RILEY

I was rushing around, trying to get ready to go out with the ladies when the phone rang. Almost out the door but you know me, I couldn't ignore it, and boy am I glad it didn't.

"G'day, Gamer," the voice rolled like warm liquid over me and I grinned like a schoolgirl.

"Terry," I almost squealed then remembered that I was mad at him. "Where the hell have you been? We haven't heard from you since Christmas!"

"I know, I know. Sorry love. Ya know how it goes. I was so deep in a case, I'm not sure I could remember my own bloody name. Just got to the States yesterday. Heard 'bout Nat. How's she doin'? Dino says good, but I wanna hear from you."

"Better, but not good, not yet. Oh Terry, she scared the living shit out of us."

"Yeah, well this family goes for real drama," he chuckled. "She still in the hospital?"

"Nope, she's here with us. In fact, we're taking her out for a girl's night this evening. Did you say you're in the States?"

"New York. Need a favor, love."

"Anything," I sat at my kitchen table and flipped opened a notebook.

Terry groaned a long, aching sigh. "Gamer, I need some serious R&R. Some quiet time. I know it's still ski season there, but what are the odds of ya securing me a room?"

"How long?" Man, this was going to be a serious challenge, but it was Terry. He'd have a room if John and I had to sleep on the sofa.

"No less than a month." His voice was soft, almost apologetic. Terry works way too fucking hard and I for one was happy to hear him admit that it was time for a break. A decent break. Time to replenish himself.

"You got it. Can you wait till tomorrow?"

"I'll be there by noon."

I glanced at my watch. I had fifteen minutes to rearrange the whole world before I had to leave. Between John, Marla and I, we'd have something arranged for Terry soon enough. It turned out to be easier than I expected. We had one time share suite empty for six weeks. One call to the management company and it was all fixed.

"Don't get fucking arrested," John teased me, then hugged me close and whispered in my ear. "And no alcohol, little mama."

LIZBETH

Oh yes, lady's night. Better yet, lady's night with an agenda. Not too long a night, but damn informative!

Danielle is a quiet little thing, not much of a threat. She seems a smart and well balanced business person, but until she had her third drink (Kahlua and cream, if you can even call that drinking), she didn't have a whole lot to say. My guess is, her mind was a bit distracted. Twice she took phone calls until we confiscated her cell. The first time, she spoke Japanese. No surprise there, she is a lovely Asian-American so I would suspect Japanese relatives everywhere. She'll mellow into Vermont soon enough. Poor girl's under the impression that once she finishes building that spa for Riley, she'll be moving on. Knowing the Biebes and knowing Vermont, me thinks she'll be sticking around much, much longer.

The other new woman in our midst was straight whisky drinking Bridgid. I won't presume that that one isn't a threat of some kind. Trouble with a capital 'T'. Christ, she's so strong; I think she could take Kevin! I've already warned him to steer clear of her. But she's got a sharp wit and stinging sense of humor I really like. She was the first to rebuff the onslaught of local guys who tried to join our table at Old Maulder's. She knew it was a lady's night. But I figure that if she was there alone, she wouldn't be for long. Bridgid has a quirky beauty men are drawn to. Yeah, like it or not, we'd be seeing a lot of her too.

The rest were all the usual suspects. Riley glowing. Odd, last time she looked so good and healthy, she was pregnant. Speaking of pregnant, Meredith looked like she was about to pop, but she has another month to go, poor dear. She did seem to take a strong liking to Danielle. Now there's an odd pair. Bold, flamboyant Mere and the sweet Japanese princess.

Nat looked exceptional, dressed comfortably in jeans and a thick sweater. She had color in her cheeks and often joined in on the fun. It was a good thing to bring her to the Inn. She'll do well there. And I hear Jack is spending more and more time with her every day.

Last but not least was our newest bride to be, Monica. Damn, she's a pretty little Vermont maid. But Andy had his hands full, that's for sure.

We were an odd crew and as I looked around the table, at all the men surrounding us and staring, I knew there was something special about this group. What . . . I have no clue. But there wasn't an average, boring or bland lady at that table.

