Falling Like Snowflakes (21 page)

A minute later they were flying through an open field on the backside of the neighbor's property. Beau and Paige were behind them, Zac pulling up the rear. The high-pitched whine of the engines filled the stillness of the afternoon, the skis cutting through the soft blanket of snow. The cold air sailed past, making Eden glad for her face mask.

Riley took a sharp turn onto a wide trail that cut through the woods. Eden tightened her grip. The ride was exhilarating. The evergreens rushed by in her peripheral vision, and the wind whooshed past, carrying the faint smell of gasoline.

After several minutes, Riley called over his shoulder. “Ready for the fun stuff?”

“Uh . . . I guess?” She gave a nervous chuckle.

“Hang on!”

It wasn't until they went airborne that she realized how easy he'd been taking it on her. A squeal escaped midair, and she clutched his waist.

Riley whooped.

They landed with a jolt.

“You okay?” he called over the buzz of the engine.

Her heart was pounding, but a smile had broken out on her face. “Yeah!”

He accelerated, and they continued along the trail, going airborne a few more times. Eden had never been an adrenaline junkie, but there was something freeing about sailing through the winter afternoon, the wind in their faces, the world behind them. Time flew by as quickly as the landscape.

She had no idea how much time had passed when Riley slowed, pulling over, as the others came to a stop alongside them. The low rumble of engines filled the forest.

Paige hopped off the back of Beau's sled, unsnapping her helmet. “Thank goodness. I gotta use the little ladies' room.” She rushed into the woods, her boots kicking up fresh snow.

Eden was glad she didn't have to go, since the “little ladies' room” seemed to consist of a snowy floor and evergreen walls.

“What the heck was that?” Beau asked Riley as soon as Paige was out of earshot.

“What?” Riley asked.

“You were driving recklessly. She's a first-timer. She could've fallen off and broken her neck.”

Riley's torso lengthened. “I am not reckless. She was fine.”

“You want to risk your own life, great. But do it on your own time.”

“Guys . . .,” Zac said.

“Slow it down,” Beau said firmly.

Riley gave a humorless laugh, shaking his head.

Eden's stomach twisted at Beau's knotty jaw and Riley's defensive posture. “It's okay,” she assured Beau. “I'm fine. Really.”

Riley's eyes flashed. “You're as transparent as glass, bro.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think it means?”

Zac got between the two sleds. “Come on, guys. Knock it off.”

A shuffle alerted them to Paige's approach. Beau shot Riley a warning look, and Riley glared right back.

Eden felt helpless to mediate as Paige reached the trail.

“Whew! I feel much better. My turn, buddy,” she said to Beau.

He slid back on the machine, letting her take the driver's seat.

When they were all suited up again, Riley accelerated. He darted ahead of the group, his speed a dead giveaway that he wasn't going to heed Beau's warning.

Eden got little pleasure from the thrill of the ride as they zoomed along the snowy path, knowing Beau was behind them, likely seething. She told herself Beau would have spoken up no matter who was on Riley's sled. That he didn't have special feelings for her. He was protective of everyone. It was his nature.

But it might be more. Maybe she hadn't imagined the lingering glances. The casual brushes. As the idea incubated, something inside her went warm and soft.

He's with Paige, Eden. You're leaving in a matter of weeks. You can't stay here, and he's not going with you. You don't need another man. You need your freedom. Haven't you learned yet that love only shackles?

With her dad she'd learned that even shackles employed with love still chafed. Then along came Antonio. She'd thought his love would set her free. But it had only bound her more tightly. And while his death should have granted her the ultimate freedom, it only placed her in a different kind of prison.

I will be free.
We
will be free. As soon as we reach Loon Lake.

Karen had taken her daughter to the magical cabin in northern Maine every summer. They always invited her along, but her father never let her go. Eden was green with envy every August when they returned with beautiful pictures and enchanting stories.

But would they really be free there? How could she be free when she was always looking over her shoulder? Waiting for Fattore's men to catch up with them? Waiting for them to take her son from her?

The thought jolted her.

She shook it away, her pulse skittering. No. She wouldn't have to live that way. They'd be safe. Fattore would be found guilty soon, even without Micah's testimony. The prosecution had DNA evidence. She and Micah would finally be free.

The cold wind cut into the slice of skin bared between her coat sleeve and glove. For a moment she let the biting pain distract her from the path of her thoughts. Then, seeing there were no turns ahead, she reached over with her other hand to tug the coat sleeve into place.

The sled hit a bump, and they went airborne. She tilted sideways. Her knees tightened around Riley, and she reached for him. But she was slipping, falling . . .

Flying through the air. Her arms flailed helplessly, connecting with something. She hit the ground with a thud. The air evacuated her lungs.

She groaned. Had she thought the snow soft?

She blinked up at the darkening sky, mentally assessing her body parts. It took a moment for the pain in her backside to register. She moved her legs, her arms. Nothing broken. Just got the wind knocked out of her.

Riley hit the ground beside her. “Kate. You okay?”

She was sitting up as Beau and Paige reached them, Beau's worried eyes trained on her. “You all right?”

“I'm fine. Really.”

Beau squatted, taking her wrist. “You're bleeding.”

The exposed skin had caught a branch or something. Only now did she feel the sting. “It's just a scrape.”

“Everything okay?” Zac called as he pulled his sled closer.

“Yeah, I'm fine.”

Riley helped her up, and she brushed off the snow. The movement hurt, but she wasn't about to mention it.

Beau sent Riley a withering glance. “You happy now?”

