Page 2 of Snowed in with the Enemy

“Thanks. See you tomorrow if the snow doesn’t get too crazy.”

I set down the boxes and tossed a wave over my shoulder since I was double parked and rushed back to my car. The snow picked up the pace and suddenly I was worried about the incoming storm so I pushed my car as much as I safely could. The last thing I needed was for the firefighters to come all the way out here just to get me out of a ditch.

Slow down,I warned myself whenever my foot pressed a little too hard on the gas. I passed the sign for Lancaster Development and instantly my smile faded. “Stupid billionaire developer,” I grumbled to myself. Even though I hadn’t met Lee Lancaster in person, I hated the man on principle.

Well, not the man because I didn’t know him well enough to hate him, but what I knew? I hated. He was a rich prick who only cared about his bank account. He’s developed skyscrapers and resorts all over the world, permanently changed the landscape of those places and increased his wealth exponentially. Still that wasn’t enough for the man. He now had his sights set on Holiday Grove, specifically the Silver Bell Mountains.

His so-called resort would likely be a huge eyesore which was bad enough but the fact that it’ll block out the view of the Silver Bell Mountains for the rest of Holiday Grove. I’ve talked to the mayor who thinks the resort is a wonderful idea despite the fact that nearly the entire town signed a petition to stop the resort.

The only thing left to do is appeal to the heartless billionaire, which I’ve tried, but he’s always too busy or out of town. Also known as just plain avoidance.

He couldn’t hide forever.

Sooner or later he would have to show his face around here and when he did, I planned to tell him exactly what I thought of him.

Chapter 2

Lee

“Sorry man, they’ve added more dates to the tour so I won’t be able to make it until Christmas Eve.”

I sighed but otherwise bit back my disappointment. “Don’t be sorry Mac, this is great news. That means the tour is doing even better than expected, right?”

“Yeah,” he sighed but I heard the smile in my younger brother’s voice. “We’re sold out until Spring if you can believe it.”

“Why wouldn’t I believe it? This is your second or third world tour and each one gets bigger than the last one. The pitfalls of being a world famous rock star.”

“Ass,” he grumbled. “Are you staying in Holiday Grove alone?”

“That’s the plan. I’m driving back to town now.” The airport was a crowded mess and I’d never been more grateful for long-term parking in my life.

“How did the opening go?”

“Great. The place is gorgeous, fully staffed and the whole of Kingston is grateful to Lancaster Development for the tourist dollars sure to come.” I wasn’t an altruist and though I diddonate to charity, no one who knew me would call me a philanthropist, but developing projects that included high-rise luxury residences and resorts meant that I was always looked at through a hero lens. For every business displaced because of my projects, hundreds of jobs were created and millions of dollars flowed to the city. “It’s fully booked through the New Year with more reservations pouring in.”

Mac laughed. “Who knew you’d end up being so good at making money?”

I laughed. “Uncle Ty since he invested in my first property. And my second.” Our aunt and uncle took us in when our parents died. Mac and I were eight and ten when we went to live with them in a modest suburban Chicago home. They were nothing but supportive, encouraging Mac’s love of music and my gift for numbers. “In fact, he and Aunt Nadia are enjoying two week at my resort in Australia.”

Mac laughed. “How much shit did Aunt Nadia give you about such an extravagant gift?”

“All the shit,” I confirmed. “At least until she saw all the excursions I booked. Swimming with the dolphins quieted her objections instantly.” My aunt was an animal lover and I wasn’t above using that to get her to accept all manner of gifts.

“Sound check time, D. I’ll call you again in a day or two.”

“Sounds good. Break a leg, kid.” I ended the call, tossing the phone on the passenger seat because the snow was coming down heavier than when I started the two and a half hour drive from the airport. “Damn weather report said late evening.” By the time I reached the Welcome to Holiday Grove sign, the snow was coming down so heavy I could barely make out the sign, now decorated in tinsel and a wreath.

The long road would eventually give way to a few farms that grew everything from Christmas trees, pumpkins, an apple orchard and a small goat farm that supplied cheese to localrestaurants and soap to a few boutiques and B&Bs in town. It was a cute little town and the plot of land overlooking the mountains was the perfect place for my next resort.

The road that bisected the farms hadn’t seen any traffic for at least half an hour as evidenced by the packed snow challenged the traction on my brand new tires. The SUV handled well but it was no match for the fluffy snow that turned to ice under my tires and not even my white knuckle grip could keep the damn thing straight on the road.

The back of the car skidded one way and the front went the other, which of course made me overcorrect and the car spun several times before it came to a stop at an angle. I turned on the windshield wipers and groaned at the what I saw, namelynotthe road I was on. “No.” Instead of the road the front end of the car faced the snow covered ground. “Stuck in a ditch. How cliché.”

I gave myself thirty minutes inside the warmth of the car to see if the snow would let up, figuring that since the weather reports were wrong about when the storm began maybe they were also wrong about when it was supposed to end.

It only snowed harder and I knew if I didn’t get out of the car now, I’d end up stuck there. There wasn’t a lot of traffic on this road for another three miles until Holiday Grove’s version of Main Street, Independence Street, began. I pushed the door open, thankful it gave easily, even as a blast of cold wind smacked me backwards. I wrapped my scarf around my neck, buttoned up my coat and made my way to the road. My shoes were inappropriate for this weather, but I hadn’t been expecting to hike a snowy road when I dressed this morning. I made it about five steps before I nearly went down and had to slow my pace, which made everything take even longer.

I looked up and down the road, hoping to spot headlights in the distance but just as I suspected, I was on my own and I hadn’t lived in town long enough to have anyone to call. Mostof the farm homes were too far off to be seen from the road but about a mile up the road I spotted the golden glow of a porch light, just like Aunt Nadia used to leave on for Mac and me.

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