The Academic Bride Read online

  Amos wrung a dishcloth under the hot water and began wiping down the counters. “He made it clear that he was on his own from then on and didn’t want to run the family business, nor did he want a cut of it when his dad died. He said some pretty awful stuff and Roy pointed to the door. Ryder hasn’t been back here since.”

  Mia’s determination to tell Carter what had happened to Ryder wavered. If Ryder truly didn’t want them in his life, what would he do when he woke up and found them in his hospital room? Things could get ugly and she wasn’t sure what his mental state or health was like right now.

  Perhaps she could feel Carter out and see how he felt about things. He had always been close to his dad; maybe he took Roy’s side in all this and wasn’t as neutral-ish as she’s thought. “Is Carter around?”

  “He had to make a run to the lumberyard. You should check out the gazebo—it looks good.”

  “Everything Carter builds looks good.” Mia checked her phone. “He asked me to meet him here.”

  Amos’s eyes twinkled. “Ah, I had a feeling about you two.”

  “Amos!” Mia’s cheeks flushed, just like every time Amos insinuated she and Carter were more than friends. They had been on several dates and Mia did enjoy Carter’s company. He was … comfortable and easy to talk to and, well, Carter.

  Where Ryder took after their dad in looks, tall dark and handsome, Carter took after his mother: medium height, medium brown hair, and fairly nice to look at. He was the cute neighbor. The one you could laugh with, but he didn’t make you fan your face.

  Amos wasn’t done teasing Mia. “In just a few weeks, the tulips will be up and the gazebo will be done. The garden will be ready for weddings.” He leaned close and winked.

  “Did someone say weddings?” asked Bonnie as she bustled in, her husband Roy right behind.

  Mia cringed. The Montgomerys. Anything she didn’t say from this point on could be considered a lie of omission. She wondered if the Lord punished those by omitting blessings or if there was some special judgment reserved for rotten people like her. Amos’s wonderful orange glaze turned to paste in her mouth.

  Bonnie’s blonde hair was frozen in place by the careful application of aerosol hairspray, and her pale blue eyes sparkled. “I just love having weddings in the garden. Do you remember the one last year, with the peonies that made the groom sneeze? Poor man, I thought his nose was going to run right off his face. Oh, Mia! It’s so good to see you.”

  “You too, Bonnie.” Mia smiled as Bonnie gave her a tight hug. “Roy.” Mia nodded his direction.

  Roy lifted the already half-eaten orange roll in salute.

  Bonnie reached for a roll and then jerked her hand back. “I am on a diet!” she insisted to herself, making Amos chuckle.

  Turning her back on the pan, Bonnie brightened. “Carter said he would have the gazebo done soon and we’re going to carve everyone’s initials in one of the posts. I want everyone to be there. Maria agreed, and Ingrid. You’ll come, won’t you?” she begged Mia. “We don’t get to see you much during the winter, and since you won’t be cleaning here—what with your fancy new job …” She shimmied her shoulders.

  “You’re a part of the Emerald legacy too, Mia,” added Roy.

  Mia bit her lip. “I’ve never been part of a legacy before.”

  “You’re family,” Bonnie insisted. “We’re going to find a way to keep you around, you know.” She and Amos shared a conspiratorial look.

  Mia smiled, though her heart screamed TRAITOR. The Montgomerys were the nicest people in the world. She should tell them. She should just open her paste-filled mouth and blurt out that their son was in the hospital. Taking a large gulp of milk, she moistened her lips. Just as she was about to force the words out, Ryder’s weak and pleading voice came to mind. Don’t tell my dad.

  Betraying a friend, a hurt friend, a friend who said he loved her, was not in her makeup. No matter how much she hated being in this position, in the end, it was Ryder’s call. She prayed the Montgomerys would forgive her as she made an awkward lurch towards the exit. “Will you tell Carter I stopped by but I couldn’t stay?”

  “Of course.” Amos started the dishwasher.

