Tim followed the guys through the front entrance of the lodge, their thick ski suits shush, shush, shushing with every step. He hung toward the back of their small group, half-wishing he’d arranged to meet up with them later at the chairlift. But there was no sense in postponing the inevitable meeting. He was sure to run into Liz sooner or later. Might as well get it over with.
“There they are.” Ryan lifted a hand to wave at Debbie, then slowed to fall in step with Tim as they crossed the lobby. “Looks like Liz is here. You okay with that?”
No. Not by a long shot. But what choice do I have?
Tim forced a casual smile. “Sure. Water under the bridge.”
Ryan clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, dude.”
As they approached the group by the fireplace, Debbie launched herself into Ryan’s arms and greeted him with an enthusiastic kiss that belied the fact they saw each other several times a week. Tim watched their embrace with a sense of satisfaction. Ryan was his best friend, and one lucky guy. Every man deserved to have a woman who loved him like Debbie loved Ryan.
He ignored an un-Christian twinge of jealousy. Every man? Even him?
His gaze swept the group of women seated around the fire. A couple of strangers, Debbie’s grandmother and—
Pain punched him in the gut. His feet stopped moving.
Liz sat in a big padded chair, holding on to a coffee mug with both hands. She was staring into her cup, her head tilted forward, so he indulged in a moment looking her over, noting the changes three years had wrought. Her hair had grown long. As he watched, she smoothed it behind a delicate ear. She looked a bit thinner, her neck more slender and elegant. Ah, but that chiseled nose hadn’t changed, and neither had those soft lips he remembered so well.
Her shoulders rose as she drew in a breath, and in the next moment she looked up. Their gazes locked.
The breath whooshed out of his lungs.
She was even more stunning than he remembered.
Lord, this is not fair. Couldn’t she have gotten uglier?
Two faint spots of color appeared on her cheeks and she looked away, but not before Tim saw her lips press firmly together. Her shoulders angled slightly away from the group, from him. He’d received some instruction in body language in his law enforcement training, so he recognized the meaning behind her unconscious gesture. She was distancing herself. She didn’t want anything to do with him.
Tim cleared his throat. If that’s the way she wanted to play it, fine. He rounded the sofa and stood on the other side of the coffee table from Liz and Debbie’s grandmother.
“Mrs. Carmichael, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”
She gave him a warm smile and allowed him to take her hand. “It’s been too long, young man. You should attend church with your parents more often.”
“Oh, you know how it is when you have to work for a living. I don’t get too many weekends off, and when I do, I have a church up here in Park City I’ve grown fond of.”
Mrs. Carmichael released his hand and gestured toward the two strangers. “Allow me to introduce these lovely girls.” She inclined her head. “But I’m afraid I’ve already forgotten their names.”
The blonde seated on the couch beside the elderly lady extended a hand. “I’m Caitlin Saylor. And this is Jasmine Delaney.”
He shook her hand and reached for the brunette’s as Mrs. Carmichael identified them. “They’re Elizabeth’s musician friends from Kentucky, here to play at Deborah and Ryan’s wedding. Girls, this is Tim Richards, Elizabeth’s former fiancé.”
The petite brunette’s expression froze as her eyes flicked toward Liz. Then her smile widened artificially. “My friends call me Jazzy. It’s nice to meet you, Tim.”
“You, too.” Thank goodness his voice sounded normal.
Mrs. Carmichael nodded at the girls. “Tim is a sheriff here in Park City.”
“Deputy Sheriff,” he corrected with a grin. “Welcome to Utah.”
He steeled his expression and turned toward Liz then. “You’re looking well, Liz.”
A smile flashed onto her lips and disappeared just as quickly, though she didn’t meet his eyes. “You, too, Tim.”
The sound of her low voice caused Tim’s heart to twist unexpectedly. He steeled himself against the assault of a million memories. Oh, the words that voice used to whisper in his ear.
Ryan came to his rescue.
“Liz, long time no see! C’mere and give me a hug.”
Liz hurriedly set her mug on the table as Ryan pulled her out of the chair and into an embrace.
“Hey, come meet the guys.”
Ryan performed the introductions and hands were shaken all around, while Tim stared out the window and battled a million memories the sight of Liz had unearthed.
He cleared his throat and nodded toward the window. “Hey, look. The lifts are running. Time to get our gear and hit the slopes.”
Ryan glanced at his watch. “We have fifteen minutes. We’re going to get first tracks this morning, guys. Ought to be some awesome powder after that storm came through yesterday afternoon.”
Patrick, one of Ryan’s friends from work, started to turn away, then stopped. “Hey, is Jeremy joining us again today?”
Everyone froze. Debbie bit her lip and cast a wary glance at Tim. Ryan’s eyes widened. Even Mrs. Carmichael stared into her coffee, uncharacteristically silent. Though it took every ounce of control he could muster, Tim forced his face to remain completely impassive. And he did not look at Liz.
“Uh, not today,” Ryan said. “I think he’s working or something.”
Thank You, Lord. I don’t think I can handle both of them in one day.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get ’er done.” Patrick, a newcomer to their group, obviously had no idea of the history he’d just unearthed. And as far as Tim was concerned, he didn’t need to know. Like he told Ryan earlier, that was water under the bridge.
“Yeah,” Tim agreed, “let’s get going.” He nodded toward Mrs. Carmichael and the girls, and continued to ignore Liz as he walked away.
While the guys headed for the door, Ryan pulled him aside. “Hey, dude, I hope you don’t mind that Jeremy hung out with us yesterday. I wouldn’t have asked him if you’d been along. You know that, right?”
Tim forced a laugh. “What is this, grade school? You can hang out with whoever you want. I’m your friend no matter what.” He grinned. “Even if you do have really bad taste in choosing the rest of your friends.”
Ryan clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man.”
A figure ran across the courtyard beyond the big windows by the fireplace, and a moment later a teenager in full winter gear ran into the lobby. He left a trail of snow on the tiled floor from his snowboarding boots as he jogged toward the front desk. His voice, pitched high with excitement, carried across the lobby.
“Where’s Mr. Harrison?”
Something in the kid’s tone drew Tim’s attention. He couldn’t hear the reply mumbled by the woman at the desk. But the teenager’s next statement carried clearly to the group by the fireplace.
“We found a frozen dead guy on the Crested Eagle lift!”
SIX
Liz sat straight up in her chair. Did that kid just say…
A memory surfaced. Last night,