Afraid (17 page)

“You're going to the beginner slopes with me. I want to make sure you can handle yourself.”

Julie sighed. Ross was certainly being cautious. Of course, that could mean he was beginning to care for her. “How about Dead Man's Run? Does that have flags?”

Ross nodded. “We use two black diamonds for extremely dangerous, but that's not enough. We also have black with a white skull and crossbones. Even if people don't know the color code, they recognize that symbol.”

Julie shuddered. A skull and crossbones would certainly keep her away! “If I prove that I'm a good skier, will you let me replace some of the flags?”

“Sure.” Ross smiled at her. “If you can ski as well as your aunt says, we'll split up when we finish the beginner slopes. I'll take Sky Top. That‘s our most difficult run. And I'll let you try your hand on Camel Back.”

Julie nodded, and watched him ski away to start the lift. Then she turned to Paul with a pleased expression. “Is Camel Back very challenging?”

“Oh, definitely.” Paul grinned at her in his exasperating way. “It's got a couple of jumps that are at least six inches high.”

Julie felt her face burn, and she turned away. Paul was a despicable person, and she was glad she hadn't had time to change to another pair of skis. She hoped he was miserable, seeing her wear the skis he'd given to Vicki. He deserved to squirm, and then some, after putting her on about Camel Back!

 

Loose snow rose up like a bright white cloud as Julie skied to a stop. She laughed, a pure sound of exhilaration in the crisp mountain air, and turned to watch with sparkling eyes as Ross skied down the gentle decline.

“Well? Do I pass?” Julie laughed at the shocked expression on his face. It was clear he hadn't realized she was such a good skier.

“And then some.” Ross draped a friendly arm around her shoulder as they walked to the ski lift again. “I don't think I've ever seen anybody get so much speed out of Old Betsy.”

“Old Betsy?” Julie giggled and snuggled a little closer. Ross's arm felt warm and wonderful, resting against her shoulders.

“It's our name for the baby slope. Old Betsy's like a ancient swaybacked mare, gentle and completely toothless.”

Julie sighed. “From what Paul tells me, Camel Back doesn't have any teeth, either. How about letting me try something with a little more oomph?”

“Oomph?” Ross laughed. “I can give you oomph, but you might not like it.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm half tempted to put you to work, now that I know what a good skier you are. Somebody has to check out Hannah's Folly.”

“Hannah's Folly?” Julie grinned up at him. “I like it already. What color flags?”

“Black diamond.”

“That's expert.” Julie felt a shiver of excitement. “I'll do it, Ross. I'd love to!”

“If you're sure you don't mind . . .”

“I don't. Please, Ross . . . I'm just dying to do some real skiing.”

Ross nodded. “All right. I was going to have Paul do it, but this way we'll all finish up about the same time.”

Ten minutes later, Julie had her own pack of flags and she was riding up the ski lift again. Her spirits were soaring. Ross had taken the most difficult slope for himself, but he'd trusted her enough to give her the next best thing. When she got to the top of the ridge, she met Paul and Donna, who'd just finished their assignments.

“Going to Camel Back?”

Paul grinned at her, but this time it didn't bother Julie. Ross had given her the ammunition to really get back at him. She managed to stifle her urge to laugh, and shook her head dejectedly. “Ross said he didn't want me to ski Camel Back.”

“But why?” Donna looked shocked. “Nobody's ever been hurt on Camel Back. It's practically a baby slope! Do you want me to talk to him, Julie? He might let you ski it if I go along to help you.”

Julie winked at Donna, and did her best to keep a straight face. “No, thanks. It's all right. Ross said I could ski another slope, if I promised to be very careful.”

“He's the boss.” Paul shrugged. “Is he going to let you try Lazy Boy?”

“No.” Julie shook her head, and tried not to laugh. Ross had told her the names of all the slopes and she knew that Lazy Boy was another, very gentle beginner's run.

“Rocking Horse?”

Paul guessed again, and Julie shook her head. It was impossible for her to keep a straight face for much longer, especially since Donna was obviously holding in a giggle. Paul frowned. “But we only have three beginner slopes.”

“I know.” Julie nodded. She could hardly wait to see the expression on Paul's face when she told him. “I'm not skiing on a beginner slope. Ross asked me to replace the flags on Hannah's Folly.”