“It was my fault,” Eden said. “I let go to fix my sleeve just as we went airborne. Bad timing.”

“Let's stop at the Roadhouse and get her cleaned up,” Zac said.

Riley tore his gaze away from Beau's challenging stare. “It's getting dark anyway.”

“Perfect,” Paige said. “I can walk to the shelter from there.”

At the Roadhouse Beau parted ways with Paige. The rest of them followed Zac to his office, their ski pants swishing.

It was a slow weeknight at the restaurant with only a few customers scattered throughout the dining room. Someone in the back room broke the pool balls with a loud crack, and a hearty round of boos followed.

In his office, Zac pulled a first-aid kit from the depths of a drawer.

Riley and Beau both reached for it.

Beau gave Riley a dark look, snapping up the kit. “I think you've done enough for one day.”

“You can use my restroom,” Zac said. “I need to go check on things in the kitchen. Riley, why don't you go save us a pool table?”

Riley aimed a scowl at Beau before leaving the room.

“It's really just a scratch.” Kate headed toward the bathroom attached to Zac's office, pulling up her sleeve. “I can handle it.”

She already had her wrist under the water when Beau caught up to her. He set the kit on the counter beside her. The space was tight, and the citrus smell he'd come to associate with her filled his lungs.

When she was finished washing the scrape, she patted it dry with a paper towel.

“Let me see.” Beau took her hand, his mouth tightening at the raw flesh. He could throttle Riley. What was his problem anyway?

“That's got to smart.” He ripped open the alcohol pad. “This is going to sting.”

He ran the pad over the scrape as gently as he could, and she didn't react to the pain. He held her hand, his thumb pressed into her palm as he cleaned the wound.

“It wasn't his fault, you know.”

“Don't make excuses for him.”

“I was having fun.”

“Until you hit the ground?”

Her lips twitched. “Something like that.”

She had nice lips, plush and pink. Beau dragged his eyes away. “He knows better.” He blew on the wet skin.

Gooseflesh popped up on her arm, and a muscle in her forearm twitched.

His eyes flashed to hers, lingering there, perceiving a subtle shift in her honey-brown eyes. Had her breaths just grown shallow?

She broke eye contact. “He's leaving in two days. I wouldn't want you parting badly over something so silly.”

Beau reached into the kit and grabbed a bandage. “You don't have to worry about us.”

He unwrapped the bandage and applied it, rubbing over the adhesive once or twice more than necessary. To make sure it stayed put, he told himself.

Riley appeared in the restroom doorway. “Table's reserved.”

Beau met his brother's eyes in the mirror, noting Riley's tight-lipped smile.

Kate pulled her hand from Beau's. “I think I'll order some wings. You guys want some?”

“Sure.” Beau gathered the trash and threw it into the wastebasket as she left. He snapped the lid on the kit and turned to leave, but Riley leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.

Fine. He wanted to talk, they'd talk. “You're lucky she's not hurt worse. What the heck was that anyway?”

“Me? What about you? Making cow eyes at Kate while Paige is practically glued to your back.”

Guilt moved in, setting up camp. Again. He didn't want to talk about this with Riley.

He moved to pass.

Riley blocked his path.

Beau glared down at him, enjoying his height advantage.

“Admit it—you've got feelings for Kate.”

“I'm not talking to you about this.”

“You don't have to talk to me, but you should be talking to Paige.”

Beau sighed hard, remembering Kate's words. It was one of their last nights together. He didn't want to send Riley off like this.

“Why don't we go shoot some pool, have a few wings, and relax? I think maybe we're both a little stressed out.”

“When are you going to talk to Paige?”

“That's none of your business, Riley.”

His brother came up off the wall. “Paige
is
my business, whether you like it or not. You obviously have feelings for Kate, and you owe it to Paige to be honest about it.”

“You sure you're not the one having feelings?”

Riley stiffened, something flashing in his green eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“I've seen your little private conversations. Your little mistletoe kiss . . .”

His lips parted. Closed. “You think I have feelings for Kate?”

Beau said nothing, just waited him out.

“And you're jealous. I don't have feelings for Kate, you moron, and I'm leaving in two days. It's beyond obvious what's going on
here. Paige doesn't deserve this.” Riley gave a laugh, shaking his head. “This isn't like you, man. What about doing the honorable thing?”

His brother knew how to push all the right buttons. Beau's face tingled with shame. He hadn't felt that particular emotion in a while, and he hadn't missed it. He ran his hand over the back of his neck. Riley was right. “I'll talk to her. I promise.”

Riley regarded him for a long moment. “Are you going to break up with her?”

Beau shoved his hands into his pockets, making a quick decision. The right one, he believed now. “Yes.”

Riley blinked at him, silent for a long beat. “I can't believe this.” He gave another wry laugh as he walked into Zac's office, scrubbing his hand over his face. “
Now
you do it,” he muttered.

Or at least that's what Beau thought he said. “What?” Beau followed his brother into the office.

Riley paced in front of the desk. “You need to do it now.”

“I was waiting till you left.”

Riley stopped, his eyes narrowing. “Coward.”

Beau straightened. “I didn't want this to be a distraction for you at boot camp.”

“Well, it's too late for that.”

“Paige is already reeling because you're leaving. I didn't want to dump this on her too.”

“And you think stringing her along is the answer?”

“I'm not stringing her along.”

“No, you're just waiting until her best friend is twelve hundred miles away before you break her heart. Until she has no one to fall back on, no one to talk to—” Riley paced in front of the desk.