CA 35 Christmas Past by Debra Webb Page A

to
him. He won’t make it easy. She’ll need a surprise attack, so to speak, or
he’ll cut her off at the pass.”
                Jason Fewell was the team’s celebrated driver. His winning record
had put him at the very top of the NASCAR prestigious list of drivers. But a
mountain-climbing tragedy three years ago had sent his personal life into a
tailspin. Though he managed to perform to his usual standards on the track,
according to Mr. Harris, behind closed doors the driver grew more and more
withdrawn. Two weeks ago Fewell had announced that he
was going back to the scene of the tragedy to face his fears once and for all.
Harris, as well as the entire Texas Thunder team, was concerned for his safety,
since Fewell refused to allow anyone to accompany
him.
                The past was haunting Fewell . No one knew better how painful that could be than
Victoria.
                Harris’s fears were
legitimate, of course, two weeks ago and now. But he did not know Molly Clark.
Once her sights were set on a target, she would not stop until the job was
done. She would find the crack in Fewell’s armor of
self-exile and find a way in. Ensuring his safety would be her top priority.
                “Trust me, Mr. Harris,”
Victoria assured him, “if anyone can get close to Jason Fewell , it’s Molly. She’s the younger sister of four brothers,
all extremely competitive young men. Molly learned at a tender age how to hold
her own with both difficult and determined men. You needn’t worry about her
ability to handle the situation.”
                Harris braced his
elbows on the chair arms, laced his fingers and leaned forward. “I didn’t come
here to question your judgment, Victoria. Truly I didn’t. But Jason is like a
son to me. If anything happened to that boy, I don’t think I could bear it.
He’s suffered so.” Harris shook his head. “The counseling didn’t do the trick.
I’ll be the first to admit that, just as I can understand he feels he has to do
this. He needs to find peace. Soon. But I’m worried
sick he’ll get himself hurt…or worse.”
                Victoria knew firsthand
that the need to find peace could drive a person to a point well beyond reason.
Jason felt responsible for his girlfriend’s death, though the investigation
into the tragic accident had clearly shown equipment failure as the cause. His
guilt and fear of again failing someone he cared about were eating him alive.
                “I can’t guarantee Mr. Fewell will find the peace he’s so desperately seeking,”
Victoria allowed. “That part is up to him. But I can guarantee without
reservation that Molly Clark will ensure his safety. And, if she can reach past
those barriers of fear and guilt, she’ll do all within her power to help him
see the truth of what really happened three years ago. Perhaps recognizing the
truth will be enough to set him on the right course.”
                Harris gave a
thoughtful nod. “I suppose that’s all I can hope for. That or
a miracle.”
                Victoria smiled, hoping
to reassure him. “It’s almost Christmas, Mr. Harris. Miracles have been known
to happen.”
               
                CHAPTER TWO
     
                Aspen, Colorado
     
                THE SNOW VALLEY LODGE
was packed with ski enthusiasts, but Molly had already spotted her target among
the mostly young and remarkably stylish crowd.
                Five o’clock on the
dot. Jason Fewell had arrived, surprisingly, without
the fanfare she’d fully expected. No starstruck chicks right on his heels. No bodyguards. And only two bags.
                Wow. He traveled pretty
light for a celebrity.
                She kept an eye out for
a bellhop to show up pushing a cart with the rest of his luggage. But her
primary attention remained on the man.