Colton's Rescue Mission

She thought of her skis, still strapped to the roof of her car. “Not yet. I was hoping to do that while I was up here.” Taking a sip of her wine, she shrugged. “Maybe another time.”

“How about tomorrow?” He grinned at her over the rim of his beer mug. “It’s best first thing in the morning, right when the lift opens. I like to go before work. Come with me?”

“I’m tempted,” she admitted. “But like I said, there’s not an available room in this town. Believe me, I’ve checked.”

“I told you, you can stay with me.” He held up a hand as she started to protest. “I have a guest room. You can stay there. Completely platonic. Please, I insist. There’s nothing I’d like better than skiing with you again.”

Maybe because she really, really wanted to ski Pine Peak, or perhaps because she felt like she owed him at least that much, she found herself acquiescing. “Just for one night.”

“Sure.” He raised his nearly empty mug. “I’ll have another to celebrate.”

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. “How about some dinner instead?”

Remy had just climbed into bed and shut off the lights when his cell phone rang, startling him. Sitting up, he glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand—eleven thirty. Damn it. A call at this time of night was never a good thing.

“Hello?”

“Remy, this is Liam Kastor. Did I wake you?”

Instantly alert, Remy explained he’d been awake. Since Liam was a detective with the Roaring Springs Police Department, he suspected this call involved something his younger brother had done. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

“It’s Seth,” Liam continued, confirming Remy’s suspicions. “We got a call earlier from The Saloon. The bartender, Gary, said Seth had been there drinking all evening and got belligerent when they cut him off. I headed down there to check it out, but by the time I arrived, he was gone.”

“Driving?” Remy asked, horrified.

“No, thank goodness. His car is still parked in the lot. Either someone gave him a ride or he left on foot. Since it’s snowing pretty heavily outside, I sent out a couple of patrols looking for him. Being drunk out in freezing temperatures is never a good combination. There’s no sign of him, at least downtown.”

Remy swore. “I’ll go look for him. Thank you for calling me.”

After ending the call, he immediately dialed his brother’s cell. After several rings, it went to voicemail. Remy left a quick, terse message asking Seth to call him.

Now he had no other option than to go out and search.

He threw on warm clothes, then snagged his coat and gloves and headed out into the frigid cold. In the time since he’d been home, several inches of perfect powder had accumulated. The plow would be by in the morning, but this kind of snow was easy to drive on.

He retraced the route Seth might have walked if he’d decided to head home to his condo from The Saloon. Since it was only a few blocks, it was definitely doable, at least when sober.

When Remy reached the trendy apartment building without seeing any trace of his brother, he parked and considered what to do next. First, he punched redial, hoping against hope that Seth would pick up. When he got voicemail again, he sighed and shut off his engine.

Inside, he rode the elevator up to the third floor and trudged down the hall until he reached Seth’s condo. Glancing at his watch and seeing that it was nearly midnight, he winced but rang the doorbell, anyway. While dealing with a drunk Seth was never pleasant, he had to make sure his brother had made it home safely.

When nothing happened, he pressed the doorbell again and again and again. Sooner or later that kind of noise would get through to even a passed-out drunk.

Sure enough, a moment later the door opened a crack. But, instead of Seth, a tousle-haired Vanessa peeked out at him. The sight of her sleepy, sexy blue eyes hit him like a punch in the stomach.

When the implications of her presence registered, he felt like a fool. Swallowing hard, he nodded at her. “Is Seth home?”

Covering her mouth while she yawned, she opened the door a bit wider and stepped aside so he could enter. She wore flannel pajamas in a plaid holiday pattern with some sort of fuzzy slippers. Somehow, she managed to look both cute and alluring at the same time.

“Is Seth here?” he asked again, reminding himself to focus.

“I’m not sure.” Brushing her hair back from her face, she lifted one shoulder in a delicate shrug. “He was earlier. We had dinner and then came back here so I could get settled. He wanted to go back out but I was tired, so I went to bed. In the guest bedroom,” she said pointedly. “Anyway, I’ve been asleep. At least until you started ringing the doorbell over and over.”

