Page 31 of The Mission

Conrad smiled. “What if I need the loo?”

“Hey, there are terrible dangers in toilets. No peeing by yourself. And don’t poke anything through any holes. I’m going to stay right next to you.” He gave Conrad a quick kiss and got back in the car.

Conrad went into the chalet through the basement entrance and changed out of his boots into his shoes. He left the skis and poles in the drying rack and made his way upstairs. He spotted Mark and the others in the bar, but they didn’t see him. Conrad was really tired but he thought a swim might warm him up and ease his aches and pains, so he hung his stuff up to dry and put on his swim shorts.

It was still snowing when he opened the door onto the deck, so he left his gown and flipflops under cover and walked through the snow to the water.Cold, cold, cold!The hot tubs were busy but the pool was empty, water vapour curling up into the air in snaky tendrils. He was hoping the pool was the perfect temperature and it was. Hard not to moan in pleasure when he submerged himself.

Conrad swam slowly, going over what had happened. Was he being paranoid imagining Mark had moved those poles? Were they easy to move? That didn’t seem sensible, but then who’d imagine someone would want another person to fall? If Mark had moved them, Conrad didn’t think he’d meant to do anything more than scare him. Well, he had scared him, but the outcome could easily have been a whole lot worse. If he’d fallen off the lip at the bottom… Conrad gulped.

He wasn’t sorry that Rurik now knew Mark had walked off and left him. Mark had got away with too much for too long. The first time he’d left bruises on Conrad’s arms should have been the last time. Conrad refused to be a victim anymore. Maybe he ought to look for another place to work. He had a horrible feeling Mark was always going to be a thorn in his side one way or another.

Thirty minutes later, and feeling a lot better, he was on his way to the Lehner chalet. He wasn’t sure whether or not to buy another bottle of wine, but when he passed an open store, he decided he should.

Yet again, Arlo had the door open before he knocked and Conrad had this image of Arlo with his face pressed to the window watching for him. Mark had never done that. No one had ever done that. Nor smiled so happily to see him.

“How are you feeling?” Arlo asked.

“Fine.” Though he had some bruises blossoming on his calves and lower thighs probably caused by his skis and boots, or maybe his poles. At least he hadn’t hit any rocks.

“Really?” Arlo handed him the slippers and hung up his jacket.

“I’m a bit shaken up,” he admitted.

“How far did you fall?”

“About thirty feet.”

“Oh God, that’s a long way to have to side step up.”

He led Conrad back into Christmas where the kids were watchingHome Aloneand eating pizza.It looked so cosy that Conrad’s heart lurched. He gave the wine to Arlo’s mum and received a hug. Conrad stiffened. He wasn’t used to women hugging him. Or men.

“Thank you, Conrad. I’m so glad you’re okay. Sit down and take it easy.”

“Thank you for letting me eat with you again. It’s very kind of you.”

“It’s a pleasure to have you.”

Rurik passed him a glass of red wine. “I told Ski Patrol you were okay and I had a word with the QParks guys. When the wind dropped, they went up to check the barrier. Looks as though it had been put up too close to the edge, though the guy responsible for checking it this morning said it was fine. He’s going up first thing tomorrow to look for himself.”

He stared at Conrad as if he expected him to say something but Conrad kept quiet. Mark had definitely caused him to ski too close to the edge, but Conrad wouldn’t accuse him of shifting the poles.

When the adults sat to eat, Rurik stood up before they started the meal and raised his glass. “I want to toast Conrad, who beat all comers on the slalom today, including myself. What he doesn’t know is that he has the fastest time so far this season. Now, I know the season’s only just started but if it was a time from last season, in the amateur field, he’d be ranked seventh. So well done, Conrad.”

They all raised their glasses and toasted him and Conrad felt his face flush with heat. Hestillwasn’t convinced that Rurik hadn’t let him win, but it was lovely to have his victory celebrated.

7

Conrad found his eyes being pried open by child Three—Katie, he thought, and realised he’d spent the night on the Lehners’ couch. He had no memory of the evening after sitting down with Arlo following dinner. Someone had taken off his slippers and put a blanket over him. There was daylight coming in through the windows.Oh my God.

“Are you awake?” Three asked.

“Yes, thank you.” Conrad sat up.

“Can I watch TV now?”

“Yes, sweetheart.” Rurik’s voice.

A moment later, Rurik was sitting next to him. “How do you feel?”

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