“Hannah's Folly?” Paul's mouth dropped open. “But that's an expert slope!”

“So I hear.” Julie slung her ski pack over her shoulder, and grinned at him. His mouth was still open, and she almost told him to close it before he froze his tongue.

Paul must have read her thoughts, because he closed his mouth with a snap. He blinked once and then started to frown. “I don't know what he's thinking of! I'd better go with you. Somebody's got to keep you out of trouble.”

“Thanks for the offer, but you'll be much too busy to ski with me. You see, Ross has a very challenging job for you.”

Paul looked slightly mollified. “What does he want me to do? Check out Sky Top?”

“Oh, no.” Julie shook her head. “It's much more challenging than that. He told me he wants you to replace the flags on Camel Back.”

J
ulie skied away with Donna's laughter ringing in her ears. So far, this had been a marvelous day. She'd managed to put Paul firmly in his place, but that was only part of her pleasure. She'd also made some real headway with Ross. It was clear he thought she was a good skier. He'd told her to replace the flags on Hannah's Folly, a very difficult slope. But even more important than that, he'd hugged her. Sort of.

A smile spread over Julie's face as she found the sign for Hannah's Folly and began to ski down the steep slope. Perhaps it hadn't really been a hug, but remembering the warm, close feeling of Ross's arm resting on her shoulders made her shiver in delight.

“Oops!” Julie skied dangerously close to the edge of the run and slowed to a panic stop. Hannah's Folly was steep and filled with sharp hairpin turns. This wasn't the time to think about Ross. The headway she'd made with him would come to a screeching halt if she did something foolish like break a leg on her way down the slope.

Ross had told her to replace only damaged flags, and Julie checked each flag to make sure it was intact. She was only about a third of the way down when she found one that was tattered. She skied to a stop, took a new flag out of her ski pack, and tied it on securely.

It was difficult to ski slowly on Hannah's Folly. The steep slope was built for speed, and Julie was dying to let loose and soar down the steep incline. She decided to go just a bit faster. There was no reason why she couldn't have fun and get her task done at the same time.

She was just rounding a bend when she heard it, a sharp explosion like someone was firing a gun. A split second later, there was a low rumbling directly above her. It was every skier's nightmare—an avalanche!

Julie didn't turn around to look up. There wasn't time. She just veered off sharply and cut through a stand of pines, skiing around trees with as much speed as she could gather, using her poles to jump obstacles, and praying that she could get to a place of safety before the heavy wall of snow caught her and swept her away.

The noise was deafening as tons of snow roared down the mountain, uprooting trees and burying markers so deep they might never be found. Julie skied on the edge of the white death, almost caught in its path as it roared down Hannah's Folly. Somehow she had to stay on her feet and keep veering away from the hurtling snow. If she fell, she'd be buried alive!

Almost as suddenly as it had come, the avalanche was gone. Now there was only an eerie stillness, a quiet so intense it hurt Julie's ears. She turned to look back and shuddered. The spot where she'd been only seconds before was buried under tons of unforgiving snow.

Julie leaned against the trunk of a pine tree, trembling uncontrollably as she stared at the destruction the avalanche had left in its wake. Hannah's Folly was gone, completely erased, as if it had never existed, by the crushing power of one of nature's most destructive whims.

She stood there shaking, thankful to be alive, when she suddenly realized that her troubles were far from over. There was no safe way down the mountain, now that the markers were gone. The mountainside was treacherous, and Ross had warned her not to leave the slope. If she tried to ski down over unknown terrain, she could wipe out on a hidden boulder, or ski over the edge of a drop. And it was impossible to climb the steep slope to the top. She was trapped!

Julie took a deep breath and let it out, trying to force down her panic. There was no cause for alarm. She was warmly dressed, and the stand of pines was a good windbreak. All she had to do was wait, and someone would come to look for her.

But would they find her? She was a small speck of humanity and the mountainside was huge and heavily wooded. They knew the slope she'd been skiing, but Hannah's Folly was gone. No one could ski down the path the avalanche had made. Of course they'd search the area by helicopter, but she was well hidden, here in the pines. Would they take one look at the place where Hannah's Folly had been and then write her off as the first casualty of the winter ski season?