“My apologies.” He thought about explaining and decided against it. Surely, she knew what kind of trouble her former fiancé could get himself into. “I’m just going to check on him,” he said. “Make sure he’s okay.”

“Knock yourself out.” She wandered into the kitchen, still yawning.

Seth’s bedroom door was closed. Remy knocked—three sharp raps of his knuckles on the wood. No answer. Reluctantly, he turned the knob and squinted into the dark room, hoping he could make out whether or not Seth occupied the bed.

No such luck. Bracing himself, he flicked on the light switch.

An annoyed groan came from Seth, sprawled out, fully dressed, on the bed. “Turn that the hell off.”

Instead of complying, Remy eyed his baby brother, trying to judge how drunk Seth might be. Deciding it didn’t matter—he’d learned long ago how pointless it was trying to talk to someone while they were inebriated—he turned out the light and backed out of the room.

“Is he all right?” Vanessa asked, her fingers curled around a tall glass of ice water.

Remy grimaced. “I think so. I’m sorry to have disturbed you. I’ll come back and talk to Seth in the morning.”

She regarded him, her gaze steady. “He and I are supposed to go ski Pine Peak in the morning before he goes to work. You might want to call him instead.”

Again, the stab of envy. Though Remy wasn’t a skier of Seth’s caliber, he enjoyed a few runs up on the slopes as often as he could, time permitting. Though knowing his brother, he doubted Seth would feel much like skiing tomorrow. He’d be way too hungover.

Saying none of this, he nodded. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Again, I apologize for waking you.”

She waved him away with a sleepy smile. “No worries. I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

Damn, he hoped so. And once more, that odd combination of guilt and longing assailed him. Swallowing hard, he gave her a quick nod and left.

All the way home, he called himself every kind of fool. He’d just met the woman, for Pete’s sake. And while he could definitely understand the lure of physical attraction, he wasn’t the kind of man who’d even consider making a move on his brother’s lady, no matter how irresistible he found her.

His brother’s lady. The notion made him shake his head. Seth never stuck with anyone very long, never mind proposed marriage. Despite the fact that Remy helped his brother any way he could, Seth constantly seemed to be barely treading water. Maybe resuming his relationship with Vanessa would be the thing Seth needed to completely turn his life around.

Remy definitely hoped so. But he couldn’t help but think there was something…off in all of this. For one thing, the reconciliation between Seth and Vanessa sure had happened quickly. Especially since she claimed she’d broken off the engagement. Yet they’d had one dinner and Seth had immediately installed her in his condo. Strange. But none of his business.

Except for the insane pull of attraction he felt toward the woman who was once his almost-sister-in-law.

Chapter 2

Back home, Remy shed his clothes and once again climbed in between his sheets, then pulled his comforter up to his chin. He couldn’t shake the image of Vanessa in the soft flannel pajamas, wondering what it would be like to slip his hand under them and caress her warm skin. Guilt immediately followed that thought, because he knew he didn’t have the right.

Despite thinking he wouldn’t, he managed to drift off to sleep. When he opened his eyes again, he saw his alarm was due to go off in five minutes. He shut it off and pushed himself up.

Thirty minutes later, showered and dressed, he drank his black coffee and nuked instant oatmeal for breakfast. When he’d finished eating, he checked his watch. He had a morning meeting with a new advertising firm from Denver, so he wouldn’t have time to stop by Seth’s.

As he drove to work, he couldn’t help but wonder if his brother had felt well enough to ski. He found himself wondering if Vanessa would go by herself, anyway, and wished he had time to head up to Pine Peak.

Wishful thinking. And foolishness, completely unlike him. Remy considered responsibility his middle name and rarely took time off from work.

Though right now, he sorely wanted to. He hadn’t been skiing at all this season. Of course, his sudden desire to go now had way too much to do with the intriguing beauty ensconced in Seth’s condo. Trouble, any way he looked at it.

Shaking his head at his stray thoughts, he parked and reminded himself to concentrate on his job. When he walked into the elegant lobby of The Chateau, he greeted Mary, the redheaded concierge who was married to Johnnie Web, a firefighter and local hero. She smiled and greeted him back, her cheerful words making him smile the entire elevator ride up to his floor.

