The President’s Daughter
Annette Broadrick

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ANNETTE BROADRICK

believes in romance and the magic of life. Since 1984, Annette has shared her view of life and love with readers. In addition to being nominated by RT Book Reviews as one of the best new authors of that year, she has also won an RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for best in series, a W.I.S.H. Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Series Romance and Series Romantic Fantasy.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Washington, D.C.

Monday, December 21

A blast of frigid air swirled around Nick Logan, nipping at him like a hungry animal as he walked the two blocks between the parking lot and his newest assignment. He hunched his shoulders and quickened his steps until he reached the guard’s booth at the east gate.

He paused beside the booth, peering inside at the lone occupant. “Hope you have a heater in there.”

Ken White, working the uniformed division of the Secret Service, replied, “One of the many fringe benefits of this job, of course.” He gave Nick a quick once-over. “What are you doing here, Logan? I thought you were on the VP detail.”

Nick shrugged. “I was, until last night.”

“Good to see you,” Ken said.

Nick walked through the iron-gated fence that surrounded the White House. He adjusted the collar of his heavy overcoat around his ears in an effort to block the raw wind blowing down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The bleakness of the day fit his mood.

By the time he reached the side door located between the White House and the Executive Office building and went inside, he was more than glad to be out of the wind. Nick paused in the entryway long enough to remove his coat, draping it over his arm before he headed for W-16, the large office/lounge that served as the command post for the White House detail of the Secret Service.

Once there, Nick paused in the doorway and looked around. The room contained several folding chairs, a long table with coffee and supplies, and a dozen or more men waiting to be briefed for the next shift. He recognized most of them from other assignments. The Secret Service was a close-knit group.

One of them broke away from a small group and approached him.

“Nicholas Logan?” he asked. “I’m Gregory Chambers, the detail leader. Appreciate your coming on board at such short notice.”

“I was sorry to hear about Colin Crenshaw’s accident. What happened?” Nick asked as he followed the older man across the room to the coffee area.

“Lost control of his car over in Alexandria,” Chambers replied, refilling his cup while Logan poured himself some coffee, allowing the steaming brew to warm his hands. “The investigating officers figure the icy weather was to blame. Ran into a pole. One of those freak accidents nobody can really explain.” Chambers motioned Nick to follow him once again. “You’ll be covering his four-to-midnight shift,” he said over his shoulder. “Colin was a good man. We’re going to miss him.”

Chambers paused beside a tall African-American who Nick noticed had been watching him since he’d first walked into the room—watching and assessing without betraying his thoughts. “Colin and Ron Stevenson here were partners, so you’ll be working together.”

Nick held out his hand and Stevenson shook it.

“We working the Man?” Nick asked, referring to the president.

Ron shook his head. “Nope. The daughter.”

Not quite the kiddy detail, but close. Keeping an eye on a college-age female was a little better than following the schedule of a couple of active teenage boys.

Before he could ask Ron any more questions, Chambers began the briefing.

“Only one incident to report since your last shift,” he said to everyone. “A taxi driver from Baltimore drove up to the front gate. His fare was a woman demanding to speak to the president. The matter was turned over to the police.” He continued to read from his notes, making comments and answering questions. Once everything was covered, Chambers nodded toward Nick.

“The last item to be covered is to welcome Nicholas Logan, who’s joining this shift. Logan’s been working the VP detail for the past three years. Before that, he did his military service in various areas, including the Mideast during the Gulf crisis. Welcome aboard, Nick.”

Several pairs of eyes turned his way, Logan noted. He received a few nods and a couple of smiles. This small group of men knew what they were there to do—keep the members of the first family safe—at least from four to midnight. After that, another group came in until they were relieved by the eight-o’clock morning shift. During their off-hours, he’d get an opportunity to get to know some of them better, but now each of them was focused on the business at hand.

In his case, he would be learning more than he ever cared to know about the president’s daughter—which, at present, was very little.

Ashley Elizabeth Sullivan, the oldest child and only daughter of James Allen Sullivan and his wife, Juliana Holmes Sullivan, was in her third year at Wellesley, and no doubt currently home for the Christmas holidays. From all that he had read and heard, she maintained an active life-style.

Staying close to the VP had entailed a highly structured, politics-as-usual schedule. Nick had become accustomed to being part of the Washington infrastructure. Keeping a close watch on the activities of someone not in the loop would be a distinct change of pace. Not exactly what he’d visualized as his new assignment when he received the call late last night.

Once Chambers dismissed the group, Nick turned to Ron and said, “So what’s the drill?”

“The usual. We do our job, even though Ms. Sullivan has made her opinion of our presence abundantly clear on more than one occasion.”

“Let me guess. A twenty-one-year-old single woman doesn’t care to be closely monitored by a group of men showing a keen interest in anyone who approaches her.”

“You got it. She says it’s embarrassing and her friends rib her, especially whenever she goes out on a date. She insists on no motorcades…grudgingly allows a trail car.”

“Should we tell her that it isn’t our biggest thrill to tag along on those occasions, either?”

Ron smiled. “Not necessary. She’s a bright girl, and she’s been around politicians and the need for protection most of her life.”

“You’d think she’d be used to it, then.”

“What she is—from my reading of the situation—is tired of it. Can’t really say I blame her, but I don’t think our sympathy impresses her much. What she wants is for us to don our invisible cloaks and allow her to get on with her life as inconspicuously as possible.”

Nick grinned. “I can see her point, but as you say, we’re just doing our job.” He glanced around the room. Most of the others were gone. “So where do we find the princess today?”

Ron glanced at his watch. “When she’s home from school, Ashley is generally in the gym working out at this hour. Since we weren’t notified of any changes, we’ll go there,” Ron said, leading the way through the labyrinth that made up the interior of the White House.

Before today, Nick had only been in the more public parts of the building, so the area they were covering now was new to him. He made note of the twists and turns. It wouldn’t do for him to get lost in the damned place.

“You weren’t given much notice on this reassignment,” Ron said after a few minutes of silence. “How do you feel about it?”

Nick shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter to me where I’m assigned. But the timing didn’t make me want to leap for joy. I was due for a much-needed vacation later this week. Nothing less than a national emergency was going to keep me from taking it, or so I thought.”

A corner of Ron’s mouth lifted briefly. “Sorry to hear about that. I can’t remember the last time I had more than a couple of days off.” He was quiet for a moment. “Was your family upset?”

“Well, since I was supposed to get together for Christmas with my folks, my two brothers and their families, none of them were too thrilled with this morning’s phone call. You’d think by this time they’d be used to my erratic schedule.”

“I take it you’re not married,” Ron said.

Nick shook his head. “You?”

“Not anymore. After months on the campaign trail last year, I got home to find that Janine had moved out, taking our two little girls with her. She said this wasn’t the kind of life she wanted.”

“This business is tough on marriages,” Nick said.

Ron shrugged, as though to release the tension in his shoulders. “I manage to see Corinne and Sasha a few times a month. Not exactly what I had in mind when we talked about having a family.”

“Those long road trips can really mess up a relationship,” Nick said quietly.

“I do my best to talk to the girls on the phone every morning,” Ron said. “Once they start school, it’ll be tougher for me to reach them as long as I work this shift.”

“Maybe Ms. Ashley should understand that we all have our crosses to bear,” Nick drawled. “Do you think we should be the ones to enlighten her?”

Ron made a sweeping bow. “You first, oh brave leader,” he said in a reverent voice. They both laughed.

After another, more companionable silence, Ron spoke up again.

“I hear you were one of the men who parachuted into Baghdad before all the fireworks started a few years ago.”

Nick glanced at Ron before looking away. “You heard that, did you?”

“And that you were still there when the attack began.”

