She would never know what possessed Pete to head toward his buddy’s house in the mountains. If Darcy had been home, she would have kept Riley with her. If she’d known Pete was drinking, she would have taken his keys. If only…
A small figure materialized in the snow, struggling up the driveway. Darcy opened the door and ran out to greet Taylor, taking her backpack and ushering her into the kitchen, where she helped her out of her parka and snow boots. “There’s so much snow!” the girl said, wide-eyed. “Skiing’s going to be awesome.”
“Your father called and he has to work late,” Darcy said.
“No!” Taylor’s face crumpled. “It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not. But he asked me to go ahead and take you to the condo. He’ll meet us there in a few hours.”
“Yay!” Taylor jumped from the bench and hugged Darcy. “I wish Dad could come with us right away, but it’ll be fun to go there, just the two of us.”
“Sure it will.” Not fun, exactly, but she was grateful she’d have the girl to distract her. “Let’s go ahead and have a snack, then you can take your medicine and help me load the car.”
Traffic was light through town, and the snow had all but stopped, so Darcy began to relax. In the backseat, Taylor chattered about the A she’d gotten on a history test, the spider that had emptied out the girls’ locker room during sixth period, and skiing.
“I want to learn to slide rails in the terrain park, but Dad won’t let me,” she said. “He thinks it’s too dangerous.”
“It looks dangerous to me.” Darcy moved into the right lane to allow a snowplow to pass.
“But lots of kids do it. And I have a helmet.”
You’re not lots of kids,
Darcy wanted to say. But she didn’t. It was the sort of thing adults said that children hated to hear. Besides, every time Taylor looked at her scars or took her handfuls of pills she was reminded of how different she was from other children. Of how unfair life could be.
The freeway was plowed and the snow had stopped. They should have had a smooth drive all the way to Breckenridge, but Darcy had driven only a few miles when traffic came to a standstill. Three lanes of glowing red taillights curved ahead as far as the eye could see, eighteen-wheeler trucks idling alongside SUVs with ski racks and economy cars topped with snowboards.
“What’s going on?” Taylor asked.
“I don’t know. An accident, maybe?” Darcy reached for her phone and punched in the number for the highway department. A recorded voice informed her that due to weather conditions there were a number of road closures in the area, including the freeway they were traveling.
Darcy hung up the phone and sighed. “The road’s closed.”
“Closed? But it’s stopped snowing.”
“There’s been an avalanche. They’re detouring people onto a side road and back the way we came.” She inched the car forward as everyone ahead of her did the same.
“That’s okay,” Taylor said. “We can go the back way. I’ll show you.”
The back way was an alternative route into the mountains, down a winding, two-lane state highway. The road passed sleepy ranches and a few small towns. In the summer it was a pleasant, scenic drive. In the winter it was lonely and could be treacherous.
“I don’t know,” Darcy said. “Maybe we should contact your father and see what he wants to do.” Mike may have finished with his patients, then he could take over the driving. Darcy would feel safe with him at the wheel.
“He said to go ahead and he’d meet us later,” Taylor said. “I can show you the road to take. It’s easy.”
“I know the way,” Darcy said. It was the route Pete had taken the night of the accident. A route that would take her right by the place where his car had plunged off the road. Darcy had avoided driving the road ever since that night.
As they continued to creep forward with the traffic, she picked up the phone again and called Mike. “Hi. This is Dr. Mike Carter. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”
She hung up without speaking, and turned up the heater against the chill that numbed her from the inside out.
“Dad keeps his phone off when he’s with patients,” Taylor said. “Somebody else probably came in and needed him. He can’t turn sick people away. Doctors take an oath about that.”
Darcy imagined Mike explaining this to Taylor, how he had to help people because of the promise he’d made when he’d received his medical license.
“We’ll go the back way,” she said. She wouldn’t think of the bad things that had happened on that road. She’d focus instead on all the good things that lay ahead.
“It could be pneumonia.” It could also be congestive heart failure, but he didn’t like to raise that alarm without more proof. “I want to send you to the hospital for a chest X-ray and some blood work.”
“The hospital? Can it wait until Monday?”
If only everything could wait until Monday, until after his weekend with Darcy and Taylor. “I’m afraid not. I’ll have Nicole call ahead and let them know you’re coming.”
After he’d explained to Nicole what he wanted and Brent and his mother were on their way, Mike retreated to his office and tried to call Darcy. Out the window he could see the snow had stopped, so traffic should be clearing.
Her phone went straight to voice mail. Good for her, not driving and trying to talk on the phone. But the depth of his disappointment at not being able to speak to her surprised him.
There was a knock on his office door. “Come in.”
Peggy stuck her head in. “I just heard an avalanche above Georgetown has closed Interstate 70.”
“An avalanche?” He stood. “Darcy and Taylor were headed that way.”
“The only injury was to a truck driver and he’s going to be okay. They’ve diverted everyone else. The only way to Breckenridge now is along Highway 285 to Highway 9.”
He sat again. “Taylor and I have driven that route sometimes. There’s that one bad patch through South Park, but after that it’s fine.”
“I don’t care much for Hoosier Pass.”
