Avalanche (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 3) by Kristina Stanley Page A

opposite her. Sometimes she missed her old boss who didn’t overstep his boundaries. A year-round employee should not have been fired without her approval and her making sure the labor laws were being followed. Turner was out of control. What was he doing firing Jessica? And who was going to fill the manager role now? Maybe the job at White Peaks was what she needed.
    “What happened to your chin?” Jessica asked.
    Kalin put her hand over her stitches. She’d tried to hide the bruise making its way up her cheek with makeup but had failed. “Nothing.”
    Jessica seemed like the type who would sue the resort if she thought she had cause. Taking the blame for Turner’s mistakes was not on Kalin’s agenda, but she wouldn’t let Jessica know she’d been unaware of the firing. “Can you tell me what happened?”
    Kalin listened to Jessica’s version of her meeting with Turner. A control freak was an understatement when it came to him. He hadn’t even let Jessica’s boss fire her. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
    “What are you going to do about it?”
    “There’s not much I can do. You’ve received a letter of termination. That’s pretty final. If you’d like to clean out your office, I’m happy to help you.”
    “You mean you’ll supervise, so I don’t steal anything. Gertrude’s already guarding the door.”
    Instead of reacting to the anger in Jessica’s voice, Kalin stilled her body. She placed her hands in her lap and crossed her legs at her ankles. “I didn’t say that. We have a process to follow, that’s all.”
    “How can you do this to me after what’s happened this week? You’re Roy’s sister. He loved me.”
    Kalin stretched forward and put her hand on Jessica’s wrist. “I know he did. If you hadn’t lost your keys and not changed the lock, I might have been able to help.”
    Jessica snapped her hand away from Kalin. “Why are you even working?”
    “I miss Roy, too, but I have to do my job. I don’t think about him as much if I’m busy.”
    “And now I have nothing to do but think about him.”
    “I’m truly sorry about that.” Kalin’s cell rang. White Peaks was calling. “Can I meet you in your office in a minute?”
    Jessica stood and, without a word, left Kalin alone.
     
    * * *
     
    Kalin disconnected the call. Jessica was a hard person to like, but Kalin felt sorry for her. She rubbed Chica’s head in an effort to calm herself before heading to Jessica’s office.
    Footsteps ghosted on the carpet outside her office as if someone was timidly approaching her door.
    Ben poked his head around the frame. “Can we talk?”
    Chica burst from her place at Kalin’s feet and pranced in front of Ben. He kneeled and was rewarded with a lick on his nose.
    Kalin swiveled her chair to face him but said nothing.
    “Are you okay?” he asked.
    She pinched her lips between her teeth. Her body betrayed her. The ache for his arms around her made it hard to breathe. She steeled herself against succumbing. “I’m fine.”
    Ben softly closed the door. “You went to bed without talking to me last night.”
    “I know.”
    “Can you at least tell me if your chin is okay?”
    “It’s fine.”
    “Did you get stitches?”
    “Four.”
    Ben’s fingers lighted on her chin and gently moved her head backward. He studied the wound. “We’re going to have matching scars. That must mean something.”
    She yearned for a kiss, but how could she betray Roy that way? Ben had called off the search, and Roy’s body wouldn’t be found.
    “I talked to Oliver about the snowmobile. It’ll be covered by insurance.”
    “That’s nice.”
    “Kalin, please. I’m sorry about Roy. I know this is hard for you. It’s hard for me, too. I can’t lose you over this.”
    Tears formed in her eyes.
    Ben placed his forehead on the top of her head and wrapped his fingers around her hair. “I love you. We need to figure this out.”
    Reaching behind her head, she removed Ben’s hand from her