Nick didn’t respond right away. When he did, all he said was, “Somebody forgot to synchronize the watches.”

“That’s a story I’d like to hear more about sometime.”

Nick glanced at Ron from the corner of his eye. “Only if you have some of your own tales to share.”

Ron nodded. “Good enough. I like to know the man I work with.”

Nick was thinking the same thing about his new partner. Although Stevenson was polite enough, even cordial, there was a quiet air of reserve surrounding him. “Not much hidden about me,” Nick replied lightly. “What you see is what you get.”

“Uh-huh,” Ron replied with a hint of skepticism. “Here’s the gym. Come meet our Ms. Ashley.” Ron spoke to the two men positioned just outside the door whom they were replacing, and briefly introduced them to Nick before he and Nick entered the gym.

Ashley was working out on the Nautilus equipment specifically designed for the upper torso. From the damp look of her thin jersey top and latex shorts, the woman had been putting some energy into her efforts.

The first thought that crossed Nick’s mind was that her photos didn’t do her justice. Despite her casual attire and perspiring condition, there was no hiding the fact that Ashley was a very attractive woman.

Her dark brown hair was pulled high onto the crown of her head in some kind of knot, although several strands had worked their way loose, clinging to her forehead, cheeks and the nape of her neck.

The creamy texture of her fair skin—skin now glowing with a faint sheen of moisture—was a stark contrast to her delicately arched dark brows and thick lashes, but it was her eyes that pulled at him. Whiskey-colored eyes seemed to dominate her heart-shaped face.

As soon as they walked into the room, she stopped her workout and moved away from the machine, picking up a towel nearby and blotting her face.

He guessed her height to be about five foot five. She had a slender build, her body well toned with muscles that were subtly defined. The body of an athlete, he thought to himself.

Now that he was face-to-face with the person he’d been assigned to protect, Nick was even less certain how he felt about his new duties. All things being equal, he would still prefer getting his vacation to following this woman around. Even so, the idea of spending time in this attractive young woman’s presence intrigued him more than he wanted to admit.

Nick realized he was feeling a little off balance. Somebody should have warned him years ago that choosing to play the role of hero could be damned disturbing at times.

Ashley watched the two men approach her and realized that the man with Ron Stevenson must be Colin’s replacement. She’d heard about Colin’s accident first thing that morning. She’d liked Colin, and been sorry to hear about his accident.

Now she studied his replacement and was startled to see he was intent on an inspection of his own. His attitude annoyed her. She knew what he saw and knew he wouldn’t be impressed with her slight build and her lack of obvious assets. Not that she cared what he thought about her. What difference did it make to her? She was glad she wasn’t the type of woman to attract a man like the one coming toward her. She would bet he had no trouble gaining all kinds of attention from most women.

But not her.

Although he wore the dark suit and tie that was the uniform of the men in the protective service, she did not consider him average. Exactly what it was that disturbed her about him still eluded her. His eyes seemed to probe for secrets she might wish to keep. She shivered, made uneasy by the predatory way he moved.

“Ashley, I’d like you to meet Nicholas Logan,” Ron said once they reached her side.

Ashley dropped the towel on the bench beside her and held out her hand.

“How do you do?”

Her instincts were telling her that she wanted to leave a safe distance between herself and this man. Those instincts were right on target, she discovered when he took her hand and shook it.

Ashley felt a strong current of electricity shoot through her that made her want to leap away from him. Instead, she nodded, then casually released his hand, taking care not to rub her palm against her leg to ease the tingling she felt.

Ron cleared his throat before speaking. “I understand you have plans for the evening.”

“Yes. Todd and I have tickets for The Nut cracker Suite.”

Neither man changed expression, which was a dead giveaway to Ashley, who had been around similar men for most of her life.

“Have either of you seen it?”

When Ron said nothing, Logan cleared his throat. “No, ma’am. I haven’t.”

“Have you ever been to the ballet?”

Both men shook their heads slowly, their expressions carefully blank.

Briskly she turned away, saying over her shoulder, “Well, you’re in for a treat. We’ll be leaving at seven.”

By the time she finished her workout, Ashley decided she had over reacted to the new agent. She was being silly. He was no different from the other special agents—there to do his job.

As soon as she left the gym, the men followed her at a discreet distance back to the living quarters of the presidential family.

Both her brothers enjoyed having the agents at their beck and call, and spent hours talking sports with them. Jamie, at fourteen, and Matt, at eleven, were still young enough to enjoy the attention, especially since their dad had such a busy schedule.

It was like having male nannies whose attention was always focused on them. All of which was fine and dandy. For now. Just wait until Jamie started to date. She had a hunch he wasn’t going to appreciate the security measures quite so much then.

She was thankful that Todd was comfortable escorting her to various functions. They had been friends for years. Todd’s family had moved to Washington when her father was first elected to the presidency because Todd’s father was a member of the Cabinet.

Their non-romantic friendship was very important to her. Todd’s even disposition helped her keep her sanity. He had suggested they go to The Nut cracker because he knew how stifled she was feeling.

She needed to get out for a few hours. She’d been home from school for two days and already missed her life there.

If her dad approved of her plans for a winter vacation she’d be gone in a few days. This year she wanted to have the holiday vacation all her friends took for granted—one away from supervision by older adults.

Somehow she had to convince her father that she could travel without a gaggle of Secret-Service men proclaiming to the world who she was. Just once she wanted to be treated like a normal college student, without a care in the world.

Nick and Ron took their supper break early. Nick waited until they finished before saying, “Not very friendly, is she?”

Ron didn’t need to ask for clarification of the “she” in question. “Actually she surprised me this afternoon. Usually she’s more talkative. She may be upset about Colin. The accident was a shock to everyone.”

“I’m surprised there was no mention of Colin’s death during the meeting.”

“Chambers spoke to us individually before you got there. We’re all having to deal with it.”

“How long were you partners?”

“Two years.”

Nick noticed that Ron wasn’t comfortable with his questions, so he changed the subject.

“Are you looking forward to the evening’s entertainment?” Nick asked.

“Are you kidding? The last thing I consider entertainment is watching a bunch of people running around on their tiptoes.”

Nick laughed. “I’m with you there.” He looked at his watch and pushed his chair back. “Guess it’s time to get back to work. I can see this detail is going to be a barrel of laughs.”

Chapter 2

Washington, D.C.

Monday night, December 21

Nick sat directly behind Ashley Sullivan at the theater. Her date for the evening was Todd Jessup, son of William J. Jessup, the Secretary of Labor. The two of them seemed en grossed in all the activity taking place on stage. Nick made no effort to watch the stage. He wasn’t there to be entertained. Ron sat in the row in front of Ashley, while two men were in the lobby and two more in a car outside, all connected by radio.

Out of habit Nick continued to scan the area, watching the audience and their reaction to the onstage festivities. He wasn’t the only one less than enamored by the whole thing. He noticed several bored expressions, and one man nearby had dropped off to sleep.

Intermission finally came. Ron and Nick made certain that one of them was in front of Ashley and Todd, while the other one followed directly behind. Once they reached the lobby Todd turned to Ashley and offered to get her something to drink.

She glanced around the crowded area and smiled. “That sounds great. While you’re waiting in line, I’ll go to the ladies’ room. I’ll meet you back here.”

She ignored Nick and Ron, as though they weren’t there. Heck, maybe they were invisible, Nick decided. That would certainly make their job a good deal easier.

He quietly followed her through the mass of milling people, keeping a general eye out for anything that might be deemed unusual. Ashley stopped a couple of times and spoke briefly to acquaintances. She had just disappeared around the corner of the hallway leading to the ladies’ room when Nick saw a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye.