  Mia waved and shut the door on a chorus of goodbyes. Determined to get this sorted out once and for all, she marched to her car. Slamming the door, she vowed to wait at the hospital until Ryder woke up and broke off their imaginary engagement or called his family—whichever came first.

  Chapter 4

  If Mia wanted to be on time for her first day of work at her new job, she’d have to skip her morning run and go straight to the lodge. Ryder hadn’t woken up last night and she’d fallen asleep in the uncomfortable chair in the corner of his room. Her neck may be permanently kinked to the left for the rest of her life thanks to that dumb chair. The things she sacrificed for her pretend fiancé.

  The main lodge, located just over the kiddy hill Mia’s dad taught her to snowplow on, housed the gourmet restaurant and a giant locker room for guests, complete with bag, boot, and ski check, valet services, shops, and the ski patrol’s base.

  Two different hotels nestled in the ravine with the lodge. One had penthouses for sale or rent on the top seven floors with a five-star restaurant on the main level. The other had rooms and suites and the spa where massage therapists worked out a client’s ski knots. Mia could sure use some of their expertise today; she had enough knots in her neck to tie up an alligator.

  A warm shower at home didn’t help much and she found herself standing in the HR office at the resort at ten minutes to nine, feeling grouchy and unsettled. Employees were required to turn in their uniforms on the last day of the season. She’d obviously missed that window and hoped they wouldn’t hold her to the forty-dollar late fee.

  After a quick hello, she handed over her things and waited for Rhonda, the HR assistant, to print her return receipt. She’d worked with these people for years and asked after their families.

  “I heard about yesterday.” Rhonda pressed her hand to her chest. “So romantic, saving your fiancé like that.”

  Mia tucked her hair behind her ear. News sluiced through the lodge like an Olympic skier through fresh powder. Johnathan! She mentally stomped her foot. He was going to get her into a lot of trouble running his mouth off like that. “It wasn’t really like that.”

  “Oh, you’d better believe that if I saved my man’s life, he’d be doing dishes until death do us part!” threw in Kendra, the secretary, from her desk across the room, her black braids swinging.

  “I’ll be sure and bring that up in the wedding vows.” Her sarcasm was thick and she felt bad for laying it on the HR ladies like that. This situation wasn’t their fault. They had no idea they were perpetuating lies. She needed to set the record straight. “He’s not really my fiancé,” she blurted.

  “Well, not officially.” Rhonda stashed the snow pants in one bin and the coat in another. They would be sent off to the cleaners and then into storage for a year.

  “Excuse me?” Mia asked.

  “No ring.” Rhonda patted Mia’s bare left hand. “I noticed right when you came in. I’m sure it’s on the way—maybe for Easter?” She slid Mia’s receipt across the desk.

  Kendra squealed. “Awww, in a basket with chocolate eggs—wouldn’t that be romantic?”

  Mia hugged her hand to her chest and covered it with her right. She hadn’t even thought about a ring, and now all she could think about was how empty that finger felt and how badly she wanted Ryder to slide something sparkly on there.

  Rhonda and Kendra became caught up in their own conversation, as sometimes happens when two people know each other really well and the third person in the room wants nothing more than to disappear. Mia took her paperwork, waved, and made her way to guest services.

  Where HR was set up with one large counter and several desks in an open office layout, guest services had a receptionist’s desk, four cubicles, and two offices. Mia preferred the privacy of a half wall, and yet the feelin
g of being cooped up weighed on her.

  Smiling at Gertie, the receptionist, Mia made her way to Sandra’s office. She tapped lightly on the open door before stepping inside.

  Two sets of old-fashioned skis hung on the far wall, and a panoramic photograph of Ruby Mountain hung opposite. Two black filing cabinets hugged the corners, and a large wooden desk sat in the center of the room.

  Sandra looked up from her desk calendar and smiled. “How’d it go yesterday?”

  Mia suddenly remembered her one and only assignment. Panicked, she scrambled to remember where she’d put the release papers. Dropping into the chair on the opposite side of Sandra’s desk, she said, “He didn’t wake up while I was there.” Which made it impossible for him to sign paperwork—thank goodness.

