New Lease on Love Read online

  "Around five. Two hours ago, I'd say."

  Nick's color drained.

  "We were at Pine Ridge. I had a little paperwork to do for Father. Nothing much. I was watching her, but somehow she managed to get away. She's really becoming incorrigible, Nickie, and I'm afraid certain people have only reinforced her notion that it's all right to break the rules." Her gaze slid to Chelsea again.

  Nick grabbed his car keys and unceremoniously pushed Chelsea and Grace out the door. "Did you look for her?" he asked, racing down the stairs.

  "Of course. And there are people looking now. The construction workers and grounds crew. I didn't want to alarm you. I thought she'd turn up by now."

  "Get in," Nick growled as he threw himself behind the wheel of his car.

  Sitting in the back seat, Chelsea felt like vomiting. Dear Lord, where was that child?

  "Two hours! Dammit, Grace!" Nick jabbed the steering wheel with his fist. "Where was she when you last saw her?"

  "The sitting area of Father's office. I was right in the next room."

  "Did anybody come in? Anyone suspicious drive through?"

  "No. No one."

  Chelsea tried to think. There had to be a way of figuring this out. "What was she talking about this afternoon?"

  "Oh, for pity's sake, Chelsea." Grace's voice rasped with impatience.

  "Well, I just thought it might give us a clue. Maybe she wanted to do something, go somewhere."

  Grace thought a while, none too seriously, in Chelsea's opinion. "She was chattering on about something. Flutes, I think it was. She wanted to hear flutes, she said." Grace tossed her head dismissively. Chelsea stopped breathing.

  Nick's eyes were sharp and cold as he glanced over his shoulder. "Fairy's Flute. You think you can show us the way up there, Chelse?" His wrath, though tightly contained, was quelling.

  "Yes."

  "Fairy what? What are you talking about?"

  "The cave out on the north ridge, Grace." Chelsea explained. "Overlooking the old quarry."

  "Oh, yes. I know the one you mean. Oh, heavens! Why would Katie ever want to head out there? It's more than a mile away, through the woods. Not the safest area, either, what with the water in the quarry and the sheer rock face…"

  "Grace, will you shut up!" Chelsea blurted.

  "Well, excuse me! But if it weren't for you, she probably never would've taken off in the first place. Ever since she skipped off from her father to go see your stupid balloon, she figures it's okay to do whatever she pleases. Your influence hasn't helped any, either."

  "Enough, Grace," Nick said. "The important thing now is to find Katie." He didn't mention that Chelsea was also the one who'd told Katie about the cave, but Chelsea knew it lay heavily on his mind, just as it did on her own.

  Chet stood on the deck of the main lodge, apparently acting as coordinator for the impromptu search. Nick listened as Chet explained how many people he'd rounded up and where they were looking.

  "Call the police," Nick said in a voice that brooked no opposition. "Tell them to bring their bloodhounds. I don't want to waste any more time. This is too big an area, too much forest, and it'll be dark soon. Call the police." He was already running back to his car.

  "Where ya going, son?"

  "North, along the old quarry road. We think Katie may have taken a walk that way."

  Chet looked disbelieving but didn't argue.

  "Grace, will you stay here? The police will probably need some of Katie's clothing—"

  "Yes, of course." Nick was about to get into his car when she threw her arms around his neck. "Be careful, Nickie."

  Standing beside the car, Chelsea turned her face as heartache ripped through her.

  "Okay, give me directions," Nick said as he slipped behind the wheel. Chelsea willed away her hurt and got in, too.

  Chelsea wished she had her Jeep. The road they took was unpaved and rutted, and more than once she didn't think the Volvo would make it.

  "Do you really think she headed this way?"

  "I don't know." Nick pronounced each word with distinct anger. He was obviously in no mood to talk. Especially not to her.

  The woods dipped to the right, a dense, trackless thicket that rolled on for miles. The sun had sunk behind the ridge and it was already dark beneath the trees. Chelsea shivered. She knew Nick was concerned about the deep, frigid water in the abandoned quarry. He was probably also worried about Katie's trying to climb the steep rocky slope up to the cave. What he hadn't considered, she suspected, were the woods, and she hoped he never did. In her estimation they presented a far greater danger.