The evening ended quietly, John calling and whining for Riley's company, Nat and Monica heading back to the Inn with Riles. Mere was getting too tired to wait any longer to make the long drive back to Burlington and left soon after. That left me and the two new girls.

An hour later I was pleased. I like them both. They're keepers.

I approve. (And of course that statement is made with my tongue set solidly in my cheek!)

BRIDGID

I can't believe I hired this guy. He's three hundred pounds if he's one but I'll tell you what, he's got the grace of Baryshnikov and you should see him ski.

Let me start at the beginning. He walked into the office and I thought he was one of those customers who'd take one lesson and never come back. He was an Islander, a Maori. How often do you see someone with that heritage ski? Tua was an exception to the rule. I swear this guy is six foot something and he's got legs like tree trunks, when he told me he wanted a job I just smiled at him but I thought 'yeah right' to myself. He sure as hell isn't what I had in mind. Tua might see the cover of GQ but he'd be in native dress. The thought put a bit of moisture in my knickers. He has wild eyes so deep in color that there seems to be a smolder in them and his hair, well I don't think it's ever relented to a comb. He talks as if he never sat at a desk in school and he looks like he was never small enough to fit in one anyway. I was sure he'd wash out of the interview but the moment he smiled at me with those big white teeth I knew I had to find something for him to do at Morgan Outfitters.

"Just give me a chance lady, please," he said as he stood opposite me at the registration desk.

I pushed an application and a number two pencil his way and his grin blinded me. Oakly should use him to test their sunglasses I swear. So, he sat down, filled it out and gave it back to me.

"I don't think I can pronounce your name."

"Just call me Tua."

"I see. So you've worked as a heli guide at Harris Mountain in Queenstown New Zealand huh? This terrain will seem like a bunny hill to you compared to that." I wanted to jump up and down with excitement. It's been a life long dream for me to ski out of bounds like that. Can you imagine what it feels like to break ground on all of that fresh powder with no squids or beginners to get in your way? Don't get me started on that or I won't be able to finish my story about Tua.

"Yes. I worked at Whakapapa and Turoa Ski Areas for a while. When the summer season started last December I moved to Jackson Hole Wyoming to work."

"I see that. You're PSIA certified. Good, good. So can you be ready to give me a demonstration? If you have your PSIA card with you I can get you a courtesy pass at Mount Mansfield."

"My gear's in the truck."

This was the start of one fucking beautiful working relationship. I wasn't sure what I could do with him during the off ski season but I'd be shit for brains if I didn't grab him up as a ski instructor. For all his size and appearance the man floated like a butterfly and stung this B right in her profit conscious brain. I'd have to talk to him about the Haka he did at the base before we got on the lift you know, but he could be gentle enough to teach a three year old the ropes and aggressive enough to show the hottest skier a hell of a time on the double diamonds. Tua was my first employee. I reckon he might work out as a guide when the snow melts.

TUA

Wait until my brother sees a picture of the pakeha I'm working for. He has a thing for blondes. Maybe she'll give me a place to sleep so I don't have to waste my money. I like her. She thinks she's tough but I think she's lying about it. I'll protect her from whatever it is she's afraid of. I should teach her the Haka to scare the demons away. You know what my grandfather always used to say to me? Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. The sun rises in the east no matter what. I'm here to stay, in the east of America.

TERRY

I'm always leery of new people, especially when they move in so fast. I wasn't at the Inn for ten minutes when the woman showed up and she barely nodded at me for fucks sake. I must be losing my touch. Bloody hell! I listened to every word she exchanged with the new desk manager and it seems she'd opened some kind of business catering to tourists. She was asking questions about the fly fishing season and it didn't seem Marla had the answers. Fly fishing? Fucks sake what was she? Some kind of tree hugging bushwoman? I had to find out about her so my first instinct was to check out what she was driving. I don't know why but I always reckoned you could figure a lot out about a person by what the drove. When I stepped outside I could tell the white pick up truck was hers right away. Alright, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see the banner on the door that said Morgan Outfitters and the sticker on the bumper that read 'Don't Jersey Vermont' was a little amusing. When I went back inside I snatched up one of the brochures and made sure she could see me do it. It was then she finally looked at me. My God those eyes of hers were amazing. They were a strange shade of aqua blue but her pupils were fringed in black. I reckon you could say they were outlined and any man with an ounce of life left in his nads could and would drown in them willingly.