  “When are you going back?”

  Mia’s gaze dropped to her shoes. “I don’t know if I should.”

  “Oh, you should. We really need those forms signed.” Sandra smiled encouragingly. “Besides, I’m sure he’d want to see you—you know, before the wedding and all.”

  Mia’s eyes snapped up. “Sandra, he’s not right in the head. We barely know each other and he was looking at me like, like—”

  When Mia paused, Sandra rolled her hand through the air, indicating she should go on.

  “—like he loved me.” Mia’s voice dropped. “I’ve never had anyone look at me that way before.”

  “And you liked it?”

  Mia nodded slowly. “More than I should.” Her face flushed with embarrassment and shame.

  “Mia!” called someone from the doorway.

  Mia whipped around in her seat to find that Johnathan was all smiles this morning. Gone was the ski patrol uniform. Instead, he wore loose-fitting jeans and a baggy New York City sweatshirt with three holes in the sleeve. Looking at him today, no one would believe he came from an ultra-rich family. Under his right arm was a box. “How’s the future Mr. Mia doing today?”

  “He’s on some pretty heavy pain meds and hasn’t woken up,” she said, trying to avoid any wedding talk. She’d tried to set Sandra straight and all she got was a load of teasing and some advice to just go with it. She could only imagine what Johnathan would say—especially after everything Ryder had said and done. Ryder’s name would be bounced through the gossip moguls once again. She didn’t want that for him.

  “Well, that shouldn’t last much longer,” Johnathan assured her. He removed the shoebox from under his arm, holding it out for her to take. “I was cleaning out lockers this morning and found your fiancé’s stuff.”

  “How’d you know it was my—Ryder’s?” Mia stuttered. She glanced at Sandra, who had leaned back in her chair and folded her arms with an amused lift to her brow.

  “The locker was registered under his name.” He rubbed his hands together. “Well …” Johnathan looked her over, and Mia considered that her navy slacks and bright pink high-collar shirt were too dressy for the ski office, where casual was more than a dress code; it was an attitude. She should have known better. A bunch of ski bums weren’t going to wear ties—even in the off season. She wasn’t normally a fashion diva, but there were times she liked to look good. Like dates. Not that she would date Johnathan. He was a player through and through. “I’ve got more lockers to clean out.”

  “Sounds good.” Mia nodded.

  “You know, it’s interesting. Right before we got the call out yesterday, I received an email saying the resort I work for in New Zealand over the summer needed a few more experienced staffers. They pay flight, board, and a competitive wage. You were top of my list, but I guess if you’re getting married and starting a new job, you’re not interested?”

  Mia’s heart nearly gave out. She’d wanted to work for the New Zealand resort for years, but you had to have a sponsor in order to get on staff. Few people had the ability to do that, so she’d shelved her dream and found a new one.

  Home ownership.

  Which was so boring compared to working in New Zealand! Having the opportunity tossed in front of her like this on the first day of her new job was like finding a hair in her gourmet salad. “Bad timing,” she grumbled.

  “Yeah.” He gave her a wistful smile and then left, nodding to Sandra.

  Sandra nodded back and scooted her chair forward.

  Mia pressed the box to her stomach, suppressing a groan of frustration. She even had a passport, for the love of Pete.

  Sandra tapped the desk with one of her press-on nails. A happy gleam in her eye accentuated her words. “Now you have to go see him.”

  Mia rolled her eyes at how pleased Sandra seemed with the situation. “Fine.”

  “I think you should go now.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes. He’s more likely to be alert after a good night’s rest, and I am swamped with end-of-season reports so I don’t have time to show you around like I thought I would.” Sandra shrugged.

  Mia bit her lip. Please, Lord, give me a good reason not to go over there. She paused, waiting for her prayer to be answered.

  The sky did not open up and place a baby panda bear in her lap that she’d have to care for. Nor did five feet of snow drop in front of the exit.

  Nope. It looked like heaven wasn’t going to interfere with this one.

  Thanks a lot! “I guess there’s no reason not to.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Sandra settled into her desk, effectively ending the conversation.