  "I'm sorry, Nick," she choked out.

  His profile was unyieldingly grim. He just shook his head as if refusing to accept her apology.

  "Now what do we do?" Nick peered through his dusty windshield as the road ended and they drove onto a scraped and scarred open area that had once been part of the quarry.

  Chelsea answered by getting out and calling Katie's name as loud as she could. She was scared, more scared than she cared to admit. She wished she could do something more.

  She envisioned herself gliding over the woods in her balloon and finding Katie, snatching her up from harm's way and becoming a heroine in Nick's eyes. But the reality was, not only would daylight be gone before she even got home to her equipment, but her vision was sheer, impossible folly born of desperation.

  Her heart wrenched as she watched Nick peering down the embankment, littered with splintered granite, toward the dark pool. It was too much for one father to go through twice in a lifetime. She would never forgive herself for being the cause. And she was. Grace was right. He was right. She'd told Nick to give Katie more freedom, to let her get on with her life. Chelsea had encouraged adventure. If Nick had followed his own instincts, Katie would be safe at home now.

  "Katie," she called almost desperately, suffering an image of the child lying hurt and unconscious somewhere. "Katie!"

  Suddenly high on the breeze came a thin reply. "Hey!"

  Nick and Chelsea both spun around, searching for the source of the sound.

  "Hi! I'm up here!"

  Chelsea's gaze scaled the steep grade up toward the cave, her alarm contending with relief. "Thank God!" she whispered, taking off up the jagged granite despite her silk dress and heels.

  Nick passed her at a run. By the time she reached the top, he was sitting on the ground with Katie in his arms. Chelsea noticed his lashes were wet.

  "Is she all right?" Chelsea had taken off her shoes, and her stockings were a mass of runs.

  "I bumped my head." Katie's lower lip trembled. Indeed she had, Chelsea noticed. "And I don't know how to get down." Katie turned her tired, begrimed face into Nick's shirt and fought a bout with tears.

  Chelsea cast a look down and wondered about the return trip herself.

  "Chelsea?"

  "Yes, honey."

  "There aren't any fairies up here."

  Chelsea thought her heart would break.

  Nick's eyes narrowed to hard, angry slits. He'd moved beyond not loving her; now he despised her.

  "Katie, it was very wrong to come up here. You know that, don't you?" she said.

  A muscle jumped along Nick's jawline. "I'll handle Katie's discipline."

  "I wasn't… I only…"

  "You've done enough, now just leave her alone, okay?"

  The ride back to the lodge passed in near silence. For a while, Katie chattered on about her hike, looking rather proud of her accomplishment. But soon she seemed to sense the tension between the two adults and fell silent.

  As soon as they pulled up, people started rushing toward them. Chet, Grace, construction workers, the police who'd arrived while they were gone. Katie was thoroughly confused by the attention, and for a long while didn't understand she was the cause of it.

  Chelsea drifted to the sidelines, ignored. She wasn't needed here anymore, and worse, she wasn't wanted. She had no place in the rejoicing.

  "Hi, sis."<
br />
  Chelsea's head jerked up. "Larry, what are you doing here?"

  "I came by to get Katie. She was supposed to sleep over." From the looks of him, he'd been tramping through woods for the last two hours.

  "Can you give me a lift home?" Chelsea asked. "I'm here without wheels."

  "How come?"

  "Long story. Will you do it, please?"

  "Yeah, sure. Hey, are you okay?"

  "No. Not okay at all."

  Larry took her by the shoulders.

  "Don't ask any questions. I just need to be alone."

  He hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

  Chelsea waved goodbye to her brother from the front porch, thankful that he'd respected her desire not to be questioned. She was too upset to talk right now. Upset?

  Actually she was coming apart at the seams. This day had been a disaster.