As he stepped off and entered the bustling office, the uncharacteristic quiet made him pause. Usually, phones were ringing, people were talking and the hum of various printers or copiers made a pleasant cacophony.

Today, more than half of the cubicles were empty—people taking off for the approaching holiday. He ought to know because he’d personally approved everyone’s requested vacation time.

He’d actually been a bit surprised the Denver ad agency had requested a meeting today to pitch their ideas for a new campaign. While Remy had let it be known that he was actively searching for a new company, all the other major players had scheduled meetings for after the New Year.

Since he actually admired this firm for wanting to get a jump on their competition, he’d agreed to the meeting, despite being short several members of his decision-making staff.

Walking into his office, he looked around for his assistant, Heather. She came out of the break room carrying a donut and a cup of coffee, her long, brown hair up in her usual jaunty ponytail. “Well, good morning,” she chirped. “Someone brought donuts, if you’re interested.”

Before he could reply, her phone rang. Heather rushed past him toward her desk, managing to get there without spilling any coffee. “Remy Colton’s desk,” she answered. Listening for a moment, her eyes went wide. “Please hold.” She eyed Remy, her expression carefully blank. “It’s The Lodge. You’d better take it.”

“Okay, thanks.” He strolled into his office and closed the door. He couldn’t imagine why anyone up there would be calling, but picked up his phone and answered.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Denise, one of the shift managers, said. “But Seth didn’t show up this morning.”

Remy glanced at his watch. “What time was he scheduled to be in?”

Denise hesitated. “Nine. However, when he pulls a time slot that early, he’s always a little late.”

Remy hadn’t known this. “How late?” The question came out a bit sharper than he’d intended.

“He’s usually in by ten,” she said quietly. “But it’s after that and he isn’t answering his phone.”

Remy cursed silently. If he hurried, he could make it to Seth’s condo and back before his meeting, which seemed to be running late. “I’ll run over and check on him,” he promised.

“Thank you.” Again, he sensed her hesitation. “If he’s…sick, just let us know so we don’t expect him.”

“Will do.” He hung up, gritting his teeth. Almost immediately, his assistant buzzed him.

“Your ten o’clock canceled,” she said. “They were driving up from Denver this morning. Since the pass is closed, they have no way to get here.”

He thanked her, actually glad. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about rushing things with Seth. It sounded like his baby brother needed a good talking-to.

Vanessa wondered for the umpteenth time if she’d made a mistake agreeing to stay in Seth’s condo, even if only for one night. When his handsome brother, Remy, had shown up after midnight, worried, she felt a jolt of attraction low in her belly. Again. And she hated drama of any kind. Getting in between two brothers could create chaos of epic proportions.

Still, after Remy left and she’d wandered back to her bedroom, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

When she woke shortly after seven, she hurriedly showered and dressed before heading to the kitchen, where she hoped to get a cup of strong coffee. Seth’s bedroom door remained closed, making her wonder if he’d forgotten their plans to ski. Loath to knock, she texted him instead.

What time are we leaving?

No answer, which might mean he was in the shower. She went ahead and made her coffee, glad Seth stocked milk and sweetener. After a couple of sips, warmth flooding her throat, she felt her original optimism again. There was nothing she loved better than skiing and she could hardly wait to try out the slopes at Pine Peak. She glanced at her gear piled over in a corner near the door. Rather than leaving it in the car and taking a chance on it being stolen, she’d brought it inside Seth’s condo.

Speaking of Seth… She checked her watch. They’d agreed on early morning, before he had to go in to work. While she wasn’t sure what his schedule looked like today, she figured he’d have to start by nine at the latest. Which meant they were running out of time to ski.

She walked over to the window and peered outside. Snow still fell in a steady curtain and judging from the amount piled up on cars, they’d gotten over a foot of fresh white powder overnight. But there didn’t seem to be any wind, which was a good thing.

Perfect for skiing. As long as conditions weren’t whiteout, the slope would be rocking and rolling. She could hardly wait.

Gathering up her nerve, she went ahead and tapped quietly on his door.

