time, it’s nice to just be near her. She’s a woman who knows how to be quiet.”
“You’ve got it bad,” Jess said. “Here’s what you do on the first date. Order a catered picnic basket and pick up some decent wine. Then you charter a plane. I know I guy who flies for cheap. And then—”
“What? Charter a plane?”
“Think big. You want to impress the woman.”
“I don’t want her to think I’m abducting her,” Paul said.
“Women like a man who takes control and sweeps them off their feet.”
Paul’s instincts told him that Julia wouldn’t appreciate a lot of fuss. “I think a simple dinner is going to be enough.”
He pulled into the parking lot outside the ice-skating rink, met up with the others and escorted the girls into the backstage area. The new skating rink had been a huge success with lots of kids interested. Backstage, a couple of dozen skaters, ranging in age from five years old to high school, were doing stretch exercises and giggling wildly. There were few other men in this preparation area and Paul made a hasty retreat after wishing Jennifer and Lily good luck.
He returned to the bleachers surrounding the rink. From the way Mac and Abby were smirking, he guessed that Jess had blabbed to them about Julia. Swell.
GUILT HAD DRIVEN Julia from the safehouse. After sitting at the dinner table with the others who had known General Harrison Naylor and had offered respectful toasts to his memory, she had to leave. How could she have tampered with the crime scene? How could she, in good conscience, allow the world to believe this brave old Marine had committed suicide?
She needed to confess, and that need lead her to the ice-skating rink near Vail where she knew she would find Deputy Paul Hemmings. She hoped that he would understand, that he wouldn’t hate her for what she’d done. Inside the arena, she took a seat by herself on the bleachers and watched as these seemingly delicate skaters performed their athletic spins and leaps.
Checking out the audience, she immediately spotted Paul. Unfortunately, he was with Mac Granger and Abby Nelson—two people who knew about the safehouse. No way could Julia face them. It had been a mistake to come here.
As she rose from her seat, intending to slip away before she was noticed, Paul spotted her. He bolted from his seat and came toward her. She couldn’t run away, had to face him.
He took a seat on the bleachers beside her. His huge thigh brushed against hers. “I’m glad to see you, Julia.”
“Did you get the girl’s makeup put on straight?”
“Abby did it.” He pointed back toward the others who were all staring in their direction. “Abby Nelson. I think you know her. And Mac.”
“Yes.” Julia gave them a small wave. “They stayed with me. How are they doing?”
“Good. They’ve got a good relationship. I’ve never seen Mac so open.”
They sat quietly for a moment and watched the tiniest skaters go through a simple routine with only a couple of slip-ups. Julia’s anxiety ratcheted higher with each passing second. In spite of the cold from the ice, she was sweating. Her mouth was dry as cotton. Her feet were itching to run.
“Something wrong?” Paul asked.
She had to face up to what she’d done. “Could I talk to you in private for a minute?”
They climbed down from the bleachers and went toward the area where hot dogs and pretzels were being sold to benefit the Eagle County Skaters. From what Julia had heard, this newly built facility was a tremendous success—booked solid with figure-skating lessons, hockey teams and recreational time. She wished she could enjoy the evening, but the cheers from the audience only heightened her tension. She knew that once she spoke out, her words could never be reclaimed. The secrecy of the safe-house would be in Paul’s hands. “Can I trust you?”
“A hundred percent.”
“Even if I might tell you something that could cause conflict with your job?”
He gave her a friendly little pat on the shoulder. “I guess that depends. If you tell me you’ve got twenty dead bodies buried in your backyard, I’ll probably have to dig them up.”
She’d expected that response. Paul was a deputy, sworn to defend the law. And so was she. “It’s about the resort.”
“I’m listening.”
“My resort offers something more than lodging and meals.” She bit her lip. Now or never. Just tell him. “I’m running an FBI safehouse.”
“You’re an FBI agent?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t seem surprised in the least. Instead, his expression was visibly more relaxed. “That’s a relief.”
“You suspected something?”
“You’ve got surveillance cameras all over the damn place, and your employees wear shoulder holsters. Mac was real secretive about the resort when he was staying there.” He grinned, showing his dimples. “I was worried that you might be protecting a bad secret.”
“Twenty bodies buried in the backyard?”
“Something like that.”
“Nobody else can know about this.”
“Understood. A safehouse isn’t much good if everybody knows it’s there.” He took both her hands in his and gave a squeeze. “Don’t worry, Julia. Your secret is safe with me.”
Suddenly, his head jerked up. “That’s Jennifer’s music. Come on, we have to see her routine.”
As they hustled back to the rink, her emotions were in turmoil. She’d taken the first step toward the truth. Would Paul be equally sanguine with her confession about tampering with crime-scene evidence?
The music was “I Enjoy Being a Girl.” Four slender young skaters, dressed in pink-sequined leotards with short skirts, took the ice. Holding hands they skated in a figure eight.
“The one in front,” Paul said, “that’s my Jennifer.”
“I can tell.” Jennifer had her father’s black hair and dark eyes. And his dimples. “She looks like you.”
“God, I hope not.”
She glanced up at his profile. Every bit of his attention focused on the ice as he watched the skaters glide to the center. Each did a spin. Then a spread-eagle leap. After his Jennifer successfully completed her double axel, Paul gave a cheer and pumped his fist. “She did it. Damn, I’m glad. There’d be no living with the girl if she slipped up.”
He applauded enthusiastically as the routine completed and the skaters left the ice, then he turned to Julia. “That’s all for my kids until the grand finale. Can I buy you a hot dog?”
She nodded, wishing that she could relax and share the joy of this proud father. Though