A woman was making a beeline for the same area, her expression intent, her attitude bordering on rudeness in her rush to follow Ashley through the hallway leading to the ladies’ lounge. Nick waited near the entrance to the lounge, keeping an eye on the middle-aged woman. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions. There was no reason to think that Ashley might be in danger. However, he didn’t intend to take any chances.

As soon as the door opened into the lounge, the woman reached inside her handbag. Nick was right behind her, reaching for the weapon in his shoulder holster.

By the time he realized the woman was pulling out a package of cigarettes and eagerly lighting one, Nick found himself inside the ladies’ room, creating a stir among the occupants. Hoping to be as inconspicuous as possible, he backed out the doorway, but not before Ashley spotted him in the mirror, where she had paused to freshen her lipstick.

She spun around and glared at him. Grabbing her purse, she marched after him, following him into the hallway.

“My God, can’t I even go to the restroom without being followed?”

Keeping his voice down, he replied, “I’m sorry. I saw a woman who seemed to be in a big hurry to follow you in there.”

Ashley folded her arms across her chest and leaned back so she could meet his gaze. Her eyes blazed.

“Well, aren’t you the observant one? No wonder they’ve entrusted you with such a sacred detail—following me around.” She straightened, dropping her arms to her side. “I don’t suppose it occurred to you, Special Agent Logan, but most people, after having been in the theater for this length of time, tend to rush to the facilities at intermission. Perhaps that idea never occurred to you. Probably not. The sterling guardians who surround us don’t have such normal ordinary needs, do they?”

All right, so he’d made a fool of himself. It wasn’t the first time and probably wouldn’t be the last. In this business he preferred to err on the side of safety. Obviously she wasn’t going to take any of that into consideration.

However, she sure as hell didn’t need to be so sarcastic.

Nick cleared his throat and fingered his tie. In a carefully modulated tone he murmured, “Look, I said I was sorry, okay? I’m still adjusting to this job. I’ll work at being more circumspect in the future, all right?”

Ashley’s gaze never faltered. It was obvious to Nick that she was struggling to control several choice remarks that she would, without doubt, love to make.

He had to give her credit for the fact that she didn’t make them.

Instead, she shook her head in frustration and, turning on her heel, returned to the lobby. Nick followed.

Todd and Ashley found each other in the large lobby and joined a group of people discussing tonight’s performance. Nick and Ron waited a few feet away.

Ron glanced at Nick from the corner of his eye and muttered, “What the hell did you do to our Ms. Ashley, Nick? She came charging out of the lounge area with fire in her eyes. I made the mistake of asking her how she was enjoying the performance so far and she almost took my head off.”

Nick glanced at his partner with an innocent expression. “What makes you think I had anything to do with her reaction? She may be hating the show tonight.”

“Because she kept looking over her shoulder as though all the hounds of hell were after her, and when she spotted you, she muttered something about you spoiling the entire evening for her.”

“Surely the lady exaggerates—I did not ruin the entire evening. I’d have to call that an overreaction on her part. After all, the night is young.”

“overreaction or not, I bet her father will hear her views on the subject before the night is over.”

Nick stuck his hands in his pockets and continued to scan the milling group of people. “Fine with me. Maybe they’ll fire me and I’ll get my vacation time, after all.”

“You wish. Come on, those blinking lights must mean the thing is starting up again.”

His resigned tone almost made Nick smile, almost being the operative word. At the moment he was far from being in a smiling mood. By the time everyone was seated and the lights were dimmed, Nick felt certain he detected steam coming from Ashley’s ears. What he had done hadn’t been all that bad. So maybe he’d been a little overzealous, but it had been an honest mistake.

He sat there and watched her as she slowly relaxed and became caught up in the music and the story unfolding on stage.

Todd reached over and took her hand, and she turned so that Nick had a view of her profile. She’d worn her hair up tonight, with little tendrils falling around her ears and on her neck. Her cheeks were flushed, no doubt from temper. She had the longest eyelashes he’d ever seen on a person…the longest and the thickest. Funny he should notice such a silly thing.

Washington, D.C.

Sunday, December 27

Almost a week later Nick arrived for work at the White House. Upon signing in, he was told to report immediately to the Oval Office. The summons came as something of a relief. The tension whenever he was around Ashley was obvious to any observer. His mere presence appeared to irritate her. He did his best to stay out of her line of vision. When she was forced to interact with him, her icy politeness made her opinion of him abundantly clear.

He’d already admitted to his supervisor that he’d bungled the diplomatic part of his job with his charge. He’d spoken to Chambers a few days after the theater outing about the possibility of switching his assignment. He’d been turned down. Nick had attempted to explain Ashley’s animosity toward him but was cut off in midsentence. He was informed that he could make amends or not. It was his choice. It wasn’t necessary for the person he protected to like him.

With this summons, however, Nick knew that Ashley’s feelings were very important to her father. Since she’d let several days go by, he had begun to think she had kept the theater incident to herself. Obviously he’d been wrong.

As soon as he walked into the anteroom of the Oval Office, one of the aides announced his presence to President Sullivan. Nick was invited to enter. He fought the impulse to straighten his tie and smooth down his hair before he nodded and walked into the Oval Office for the first time in his life.

His first surprise was to find Ron there, casually visiting with the president.

His second surprise was the warm smile of welcome on President Sullivan’s face. Before Nick could think of anything to say, James Sullivan walked over to him and held out his hand.

President Sullivan was an imposing, charismatic figure. Tall and lean, he looked as though he would be at home riding the range on the back of a horse. Since he’d been born in, and served two terms as governor of, the state of Colorado, James Sullivan could easily be descended from pioneer stock who had settled the West generations ago.

He was a young president, barely in his fifties into his second term of office. Not only was he known as a tough negotiator and a fierce warrior when it came time to fight for legislation he backed, Sullivan was also widely recognized as a staunch family man.

Nick had assumed that anyone his daughter didn’t like would get an automatic veto from the president. Therefore, his friendly demeanor caught Nick by surprise.

“I’m very pleased to meet you, Logan. I’ve been hearing good things about you. I also want you to know how much we appreciate your willingness to cancel your vacation plans in order to fill the unexpected gap in ranks here.”

The man certainly didn’t miss much.

“I’m pleased to be here, Mr. President,” Nick said, surprising himself that he actually meant it. Other than Ashley’s obvious negative reaction to him, Nick had found working the White House detail pleasant enough. He’d quickly adjusted to the new surroundings and considered himself fortunate to be working with Ron.

He glanced at Ron, who now stood behind the president, and was startled to see his partner flash him an almost imperceptible wink.

What is going on here?

President Sullivan continued to speak. “I understand your plans were to head out West for a couple of weeks of skiing in the Colorado Rockies.”

Since his vacation plans hadn’t been a state secret, Nick wasn’t as surprised that the president knew about them as he was surprised that Sullivan mentioned them.

“Plans have a way of changing in this business, sir,” Nick replied.

“Why don’t you and Stevenson have a seat and let’s talk about the possibility of getting some skiing into your schedule, after all.”

Sullivan returned to his desk while Nick and Ron sat down in the chairs arranged in front of it.

With a rueful smile Ron said, “I’ve already explained to President Sullivan that I’ve never seen a pair of snow skis in my life, much less been on any. I grew up in Florida.”

Nick didn’t know of any agency requirement that called for an ability to ski. Since he’d spent his early years in Wyoming, learning to ski had been a natural part of growing up for him. He waited for more information.

Sullivan sighed and shook his head. “You know, gentlemen, children can be the greatest joy and the biggest headache a person can experience.”

Uh-oh. Now he was leading up to the subject of his daughter.

“So I understand, sir.”