Nothing.

With her heart racing, she turned the knob and peeked her head in. Judging by the man-size lump under the covers, Seth was still asleep.

Sleeping it off?

“Seth?” she ventured, staying in the doorway. “Seth, are you going to get up?”

A loud groan was his only answer.

Damned if she would go any farther into the room. She wasn’t sure what Seth thought this was, but she could clearly see what might happen if she stepped over and attempted to shake him awake. He’d pull her down and start kissing her, likely ignoring her protests that they weren’t intimate anymore.

Nope. Not happening. Suppressing a shudder, she called him again. “Seth. We’re supposed to go skiing before you go to work. I’m not sure what time you have to be in, but if we’re going to hit the slopes, I’m thinking we need to head out now.”

“We’ll go later,” he mumbled. “I’m taking the day off from work.”

“Okay,” she replied, backing out and closing the door. Drinking the rest of her coffee, she debated whether or not to head out alone. While she could certainly ski an unfamiliar mountain by herself, it was always much more fun with a friend like Seth, who was a damned skilled skier. And whatever else he might be, she hoped the two of them could remain friends.

She decided to give it a few hours. After all, she had no place she had to be.

Since Seth had told her to make herself at home and to help herself to anything she wanted, she rummaged in the fridge in search of something she could make herself for breakfast.

Surprised to find a wide variety of foods, she settled on scrambled eggs and toast, along with a second cup of coffee.

After she ate, she checked the weather app on her phone. While she personally felt there was no such thing as too much snow, she knew ski resorts didn’t always agree. If visibility got too poor, they’d shut down the slope and send the ski patrol out to bring in any stragglers. Her heart sank as she realized the snowstorm had caused exactly that situation. Though they hoped for perfect conditions tomorrow once the storm had passed, those in charge had decided it was too dangerous at the moment.

Which meant Seth’s refusal to get out of bed had actually been a good thing. With the passion of a thousand purple suns, she hated getting suited up in anticipation of a couple of good runs and being stopped at the base of the mountain as she was about to get on the lift.

Should she go home then, and leave skiing Pine Peak for another time? After all, she’d done what she came to do and hopefully Seth would now have some closure.

Another quick internet search revealed they’d closed Loveland Pass. She could still take the I-70 tunnel, though she wasn’t sure of the road conditions right now.

Her motto when it came to snowstorms had always been Better Safe Than Sorry. Which meant she’d be sticking around Roaring Springs at least one more night, maybe longer.

Glancing once more at the still-closed bedroom door, she knew Seth wouldn’t mind her staying with him an extra day or two. If she could just get past this uneasiness. Since she’d been here, Seth had been nothing but a perfect gentleman. Sure, he’d gone out and had a little too much to drink last night, but he hadn’t come pounding on her door or anything.

A sharp series of knocks on the front door made her jump. Hurrying over, she checked the peephole. Her stomach did a somersault when she saw Remy standing there, all bundled up in a down parka, a light dusting of snow on his broad shoulders.

Hurriedly, she opened the door. “Come inside,” she said. “It’s freezing out there.”

“I know.” As he stepped inside, his solemn expression gave her pause. “They closed down the slopes.”

“Yes, I saw. Ditto on Loveland Pass, which shouldn’t be such a surprise.” She took a deep breath. “Would you like some coffee?”

One side of his mouth quirked up, but he shook his head. “No thanks. This isn’t really a social visit. Is Seth around?”

“In there.” She inclined her head toward the closed door. “Is everything all right?”

“He didn’t show up for work.” Remy removed his parka and hung it on the back of a chair. “He didn’t even call, so they didn’t know if they needed to bring someone else in to cover his shift.”

Seth had said he was taking the day off. Clearly, he’d managed to forget to inform his employer of that.

Again, their gazes met and held for a second too long. Remy looked away first. “Is he still asleep?”

Feeling slightly dazed, she nodded. “I think so. I tried to wake him earlier but he was having none of it. We were supposed to hit the slopes first thing this morning. Though I guess since they closed them down, it was lucky we didn’t.”

“True.” Remy grimaced. “Please excuse me while I go talk to my brother.”