“I’m sure Darcy’s a careful driver,” he said.
“Oh, I’m sure. What do you think is wrong with Brent?”
“I’m worried his heart is failing,” Mike admitted. “He’s caught an infection he can’t shake and the damaged heart muscle can’t compensate. I’ve got a call into Dr. Munroe for his opinion.” Munroe was the pediatric cardiologist who’d cared for Taylor.
“I hope he’s okay,” Peggy said.
“Me, too.” He hoped everyone was okay, but knew too well that life seldom granted that kind of peace, where everyone you cared about was safe and happy and well, all at the same time.
He checked the clock on his desk. Five o’clock. Not so late. Brent would have his tests, Mike would talk to Dr. Munroe and, if necessary, turn Brent’s care over to the specialist. In a few hours he’d be in Breckenridge, enjoying a nice steak and a glass of wine across the table from Darcy, looking forward to what might happen later, when Taylor was tucked into bed….
“But it’s so pretty.”
Any other time, Darcy might have agreed. The world was covered in white frosting, all the sharp edges softened, even the sound of the car’s tires muted by snow.
The car slowed as the transmission shifted to a lower gear. They climbed a steep hill. The road curved toward the top, threading between a rocky cliff and a steep drop-off.
Pete’s car had landed at the bottom of that drop-off, rolling an estimated six times before it landed, upright, in a pasture where bison grazed.
Sometimes, horrible as it sounded, she was glad Pete had died. Even that grief was easier to bear than the thought of him having lived while Riley hadn’t. She didn’t think she would have been able to forgive him.
She still hadn’t forgiven him, just as she couldn’t forgive herself.
She was crying by the time she reached the top of the hill, tears streaming down her face. She tilted her head forward, her hair falling across one cheek, hiding her face from the child in the backseat. She prayed Taylor didn’t notice her distress in the gathering darkness.
Taylor. She fixed her thoughts on the girl. The child with Riley’s heart. Taylor had a gentleness and a vulnerability Darcy’s rough, tough boy had never possessed. She was a child, yet all she’d suffered gave her a maturity that showed up at unexpected moments. Sometimes when Darcy looked at Taylor, she saw her own insecurities and doubts staring back at her.
She slowed the car to a crawl at the top of the hill, forcing her foot to stay in contact with the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white, grateful for the darkness and the swirling snow that prevented her from seeing beyond the reach of the headlights.
And then they were past the danger point. The curve straightened and the highway descended gradually toward the lights of Fairplay, laid out along the river like a Victorian mining town.
Shaky with relief, Darcy guided the car into the lot of the first business she saw, a combination gas station/liquor store/coffee shop.
“Why are we stopping?” Taylor asked.
“I need a break.” Darcy pried her stiff fingers from the steering wheel and fumbled with her seat belt. “Hot chocolate sounds good, don’t you think?”
“Hot chocolate sounds great.”
Taylor met Darcy outside the car as she unfolded from the front seat. Darcy still felt wobbly, so she put one hand on the door to steady herself, and the other on the girl. She drew Taylor close and gave her a quick hug.
“What was that for?” the girl asked.
“I’m just glad you’re here with me,” she said. Glad life had given her a second chance to get things right.
Chest X-rays had shown mild congestion in Brent’s lungs, and the blood work had revealed a slightly elevated white count, a sign of infection, though not a severe one. Mike had prescribed antibiotics and a decongestant and sent the boy and his mother home with instructions to report to the emergency room if Brent’s symptoms worsened.
Darcy had called Mike just before he left Woodbine, to let him know they’d arrived safely. She’d sounded so calm, as if driving ninety miles in a blizzard was something she did every day. Listening to her made him feel better about the long drive ahead.
He remembered one of the last trips he’d made to the condo while he and Melissa were still married. Melissa was never a shrew, but she didn’t like being inconvenienced. She’d complained about the heavy traffic, pointing out if they’d left earlier they could have avoided the backup. She’d chided Mike for driving too close, then made disapproving noises when he let another car cut in front of him. She’d frowned over the crowded condition of the parking garage, which had forced them to park far from the elevator. Mike began to think of her as a black cloud, casting gloom all around her.
In contrast, Darcy was full of sunlight.
He held on to that thought as he guided the car down the opposite side of Hoosier Pass and on into the town of Breckenridge. The lights of the condos and shops sparkled in the snow like Christmas decorations. A few people moved along the snowy sidewalks between the restaurants and bars, and a white shuttle bus chugged slowly away from a stop.
He found a parking space in the condo garage and carried his duffel bag and ski boots to the elevator. He felt as weary as if he’d walked all the way from Woodbine. A quick check of his watch showed it was nine o’clock. Taylor should be in bed, though part of him hoped she’d waited up for him.
He was fumbling with his key in the door when it opened. “Daddy, you’re finally here!”
Taylor, in flannel pajamas and fuzzy pink slippers, stood on tiptoe to embrace him. He dropped the bag and his boots and scooped her up, breathing in the smell of strawberry shampoo.
As he straightened he saw Darcy. She wore yoga pants and a light knit top—a sexier version of sweats—her long hair loose about her shoulders. “I hope your drive wasn’t too bad,” she said.
