Shadow Mountain

The innocent question was loaded. Caroline knew it. If she accepted this job it would probably turn out to be pure hell. She’d bet there would be plenty of headaches with little satisfaction. Maybe even the loss of her own integrity included.

She wanted to say, “No thanks. I’ll pass.” But she didn’t. There were too many things at stake, like securing an immediate income and having a place for her and Danny to stay without imposing on anyone. Her options were painfully limited. When it came down to it, she really didn’t have a choice.

She straightened her shoulders and replied in a calm and rational tone, “Yes, I think we could work together nicely, Mrs. Wainwright.”

“Call me Stella,” the woman invited with a smile that sealed the matter. “How soon do you think you could begin?”

WESLEY WAINWRIGHT had just come back to the lodge from a hike on Shadow Mountain when the phone rang. He was breathing a little heavily when he answered it. The climb was always a strenuous one, but his six-foot body had handled the muscular demands with ease and he felt as strong now in his thirties as he had in college. He loved being out in the mountain air, away from closed-in offices, board meetings and the ever-present demands of his financial responsibilities.

He sighed as he picked up the receiver. If it was his secretary in Houston, he was going to hang up.

“Hi, it’s Stella.”

His sister-in-law had been gone nearly a week and he’d rather enjoyed not having her around. Sometimes Stella’s presence got a little tedious. He wasn’t all that happy when she’d showed up at the lodge during his planned vacation away from work and family. Frankly, he’d been relieved when she’d left to spend time in Denver. She was one of those women who liked to manage everything and everybody—including him.

“What’s happening?” he asked in a guarded tone. Stella’s voice was laced with excitement.

“It wasn’t easy but I did it. I found one.”

“One what?”

“An interior decorator,” she answered impatiently. “I found one who will come to the lodge. Last spring we talked about doing some redecorating at the lodge. Don’t you remember?”

Wes’s hand tightened on the receiver. “I thought that was in the future.” Way in the future, he added silently. “I didn’t know you were intending to carry out the idea so soon.”

“I just haven’t been able to find a decorator who would spend several months isolated in the mountains—until today.”

“When is all of this going to start happening?” His sister-in-law was constantly testing his patience. If she hadn’t been his late brother’s widow, he wouldn’t have put up with her being such a controlling force in his life.

“Since it’s early October, everything will be just perfect for the Christmas holidays. I’ve arranged for the decorator to start next week. Her name is Caroline Fairchild and she’ll be bringing her little boy with her.” She paused. “I’m thinking of putting them in rooms on the second floor. She’ll need another room close by to work in. Since your suite is at the far end of the corridor you won’t be bothered. What do you think?”

He controlled an impulse to tell her exactly what he thought. “Yes, fine.”

“Good. They’ll arrive next week.”

Wesley hung up the phone, muttering, “Well, so much for peace and quiet.”

Having Stella show up had been bad enough but now she was arranging for some decorator and her kid to move in for God knew how long. Stella had been twenty-four years old when she’d married his nineteen-year-old brother, Delvin. Noticeably pregnant at the time, Stella eventually gave birth to a baby boy they named Shane. To her credit, since Delvin’s death almost six years ago, Stella had been a conscientious single mother to her son.

Wes had tried to fill in the empty spot that his brother’s death had left in the boy’s life. Now seventeen, Shane loved spending time in Colorado. The young man had made it clear he’d rather forget about college and just enjoy life on the ski slopes and hiking trails. His mother disagreed, but Wes thought it might be a good idea for Shane to take a year off, to discover a few things about himself.

Wes always tried his best to accommodate Stella’s ideas and plans when they were at the lodge but this latest decorating craze of hers was the limit.

He could imagine the frenzy the lodge would be in when the redecorating got into full swing. Well, he wasn’t going to stick around to see it. He’d be long gone. There were plenty of spots in Colorado where a man could find peace and quiet.

He reached for some brochures and settled back to make plans for his escape.

Chapter Two

The Wainwright property on the southern edge of the Colorado San Juan Mountains was a seven-hour drive from Denver. A narrow road twisted through rugged shadowy slopes that reminded Caroline of pictures she’d seen of Germany’s brooding Black Forest.

“Are we there yet?” Danny asked in a bored voice.

“Almost.” She sent him a reassuring smile that faked the confidence she didn’t feel.