“Ashley has made it quite clear that she does not wish to participate in the family’s idea of a winter vacation this year. Ray Clarke has invited our family to spend a few days with him on his yacht doing some deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Nick knew that Raymond Clarke and James Sullivan had been college roommates who had remained close friends in the intervening years. Clarke had made a name for himself in New York real estate. Nick wasn’t surprised to hear that the Sullivans had been invited to spend their vacation time with him.

The president continued, “Jamie and Matt are counting the days until time to leave. Ashley, on the other hand, swears she becomes nauseated watching the waves rush the beach. All she’s been able to talk about since she returned home from college is going skiing with a group of her friends.”

Nick gave Ron a quick glance, but Ron’s full attention was on the president.

Sullivan shook his head ruefully and said, “I’m not certain how she did it, but somehow Ashley managed to get me to agree to her going to Colorado over the holidays. Not only that, she also got me to agree not to have a round-the-clock surveillance team accompany her.”

He put up his hand as though to silence any remark that either man might make. “I know all the arguments against such an idea, believe me. I know and I fully understand. However, I also understand the limits that can be safely set for a young woman her age. I’ve already discovered that there are times when there is no reasoning with Ashley…and I’m afraid this particular instance was one of those times. My dilemma is attempting to find some sort of balance between her need for privacy and the need for her to receive adequate protection.”

Sullivan swiveled his chair and looked out the window in a contemplative pause, allowing his chair to sway absently from side to side. Finally he turned back to face the two men.

“I managed, eventually, to get her to agree to a compromise—to be accompanied on this trip by two agents who would blend in with the group by taking part in their activities in order to maintain their anonymity.”

Nick leaned forward in his chair. “She agreed to that?” he asked, struggling to hide the surprise he felt.

Sullivan smiled. “Let’s just say that she conceded that much, since she knew better than to expect I would let her go without some kind of protection.”

“I take it you want Ron and me to accompany her.”

Sullivan nodded. “After discussing the matter with the detail leader and going over the present roster with him, your name came to the front, Logan. Not only have you spent time in that area, your recreational skills are more than adequate. Ron can spell you once they’re through skiing for the day so that you won’t have to spend twenty-four hours on duty.”

“Who will cover the night shift?”

“That was another concession Ashley agreed to make. Both of you will be staying in the chalet the group rented. There will be six of them, plus the two of you. Since there are three bedrooms, as well as sleeping sofas in the den area, you shouldn’t be too crowded.”

“Does Ashley know that you’ve asked Ron and me to go?”

Sullivan shook his head. “Not yet, but I’m certain it won’t matter to her at this point who’s going as long as she gets to go.” He grinned and added, “I’ve got to tell you that I had no idea my daughter was growing up to be as tough a negotiator as she’s turned out to be. We’ve had several sessions that lasted past midnight thrashing out all of this. This is the plan we finally agreed upon.”

Nick gave a brief thought to mentioning Ashley’s obvious antipathy toward him to her father, then thought better of it. Whatever was eating her would have to be worked out between them. In the meantime he was going to accept this unexpected gift as a belated Christmas present.

He was going skiing, after all. For that, he could put up with any amount of cold politeness or being ignored.

“When do we leave?” he asked, unable to hide his pleasure at the prospect.

“I understand transportation arrangements have been made by the detail leader. The official word, of course, is that Ashley is with us. She’ll be disguised as usual while traveling in public. The reservations are for an early-morning commercial flight tomorrow. The group will be traveling together, which should help her to blend in with the other students.”

President Sullivan stood and offered his hand to each man. “I hope you both enjoy the visit to my home state. I rather miss the skiing myself.”

The men shook hands and silently left the room. They were in the hallway before Ron glanced around them, then in a low voice said, “You think she’s going to be friendlier to you on this trip?”

Nick grinned. “Let’s put it this way. Anything would be an improvement.”

Ron chuckled before they went in search of their charge.

“No! Absolutely not, Dad. You have to find someone else!” Ashley faced her father across the expanse of her bedroom late that night. She had been packing when he dropped by her room to mention the arrangements he’d made for her trip.

Her father shrugged. “Your choice, of course, honey. I just thought you wanted to go on this ski trip. Ray will be pleased to have you with us—you know how much he enjoys your company. Or if you prefer staying on shore, your mother and I will enjoy having you nearby. You’ll probably get a nice tan, anyway.”

She sank onto the side of her bed, clutching one of the sweaters she intended to take to Colorado. “Why didn’t you tell me before now you intended to send Nicholas Logan with us?”

He looked puzzled. “What’s wrong with Logan?”

She jumped up and walked to her dresser, carefully studying the contents of an opened drawer as though debating what to take. “I don’t like him,” she muttered crossly.

James followed her, leaning his elbow on the tall piece of furniture. She refused to meet his gaze.

“Do you have a particular reason for not wanting him to go?” he asked. “Has he done or said anything out of line? Because if he has, I will report him immediately.”

He was giving her a legitimate way out of this if she would use it. Ashley was tempted. Oh, how she was tempted. But reporting him because he annoyed her beyond belief would be putting her credibility on the line. What exactly had he done to cause him to be reported? Been his arrogant, loath some self?

She sighed. “He hasn’t done anything out of line, Dad. I mean, nothing specific. He’s just a bumbling irritant who annoys me.” She forced herself to meet her father’s steady gaze. Somehow she had to convince her father that he must find someone else for this trip. But how? He was a very fair person. She couldn’t lie. She wouldn’t lie. But how could she begin to explain…

“I don’t like the way he looks at me,” she grumbled, returning to her opened suitcase and meticulously folding the clothes she intended to take on her trip. She concentrated on placing them inside with precision.

“The way he looks at you?” he repeated. “You mean, in a sexual manner?”

“No!” She paused, her frustration mounting as she searched for words to describe how that horrible man made her feel. “It’s as though he looks right through me,” she began, then stopped. “As though I don’t even exist as a person to him!” she blurted out.

“You mean he treats you differently than the other agents do?”

“Yes! No! I mean, no, of course not. He’s very efficient, I’m sure. I don’t happen to like his attitude toward me, that’s all. He’s arrogant and smug and…” At the moment she couldn’t think of all the many ways she found him offensive. But there were dozens, she was quite certain of that.

“So you don’t like him.”

What a relief. Her father was finally beginning to understand. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him with relief.

“Exactly!” she agreed with a big smile, pleased to have finally made her point.

He sighed, patting her comfortingly. “Unfortunately, my dear, he’s the best agent we have available for this particular job. He’ll be able to stay with you while you’re on the slopes…” He ignored her snort of disgust. “He knows the area, which is a plus, and he’s agreed to dress like the rest of you so he won’t look conspicuous.”

He watched her for a moment before asking, “Do you have a problem with Stevenson, as well?”

“Ron? Oh, no. Not at all. Why do you ask?”

“I’m trying to figure out what set off this tirade of yours. I thought you would be pleased that we were able to arrange this trip for you. However, if you don’t want Logan with you, then we’ll be forced to call off your part of the trip.”

She stiffened and pulled away from him. “Let me see if I understand you,” she said through clenched jaws. “I either go on the ski trip accompanied by Special Agent Logan or I go to the beach with you, Mom and the boys, is that it?”

He smiled. “That’s an excellent summation of this conversation, my dear.”

She spun away from him and began pacing. “This is just great. I can’t believe I’m going to have to spend the next five days with that man.”

“You know, baby, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you this riled over any man before. Particularly not an agent. You’ve been around them most of your life. You seem to ignore them most of the time.”

“I try. Oh, boy, do I try. But Nick Logan is impossible to ignore.”

James smiled. “Ah. I think I’m beginning to get a better understanding of the situation.”

Ashley narrowed her eyes and stared at him suspiciously. “And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“Logan is an attractive man. I’m not surprised that you noticed him. What surprises me is your very strong reaction to him. You generally treat your male friends quite casually.”

