Loe raamatut: «The Coltons of Roaring Springs»

Chapter 1

Snowfall—check. Festive music playing on speakers in all the outdoor common areas—check. Ornate and glittery Christmas decorations both inside and out—final check.

Remy Colton stood on the sidewalk of downtown Roaring Springs, Colorado, and surveyed the merry atmosphere. As director of public relations for The Chateau, the premier luxury destination also known as a little piece of France, Remy couldn’t have asked for more perfect holiday weather. With both his family’s ski resorts—The Lodge up on Pine Peak and The Chateau, here in the Roaring Springs valley—booked to capacity for the two weeks leading up to Christmas, any snow was always welcome. And they were definitely getting a lot of the beautiful white stuff.

Remy liked to keep busy during the holidays, especially since he’d never really gotten into the holiday spirit. That was never a problem, even though the PR department pretty much shut down until after the New Year. The Chateau attracted a wealthy clientele—sometimes celebrities—and those patrons could be quite demanding. He never minded pitching in, especially on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so his employees could spend the holiday with their families.

As for himself, out of necessity, he always made sure to spend a few hours with his own extended family at the elaborate holiday dinner his uncle Russ and aunt Mara hosted at Colton Manor, the 35-million-dollar showpiece of a home they’d constructed up on a hill. While he enjoyed visiting with his cousins and their significant others, he usually hightailed it back to The Chateau as quickly as he could. As far as he could tell, no one ever noticed or minded. If there was one thing his father, Whit, understood, it was the concept that work came before anything else. Clearly, it had never occurred to Whit that Remy might be lonely.

Pushing away the unsettling thought, he forced himself to focus once again on the positives. Nothing like a great snowfall to make the guests happy.

“Excuse me?” A feminine voice, both sultry and with a faintly northeastern accent. Before he could react, she tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned and eyed a tall, blue-eyed woman wearing top-of-the-line ski gear. Not only was she athletic, but she was also strikingly beautiful. He felt a jolt the instant he met her gaze. Probably one of the guests, though he had no idea how he could have possibly missed noticing her. “Yes, can I help you?”

“I asked at the front desk and they sent me out to talk to you. I’m looking for Seth Harris. I believe he’s the hotel manager. I’ve already been up to The Lodge, but they said he wasn’t working today.”

Seth. His gut clenched. What had his brother done now?

Normally he would have directed her to the gondola that ran between The Lodge and The Chateau. But she was correct. Seth was off today. Remy caught himself staring and rapidly checked himself. Something about her eyes…

Whoever she might be, she wasn’t his brother’s usual type. Seth’s taste usually ran to leggy, busty blondes.

Since Remy knew better than to let this woman—whoever she was—drop in on Seth unannounced, he simply shrugged. “I believe he’ll be working tomorrow, so I’d suggest you check back at The Lodge then.”

Instead of nodding and thanking him, she didn’t budge. “I’ve been told you’re his brother. I really need to talk to him.”

Remy made a mental note to find out which employee had seen fit to give out such personal information. “Are you a friend of his, Ms….?”

“Fisher,” she stated. “Vanessa Fisher. And I’m not sure if Seth still considers me a friend or not. We were recently engaged, though we’re not any longer.”

Engaged? This was the woman Seth had wanted to marry? She looked nothing like the shy woman the rest of his family had described. This woman was tall, true. And she did have dark, silky hair. What everyone else must have forgotten to mention was that she was beautiful. Stunning, punch-in-the-gut gorgeous. Her dark blue eyes studied him.

Years of practice had taught Remy how to hide his shock. Nothing Seth did should have surprised him, but when he’d learned his baby brother had gotten engaged, shock hadn’t even begun to describe how he’d felt. Sure, Seth had mentioned dating someone named Vanessa. He’d made several trips down to Boulder to visit her. But first he’d gotten engaged and then, in typical Seth fashion, the engagement had been broken off.

Which meant now Remy was actually meeting his brother’s former fiancée for the first time.

“Remy Colton,” he said automatically, removing his glove and holding out his hand.

She tilted her head before doing the same and slipped her fingers into his. Touching her sent a pleasurable jolt through him, though she appeared completely unaffected. “Remy,” she mused. “Interesting name.”

