Shadow Mountain

“What is it?” She followed his frightened gaze to the walls of the room. Her breath caught. “Good heavens!”

Mounted on the walls were heads of wild animals—a fierce black bear, a threatening mountain lion and a snarling wildcat. She could tell from the raw fear in Danny’s expression that he thought they were alive and about to jump down on him.

“It’s all right, honey,” Caroline said quickly. “They won’t hurt you.”

“They’re dead?”

“Yes. Somebody killed them.”

“Why?” he demanded with childish bluntness.

“They’re like trophies,” Stella answered quickly before Caroline could. “Big men shoot them and then hang them on the walls to show how brave they are. I’m afraid you’ll find them all over the lodge.” Then she brightened. “But your mother and I are going to make some nice changes.”

Caroline didn’t say anything, but she wondered how easy that was going to be. Changing anything that had become a male tradition might be an uphill battle. If she were a gambler, she’d bet the mounted animals stayed despite Stella’s best efforts.

Fortunately the small bedroom was spared any hunting decor. Several scenic pictures hung on the walls. One window had simple green draperies hanging from a brass rod. Caroline was delighted with the hand-crafted aspen bedroom furniture. She immediately visualized how a little color and fresh wallpaper would add a pleasant warmth to the room.

“If there’s anything you need, just let me know,” Stella said, preparing to leave them. “Please come downstairs when you’re ready. There’s a small social room just past the main stairs and down the hall. I know Wes will be pleased to meet you both. He has a little girl about your age, Danny. Her name is Cassie. I know you’ll have fun playing with her while your mother and I are busy.”

Danny’s scowl plainly showed his reaction to the idea. Girls weren’t his thing.

Caroline silently sighed. A belligerent little six-year-old was all she needed to make this whole experience a living nightmare. Her son’s mood certainly didn’t improve when she insisted on a hands-and-face washing, a quick change of clothes and a brushing of his tousled brown hair. He flopped down on one of the beds while she freshened up.

Stella had warned her they’d need warm clothes as well as walking shoes and boots. Caroline had followed her suggestions and found some bargains for her and Danny that she could afford.

She wanted to make a good first impression. After exchanging her jeans for a pair of tan slacks and her plain pullover for a variegated knit sweater in the red and orange colors of fall leaves, a quick glance in the mirror warned her she didn’t look very professional. Somehow her two tailored outfits didn’t seem right either. Besides, they were packed in the luggage she’d left in the car. She brushed her lips lightly with pink gloss, gave her short, wavy hair a quick combing and straightened her shoulders.

“I guess I’m ready,” she said as she came out of the bathroom. When she saw that Danny had fallen asleep, she groaned. Now what? She couldn’t leave him here asleep. If he woke up and was alone with all those animal heads, he’d freak out! But he’d be grumpy if he didn’t have a nap.

Stella would probably be waiting impatiently, but she didn’t have a choice. Caroline knew she’d have to wait at least a half hour before waking him.

As she looked at his sweet face, so angelic in sleep, her chest was suddenly tight with emotion. He was so precious. Her whole life now. He’d been only two years old when she was left to raise him alone. Even though Thomas’s medical career had dominated his time and energies, his unexpected heart attack and death had left her without any emotional support. There were no grandparents or close relatives to provide an extended family for either of them.

She turned away from the bed and walked over to the window to look out. Her view was of the wooded slopes behind the lodge. Already the sun had slipped behind craggy mountain peaks and she would have missed seeing the two horsemen moving through the trees if their movement had not caught her eye. Before she could get a good look at them, they disappeared beyond her view.

Wes Wainwright, no doubt, and the guest Stella mentioned who had gone target-shooting with him. She wondered what targets they’d chosen for their sport and doubted that she could even be polite to her Texas host after seeing the mounted heads.

She’d always had trouble controlling her temper when she encountered selfish, self-centered men. Bragging rich Texans who seemed to throw their weight around had never been very high on her list.

When she finally woke Danny, he was less than cooperative.

“When can we go home?” he said with a scowl as she brushed his hair once again.

“Not today,” she said with false cheerfulness. She couldn’t tell him when it would be because she really didn’t know the answer. Everything depended upon Stella and her redecorating plans. If they were superficial and limited, the job would only require a few weeks. If the entire lodge was to undergo a coordinated redecoration, several months might be involved.