“Really, Dad. It isn’t the same thing at all! Agent Logan is certainly not a friend of mine! He works for us, that’s all. I don’t even think of him as a man, for that matter.”

Her father made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, but when she looked at him, his face was suitably solemn. She wanted him to take her seriously. This was not a joke. Nick Logan could very well destroy all her pleasure in the upcoming trip. She wanted her father to understand her very real concerns. She just couldn’t think of anything else to say to convince him.

“I don’t see that there’s much that can be done about the situation at this late date, my dear. Ignore the man, pretend he isn’t there or that he’s just there to enjoy some skiing—which will be true, by the way.”

“Except he’ll be hovering over me all the time.”

“Stevenson will be there, as well.” She sighed. “It’s only for five days, remember,” he added.

She rolled her eyes, then hugged his neck and said, “Thanks, Daddy, for understanding how important this trip is to me.”

“We’ll stay in touch, you know. We’ll only be a phone call away, no matter what happens.”

She supposed she would have to be content with knowing that to be true.

Ron and Nick arrived at the Washington National Airport early enough the next morning to contact the security people regarding their presence on the flight. After showing their identification and checking their weapons, the two of them stopped in one of the coffee shops in the secured area for coffee until time to expect Ashley to appear.

They were dressed for a trip to the mountains in sweaters, jeans, boots and parkas. Ron joked about being an impostor, decked out in all his Western finery. Nick reassured him that most people in the area where they were going dressed similarly, whether they skied or not.

They were waiting just inside the security area watching for Ashley when she arrived, accompanied by an agent. He made no effort to pass through the metal detector. Instead, he waited until Ashley passed through with her backpack, then nodded to Nick and Ron and left.

“I almost didn’t recognize you two,” she said with a chuckle. “You look like you’re ready for the slopes, Ron.”

He laughed. “Forget that! I only have to look the part.”

Nick could have said the same thing about her. She wore a stocking cap pulled down to frame her face, completely covering her hair. Large sunglasses concealed the top half of her face. The rest of her attire seemed to be a uniform for everyone headed west this morning.

She deliberately turned to Nick and looked him up and down, making no comment on what he wore. Instead, she said, “I understand you’re an experienced skier.”

“I’m not up to Olympic standards, but I enjoy it.”

“It was your experience that caused you to be chosen for this trip, you know.”

He grinned. “So I was told. I certainly didn’t assume that you’d requested my company.”

“Just so we understand each other.” She turned away, then gave a little bounce. “Oh, here come the rest of them. They must have ridden together to the airport.” She gave a quick skip and darted closer so she could greet them as soon as they came through security. She hugged each one, exclaiming how glad she was to be going with them. Ashley appeared to be delighted with everyone and everything this morning. Except him.

So what else was new?

In the flurry of introductions, Nick studied the other members of the group, watching their interactions for clues to their personalities.

There were three men and two women:

Joe, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, the obvious leader of the group, tall, dark-haired, athletic and ruggedly handsome;

Derek, a couple of years younger than Joe, light brown hair, medium height, with a puckish sense of humor;

Craig, probably close to Derek’s age, with a shock of red hair, medium height, and a sunny disposition;

Erin, early twenties, a willowy brunette with a sultry look and a shy demeanor; and

Trish, probably Ashley’s age, a diminutive blonde with a flirtatious manner, who seemed to enjoy the glances that came her way in her snug-fitting jeans and figure-hugging sweater.

All of them had been briefed on why Ron and Nick were along. They were obviously enjoying the secrecy and security surrounding the outing and the parts assigned to the agents. Each member of the group assured Ron and Nick that he and she would be watchful and attentive at all times and would report anything that drew their attention as suspicious.

By the time they lined up to board the plane, Ron was shaking his head. “Do we have any idea what we’re getting into with these kids?” he asked as they followed the group through the jetway to the plane.

Nick grinned. “I’m beginning to have a hunch that this may not be the vacation of a lifetime.”

“Did you see how that Trish gal was eyeing you?” Ron asked in a low voice.

“Afraid not,” Nick replied, amused by Ron’s expression.

“She looked like she wanted to take a bite out of you and was just trying to decide where she wanted to start!”

Nick could feel himself flushing. “C’mon, Ron. Give me a break, okay?”

They paused as they entered the plane and greeted the flight attendant.

Their seats were grouped together. Trish and Ashley took the aisle and window seats on one side of row eighteen, while Joe and Derek took the seats across from them. Brian and Erin were in row nineteen, behind Joe and Derek, while Ron and Nick sat across the aisle from them, behind Trish and Ashley.

Joe looked behind him at Brian and said, “Want to change places?” Brian glanced at Erin. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, her cheeks reddening.

“Sure,” Brian said, stepping out into the aisle.

Ron leaned over to Nick and whispered, “You want me to trade with anyone?”

“Give it up, Stevenson!”

Ron straightened and laughed. “Well, I offered.” He reached into the pocket in front of him and pulled out the airline magazine.

Nick reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the information he’d been given on the resort where they’d be staying, as well as the travel arrangements.

According to his notes, they would be flying nonstop to Denver. Upon arrival at the airport they were to pick up a van, which would get them to the resort where the chalet they’d rented was located.

He knew the area, but hadn’t been there in several years. In fact, he hadn’t been on skis in at least that long. He hoped Ms. Ashley didn’t intend to hotdog it down the slopes to show him up.

He certainly wouldn’t put it past her.

Chapter 3

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.

Chapter 4

Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Tuesday, December 29

“They sound like a bunch of birds up there, don’t they?” Ron said, seated across the table from Nick. It was early morning. The two men had already finished their first pot of coffee and were working on a second one.

Nick glanced up from his serious study of the steam slowly rising from his coffee. He’d never been one for early-morning conversations. Thank God Ron seemed to share his aversion. This was the first time either of them had spoken in the hour they had been sitting there.

“Birds?” He turned his head slightly, trying to focus his mind on the present. After a moment he smiled. “Sounds like a herd of elephants trampling around, if you ask me.”

Ron grinned, his teeth flashing in his dark face. “No, I mean in how it was quiet for so long and then…” He shrugged his shoulders, settling back into the com fort ably padded banquette that formed a U around the large table. “I guess I was reminded of the times as a kid when my dad used to take us camping.” His gaze softened as his thoughts turned inward. “We’d wake up before dawn. I can remember being amazed at how still everything was. I’d lie there listening and watching as the sky gradually lightened. Then I’d hear sounds of rustling in the bushes. Finally there would be the sound of a lone bird—just one—and it was as though his call was the signal for everything out there. The whole area would suddenly be alive with all kinds of bird noises and songs.”

Ron glanced out the kitchen window. Nick followed his gaze and noticed that the sun was, indeed, peeking between the mountains.

Ron went on. “The house was quiet this morning, neither of us talking, and then I heard a voice speak softly upstairs. As though that was a signal, all of them began talking at once, just like birds in the wild.”

They were sitting in companionable silence when Trish bounced into the room.

“Mornin’.” The jeans she had on today were even tighter than those she’d worn on the plane yesterday. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving. Is there anything to eat in this place?”

“There’s some fruit and a few snacks, but nothing substantial,” Nick replied. “I suppose I could do a run for groceries, or we can all just go over to the lodge for their buffet.”

“Oh, that sounds even better. No cooking, no cleaning. I’m all for that.” She reached for a cup. “Thank God there’s coffee.”

Ron chuckled. “Nick had made a pot by the time I woke up this morning.”

She turned from filling her cup and gave Nick a very sultry smile. “You are definitely my kind of guy,” she said in a throaty voice.

Ashley appeared in the doorway. “Yours and a dozen other women’s, I’m sure,” she said sweetly. “I bet they all line up for a chance to be with our noble protector, don’t they, Nick?”