Entranced by her smile, he froze. But then the rest of what Vanessa Fisher had said dawned on him. It sounded like Seth had dumped her. Which meant what?

He started to ask, but his befuddled thoughts must have shown on his face because she shook her head before he even got the words out.

“It’s not like that.” She touched him again, this time on his jacket arm. Remy normally wasn’t a touchy-feely kind of person, but for whatever reason he didn’t mind her touch. “I’m the one that broke things off,” she continued. “Seth and I haven’t spoken since.”

Cocking his head, he considered her. He’d never once in his life envied his younger brother, but for the first time, he did. Something about this woman knocked him off his feet. While he knew none of this was his damn business, he asked, anyway. “And you’re now here because…?”

She met his gaze directly. “That’s personal. Now can you tell me where to find Seth or not?”

Since he was meeting Seth a few doors down in the trendy faux-Western bar called The Saloon, he shrugged. Hopefully, his brother wouldn’t kill him when he walked in with this woman. “Come with me.”

They walked along the snowy sidewalks, mingling in with the happy tourists. This time of year, everyone in Roaring Springs seemed to be in a celebratory mood. They came, they skied, they shopped and ate and drank. Since the townspeople earned seventy-five percent of their income in the winter, the locals were grateful for the crowds.

When they reached The Saloon, the line that had formed spilled out onto the sidewalk. Despite this, those waiting laughed and chatted without the typical impatience that moneyed people often exhibited.

“Excuse me,” he said, taking Vanessa’s arm as he soldiered through the crowd. “I’m meeting someone inside.”

The harried hostess working the front desk recognized him and smiled. “Hey, Remy. Your brother’s got a booth in the bar,” she murmured. “Go ahead back and join him.”

“Thanks.” Remy glanced at Vanessa, again feeling a strong sense of attraction. She unzipped her parka, then removed her gloves and shoved them into her pocket. As they walked, he leaned in close, taking in her scent, which, unbelievably, seemed to be a holiday mix of peppermint and chocolate—two of his favorite things this time of the year. “Promise me you’re not here to make a scene,” he said, taking hold of her elbow.

One corner of her lush mouth quirked up in the beginning of a smile as she glanced back at him. “I promise. I’m not the scene-making type.”

He spotted Seth in the corner booth, intent on scrolling through his phone. He barely looked up when Remy slid into the seat across from him. “Um, Seth?”

His brother raised his head, his gaze skittering right past Remy to Vanessa. His mouth fell open. Seth had never been good at hiding his emotions, Remy thought. Surprise first, and then anger crossed his face, which finally changed to a sort of sullen resignation. “Vanessa. What are you doing in town? I thought you always skied Winter Park.”

“Do you mind if I sit?” she asked instead of answering the question.

“Go ahead.” Seth waved his hand, finally eying his brother. “I’m guessing you and Remy have already met.”

“We did.” Sliding in next to Remy, Vanessa placed her elegant, long-fingered hand on his arm. “Thank you so much for escorting me here.”

When she pulled her fingers away from him, he exhaled, wondering why he felt like leaning into her touch. Predictably, the skin-to-shirt contact, however brief, made him ache for more. Damn. His brother’s former fiancée.

Remy let out a breath, suddenly feeling like a third wheel. “I’m guessing I should go,” he offered, half-hoping Seth would refuse. “It seems you two have a lot to talk about.”

“We do,” Vanessa replied softly, barely glancing at him. “Thanks for understanding.”

Avoiding looking at anyone, Seth simply nodded, then took a long drink from his beer.

Though Remy hadn’t eaten dinner yet—that being the reason he’d been meeting Seth here—he started to slide back out of the booth. Vanessa stood and stepped aside to let him pass, her cool, direct gaze revealing nothing.

Again, envy shot through him, along with shame at feeling this way. Remy loved his troubled half brother and would never do anything to hurt him. He’d spent the last several years trying to forge a family relationship with a sibling he hadn’t even known he had and wouldn’t jeopardize it for anything, especially not for a woman. He might not be able to explain the strength of his attraction to Vanessa Fisher, but he definitely could refuse to act on it. Staying as far away as possible from her would be a great way to start. Assuming she was even here for long. Knowing Seth, he’d send her packing as quickly as possible.