"You interested mister?"

Result! "Huh? Oh yeah, I'll take a look at your flyer love." If it's anywhere near as nice . . . as your arse I'm sure we could conduct some business. It's a good thing I didn't say the last bit out loud. She looked like she'd kick my arse on any given day but there was something very exotic about her. Maybe it was the cave woman hair. It was hard not to laugh when I envisioned dragging her by it into some spelunker's haven and having my way with her. By the look on her face I'd venture a guess that she was reading my thoughts. Shit!

"You're Australian aren't you? I just hired a guy from New Zealand. Maybe you two would hit it off. Drop by sometimes. I'll give you a discount."

"It's at the top of my list, love."

"I'm Bridgid Morgan, proprietor, chief cook and bottle washer and all around guide to whatever thrills you."

"Terry Thorne. Are there any caves to explore around here?"

"None that I know of. Are you into caving?"

"You might say that."

"I'll look into it. I'm sure there are a lot of caves in the notches. I mean glacial formations are glacial formations right? Why don't you drop by when you get some time and I'll have something for you. I'll have it later this afternoon so any time after that would be fine."

"Sounds like a plan Miss Morgan. Maybe we could talk about it over dinner?"

"Yeah that'd be nice but I have a rule. I don't date clients. A cup of coffee in my office would work and if you insist on eating something I could introduce you to what we pack for overnighters. The finest government issue MRE's I can get my hands on. Take my word for it the lemon poppy seed cake is out of this world."

"Sounds romantic."

"If that was sarcasm it's well placed. It wasn't meant to be romantic. I'm in business. Giving my clients a little taste of what to expect on an expedition is within bounds."

"How do you feel about a double swag?"

"It depends on whether I'm bringing my dog along Mister Thorne. I reckon you know the nights are cold up in the notches no matter what time of year it is. I don't have to tell you what a three dog night is. "

"Chalk one up for you love. Mama told me not to come but I never listened to her anyway."

"No respect for the fairer sex then? I'll see what I can do to earn some from you. I'll see you later if you so choose to accept this mission. Ciao for now, Marla." She waggled her fingers at the girl behind the desk and walked out with a victorious swagger.

Marla had one of those smiles on her face. You know? …One of those smiles.

"If she's an example of the fairer sex love, I'm in trouble."

"Mr. Thorne, she came here to ask me about fishing. I think she just got you hook line and sinker. Good luck. I'll bet she plays catch and release but then again . . . She strikes me as the type who wouldn't mind mounting your stuffed carcass over the fireplace."

I don't know what it was about this conversation but for some reason everything seemed suggestive. I almost said I wouldn't mind mounting her in front of the fire place but I bit my tongue.

"We'll see. I'll drop by later and see what kind of bait she wiggles at me."

Right now I just wanted to check in, catch up and relax for a few hours.

BRIDGID

How bout that? Second time this week I had humid knickers. Men, eh? You can't live with them and you can't kill them. They're beautiful creatures and good for a sport fuck on occasion if I ever run low on Energizers. It's a good thing I'm a little bit of a survivalist. I've got lots of canned corned beef and enough batteries to get me through the next millennium. My little rabbit keeps going and going but at least now I have something to think about while he beats his drum, Terry Thorne. I may just nickname the bastard Sport for the fun of it. He'll never know why. I did find a trail with some spectacular caving though. It's in Berlin, New Hampshire, about an hour's drive away but the trail looks like fun. It's called Mahoosuc Notch and from what I could find it's the hardest part of the entire Appalachian Trail. Six miles of sheer bushwacking that takes even the most experienced hikers three to four hours to navigate. I'll bet Mister Thorne will wish he listened to his mama when she told him not to come if he chooses to engage my services as guide for this march.