She was dressed for the slopes, her red jacket unzipped to reveal a snug-fitting black turtle neck sweater. He had to admit that the color was very flattering with her hair and skin coloring.

“Not so I’ve ever noticed,” Nick replied dryly.

Trish spoke up. “We’re going for the breakfast buffet. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it?”

Ashley shrugged. “I don’t care. I just want to get outside for some serious skiing.”

Nick stood, pulling his jacket off the back of his chair. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

She rolled her eyes. “Look, you don’t have to be so diligent in your duties, you know. Nothing’s going to happen to me between here and the ski area.”

“You’re right about that.” He slid his arms into his jacket, pulled his cap down around his ears and removed his sun shades from his pocket. “Let’s go.”

“Hey, wait for me,” Trish said, hurriedly finishing her coffee. “I’ll come back to change clothes after breakfast.”

Ron stood and shrugged into his coat. “breakfast sounds good to me, too. Guess I’ll join you.”

“Oh, great,” Ashley said. “Am I going to walk in with each of you holding one of my hands?”

Nick looked at Ron. “Now there’s a thought. Maybe we should—”

“Don’t even think about it!” she retorted, and stormed out the front door. Trish went to get her coat.

Ron followed Nick down the front steps of the chalet. “I think you enjoy setting her off, don’t you?”

Nick shook his head. “Not particularly. I’m just not going to play her little games. She’s acting like a spoiled brat. If she wants to get her nose out of joint every time I do my job, then she’s going to have a really silly-looking face. In the meantime, I will do my job, with or without her cooperation.”

Ashley strode along the paved road that led to the lodge several feet ahead of them. Trish was content to walk along beside them, chattering about all kinds of things. Nick tuned her out.

Ron finally interrupted by asking, “Did you tell the others where we’re going?”

Trish tossed her head. “They’re all grown-ups. If they get hungry enough, they’ll figure out where the food is.”

Uh-oh, Nick thought. A little dissension in the ranks already. What a fun day this was shaping up to be.

As soon as they walked into the lodge, the savory scents of ham, bacon and hot syrup wafted toward them.

Once Ashley filled a plate, she headed for a table for two located in one of the corners, hoping that Trish was right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Nick was already moving toward a table nearby. She gave a silent sigh of relief.

She was going to have to get a grip on her emotions, that was all there was to it. She knew she was acting like an adolescent and there was no excuse for her behavior. What was it about the man that set her nerves to screaming whenever she was anywhere around him?

Her behavior wasn’t due to the fact that there were Secret-Service men with them. She actually enjoyed Ron and his quiet sense of humor. Somehow she had to get over her irrational dislike of Nick Logan. She just wished she knew how.

“What do you have against Nick?” Trish suddenly asked, sitting down across from her. “You’ve been on his case ever since we got here.”

Ashley rubbed her forehead with her fingers, feeling the hint of a headache looming. “I don’t know, Trish. I honestly don’t. He just rubs me the wrong way, that’s all.”

Trish grinned. After taking a big bite of her food and chewing it, she carefully swallowed before saying, “I really don’t think I’d care which way he rubbed me, as long as he was interested in trying.”

“Yeah, right. We both know you’re all talk and no action…so why the siren routine?”

Trish didn’t answer right away. Ashley continued to eat and was taken aback when Trish finally responded by saying, “I didn’t know Joe was coming on this trip to be with Erin.”

After a moment Ashley responded, “I think we all came to ski, Trish. That’s what this trip is about, isn’t it?”

Trish sighed. “I came because I thought if I was in a small enough group with him, Joe would finally notice me.”

Ashley studied her friend’s woebegone face. “Oh, Trish, I’m sorry,” she said in a quiet voice. “I had no idea you felt that way.”

Trish sighed and continued eating. In a moment she said, “As long as Joe doesn’t know, I guess I’ll survive. You could have thrown me into a crocodile pit and I probably wouldn’t have noticed yesterday when Joe said he and Erin would share a room. I was totally freaked.”

“But would you have shared a room with him?”

“Are you crazy? Of course not! I’m not going to bed with some guy just because—” She stopped her tirade and shrugged her shoulders. “I just didn’t think this was going to be a trip about sex.”

“It isn’t. It’s about skiing.”

“For you, maybe.”

“For me, definitely. Do you think my dad would have agreed to let me come if he’d thought I’d be sharing a room with some guy?” She made a face, hoping to lighten Trish’s mood a little.

Trish chuckled. “He doesn’t have to worry about you, not with two chaperones following you everywhere you go.” She nibbled on a piece of toast before adding, “Wow. I just realized. That could really cramp your social life if you were seriously involved with someone.”

“Tell me about it. I’ll probably end up single for the rest of my life.”

Trish gave her a devilish grin. “Either that, or have an affair with one of your guardians.” She glanced over at the other table where Ron and Nick were eating. “If I were in your place, I would definitely be tempted.”

Ashley replied, “Ron’s just getting over a painful divorce. I don’t think he’s ready for another relationship anytime soon.”

“Not Ron, you idiot! Nick. I bet he could teach you all kinds of things.”

“The thing is, Trish, I think you’re supposed to like the guy before you decide to have an affair with him. At least that’s always been my take on the matter.”

“What’s not to like? Don’t you just adore his eyes? And the way he looks at you, as though he can read your very soul? Not to mention that body? Sometimes I have this urge to walk up and just stroke his backside in unabashed admiration, you know what I mean?”

Unfortunately Ashley had just taken a sip of coffee when Trish nonchalantly threw that suggestion at her. She almost choked when the liquid went down the wrong way at her gasp.

“Trish!” she finally was able to hiss, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Well, it’s the truth. I’m not really into body building and stuff like that, but I have to admit that I’ve wondered what that man would look like in the buff. I have a hunch he would be all burnished muscle and sinewy strength.” The expression she got on her face was embarrassingly dreamy.

“Could we change the subject now?” she asked, with more than a hint of annoyance.

“Sure.” Trish waved to someone and Ashley glanced around. Joe, Derek and Craig had just walked into the room. Trish jumped up. “I’ll go see what happened to Erin. See you later.”

Ashley took the opportunity to make her escape. She gave a brief wave to the others before she hurried toward the door. She would return to the chalet long enough to gather her skis and poles before she headed up the mountain.

Just as she reached out to push on the door, a masculine arm reached past her shoulder, swinging it open for her. She didn’t have to look around to know that Nick Logan had joined her.

This was just great. She wouldn’t be able to look at him without thinking of Trish’s ridiculous comments. She glanced over her shoulder at him and forced herself to smile.

“Thank you.”

His expression didn’t change. Since he’d placed his sunglasses over his eyes, she couldn’t visually gauge his reaction to her politeness, but his answer came readily enough. “Don’t waste your breath, Ms. Sullivan. No one else is around to hear it.”

It was that very trait that she found so offensive. She was trying to be nice, for heaven’s sake. His response was to be sarcastic.

She decided to retreat into silence.

Even that wasn’t good enough.

“Yeah, that’s much better,” he drawled, matching his steps to hers. “I’m familiar with your silent sulks.”

She would not dignify his sniping with a reply. Not even one.

They gathered their equipment and returned to the ski area.

There were eager skiers everywhere this morning. Clouds were beginning to form just above the mountains to the northwest of them. From the looks of things, it could be snowing by noon. If there was a storm coming, she wanted to be off the slopes before it hit.

“Hey, guys, wait up.”

Derek and Craig hurried toward them, carrying their equipment. “What’s the hurry, Ashley?” Craig asked. “Couldn’t you have waited another few minutes for the rest of us? I thought this was a group experience.”