  She cringed when she thought of all the cleaning and shopping and cooking she'd done. Not only were her hands blistered and her wallet lighter, but she'd acted such a fool, playing at "wifey" in some desperate attempt to impress Nick.

  That, however, was the least of it, she thought, remembering the passionate encounter that had followed. She'd responded to Nick with an abandon that was humiliating. It was fairly obvious now that she had no control over herself when she was with him.

  Then there was the issue of Grace, Grace walking in on their foolhardy indiscretion. Chelsea didn't think she could ever face her again.

  Vaguely Chelsea wondered if Grace would tell her father. Even if she didn't, Chet was bound to hear Grace and Nick arguing; he was bound to ask questions. And where would that leave Nick? In the hot seat, to be sure. Resented. Distrusted. Just as she would be from this day on. Her life had turned into one unholy mess.

  But of course the worst turn of events had been Katie's skipping off. The child could've been lost for days, could've died in a fall, and in Nick's opinion, it was all Chelsea's fault.

  Chelsea leaned against one of the porch columns and shut her eyes tight. "Oh, Nick," she cried. Nothing would be hard to bear if only he'd said he loved her.

  Chelsea finally pried herself away from the post and went down the walk to the mailbox. Night shadows veiled the yard, but returning to the house with the day's mail, she was still able to discern the strange orange markers lining the property boundaries.

  "What the devil?" she whispered. She crossed the lawn and lowered herself to her haunches. Surveyor's markers!

  During the day, Nick had had surveyors come by to mark off the property! The fluorescent stakes prodded at her through the dark like so many eviction notices.

  She'd had enough. She wanted out. She marched into the house and straight to her office. She knew the information was in here somewhere. She turned the magazine rack upside down, scattering periodicals across the rug.

  A few minutes later, she'd found it—the ad from the ski resort in the Adirondacks looking for a balloon pilot. She checked her watch. Was it too late to call? On the other hand, if she waited until morning, might she not lose her courage? She called.

  When she hung up ten minutes later, she had an interview.

  Unreal, that was how the whole day felt. Chelsea barely remembered the long drive into New York or what she said during her seemingly endless interview. From the minute she'd decided to do this, her mind had shifted into numb. The fact that she actually landed the job only gave the day a deeper sense of unreality.

  She wasn't sorry she'd made the move; she was just a little overwhelmed when she thought of everything that now had to be done. She had definitely dived in before thinking of the consequences.

  The first step was a phone call to Larry, she decided, as she turned her Jeep into the driveway. If she was going to tie up all the loose ends of her life in three days, there wasn't a minute to waste.

  Her van was parked in front of the barn, she noticed immediately. Nick had called her three times last night, but she hadn't picked up the phone. He'd finally left a message on her machine, saying he would be by in the morning to drop off her van. She'd left for New York before he'd arrived— which was fine with her. She hoped she never saw Nick Tanner again.

  "Larry? Hi. I can't talk long. I've got loads to do, but what I have to say is extremely important. So listen carefully. I've got a new job."

  "What kind of job?" Larry sounded incredulous.

  "I'm now vice president and chief pilot of Balloon the Adirondacks."

  "You're what?"

  "Remember that resort in upstate New York that was looking for someone to start up a hot-air balloon business? Well, I went for an interview today and got the job."

  "I don't believe this!"

  "Believe it, Lar. It's incredible—the job, the place!"

  "Why?"

  "Why not? Nick said I should be bolder when it came to business. So, I am."

  "But why?"

  Chelsea's contrived enthusiasm flagged. "I'm tired of fighting an uphill battle, and that's all my business has been. I'm throwing in the towel."

  "After all those years of struggling? Oh, sis… Is the pay enough for you to live on?"

  "Quite. In fact, I'd say it's pretty darn good."

  "So, when do you start?"

  "I said I'd be there in three days."

  Larry choked in disbelief.

  "That's why I'm calling. I still have two charters booked. Will you take them?"

  "Sure. Yes, of course." He still sounded as if he'd been flattened by a steamroller.