  Mia waved to Gertie as she hurried out to her car to get this over with. The longer she thought about it, the harder it would be to face Ryder. What if he’d come to and didn’t remember a thing? What if he came to and he did? Both possibilities gave her a stomach ache.

  Stepping out into the sunshine was like taking off a snorkeling mask. While the pressure of being indoors was bearable, removing it provided a sense of relief. There were benefits to being an office employee. She just needed to keep reminding herself of what they were, because she was already missing the sunshine, snow, and fresh air. Now that the resort was closed for spring, she would be doing maintenance of the lifts for the next few weeks while the mountain dried out. Then it was mountain biking season and a whole new set of outdoor enthusiasts flocked to the lifts.

  Because she was staring up at Ruby Mountain, Mia didn’t see the parking barrier and tripped, sending the box flying as she caught herself. “Stupid!” Scrambling to save everything from the spring runoff, she gathered a set of keys, a Spyder sweater she would now have to dry clean, and a wallet.

  Hmmm. Turning the wallet over in her hands, she noted the thick brown leather was worn at the corners. Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she flipped it open. Inside was Ryder’s driver’s license, insurance card, a picture of Ryder and Carter from when they were kids—which made her smile—and his social security card. “Who carries that in their wallet?” she asked no one in particular.

  A truck horn honked as if answering. Mia looked up to see Carter Montgomery in his 1992 blue Ford pickup. He waved and leaned across the seat to roll down the window. The truck had a lot of good qualities. Power windows were not one of them.

  She stuffed the wallet and keys in her pocket and the sweater into the box, shut the lid, and set it on her trunk before moving to his driver’s side window. “Hi. What … what are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to wish you good luck on your first day.” Carter smiled.

  “Thanks.” Mia grinned, then struggled to hold her smile in place as she thought of Ryder in the hospital. “I stopped by last night.”

  “Yeah—sorry about that. I was helping a guy with his banister and we kept thinking we’d be done, but then something would slow us down.” He ran his hand through his sandy brown hair.

  “It’s okay.”

  “Do they have you on parking lot duty?” Carter joked, waving his hand towards her car.

  “Nope. No. I’m just running an errand for the boss.” She smiled, keeping it vague on purpose.

  “Well, I hope it all goes w
ell.”

  “Thanks. Me too.” Mia pressed her lips together. “Listen, about Ryder …” she said at the same time Carter said, “They’re playing Sabrina at the theater this weekend. Do you want to go?”

  “What?” they both asked, and then laughed. Mia tucked her hair behind her ear, relaxing a little with Carter. He was like that—no pressure. She could use a few minutes without pressure.

  Carter tipped his head, considering her for a moment before saying, “Amos said you asked about Ryder last night.”

  Apparently he’d heard her and decided to go with that subject. Okay, so maybe there was some pressure … “Yeah.”

  Carter stared out the windshield, his eyes hooded. “It’s weird. We don’t talk about him.”

  “I noticed.” Mia twisted a loose thread around her finger. Her stomach doing the same twists as the string. “But you’d want to know if something happened to him, right?”

  Carter’s hand went to his gut as if she’d punched him. “Wouldn’t that be horrible? I don’t talk to my half-brother in months and then the phone call I get is that he’s been in some car accident.”

  Hadn’t talked in months?! That was not a good sign.

  He rubbed his belly. “I’d feel like such a jerk. And then he’d always wonder if I came around because I care or because I felt obligated. I mean, we get along okay, but there’s things we should clear up.”

  “You care, though?” Mia put her hands on the door, hoping he’d say yes and then she could spill the whole thing.

  “Of course I care, he’s my brother, but … I always felt like I had to choose: Ryder or my dad.”

  Mia was so confused. “So do you want to know, not want to know?”

  “Can we talk about something happier, like going to the movie?”

  Mia sighed in resignation. Maybe there was a reason she was an only child. Navigating the family dynamics was above and beyond her skills. “Sure.”

  “Sure you’ll go, or sure you’ll talk about it?” Carter asked with a half-smile.