She nodded, trying to decide if she should retreat to her room or not. As he disappeared inside Seth’s room, she elected to remain in the kitchen. She couldn’t help but find how seriously Remy appeared to take his role of elder brother fascinating. Obviously, Seth could use the help.

“Get the hell out of my bedroom,” Seth shouted. “Who let you in here, anyway?”

“Your houseguest,” Remy replied, his tone measured and controlled. “I was here last night, too, after Gary called me all worried about you.”

A string of curse words followed. “I don’t work for you, Remy.” Seth stormed out of the bedroom, briefly stopping short when he saw Vanessa. He’d put on a sweatshirt and a pair of wrinkled jeans and shoved his feet into snow boots. “Sorry about this, Van,” he muttered, before snagging his down parka out of the front closet. He turned to glare at Remy. “I’m just living my life and trying to have some fun, bro. I don’t need you coming in here and giving me a hard time.”

Remy started to speak, but Seth cut him off with a furious command. “Don’t.” He held up his hand. “I’m out of here. Don’t follow me, either of you. I need to be alone.” With that, he bolted out and slammed the front door, knocking down a picture that had been hanging on the wall and shattering the glass.

Not sure what else to do or what to say, Vanessa went in search of a broom and a dustpan. She located them in the laundry room and went to clean up the glass.

“Here, let me.” Remy took them from her and immediately got busy. Surprised, she hung back, wishing she had something to do with her hands. Maybe then she could better resist this unexpected urge to touch him.

Once he’d dumped all the glass shards in the trash, Remy retrieved the vacuum and went back over the area. Vanessa watched him, amazed how he could manage to look so sexy while performing the most mundane task.

Finally, he shut off the vacuum, wound up the cord and put it back in the hall closet. “There,” he said, dusting his hands off on the front of his jeans. “All done.”

She nodded. “Thanks.” Then, because she felt awkward, she checked her watch. Since she’d had such a late breakfast, it seemed a bit too early for lunch. But since cooking was one of the things she loved and did well, she asked Remy if he’d eaten.

“Not for hours.” The grim set of his mouth told her food had been the last thing on his mind.

“How about you let me make you something? I can rustle up breakfast or lunch or brunch, if you want to call it that. Seth told me to help myself to anything I wanted in the kitchen.”

Though his gaze narrowed, he finally nodded. “I’d like that, thank you. But something simple. I don’t want to put you out.”

Relieved, she grinned. “Actually, I love to cook. And right now, I’d feel a lot better if I could keep busy.”

He followed her to the kitchen. “Again, I apologize about all that. You just got here. I’m sure you didn’t sign up for all this family drama.”

Did she hear the hint of a question in his voice? Deciding to ignore that possibility, she began rummaging in the fridge. “So…what are you in the mood for?” she asked.

“Have you had breakfast?”

Slowly, she nodded. “I made myself scrambled eggs earlier. But that doesn’t matter. I can whip you up some breakfast if that’s what you want.”

Watching her, he considered. “It’s still early enough for breakfast to be a respectable option. The Chateau restaurant serves it until ten thirty.”

“Breakfast it is, then. Bacon, eggs and toast? Or…” She took a peek inside the refrigerator again. “There are enough ingredients for eggs Benedict with ham. Would you like that instead?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.” He grimaced and glanced at the front door. “I wonder if Seth will be back to eat.”

Though she privately doubted that, she nodded. “I’ll make extra just in case. As long as I keep the eggs and the English muffins separate, it won’t get too soggy.”

Humming happily, she got busy. Next to skiing, cooking was her favorite pastime. And privately, she considered herself pretty darn talented at it. Her friends back in Boston had always raved about the meals she’d made. And since moving to Boulder, she’d hosted a couple of dinner parties with the same results.

And now she’d be cooking for Remy. Why that felt different, she wasn’t sure.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he murmured from behind her, his voice so close she knew if she spun around, she could reach out and touch him.

Forcing herself to continuing stirring the hollandaise sauce, she simply glanced over her shoulder. “Not really. Why don’t you make yourself a cup of coffee and sit down and relax? This won’t take too much longer.”