As he made his way through the crowded pub away from the booth, a stool opened up at the bar just as he reached it. Moving instinctively, Remy took it. After all, he needed to eat. He ordered a draft beer, glad he had his back to his brother’s booth. Watching Seth and Vanessa would be a form of slow torture. Which made zero sense. He barely knew her, after all.

When Gary, the bartender on duty, tried to hand him a menu, Remy waved it away. He knew what he wanted. “I’ll just have the buffalo burger and sweet-potato fries,” he said. “Medium well on the cook.”

Gary grinned. “I almost went ahead and put in the order the second I saw you sit down, but there’s always a chance you might want something different.”

“Not today.” Remy smiled back, then took a long swig of his beer.

“Who’s the babe with Seth?” Gary asked. “I’ve seen her up on the slopes over at Sunlight Mountain a few times, though I haven’t seen her ski here. She’s a real pro.”

“She is?” Unable to keep from glancing back over his shoulder, he observed his brother and Vanessa engaged in what appeared to be an intense conversation. “Maybe that’s how the two of them met. Skiing.”

“You don’t know her?” Gary raised his brow, eying the two in the booth. “She’s not Seth’s usual type.”

Since he’d had the exact same thought himself, Remy simply nodded.

“Be right back,” the bartender said. “Looks like Seth wants another beer. And I need to see if his lady friend needs anything to drink.”

Remy couldn’t help but turn and watch as Gary headed over to his brother’s booth. Seth had his back to him but Vanessa looked up and met his gaze. Again, he felt that undeniable sizzle of awareness and wondered if she did, too. If so, she did nothing to reveal it. Instead, she dipped her chin in a quick nod, before returning her attention to Gary and Seth.

And just like before, he felt that unfamiliar twinge of jealousy, combined with a longing so fierce it stunned him. What the hell? He forced himself to turn around and focus on his beer.

Vanessa hadn’t expected the butterflies in her stomach upon meeting Seth’s charismatic and sexy-as-hell brother. Which made absolutely no sense. She hadn’t come to Roaring Springs looking for a new relationship. Especially not with the half sibling of the man with whom she’d broken things off.

Pushing the thought of Remy from her mind, she focused on Seth. While initially he’d appeared shocked to see her, he’d visibly relaxed the instant his brother had walked away. Still, something seemed off about him, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Of course, part of her would now always feel uneasy around him, due to the way he’d handled their breakup.

“So, tell me, Vanessa, how long have you been in town? And more importantly, why are you here?” With his sandy blond hair and hazel-green eyes, when he turned on the charm, Seth could make women melt. Once, when she’d been particularly vulnerable after losing her parents, he’d affected her this way, though they’d been friends first.

“I just got in this morning,” she replied, resisting the urge to tell him her trip had been made impulsively. “I’d hoped to stay a night or two and do some skiing while I was here, but it seems every place is completely booked.”

“They are.” He sat back, the slightly smug tone in his voice at odds with his sympathetic smile. “This time of the year is our busiest. A lot of wealthy, important people spend their holidays with us. They book their rooms months in advance.”

“With us?” she echoed, before remembering he was employed as hotel manager at The Lodge.

“But no worries,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “If you want to ski Pine Peak, you should. You’re welcome to stay with me for as long as you want.”

She squirmed, once again remembering his out-of-control anger when she’d broken things off. He’d punched a hole in the wall, and the violence of his reaction had terrified her. She’d cringed away from him, startled and afraid, at which point he’d stormed out. Nope. She didn’t think she’d be staying with him now. “That’s very kind of you, Seth,” she replied, choosing her words carefully. “But I didn’t come here to see about the possibility of us getting back together. I felt bad about the way I broke things off and realized I owed you an explanation.”

“I didn’t think you wanted to get back together.” His expression darkened. “And, no, you don’t owe me an explanation. I get it. I’m over it, Vanessa.”

“Maybe so, but please let me talk.” Swallowing, she hesitated. “I’d feel much better.”

“Fine.” He took another long pull of his beer, then set the empty mug on the table with a thunk and gestured at the bartender for another. “Go ahead and unburden yourself. Even though I basically figured it out when you wouldn’t sleep with me. Not once, the entire time we were together.”