  "I'm also offering you the business. If you want it, Balloon the Berkshires is yours. Weekends, a few afternoons—that's all you really need to keep it going. It's never been more than a part-time venture, anyway. The only thing that was big-time was my imagination."

  Larry groaned as if too much was coming at him. "What price are you asking?"

  "Price? I don't want anything."

  "But you've established the name…"

  "Zip. Nada. Please, Larry, take it. Keep it going."

  He must have heard the catch in her voice. "Sure, sis. I have another question. Where are you gonna live?"

  "In a condo. Slopeside," she answered, regaining her spark. "The resort has overbuilt, and a lot of units are going begging. So…"

  "Are you buying a condo?" Larry asked, aghast.

  "No, just renting. Really cheap, too. Hey, don't you want to hear about the job?"

  "Oh, sure. Of course."

  "Well, this place is a full five-star, four-season resort. Not only is it a first-class ski area, it also has a golf course, a health club, four swimming pools and an ice-skating rink. Now they want to add hot-air balloon rides as a feature, and I'm the person who's going to head it up. I'll be in charge of the whole operation—hiring other pilots, buying equipment, scheduling, advertising."

  "It sounds like a lot of responsibility."

  "It is, but it's also the opportunity of a lifetime."

  "Is it really, sis? Is it worth it, moving and all?"

  Chelsea fought against a wave of sadness. "It sure is."

  "Well, if you're happy…"

  "I am."

  "So, what about the house you're renting now?"

  "Most of the furniture came with the place. It won't take me long to pack what's mine. A small rental truck and the van…"

  "Mimi and I'll be over to help."

  "Thanks. I can use it. Larry, I have one more favor, and it's a big one."

  "Fire away."

  "The kids from the hospital…" Here her composure slipped. It was a moment before she went on. "I know I have no right foisting them on other people—I take them up free, and you'd be losing money. But do you suppose you could find the time to take on one or two? I'll ask a couple of other pilots if they'll share the rest. You don't have to do it indefinitely. Just cover the flights I've already promised, then you can dismantle the program." She waited, fingers crossed.

  "Don't worry about the kids. I'll… do what I can."

  "And make sure you incl
ude Katie Tanner."

  "I won't forget Katie."

  And neither will I, Chelsea thought, a tear sliding down her cheek.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Nick lounged on a bench at the bottom of the slope and smiled as Katie came barreling down the alpine slide. Luckily, the slide hadn't officially opened yet, and no one was in danger of getting plowed over.

  Nick cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered up the hill. "Hey, slow down. You're gonna jump the track."

  She slowed—for about five seconds.

  He slouched and rested his head on the top slat of the bench. The sky was milky blue and promised a warm, busy day at Pine Ridge. Nick's gaze roamed the blue dome, expecting to see Chelsea's balloon somewhere up there. Searching had become an automatic reflex.

  Damn the woman! Damn! he swore, sitting up. He hadn't seen her in four days and hoped he never did again. He'd never known himself to lose his head so completely because of a woman. He'd forgotten his priorities, too, and Katie had suffered. But no more. He'd learned his lesson.

  Not that there was any going back with Grace. They'd broken up, and he was glad finally to be free.

  Katie braked to a shuddering stop on the level run of track at the base of the hill. "That was neat!" She laughed as she ran over, her leg noticeably stronger. "Can I go again?"

  Nick checked his watch. "Once more."

  "Neat. This is a lot better fun than last time."

  "What last time?"

  "With Grace." Katie's tongue lolled comically while she rolled her eyes.

  "You really don't like her much, do you?"

  "She yells at me. She don't let me even move."

  A vague apprehension prickled along the back of Nick's neck. "The other day, before you went for your walk to the cave…" Katie inched away, and Nick imagined she was remembering the scolding he'd given her. "What did you and Grace do that afternoon, before your walk?"

  "Nothin'. I wanted to go out. I wanted to ride my bike, but she had papers to typewrite. She made me watch TV."

  A knot of anger twisted in Nick's chest. "How long?"

  "All day. She didn't have time to watch me. She was very, very busy."

  "I'll bet," Nick muttered.