Julie shuddered. They might never find her if she stayed here. Nights were cold on the mountain, and she could freeze to death before morning. She couldn't just sit here and hope that help would come to her. She had to think of a way to get down the mountain safely.

Suddenly, the drawing she'd seen in the pro shop flashed through her mind. The slopes all started from a central area on the ridge, and ran down the mountainside in roughly parallel lines. All she had to do was ski horizontally across the mountain until she ran into another slope!

Julie picked up her poles and smiled in relief. If she was lucky and ran into another slope quickly, she could be back at the lodge before they even sent out a search party.

But the task was harder than she'd anticipated. The ungroomed ground was rough, and Julie had to pick her way carefully. This wasn't the time to suffer a mishap. The farther she skied from Hannah's Folly, the less chance she'd have of being spotted.

Julie skied until her legs were aching, and her lungs burned with the cold mountain air. She was doing cross-country skiing with downhill skies, and that was difficult. She was about to take a break and rest for a while when she spotted a slope in the distance. It hadn't been groomed, but perhaps the crew still had a couple of slopes left to do.

It took at least fifteen minutes to reach the slope, and Julie arrived breathless. She glanced around for markers, but none were visible. Perhaps the crew had taken them out, intending to replace them when they'd finished their grooming. It really didn't matter. The slope was wide and it looked gentle. It would be an easy trip down.

As she started her downhill descent, Julie realized her legs were trembling from fatigue. She told herself that the sooner she made it down, the sooner she could rest, and she dug in her poles and forced herself to go faster. This was practically a baby slope, although it was quite steep. She'd be at the bottom in no time at all.

Suddenly she heard a shout above her, and she turned her head quickly to see who was there. A figure in black was streaking toward her, and she recognized Ryan Stanford.

Julie smiled as she dug in her poles again. Ryan obviously wanted to race. Of course, she wouldn't be much competition in her weakened state, but she'd do her best to give him a run for his money.

Then there was a terrible jolt, and Julie felt herself flying through the air. She landed heavily and started to skid down the icy slope, but Ryan clamped his arms around her. She rolled several feet, tangled in Ryan's embrace. His arms were like steel bands around her, and she couldn't get loose. Finally they came to a stop, sprawled in a heap in the center of the slope.

“What . . . what do you think you're doing?” Julie glared up at him. He'd knocked her down on purpose, and now he was holding her so tightly, she couldn't move. She was pinned down, his body covering hers in a way that made her blush and then steam with anger.

Julie's leg throbbed where he'd barreled into it, and she knew she was bruised all over. She started to struggle, but there was no way she could get to her feet.

“Let me go!” Julie glared at him again, and then she drew in her breath sharply. Ryan's face was a pasty shade of white, and his gray eyes blazed with something that looked almost like fear.

“Don't move a muscle.” His voice was tight. Clipped. “Just inch back with me, up the slope.”

Julie's eyes widened. Had he gone mad? “But . . .”

“Do it! Now!”

Julie did it. She had no other choice. Ryan was holding her so tightly, his fingers were digging into the tender skin on her arms.

“More. Come on! Wiggle your hips and scoot backward!”

Julie did as he said. This really wasn't the time to argue. They managed to move a foot or so up the slope, and then Ryan seemed to relax.

“Thank God! I thought you were a goner!”

“What do you mean? I was just skiing back to the lodge.” Julie frowned at him. His eyes had lost their fierce gleam, but he was still holding her tightly.

Ryan shook his head, and laughed. “Well, you wouldn't have made it. You owe me one.”

Before Julie could do more than gasp, Ryan's lips had clamped over hers. They were cold at first, chilled by the winter air, but then they warmed and Julie sighed softly. How could firm lips be so soft? And why was she trembling? She really should stop him. He'd been terribly rude. He'd knocked her down like a battering ram, just so he could kiss her. If he thought these caveman tactics would impress her, he was dead wrong.

Julie tried to twist away, to open her mouth to tell him to stop. But Ryan seized the opportunity to kiss her more deeply. His tongue flickered into her mouth, and she felt her pulses race. She'd never been kissed this intimately before, and she shuddered as she began to respond to him.