She could feel her face heating up. “I’m sorry, Craig. I guess I wasn’t thinking.” She glanced toward the darkening sky. “I didn’t want to miss out on skiing today, and those clouds are certainly beginning to look threatening.”

Nick nudged her. “Here comes our ride,” he said, suddenly lifting her onto the seat and swinging around to sit on the other side of the bar. Ashley was so startled that she almost lost her poles. She looked back and saw Derek and Craig putting on their skis.

“That was rude,” she muttered. “We could have waited for them.”

“Yes, we could have. However, if you’re serious about getting some ski time in today, we needed to get moving. This may be our only chance before the storm hits.”

She frowned. “Not necessarily. I’ve skied when it was snowing. There’s no reason to—”

“Do you enjoy arguing, or is it just with me? You find fault with everything I say.”

“I just find you unnecessarily rude, that’s all. This is supposed to be a fun trip, but you’ve certainly managed to take all the fun out of it…for all of us!”

A burst of swirling snow blew past them, and she ducked her head to get away from the stinging spray.

“I had no idea I had enough power to ruin six people’s vacation time. Damn, but I’m good.”

When she looked at him he was staring ahead of them, watching their progress up the mountain. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

He still didn’t look at her. “I should hope not. I’m the guy with no sense of humor.”

Ashley had never felt so much animosity toward another person in all her life. If she’d thought she could do it, she would have shoved him off the lift right then and there.

They reached the top of the lift. She got herself ready and eased off, moving through the snow. Only then did she realize that the gusts of snow-laden air blowing around her were not recirculating snow that had already fallen. This was new stuff coming down, growing thicker by the moment.

“Let’s go,” Nick said brusquely.

“I’m waiting for Derek and Craig. They’ll be here shortly.”

“Ashley—”

She looked away from him. “If you’re nervous about the weather, go ahead. I’ll meet you at the lodge.” When he didn’t say anything, she casually turned her head and looked at him. She was a little alarmed by how fast the snow was falling. He was covered by snow and she was already having a little trouble seeing him. His expression was blurred. She adjusted her goggles and looked around.

There they were! Craig and Derek joined them. “Joe had the right idea. He said he was going to wait to see what this weather was going to do. I don’t like this at all,” Derek said with more than a hint of uneasiness.

Craig shoved forward. “Last one down the hill pays for lunch,” he hollered over his shoulder.

Derek was quick to follow.

“Ready anytime you are, Ms. Sullivan,” Nick said quietly.

She pushed away, determined to leave him. The problem with that was the fact that he was darned near a pro on skis. She took the most direct route down, swerving suddenly to miss a slower skier, and in advertently left the trail she’d been following. With a groan of frustration, she forced herself to slow down while she tried to figure out a way to get back on their chosen run.

She finally came to a complete halt and looked around. None of the men were in sight.

Not even her shadow.

“Nick?” she called, looking around.

She could see others skiing, but no one that looked like the three she had been with. She decided to continue down, hoping to cross another path soon.

Nick would probably think she’d done this just to annoy him. She was now in a wooded area where she moved very carefully. She didn’t like being lost. The ski trail had been clearly marked; here there was nothing she could use as a guide down the mountain. Ashley shivered.

The snow continued to come down in thick flurries.

This was close to a whiteout, she thought a few minutes later. She couldn’t see anything in front of her. It was much too dangerous to continue to move with any speed in this kind of weather.

She didn’t know how far she’d gone when she finally spotted one of the large midmountain restaurants that were scattered through out the area for weary skiers. She managed to reach the side of the building, sighing with relief to be out of the heavily falling snow.

It was scarcely ten o’clock in the morning. There was no reason to panic. She’d just wait here for a brief time to get her breath back, maybe get something hot to drink and warm up a little before she continued downhill.

Chapter 5

By the time Nick reached the end of the run, he was ready to wring Ashley’s neck. He was really tired of her attitude and her silly games. Did she think she was going to win some points by disappearing on him? He looked around, the thick flakes obscuring his vision, hoping to see Ashley’s red parka somewhere nearby. Once he found her, he intended to give her a lecture she wouldn’t forget.

Perhaps she wasn’t aware of it, but he—and Ron—had the authority to end this little vacation of hers if, in their opinion, they were unable to adequately protect her.

He spotted Derek removing his skis, but there was no sign of Ashley.

He made his way over to him. “Where’s Ashley?”

Derek stopped unfastening his skis and looked up at Nick in surprise. “I haven’t seen her. I thought she was with you.”

Nick scanned the area. There were several red parkas, but none of them belonged to Ashley. He began to feel uneasy. At the rate the snow was falling, it was hard to tell the color of anything.

He muttered an unprintable word and turned away.

“Where are you going?” Derek called.

“To find Ashley.”

“Don’t worry about her. She was born on a pair of skis. She probably got off course a little. It’s coming down like a son of a—”

“I don’t need a weather report,” Nick growled to himself, moving toward the lifts again.

What really alarmed him was how she had managed to get away from him. One minute she was there just ahead of him, the next minute there’d been no sign of her. Was it intentional? Was she in danger? He didn’t know why he bothered to question her disappearance. Of course it was intentional.

He turned and watched as more skiers came down the mountain. One of them looked familiar. He moved toward the snow-covered figure who was moving very slowly in his direction. As he drew closer, he recognized Craig.

“Have you seen Ashley?” Nick asked him.

Craig shook his head. “No. I took a spill up there. By the time I could get started again, I’d lost track of Everybody.” He looked around. “You mean she isn’t down here?”

“Derek hasn’t seen her. She was ahead of me, but I lost sight of her about halfway down.”

Craig shrugged. “Yeah, well, I was ahead of all of you, for what that’s worth. If I hadn’t been showing off, I would have been the first one down.” He rubbed his shoulder. “You don’t suppose she fell, do you?”

“I have no way of knowing. I’m going back to look for her.”

“You want me to come with you?”

Nick shook his head. “Thanks, but that won’t be necessary.”

Craig looked relieved. “I don’t envy you going up there in all of this. What a mess.”

Nicked waved as he shoved off for the lift. If she was hurt somewhere up there, he needed every minute he had to try to find her. All the while he rode up the mountainside he watched for her red parka. There were so many things that could happen, even to an experienced skier. He didn’t want to think about some of the possible problems she may have encountered.

By the time he reached the top, the wind and snow had caused the visibility to be measured in inches rather than feet. Nick was aware of the adrenaline pumping through his bloodstream.

His first full day in charge of her and he’d managed to misplace his charge. How could he have allowed this to happen?

He started down the same run they’d chosen earlier, watching for tracks leaving the marked area, but of course that was a waste of time with the amount of snow that had already fallen. There was no sign of her anywhere.

By the time he reached the bottom of the run, he was ready to call in reinforcements.

“Hey, Nick, she’s okay!”

Craig waved at him from one of the wind-protected areas. Nick skied over to him. “Have you seen her?”

“No. But I’ve been asking people coming down if they had spotted her. One of the guys I just talked with said a young woman matching her description had been at one of the restaurants having coffee. He said he’d chatted with her while they were in line. She told him she’d gotten separated from her party. He said she would probably be down soon.”

Nick hadn’t taken his eyes off the trails during their conversation, wondering which way she would be coming down. It was then that he saw a bright red dot swooping down in an almost vertical drop on one of the more difficult runs.

Craig pointed. “Look! I bet that’s her! Didn’t I tell you she’d be down soon? Just look at her go.”

Oh, he was looking, all right. Of all the dangerously foolhardy stunts he’d ever seen, she was definitely pulling one now. Did she have any idea how fast she was going? And if anyone got in her way… He didn’t want to think about it.