DANIELLE

The apartment was finished; efficient and comfortable. That morning I had a craving for peace and quiet. I wasn't going to get that, Kevin had started construction of the spa, so if I wanted quiet, I'd have to search for it somewhere else. I found some warm clothes and decided to hide out at the Inn for the day.

I walked into the lobby and up to the front desk. "Good morning, Marla. Do I have any mail?"

"Morning. Yeah, you've got some letters here." She grinned and handed them to me. I flipped through the stack as I walked into the parlor…bill…bill…oh good, the confirmed equipment purchase order. Um…I stopped dead when I came upon four personal letters. I sunk down into an oversized chair by the window and a wave of surprise and happiness washed over me. All four were from Lachlan. I put them in order by postage dates and began to read.

Dear Danielle,

. . . thinking about my new friend there at the Inn. Wondering how you're doing and if the construction has begun. I'll be leaving Paris tomorrow and shuttling the clients to visit Rome 'til Thursday. After that, Dublin, Amsterdam then home . . . and I'm wondering, would you be the kind of woman who would like to travel like this?

Take care, keep warm and I'll write again soon.

Sincerely,
Lachlan Curry

Darling Elle,

. . . the longer I'm away the more I think about you and the more I miss you, your smile and your lovely eyes. I wish I'd had more time with you before this assignment . . .

. . . Sweetheart, I wanted to tell you, I had a dream about you last night. No worries, I'm not going into detail, but I will say that your smile is even more beautiful in the morning. Enough said about that . . .

Thinking of you with love,
Lachlan

Sweet Elle,
. . . Sweetheart, do you believe in soul mates? That one person you might be meant for? In my experience, if I find my soul mate, turns out I'm not hers or vice versa. This time I have a feeling about it. But how would I know if you do?

. . . I'd call but the truth is . . . I'm a bit of a bloody coward. Leave me to my hopes and wishes at least until I get home. And please, save me a few hours of your time when I get there, just long enough to talk.

Missing you,
Lach

Dearest Elle,

. . . I do realize that my feelings have flown fast and furious and you may absolutely hate all this. But I feel that now, two days before I see you again, I should be totally honest. All I want is time with you . . .

. . . never in my life have I felt the clarity I feel when thinking about you. I starve for you, Elle. Never has a woman brought so many conflicting emotions to the surface of my brain! Bloody hell, Danielle. I can't look into a sunset without thinking of you . . .

. . . so, I'm asking you now for your tolerance and time. Let me explore this and offer you a reason to give me a chance.

All my heart,
Lachlan

Lachlan is in love with me? Oh my God. I held the last letter against my heart. My mind raced over every moment we'd spent together since I arrived. It's only been a few weeks. How did this happen? I thought about every one of his smiles. Each time his hand swept against my back as we walked. I could remember everything he said to me, how I felt when I was around him. Why didn't I see any of this? Am I in love with him?

"Elle?" His voice shook me from my daze. I looked up and saw that smile.

I beamed and breathed his name. "Lachlan."

NATALIE

Coming to the Inn was not what I had planned. Let's be real, though. What I had planned was not to be here at all. But, given the choice of staying in the psych ward, a disturbing, scary place, or here at the Inn; I chose the Inn.

I was apprehensive at first. Would I be watched 24/7 for any sign of a relapse? What did they expect from me? Better yet, what did I expect from myself?

But, you know, it's okay. After the first few days, the steady stream of visitors slowed to a trickle. Life was returning to normalcy at the Inn. At first, I didn't want to leave my room, afraid of what I might find and afraid of running into people. I would be forced into facing the fact of what I had done. But, John and Riley encouraged me to go out, to wander the grounds and get some fresh air.

And to be honest, I needed a place where I could think. There was so much crap going on in my head and it needed to be sorted out; long buried events and emotions were coming to the surface from my meetings with Siggie. The Inn was a bustling place. Guests were everywhere going to and fro. It was difficult to find a quiet spot to settle without being disturbed.