And then he stopped. Abruptly. Julie blinked and then she shivered. What had gotten into him? And what was the matter with her? She thought about the sensations he'd evoked with his hot, wet tongue, and she shivered again. She was almost disappointed that he had stopped!

Ryan pulled back and laughed at the confusion in her eyes. “You still don't know what happened, do you?”

“I . . . I certainly don't!” Julie did her best to sound outraged, but her voice was shaking. Ryan's kiss had affected her much more than she wanted to admit.

“You're on Dead Man's Run. And I stopped you about six inches before you went over the drop!”

 

Julie was trembling as she approached the group that awaited her at the base of the slope. Naturally, her two near brushes with death had terrified her, but Julie wasn't thinking about the avalanche, or how she'd almost gone over the drop on Dead Man's Run. Ryan's kiss had been her real undoing, and she couldn't seem to stop thinking about the way his lips had claimed hers, and how his tongue had teased the moist, hot depths of her mouth.

After Ryan had helped her to her feet, Julie had tried to thank him. After all, he'd saved her life. But Ryan had just grinned and told her that the kiss had been his reward. The gleam in his intense gray eyes had made her tremble even more as he'd checked to make sure she wasn't injured, inspected her skis and bindings, and shown her a trail through the trees to Lady Luck.

Lady Luck was an expert run, and he'd skied at her side most of the way down, watching her critically for signs of fatigue. He'd forced her to stop several times to rest, and the last time they'd stopped, she'd asked him to keep her near accident a secret.

“Why should I do that?” Ryan had raised his eyebrows.

Julie had winced, and tried to think of a good excuse, but finally she'd settled for the truth. “It's embarrassing. They warned me about Dead Man's Run, and I should have realized where I was when there were no markers.”

“You don't want to admit you made a mistake?”

Ryan had chuckled, and Julie had felt a blush spread over her face. She'd nodded and glanced down at the ground, rather than meet his eyes.

“It's our secret, then.” Ryan had reached out to raise her chin, until she had to meet his eyes. “But don't forget you owe me another one.”

Julie hadn't asked what he meant. She didn't want to know. She'd just nodded and started to ski again, almost hoping he wouldn't follow her.

But Ryan did follow her, and he'd skied at her side almost all the way down Lady Luck. He'd only veered off when he'd spotted the group waiting for her at the bottom. And here she was, only a little worse for wear, despite her frightening experiences.

Julie did her best to smile, but it was a pitiful effort. She was so tired, her legs were shaking. Suddenly she remembered Donna's comment. The first day on the slopes was the best. Julie hoped her friend was wrong. She couldn't imagine a day any worse than this!

“Julie!” Ross looked alarmed as he skied to meet her. “Are you all right?”

“I . . . I'm fine.” Julie nodded, and quite unexpectedly, the terror of her near brush with death caught up with her. She swayed, and Ross caught her in his arms. And then Paul was there, too, taking her other arm and helping her the last few feet down the slope.

Donna came up to hug Julie, and Julie noticed that there were tears in her eyes. “We thought for a minute that . . .” Donna's voice broke and she swallowed hard. “We're so glad you're all right! You'd better sit down, Julie. You look like you're ready to pass out.”

“I'm fine . . . really.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, Julie really did begin to feel better. She was safe. She was with friends. And now that Ross and Paul were supporting her, her legs steadied and stopped their trembling.

“Sit down over here.” Ross propelled her toward one of the rustic benches near the bottom of the slope. “I'll call the lodge and tell them what happened.”

“They don't know?” Julie looked up at him in surprise.

“Not yet. We skied over to Hannah's Folly to see if we could spot you. And then we had to cut over to Sleeping Giant to get down. I was just dialing the emergency rescue team when Paul and Donna saw you skiing down Lady Luck.”

“Don't call the lodge.” Julie's voice was firm. “They'd only worry.”

“But, Julie, you were almost killed up there!”

“I know.” Julie shivered at the grim reminder. “But it was just a freak accident. There's no reason to upset them, now that it's over. I'd really rather you didn't tell anyone.”

Donna reached out to grab Ross's arm. “She's right, Ross. Think of how Mrs. Hudson will feel if she finds out Julie was almost killed. It'll be almost like . . . well,
you
know.”

Ross thought it over for a moment, and then he nodded. “All right. We won't mention it. Tell me exactly what happened, Julie.”