Wincing, Vanessa glanced around, hoping no one had overheard. She told herself she shouldn’t blame Seth for being deliberately cruel. She might have been the same way had their situation been reversed. After all, she’d done him a great disservice. Not only had she ruined their friendship, but she’d also let him think she might be able to love him. “Please don’t be like that,” she began. “You and I were always friends before we were anything else. I hate that we’ve lost that.”

The bartender brought over another beer for Seth and asked what she’d like. She ordered a glass of chardonnay and waited until the man had walked away before continuing. “One of the things I’ll always be grateful for is how you were my rock when I fell apart after my parents were killed. Seth, you saved me. I’ll never be able to repay that. But…”

“But I fell in love with you,” he said, finishing for her. “And you didn’t feel the same way.”

Was it wrong to feel relieved that she didn’t have to spell it out? Sighing softly, she murmured, “Exactly.”

“Then why did you accept my proposal?” He searched her face. “I can understand everything else but that. Why would you agree to marry me if you didn’t love me?”

Her gut twisted. Not so easy after all. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” she explained, aware she might be making a mess of this. “And to be honest, I found myself clinging to…” Aghast at what she’d almost said, she stopped, searching for another way to explain she’d chosen what had seemed safe and familiar, and that she’d been briefly afraid of being on her own.

“I get it,” Seth interjected, once again inadvertently rescuing her. “To tell the truth, I think I knew all along that you didn’t feel the same way I did. I just wanted…” He took a deep breath. “More.”

She nodded, aware that acknowledging the pain in his voice might be worse than pretending not to hear it. “I’m sorry, Seth. That’s what I came up here to say. I don’t think I can love anyone right now with my life in such an uproar. You deserved more. We both do. When you wouldn’t take my calls, I felt like I needed to explain in person. Maybe understanding why will help you move on.”

“I’ve already moved on,” he informed her.

Her wine arrived. Grateful, she smiled at the bartender before taking a sip. “Perfect,” she said. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” The man moved away. When she looked across the booth, she saw that Seth watched her intently, his eyes narrowed into slits. Again, she felt a shiver of unease, which was ridiculous. Emotions had been high that day. Enough time had passed and she knew Seth would be calmer now.

After all, he’d never raised a hand to her.

Still, she suddenly realized she wanted out of there, away from him. She’d done what she’d come to do and now maybe they both could have closure. Digging in her purse, she extracted a ten-dollar bill and laid it on the table next to her still-full glass of wine before rising to her feet. “Thanks for listening,” she said, hoping her smile looked more genuine than it felt. “I’m going to head out now. It was great seeing you.”

“Wait.” He stood as well. “Please don’t run off, Vanessa. I accept your apology.” He pushed out a breath from both cheeks. “I’m really hoping we can still be friends.” He pinned her with his gaze, his hazel-green eyes earnest. “Can we? We have a long history of friendship. I’d hate to lose that.”

How could she resist? After all, that’s what she’d wanted. She’d missed their friendship. Slowly she lowered herself back into her seat. “I’d like that,” she said, wondering if it was really relief she felt, or more gratitude that he truly seemed to be over her.

“Great.” He pushed her wineglass toward her. “Enjoy your wine. It’s been a while since we talked. I’m sure we have a lot to catch up on.”

Instead, they ended up discussing only generalities, like a couple of strangers on a first date. The closing of her favorite Irish bar in Boulder, the skiing up at Sunlight Mountain near Glenwood Springs…

“Have you skied Pine Peak yet?” Seth asked. “I like it a lot better than Sunlight. It’s got some great black-diamond runs. Of course, I’m prejudiced since I live and work here.”

She thought of her skis, still strapped to the roof of her car. “Not yet. I was hoping to do that while I was up here.” Taking a sip of her wine, she shrugged. “Maybe another time.”

“How about tomorrow?” He grinned at her over the rim of his beer mug. “It’s best first thing in the morning, right when the lift opens. I like to go before work. Come with me?”

“I’m tempted,” she admitted. “But like I said, there’s not an available room in this town. Believe me, I’ve checked.”

“I told you, you can stay with me.” He held up a hand as she started to protest. “I have a guest room. You can stay there. Completely platonic. Please, I insist. There’s nothing I’d like better than skiing with you again.”

Maybe because she really, really wanted to ski Pine Peak, or perhaps because she felt like she owed him at least that much, she found herself acquiescing. “Just for one night.”

“Sure.” He raised his nearly empty mug. “I’ll have another to celebrate.”