Luckily for Ashley there was no one else on that particular run. Nick stood and watched as she finally slowed her heart-stopping drop downward. She moved into a leisurely curving S down the side of the mountain, looking for all the world as though she was enjoying herself, instead of battling a heavy snowfall that could cause all kinds of damage if she hit something covered by the new snow.

The fact that she made it without a problem did not endear her to him at all. However, at the moment, he was just damned glad to see her safe.

He stood and waited, knowing that she would have to pass by his location on her way to the lodge. It was only when she got closer that he saw her white face. He knew exactly when she spotted him. She called out to him. “Oh, Nick, am I ever glad to see you!” she said, and skied over to one of the benches, where she dropped, exhausted. She removed her goggles with fumbling fingers and began to tug at the straps of her skis.

Nick sat down beside her and took off his skis, then he knelt in front of her and gently brushed her hands away from hers. With an economy of movement he removed hers, as well.

“I didn’t know what to do,” she said, sounding Breathless. “I missed one of the turns on the trail, then I couldn’t see anything, it was snowing so hard.” She brushed tendrils of hair away from her eyes. “After a while I came across one of the restaurants up there, so I stopped for a few minutes to get warm.” She was still out of breath and trying to cover the fact that she was shaking. “Then it seemed as though a break came because the snow lessened and the visibility cleared. I knew I had to go right then, fast as I could, before I lost my nerve and the visibility went back to zero.”

Nick stood, then pulled her up and handed her skis to her. He turned and gathered up his, then dropped his arm around her shoulders. Neither one of them spoke during the walk to the chalet. Once there, Nick placed their equipment in the storage area.

Only then did he speak to her. “I think we need to get you warm,” he said brusquely. “The lodge has a big fire going and plenty of hot drinks. I think that’s where everyone else is.”

She shivered, than laughed with more than a hint of shakiness.

“I don’t think it’s the cold as much as nerves.” She looked back toward the run she had recently come off, which was now veiled in a heavy white curtain of snow. “I can’t believe I got down that mountain in one piece.”

“Neither can I,” he said in a low voice. Once again he placed his arm around her shoulders and headed toward the lodge.

Only then did Ashley seem to realize that she was allowing him to touch her. She stiffened, and Nick figured she would pull away from him. Instead, she relaxed against him. She shook her head as though to clear it, then lifted her gaze to meet his.

“I bet you’re furious with me,” she said, sounding weary.

“Oh, yeah. Big-time furious.” He kept his voice low, almost gentle. “You scared the hell out of me, I don’t mind admitting to you. I went back up looking for you. I don’t know which is worse, really. I sure as hell didn’t want to find you lying somewhere hurt, but not spotting you anywhere didn’t mean you hadn’t been injured…or worse.”

She sighed. “I know. I certainly didn’t do this on purpose.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

The double doors into the recreation area of the lodge swung open in front of them and several skiers came out chatting with each other and heading for their vehicles. Nick stepped back and motioned her through the doors, then followed her inside.

He nodded toward the conversation pit, which was built around one of the massive fireplaces radiating an enormous amount of heat.

“Wait over there while I get you some coffee. Or would you prefer hot chocolate?”

“Coffee’s fine,” she replied. He watched her sink wearily into the comfort of a padded chair. She held out her hands toward the boisterous fire.

Nick turned away, grateful that she would soon be able to shrug off this morning’s scare.

Ron met him at the bar. “I hear you misplaced our gal this morning.” He glanced over to where Ashley sat. “She looks okay now. How are you doing?”

Nick leaned his elbow on the bar and rubbed his forehead. “It was definitely not one of my finer moments. I’m just glad she wasn’t hurt.”

“What happened?”

“Damned if I know. She was skiing down the mountain in front of me, then I lost sight of her during a flurry of snow, and when I looked back to where she’d been, she was nowhere in sight.”

“Did you think someone had grabbed her?”

“That thought never entered my mind. Which I guess is a good thing. No, I figured she was enjoying one of her stupid games, playing hide-and-seek or something.”

“Was she?”

“If so, she had the fear of God instilled in her by the time she showed up. If she wasn’t so good on skis, this could have turned ugly.”

“So why don’t you let me take over for a while? I think you need a break.”

Nick rubbed his hand down over his face. “Good idea. Thanks.”

The bartender set a cup of coffee on the bar and Nick paid for it, then nodded to the cup, saying, “She’s all yours, Ron. I’d just as soon not have to deal with her for the next few hours.”

Ron nodded. “Fair enough. Looks as though I won’t have to convince her to stay off the slopes for the rest of the day.”

They both turned and saw the snow blowing almost horizontally past the wide windows overlooking the ski runs.

A babble of voices caused them to look back at the conversation pit, where Ashley now was surrounded by her friends, all trying to talk at once. Nick watched Craig pull her into his arms and hold her. Then he kissed her.

Nick idly noted she wasn’t pushing him away. He shook his head and walked away. He definitely could use a break.

Ashley glanced up when Nick returned with the coffee only to discover that it wasn’t Nick at all. “Hi, Ron. I thought you were Nick.” She took the cup and eagerly wrapped her fingers around its warm surface.

Craig continued to sit on the side of her chair, his arm around her. “Then we need to have your eyes checked, honey. Your guardians have their own distinctive appearance and are not easily confused for the other.”

The other four chuckled nervously. Erin spoke up. “That was really scary, Ashley. Everyone was very worried about you.”

Nothing like adding to her guilt, Ashley thought. She needed to apologize to Nick, but she couldn’t see him anywhere. She glanced over at Ron, who had found a seat nearby. “What happened to Nick?”

“He had somethings he needed to do. How are you feeling?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, now. But I sure don’t want that to happen again anytime soon.” She glanced around at her friends. “So. What are we going to do with the rest of the day? It’s almost time for lunch. Any ideas how we should spend the afternoon?”

There was an immediate discussion of all the possibilities. Ashley didn’t really care. She sat back and watched the others. Right now she didn’t have the energy to move out of the chair she was sitting in. But maybe after a good lunch, she would feel better.

She kept remembering how relieved she’d been when she recognized Nick waiting for her. He’d looked safe and solid, standing there waiting for her. She hadn’t cared what sort of lecture he delivered. Even though she hadn’t deliberately set out to get lost, she probably deserved anything he had to say.

She kept remembering how she’d felt when he’d held her close against his side for that walk between the chalet and the lodge. She’d felt his heart beating at a rapid pace, almost racing. He hadn’t immediately started lecturing her, although he had made his thoughts quite clear on the subject of her disappearance. However, he’d continued to hold her. And he hadn’t raised his voice.

Nick’s concern had been very real. Of course, it was his job to look after her. There was no reason to read anything into his behavior. What surprised her was how safe and protected she’d felt. All of her animosity toward him was gone.

“What about you, Ashley?” Joe asked. “What do you want to do?”

She grinned and jumped up from her chair. “That’s easy. I want to eat. I’m starved!”

They all laughed at her and made a general exodus into the dining area, where once again an appetizing array of food had been spread to tempt the guests and visitors at the lodge.

By the time lunch was over, Ron had volunteered to drive them to town, where the women intended to look at all the shops, and the men planned to find a movie theater.

They headed back to the chalet to change clothes. Ashley felt better once she’d gotten some food inside of her. She wondered if Nick had eaten, then couldn’t believe she was actually worrying about him.

Once they reached the chalet, everyone was in a hurry to get ready for an afternoon adventure in town. Ashley decided she might go to a movie, instead of shopping. She was fairly certain that Ron would appreciate her choice!

Nick headed for the chalet as soon as he left the lodge. Thank God Ron had decided to take over. He didn’t want to dwell on all that could have happened to Ashley. The fact was that she was safe and had received a good scare. Perhaps it had been inevitable, but he wished that he hadn’t lost track of her on the slopes.

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