While walking the grounds outside, I found the perfect thinking place: the gazebo. The third day I was here, I trudged out supplied with blankets and a pillow and settled onto the bench facing the iced-over pond. At first, I just stared into space, not really seeing anything or anyone. It was so cold, no one wanted to be there! But I soon saw what I had been missing. It was beautiful, a true winter wonderland. The snow blanketed everything and the light glistened off the icicles in the trees. Everything sparkled. People were skating on the pond or walking around the paths carrying skis. I found myself thinking less about my troubles and more about the people around me and the bustle of the Inn.

I found myself thinking about my childhood and remembered my grandparents, my grandmother in particular. She had such a sweet smile, salt-n-pepper hair and dark eyes, and she always smelled of the roses she grew in her garden. I swear I could even smell them now as I sat under the gazebo's roof.

It was my second afternoon bundled up against the cold. My nose was cherry red and freezing. I could see my breath and was wishing I had brought something warm to drink. A movement caught my eye and I saw Jack striding toward the gazebo. Under his arm, he had a blanket and in his hands, two warm steaming mugs. Coffee! I smiled brightly at him as he handed me a mug and sat down beside me.

JACK

For weeks now I had been sitting alone with Miss Natalie in the cold. At first, as quietly as I could, giving her as much time as she might need to bring herself to conversation, but she will never know the gift she had been bestowing upon me during this time. There had come a ripening of my heart that I had not once sensed or experienced since arriving in this blasted, cold and strange world.

My dear, particular friend Stephen had found such sure footing here. He was always a man of extraordinary insight and science; finding himself in a future he could have only imagined has taken him to the heights of his potential. Today, we are all to call him 'doctor' and he carries a diploma of sheepskin proclaiming his full title and benefits therein. Some of us fit here . . . and some of us simply do not . . . until now.

Many months ago, dear Riley, recovering from her loss had asked me a question I did not wish to answer. Looking at sweet Natalie, I am suddenly made aware of a strong similarity between us. I too wished to leave this world, but I wished to return to my own time, my own life, long or short as it would have been. The question?

What would it take to keep you here, Jack?

And my answer? Perhaps the love of a good woman. Children. A tall ship and the world to sail her upon.

Watching the most lovely profile beside me, I was struck with the sheer joy that my wishes had indeed begun to come true. Our conversations had been minimal, simple kind gestures that have smoothed into comfortable exchanges. And I have struggled, beside Natalie and apart from her, to control my growing need and overwhelming love.

"My dear, I am planning a trip in the very near future. Leaving in two days for a few weeks," I almost groaned, fearful of her response . . . but even more fearful that she would have no response at all.

Natalie turned her glorious green eyes to me, a distinct sadness in her expression, a vulnerability that demanded all my strength to do nothing but observe. Oh, to have been able to hold her tight to me, to speak my heart. But her healing was only beginning and I shuddered to think of what such action on my part might bring her to suffer.

"Jack, may I ask you something?"

I nodded, tugging the blanket tighter around her shoulders, with great restraint and mindful of my own desires.

"Why are you here? At the Inn? You must have things to do somewhere else?"

I blinked, permitting my mind to form the clearest explanation.

"And please," she moaned softly. "Please tell me you're not here just to babysit me."

My shock must have registered clearly on my face. "My dear woman! I am no one's babysitter. I choose to spend time with you."

Her smile was soft and accepting. "Then why are you here?"

"I have been working on the building of a new ship; the construction is near Bar Harbor, Maine."

I could hardly breathe for the full focus of her attention on me. It was the first time I had ever seen it. Natalie is so beautiful. Not once had I realized this before, and how astounding to be swallowed into that beauty now.

"Are you adding another ship to your treasure hunting fleet?"

"No, no, my Little Love. I have sold that business. I am building a tall ship. A frigate built to 1805 Admiralty specifications."

"Really?" She seemed amazed and I fear I felt a twinge of embarrassment at my pride.

"Why yes, I plan to sail her."

Natalie's eyes twinkled. She leaned in and gently kissed my cheek. "I'll miss you, Jack," she whispered.