Page 11 of ELITE Protection
Isaac had a lot more questions, but they were almost to the end of the ride. Hannah lifted the safety bar and they scooted to the edge of the seat.
“You ready to hit Stillwater Bowl?” he asked.
Her grin was cocky. “Think you can keep up with me?”
“Anywhere, anytime.” He shoved off the seat and glided down the ramp, following her to the side where they lowered their goggles. Snow had started falling on top of the mountain. He wove his thick mittens through the loops on his poles. He was good to go. He glanced over Hannah from the top of her helmet to her boots securely clamped into the bindings.
“Ready?” She called from behind the scarf that covered her nose and mouth and wound around her neck.
“After you,” Isaac pulled his balaclava over his face, staving off the freezing wind. Gesturing toward the double black diamond sign, he followed her to the lip of the bowl before dropping nearly vertical.
She was as good as her word. Knees bent, skis nearly touching, she planted her poles like a pro and swung the tails of her skis side-to-side, controlling her descent down the steep sides.
As they crested the top, Hannah moved toward a copse of trees to get out of the biting wind. He skidded to a stop to join her.
She tucked her scarf under her chin and lifted her goggles. Her radiant smile said everything. “That was awesome, but I’m getting hungry. Besides, after this morning’s workout, I’m going to need a few minutes’ rest. How about we head to the lodge for some lunch?”
“Sounds good to me.” Isaac was always hungry, or so it seemed. “You want to take it easy on the way down?”
“Hell, no.” She lowered her goggles once again and turned the tips of her skis toward the black diamond slope next to them.
Damn, what a woman!
Hannah had stopped a hundred feet from the lodge, so Isaac skied around to face her. She kept scanning the crowd.
“What’s wrong?” He turned his head to see what she was looking at but her hand kept moving, sweeping her gaze carefully over the crowd. He automatically scanned the area for threats. There were so many people. Presumably, many were removing skis to head inside for some lunch while others were destined for the slopes.
“Can we eat somewhere else?” Hannah’s eyes pinched together in the middle.
Isaac turned to check the mass of people. The back of his neck wasn’t prickling, though. That was his early warning system. Too many times on missions when he was in danger, the fine hairs bristled and irritated. “Certainly, but I need to know what’s making you nervous?”
“I just don’t like big crowds.” Her quiet admission seemed to pain her.
He understood. Making a quick decision, he pointed toward the backside of the rental building. “Follow me.”
Pushing off hard with his poles to propel him up the slight rise, he headed to the familiar employee exit. Hidden from the crowd, he stepped out of his bindings and bent to lift his skis. He grabbed Hannah’s also. “My truck is on the other side of this fence.”
They exited through an almost secret gate into the employee parking lot. Clomping along in the stiff-footed ski boots, they crossed to his truck. As Isaac opened the back, he surveyed the many cases of firearms and ammunition. He felt a little ridiculous because to that point, he had seen no real threat to her life.
As she shucked off the nylon outer shell keeping her coat and pants dry, she smiled and her eyes grew wide. “Are we going to hit the range this afternoon?” She bumped his shoulder with hers. “You ready to get schooled on firearms?”
Hmm. Testing her ability with a gun might be a good idea. “Maybe.” That’s all the more Isaac would commit to.
After peeling off the first two layers and changing into snow boots, they tossed all their outer gear into the back of the SUV. Isaac cautiously swept his gaze over the parking lot filled with rusty pickup trucks and four-wheel drives. All the employees of the ski resort worked from sunup to sundown, so he wasn’t surprised that not a single vehicle entered or left. Relief washed over him as he pulled out of the parking lot.
Fifteen minutes later, they were in a small mom-and-pop bistro enjoying hot chili.
“The crowd bothered you.” It was a statement, not a question. Isaac couldn’t get the fear in her eyes out of his mind.
“There are too many people to watch for in a crowd.” Hannah sipped her sweet tea.
He completely agreed. “Then it’s a good thing we’re going cross-country skiing this afternoon.”
Hannah’s warm smile did something to him deep inside. “Thank you.” Her words were simple, but he could tell they were heartfelt.
“Oh, don’t thank me yet. This isn’t your typical cross-country ski area.” One side of his mouth kicked up.
She set her glass down on the table. “Exactly what do you have in mind?”