“It was horrible, but that doesn’t matter now that I’m here.” He shifted Taylor to his right hip and held out his left arm. Darcy came to him and he hugged her, eyes closed, savoring the moment.
Taylor squirmed, reminding him his daughter—and his back—couldn’t hold the pose that long. “I’m glad you waited up for me,” he told Taylor as he set her on the floor once more. “But isn’t it past your bedtime?”
“I want to stay up with you and Darcy,” she said.
“You’ll see plenty of me and Darcy tomorrow. And if you don’t get enough sleep you’ll be a big grouch. Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”
“While you do that, I’ll reheat your dinner,” Darcy said.
He shed his coat, then carried his duffel to his room and Taylor to hers. She made no more protests, clearly weary from the excitement of the day. By the time he’d verified she’d taken her medications and brushed her teeth, pulled the covers up to her chin and kissed her good-night, her eyes were already drooping. He switched off the light and moved quietly down the hall and into the kitchen.
“Something smells good,” he said, moving in close behind Darcy. He wanted to put his arms around her and pull her near, but wasn’t sure how she’d react.
“Pork chops, hash browns and peas—all stuff I found in your freezer.” She gave him an appreciative glance. “You keep things well stocked for a bachelor who doesn’t visit here often.”
“I like to eat, and I always have intentions of making it up here more, so at the beginning of the season I stocked up.”
The microwave dinged and she reached up and took out a plate. “I hope you don’t mind that it’s re-heated. Taylor and I ate earlier.”
“I’m so hungry I could eat fried boot.” He watched as she arranged the potatoes alongside the chops. If he’d been making the meal he’d have eaten everything from the pan.
“How is your patient?” she asked, carrying the plate to the table at the end of the counter. “The one you stayed to see?”
“Not too good.” He sliced into a pork chop, suddenly starving. “It’s a boy, a couple of years younger than Taylor, with a similar heart valve problem. I’m worried he’s going into congestive heart failure, though the cardiologist didn’t seem too concerned.” He frowned. The cardiologist had agreed with Mike’s decision to prescribe medication and send Brent and his mother home. Mike would have rested easier if Brent had remained in the hospital for observation. He couldn’t decide if his medical instincts were trying to alert him to a real problem, or if guilt over Taylor had him imagining disaster where there was none.
“I hope he’s okay,” Darcy said. “Would you like some wine? There’s a bottle of red in your cabinet.”
“I’d love some.” After the third mountain pass he’d contemplated a stiff shot of Scotch, but the wine would do.
He continued eating while she opened the wine and filled two glasses. “To a lovely weekend,” she said, and touched her glass to his.
“To a lovely weekend.” He sipped the wine, which was smooth going down, warming him. “Another half a bottle of this and I might forget about that horrible drive.”
“That bad?” she asked.
“The roads were almost invisible by the time I got to Hoosier Pass,” he said. “How was it for you?”
She shook her head. “I still had daylight. In some ways, I think not being able to see would have made it easier for me.” She stared at the wine, but didn’t make a move to drink it. Something in her stillness disturbed him.
He laid aside his fork. “Why is that?”
“Pete and Riley were killed at Red Hill Pass,” she said. “They were on their way to see a friend of Pete’s. I…I haven’t driven past there since.”
“Until today.” His own afternoon’s ordeal seemed petty next to all she’d faced. “I never would have insisted you drive Taylor by yourself if I’d known. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t want you to think I was a coward.”
“I would never think that.” She had faced tragedy with more courage than he imagined he’d be able to muster in similar circumstances.
“Thank you for saying that.” She raised the glass to her lips and took a long drink, her eyes meeting his over the rim.
He saw all the pain in her eyes, and the courage that had somehow carried her through. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said. “I wish I could’ve been there with you.”
“Some other time we’ll make the drive together. I made it because Taylor was with me—and because I wanted to be with you this weekend more than I wanted to be home alone. I’m tired of grief being the strongest emotion in my life.”
He pushed aside his plate and reached across the table to take her hand. “You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met,” he said. “Every day you face things I can only imagine.”
“I’m tired of being brave.” The heat in her voice caught him off guard.
“Then don’t be,” he said quietly. He stood and pulled her up with him, into his arms.
She melted against him, her kisses searing him, banishing the last ice around his heart.
He pressed her back against the counter. She wasn’t wearing a bra and when he slid his hand beneath her sweater and felt her bare breast he groaned.
“Shh,” she whispered. “Taylor will hear.”
“No she won’t. She’s exhausted from the excitement. She’ll sleep all night.” He wouldn’t use his daughter as an excuse to keep them apart any longer.
He kissed her neck, sucking on the sweet, smooth flesh. “My bedroom is at the other end of the condo. Darcy, I want to make love to you. I think I’ve wanted it practically from the moment we met, but now that I know you better I only want you more.”
“Yes. I want that, too.”
“The world won’t end if Taylor finds out we spent the night together. She loves you. I love you.”
“Oh, Mike.” She smiled, eyes glittering. Then she let him take her hand and lead her to the bedroom.