with?” Patrick’s compound abutted state forest land. Aspen-and evergreen-shrouded mountains were braided together with interlocking bike and foot trails.
“I’m just wrapping up,” he said, declining. “There’s coffee, if you want.”
“Staff arrives at eight, isn’t that right?” She checked her watch and cozied up to him. “We could put that twenty minutes to good use.”
“Rain check,” he said.
She complained, “It doesn’t rain much here, Danny. You know that.” She stepped away and looked around the room. “You’d never guess there were a hundred people here last night.”
She had a sultry walk as she prowled the room. He felt himself stir. He wanted none of that, already resenting the night before. “Can I leave a message or something?”
“Or something,” she said.
“Allie…”
She turned to face him. “Come on, Danny, I’m just kidding around.” They both knew differently. “Why so serious? I’ve got news for you. Good news for a change. The least you could do is pretend you’re glad to see me.”
“We talked about this.”
“Not really. I don’t remember talking all that much.”
He fought back an urge to just walk away and leave her before it got out of hand again.
“I’ve arranged a meeting between you and Stu.”
He felt his breath catch. “I expressly asked—”
“You can thank me now, if you like.” She checked her watch. “We’ve still got eighteen minutes.” She closed to within an arm’s reach.
“You know how hard it was to set up a meeting given his conference schedule?”
Danny felt his face flush.
“Don’t gush with thanks all at once. I can take it in little bits. Or little bites, or whatever.”
“I asked you to leave it alone.”
“You know me, Danny: I’m impulsive.”
He took her by both wrists and backed her up several feet against a couch.
“Shit, Danny, that hurts.”
He drove himself against her, pelvis against pelvis. “Is this what you want, Allie? Nice and rough. You want it on the couch? On the kitchen counter? Where?”
“You’re hurting me,” she gasped.
“You love it.”
“Fuck you!”
“You wish.”
He let go of her, stepped back.
Panting, she inspected her wrists.
“Shit, Danny. I think you bruised me. How am I going to explain that?”
“I’m sorry!”
“Sorry?” she said, rubbing her forearm. “You obviously don’t know Stu very well.”
“I told you I have to do this myself ,” he scolded. “I don’t want Paddy’s help, or yours, or anybody else’s.”
She was still rubbing her forearm. “Shit! Shit! Shit! Long sleeves in July? Are you kidding me?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“What’s happened to you?” she mumbled. “You’re fucked up, Danny.”
“I was fucked up,” he said. “Not anymore.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
She pulled the heavy front door open. Morning sunlight had broken onto the opposing hillside, setting it on fire. She didn’t look at him, just walked outside.
She started into a slow jog, turned at the end of the drive, and broke into a full run.
Danny stepped back inside, shaken by what he’d done. He wondered where such anger came from, and worse, where it could lead.
Two
V eterinarian Mark Aker’s low voice growled as he walked stiffly and slightly bowlegged toward the Sun Valley Lodge, Walt at his side. “This guy must be charmed. You pulled off a miracle.” His dark brown eyes peered out from his tanned, bearded face. In his right hand he held a dark blue nylon leash, leading a fine-looking German shepherd.
“We,” Walt corrected. “And I don’t even know how we did it.”
“He has Maggie to thank. And Patrick Cutter’s wallet. This is costing north of five hundred bucks a day.”
Walt whistled. “What’s amazing is she looks just like his dog—the one that died.”
“Animals and commercial aircraft shouldn’t mix.”
The lodge’s portico was crowded with vehicles, valet personnel, and bellmen. One of the bellmen
“I’m just wrapping up,” he said, declining. “There’s coffee, if you want.”
“Staff arrives at eight, isn’t that right?” She checked her watch and cozied up to him. “We could put that twenty minutes to good use.”
“Rain check,” he said.
She complained, “It doesn’t rain much here, Danny. You know that.” She stepped away and looked around the room. “You’d never guess there were a hundred people here last night.”
She had a sultry walk as she prowled the room. He felt himself stir. He wanted none of that, already resenting the night before. “Can I leave a message or something?”
“Or something,” she said.
“Allie…”
She turned to face him. “Come on, Danny, I’m just kidding around.” They both knew differently. “Why so serious? I’ve got news for you. Good news for a change. The least you could do is pretend you’re glad to see me.”
“We talked about this.”
“Not really. I don’t remember talking all that much.”
He fought back an urge to just walk away and leave her before it got out of hand again.
“I’ve arranged a meeting between you and Stu.”
He felt his breath catch. “I expressly asked—”
“You can thank me now, if you like.” She checked her watch. “We’ve still got eighteen minutes.” She closed to within an arm’s reach.
“You know how hard it was to set up a meeting given his conference schedule?”
Danny felt his face flush.
“Don’t gush with thanks all at once. I can take it in little bits. Or little bites, or whatever.”
“I asked you to leave it alone.”
“You know me, Danny: I’m impulsive.”
He took her by both wrists and backed her up several feet against a couch.
“Shit, Danny, that hurts.”
He drove himself against her, pelvis against pelvis. “Is this what you want, Allie? Nice and rough. You want it on the couch? On the kitchen counter? Where?”
“You’re hurting me,” she gasped.
“You love it.”
“Fuck you!”
“You wish.”
He let go of her, stepped back.
Panting, she inspected her wrists.
“Shit, Danny. I think you bruised me. How am I going to explain that?”
“I’m sorry!”
“Sorry?” she said, rubbing her forearm. “You obviously don’t know Stu very well.”
“I told you I have to do this myself ,” he scolded. “I don’t want Paddy’s help, or yours, or anybody else’s.”
She was still rubbing her forearm. “Shit! Shit! Shit! Long sleeves in July? Are you kidding me?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“What’s happened to you?” she mumbled. “You’re fucked up, Danny.”
“I was fucked up,” he said. “Not anymore.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
She pulled the heavy front door open. Morning sunlight had broken onto the opposing hillside, setting it on fire. She didn’t look at him, just walked outside.
She started into a slow jog, turned at the end of the drive, and broke into a full run.
Danny stepped back inside, shaken by what he’d done. He wondered where such anger came from, and worse, where it could lead.
Two
V eterinarian Mark Aker’s low voice growled as he walked stiffly and slightly bowlegged toward the Sun Valley Lodge, Walt at his side. “This guy must be charmed. You pulled off a miracle.” His dark brown eyes peered out from his tanned, bearded face. In his right hand he held a dark blue nylon leash, leading a fine-looking German shepherd.
“We,” Walt corrected. “And I don’t even know how we did it.”
“He has Maggie to thank. And Patrick Cutter’s wallet. This is costing north of five hundred bucks a day.”
Walt whistled. “What’s amazing is she looks just like his dog—the one that died.”
“Animals and commercial aircraft shouldn’t mix.”
The lodge’s portico was crowded with vehicles, valet personnel, and bellmen. One of the bellmen
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