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. “How about some dinner instead?”

Remy had just climbed into bed and shut off the lights when his cell phone rang, startling him. Sitting up, he glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand—eleven thirty. Damn it. A call at this time of night was never a good thing.

“Hello?”

“Remy, this is Liam Kastor. Did I wake you?”

Instantly alert, Remy explained he’d been awake. Since Liam was a detective with the Roaring Springs Police Department, he suspected this call involved something his younger brother had done. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

“It’s Seth,” Liam continued, confirming Remy’s suspicions. “We got a call earlier from The Saloon. The bartender, Gary, said Seth had been there drinking all evening and got belligerent when they cut him off. I headed down there to check it out, but by the time I arrived, he was gone.”

“Driving?” Remy asked, horrified.

“No, thank goodness. His car is still parked in the lot. Either someone gave him a ride or he left on foot. Since it’s snowing pretty heavily outside, I sent out a couple of patrols looking for him. Being drunk out in freezing temperatures is never a good combination. There’s no sign of him, at least downtown.”

Remy swore. “I’ll go look for him. Thank you for calling me.”

After ending the call, he immediately dialed his brother’s cell. After several rings, it went to voicemail. Remy left a quick, terse message asking Seth to call him.

Now he had no other option than to go out and search.

He threw on warm clothes, then snagged his coat and gloves and headed out into the frigid cold. In the time since he’d been home, several inches of perfect powder had accumulated. The plow would be by in the morning, but this kind of snow was easy to drive on.

He retraced the route Seth might have walked if he’d decided to head home to his condo from The Saloon. Since it was only a few blocks, it was definitely doable, at least when sober.

When Remy reached the trendy apartment building without seeing any trace of his brother, he parked and considered what to do next. First, he punched redial, hoping against hope that Seth would pick up. When he got voicemail again, he sighed and shut off his engine.

Inside, he rode the elevator up to the third floor and trudged down the hall until he reached Seth’s condo. Glancing at his watch and seeing that it was nearly midnight, he winced but rang the doorbell, anyway. While dealing with a drunk Seth was never pleasant, he had to make sure his brother had made it home safely.

When nothing happened, he pressed the doorbell again and again and again. Sooner or later that kind of noise would get through to even a passed-out drunk.

Sure enough, a moment later the door opened a crack. But, instead of Seth, a tousle-haired Vanessa peeked out at him. The sight of her sleepy, sexy blue eyes hit him like a punch in the stomach.

When the implications of her presence registered, he felt like a fool. Swallowing hard, he nodded at her. “Is Seth home?”

Covering her mouth while she yawned, she opened the door a bit wider and stepped aside so he could enter. She wore flannel pajamas in a plaid holiday pattern with some sort of fuzzy slippers. Somehow, she managed to look both cute and alluring at the same time.

“Is Seth here?” he asked again, reminding himself to focus.

“I’m not sure.” Brushing her hair back from her face, she lifted one shoulder in a delicate shrug. “He was earlier. We had dinner and then came back here so I could get settled. He wanted to go back out but I was tired, so I went to bed. In the guest bedroom,” she said pointedly. “Anyway, I’ve been asleep. At least until you started ringing the doorbell over and over.”

“My apologies.” He thought about explaining and decided against it. Surely, she knew what kind of trouble her former fiancé could get himself into. “I’m just going to check on him,” he said. “Make sure he’s okay.”

“Knock yourself out.” She wandered into the kitchen, still yawning.

Seth’s bedroom door was closed. Remy knocked—three sharp raps of his knuckles on the wood. No answer. Reluctantly, he turned the knob and squinted into the dark room, hoping he could make out whether or not Seth occupied the bed.

No such luck. Bracing himself, he flicked on the light switch.

An annoyed groan came from Seth, sprawled out, fully dressed, on the bed. “Turn that the hell off.”

Instead of complying, Remy eyed his baby brother, trying to judge how drunk Seth might be. Deciding it didn’t matter—he’d learned long ago how pointless it was trying to talk to someone while they were inebriated—he turned out the light and backed out of the room.

“Is he all right?” Vanessa asked, her fingers curled around a tall glass of ice water.

Remy grimaced. “I think so. I’m sorry to have disturbed you. I’ll come back and talk to Seth in the morning.”