couldn’t leave my half brother there. He wouldn’t have stood a chance. I took over legal custody of him, even though I was only five years older.”

“His parents let you? Just like that?”

“No.” Remy drank his coffee. “I got a loan from my father and paid them to relinquish custody. Not surprisingly, they were eager to waive parental rights for some cold, hard cash.”

“Yikes.” She winced. “But this was a good thing, right? I’m assuming you must have brought him to your grandparents.”

“No. I enrolled him in rehab and sent him to counseling. Once he was off the drugs and had learned to deal with his rage, then I brought him home. I loved him the best I could, as much as he would let me. Things were rough between us for a while, but then seemed to settle down.” He sighed. “But you’ve seen him. Something is…off. He’s back to binge drinking. And that anger still lurks right under Seth’s skin, ready to erupt at the slightest provocation. I worry about him constantly.”

Vanessa wasn’t sure what to say. She settled on going with the truth. “Well, that explains a lot. The night I broke up with him, he punched a hole through my wall. He told me to consider myself lucky it wasn’t me.”

Remy’s jaw tightened. Fists clenched, he turned away, his breathing harsh. She watched as he clearly struggled to get himself under control. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, slowly moving to face her. “I wish I could have been there to protect you.”

She took a deep breath. “He scared me to death. And then the way he’s acted since I came here… While knowing about his past helps me understand why he behaves the way he does, I still think it’s best if I don’t see him again. At this point, I don’t think we can even be friends.”

To her surprise, Remy smiled. “Maybe it’s time you make some new friends.”