Liam laughed with him and shook his head. He averted his gaze to look out the window. Skiers in brightly colored gear zigzagged down the white slopes.
Brad clasped his hands in front of him. “If you think you’re interested, you’ll need to meet a few of the people who’ve invested in this dream.”
Liam wondered how Brad had pulled this off. “What have you told them about me, if anything?”
“While other resorts are going so far as using actual police to watch for drunk skiers, or people who venture farther than they should go in the backcountry, we don’t want that here. Just so you know, resort security isn’t a walk in the park.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I told them I knew a guy.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Brad. I really do.” Liam kept his smile in place. Brad’s presentation definitely intrigued him. “But for one thing, I don’t have hospitality experience.”
“You’ll be great. I want someone I know and trust. Look, we lost our guy last week—hence the right timing to approach you—but that means I need someone who can get up to speed, and fast. And if you’d been in the valley last year when we were hiring, you would have been my first pick then.”
“Okay. Give me some time to think on it. Plus, I need to talk to Heath. He’s counting on me to help with the ranch.”
And Austin wanted Liam to work with him in private investigations.
Liam hadn’t imagined he would have so many offers. But he didn’t think he was cut out to drive a snow sleigh once Heath finally opened for the winter or guide guests at the ranch through the wilderness in the summer.
Nor was he inclined to return to his previous job facing criminals in the underworld of narcotics with the DEA. After the injury and blown cover, he had remained on medical leave, accepting his due of money from the government until he finally resigned.
Kelvin, his old friend in the DEA who’d been promoted to ASAC, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, had hoped Liam would change his mind and come back, so that door remained open. He suspected that’s why Kelvin had called him. Liam hadn’t returned that call.
Brad’s cell rang, drawing his attention. Liam was relieved he was no longer the focus. Before Brad took the call, he smiled at Liam. “Listen, this would get you out of the ranch, if you’d prefer that. I don’t mean to presume. But you could thrive in this environment. Think of the old days when we dreamed of running a ski resort.”
It had only been a dream—one of many to take him away from his troubled home environment.
“I’ll give you my answer soon.”
Brad nodded. “Fair enough. Need to take this call. It’s the YouTube people again.”
He slid from the booth as he took the call.
Liam finished his now tepid coffee but remained in the booth. The ski crowd had thinned out a little as skiers got back to the slopes they loved, but the lunch wave would hit soon. Another round of skiing might be just what Liam needed today to distract him from those who wanted him to make decisions. Skiing would require all his concentration. He could leave behind everything wrong with his world.
He glanced through the large doorway that opened up to the great room of the resort. Across the way, he spotted her.
His ribs caved in with a whoosh of air. His mind zoomed back to that moment when he’d woken up in a ditch and stared up at the overcast sky, drops of rain warning him of an impending storm that would threaten to drown him where he’d been left to die.
As life had slowly seeped out of him, only one question had haunted him . . .
That bullet he’d taken for her—had risking his life saved hers?
CHAPTER FOUR
Wednesday, 10:45 a.m.
A large panoramic window framed the cascading snowflakes and mountainous landscape of Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort. The perfect Christmas card. The scenery was breathtaking. In mid-March, with Christmas far behind, the serene picture did nothing to calm Rae’s erratic heartbeat. After agreeing to Alan’s request, she’d packed and arranged to get to Jackson Hole—that beautiful valley carved out of the Wyoming Rockies. Home to Grand Teton National Park and gateway to Yellowstone National Park.
She’d tried to stay at the ski resort—after all, it was the new resort in the valley, but they hadn’t been able to accommodate