“I’m tired.”

“Me, too.” She’d turned off the main highway hours ago and had no idea how close she was to the Wainwright lodge. Only vaulting wooded cliffs rose on each side, making a tunnel-like passage for the twisting mountain road. Signs of habitation were scarce and the pencil map Stella had drawn was of little help. She’d made an X to show where the lodge stood at one end of a small, private lake—but where was the lake?

Caroline’s hands were tense on the steering wheel as she maneuvered a series of hairpin curves. Then, suddenly, without warning, there was a break in the view ahead and a startling vista opened up before her eyes. Nestled in the circle of the encroaching mountains was a meadow, a small lake and an access road posted with a wooden sign, Shadow Mountain Lodge.

“We’re here,” she said with a sigh of relief.

Danny peered over the front seat as best he could, straining against his seatbelt. “Where? I don’t see nothing.”

“Anything,” she automatically corrected him. “See that building across the lake? That’s where we’re going.”

He stuck out his lower lip the way he did when things weren’t going his way. When they got closer, he said, “I hate it. It’s ugly.”

Caroline wasn’t about to argue. Built of austere, dark wood, the mountain lodge was set in the depths of towering trees that hugged its square, unrelieved lines. A late-afternoon sun failed to lighten the blankness of recessed dormer windows crouched under a sharply slanted roof.

She remembered Stella had told her that her brother-in-law was a widower and had a six-year-old daughter named Cassie. Caroline hoped that Danny and the little girl got along. Her son was easygoing most of the time but when Danny set his mind against some thing or someone, a team of horses couldn’t budge him.

She followed the road that bordered the lake and then rose sharply to the lodge set against the steep back-drop of a mountain. She continued past the lodge and parked in an open area which looked as if it might lead to some other smaller buildings like stables and bunk-houses set back in the trees.

Once released from his seat, Danny bounded out of the car like a young animal freed from a cage.

“Stay close,” she ordered as she took out an overnight bag and decided to leave the rest of the luggage until later. The place looked deserted, but she could hear the neighing of a horse and spied a corral set back in the trees.

With Danny at her side, they walked around to the front of the lodge and climbed a flight of wooden stairs to a heavy, planked front door. A brass lion’s head with its mouth open made a loud clanging sound as she dropped the knocker several times.

As they waited, she rested her hand reassuringly on Danny’s shoulder but already the enveloping isolation was getting to her. Her mouth went dry.

What on earth am I doing here?

The massive door suddenly opened and Stella stood there, smiling at them. “Oh, good, I was hoping you’d get here before dark. Sometimes these mountain roads can be a little tricky at night.”

Caroline silently added, And in daylight. It was some kind of miracle she’d found the place at all.

“Please come in. I’ll send Shane to bring in the rest of your luggage.”

They followed her inside and the interior of the lodge seemed just as dark and intimidating as the exterior. Beyond a shadowy vestibule, they entered a large room with a high ceiling and a monstrous chandelier made of elk horns suspended from a high rafter. Several tall windows allowed muted sunlight to slightly relieve the shadows of high ceilings and dark-panelled walls. A massive stone fireplace dominated the far wall and a variety of furniture, mostly leather and dark walnut, was scattered about. An area rug of faded green covered a small section of a wide-planked floor. Some framed black-and-white photographs hung on the wall. They were group pictures as far as Caroline could tell. She wondered if this was one of the rooms Stella wanted redecorated. If so, simply introducing some color would be a step in the right direction.

“I’ll show you to your rooms first,” Stella said motioning toward a massive staircase mounting a far wall. “You’ll probably want to freshen up before meeting Wes. He was set to leave yesterday when one of his good friends, Dexter Tate, showed up unexpectedly. They’re out target-shooting but should be back anytime. Wes’s daughter, Cassie, is upstairs with her nanny, Felicia.” She glanced at her watch. “I’d better see that some refreshment is ready.”

As they mounted the steps to the second floor and walked a short distance down the hall, Stella said in a practiced hostess manner, “I hope you’ll be comfortable here. There’s a small sitting room, a bedroom with twin beds and a connecting bath. I’ve set up a workroom just down the hall. If there’s anything I’ve missed, just let me know.”

She opened the door and motioned them inside. They had just walked into the sitting room when Danny suddenly cowered beside her, hugging her leg.