“I bet you’re hungry.” Caroline said brightly. “Let’s go downstairs and have a nice dinner.”

She was glad a bedroom door led into the hall so they didn’t have to go through the sitting room with the overpowering animal heads. Danny needed time to adjust to this strange environment.

And so do I!

Their feet made a muffled sound on the bare steps as they descended the staircase to the main room. Someone had turned on a few scattered lights that played over the furniture, gloomy walls and stone fireplace. The bulbs on the ugly antler chandelier remained dark as it hung like a menacing threat overhead.

Following Stella’s instructions, Caroline turned down a dimly lit hall and, with Danny hugging her side, passed a series of doors opening into various sized rooms. She couldn’t tell what they were used for because they were all dark.

Caroline was beginning to wonder if she’d missed the right way when she heard the sound of voices and saw light spilling through double doors opening into the hall.

She tried for a composed smile when they entered the social room, as Stella had called it. Even though the decor was much the same as the main room’s—paneled walls and brown leather furniture—the warmth and lighting in the room was a sharp contrast to the rest of the lodge. The room gave off a surprising cheerfulness.

She held Danny’s tense little hand firmly as he started to pull back. She saw then he was staring at a black bear skin with an snarling, open mouth stretched out above the fireplace.

Stella immediately stood up from a chair next to a coffee table. “There you are. I was about to send someone after you. I want you to meet Wes.”

Caroline could tell she was nervous. Maybe as nervous as I am. “I’m sorry, Danny took a little nap and delayed us.”

Two men stood in front of a blazing fireplace with drinks in their hands. Which one is the Texas tycoon? Was it the overweight, round-faced fellow wearing leather trousers and a fringed jacket? The one doing all the talking and gesturing with his free hand?

The other man was taller, well-proportioned, wearing jeans and a denim shirt open at the collar and rolled up at the cuffs. A shock of brown hair with a glint of red hung low on his forehead and framed a strong, masculine face.

A slight frown creased his forehead as Stella brought Caroline across the room and introduced her. “Wes, this is Caroline Fairchild and her son, Danny. She’s the decorator,” she added as a reminder.

“Oh, yes. Pleased to meet you,” he replied politely and Caroline sensed a decided lack of enthusiasm in his manner.

“Did you kill that?” Danny demanded, thrusting a pointing finger up at the mounted bear skin.

“Nope. My grandpa killed that one.”

“Why?”

“Well, that old bear was looking around for something to eat. You can see his sharp teeth. Grandpa didn’t want him to have his dog, Shep, for dinner. My little girl says he looks mean. What do you think?”

“I don’t like him,” Danny answered flatly.

“Smart boy.” He nodded approvingly. “How old are you, Danny?”

“Six.”

“Really? What do you know? I have a little girl the same age.” He turned to Caroline. “They’re a handful, aren’t they?” She could tell he was forcing himself to be congenial so she smiled and nodded.

Obviously, he wasn’t all that pleased about having an interior decorator under foot. Something warned her that she’d better tread softly and keep her distance. If he was going to pay her the exorbitant amount Stella had promised, she couldn’t afford to antagonize him. She remembered Stella had said he had intended to be gone before she arrived. Caroline suspected that under those good looks there was probably plenty of barbed wire.

Despite Wes’s lack of enthusiasm, Stella seemed to be determined to proceed full speed ahead with the project. “We’ll be looking over the lodge and deciding where to begin—”

“Just leave my suite and the gun room alone.” His tone brooked no argument. The lines and planes in his face suggested a firm control of his thoughts and feelings. Even when he smiled his eyes held a certain glint, as if his mind were functioning on many levels. He was worth millions and his casual attire didn’t fool Caroline a bit. She suspected only a fool would judge him by outward appearances.

The robust man still standing by the fireplace chuckled as he took another drink from his glass. He must be the old friend Stella said had arrived unexpectedly. As the man’s assessing eyes traveled over her, Caroline mentally stiffened against his open appraisal. They hadn’t even met yet and she didn’t like him.

At that moment, a little girl bounded into the room, blond pigtails flapping. She was wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. A red cowboy hat hung by a string down her back. When she saw Danny, she stopped short.