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“You as well.” Thor nodded to her then narrowed his eyes at Jace. “So Klein wasn’t blowing smoke. You really did miss a powder day to teach a beautiful blonde how to ski.”
“I did.” He focused on Ayla. “And it was worth it.”
She smiled at him, but there was something brewing in her eyes. He gave her a questioning look. Her blue eyes seemed to beckon to him and he itched to hold her close and encourage her to reveal all her secrets. They could heal and learn to trust and love together. Right? Man, he was being an idealistic sucker. It reminded him of the pre-Iluminada version of himself. But he’d liked that guy.
“I think we should leave these beautiful people alone,” Shelly said to Thor.
“I think you’re right, my beautiful Racer. Because I want to get you alone.” Thor winked at his wife.
“Just go.” Jace shooed them with his hand.
Everyone laughed. Thor and Shelly waved and walked off hand in hand. Jace sat back down, but something caught his eye. A man sat in a nearby corner booth, alone. He was bald, well-built, and familiar. Where had Jace seen him before? Maybe at the resort? The guy was shoveling in a pasta dish and not looking at anyone.
Jace returned his focus to Ayla, where it should be.
She was looking at where Thor and Shelly had disappeared around the corner. “Delta,” she murmured. Jace wondered what was going on. His friends the Deltas were top notch people but besides Chandler Delta being an accomplished PLL lacrosse player and Hudson Delta a famous extreme athlete sensation not many people would know the Delta family. Jace could best Hudson on skis, but Hudson could do stunts in or above the water, air, and land that Jace would never dare attempt.
Ayla glanced back at him, and her gaze grew determined. She leaned forward and grasped his hands. “Jace. I need your help.”
“Of course.” Even though she’d be gone soon, he’d do anything to help Ayla. He felt a deep connection to her and was pushing past boundaries he’d unintentionally set since Iluminada had ditched him. What if he asked her to helphimby staying in the valley, dating him, taking a job at his resort, giving them a chance? Could they grow closer and develop a lasting relationship? He finally wanted to give a woman a chance to enter his heart again. He couldn’t lose her like he had Iluminada. Back then, he hadn’t been enough of a man to keep his wife from leaving him. Rationally he knew that wasn’t his fault, but it still felt like it sometimes.
“Do you know about the Delta family and some secret weapon and a cave they housed it in that’s full of gold bricks and they blew it up and buried it all as a monument to their grandfather who died?”
He stared at her, blinked, and stared some more. “I know the Delta family really well. They’re incredible and with-it people who have had some crazy stuff happen to them the past year, including some kidnappings. Their grandfather, a former highly decorated Navy Admiral, was killed trying to save his grandson. Also, a bunch of military troops drove through Summit Valley to the Deltas’ valley east of here in September,” he inclined his chin in that direction, “because of some mix-up with a lost Navy SEAL team.”
It was a lot of crazy stuff, and of course the valley speculated about how it had all happened to one family. Personally, Jace trusted and respected the Delta family and those who’d married in, and he believed what they told him. Besides Ammon, they were some of his closest friends.
She arched her eyebrows as if there were more he wasn’t sharing.
“What?” He lifted his hands.
“You’ve heard nothing about a secret weapon or gold bricks?” She seemed almost desperate. Jace’s stomach churned. Was she a treasure hunter? That didn’t fit, but why was she so interested in the Deltas, a weapon, and gold bricks? It sounded like a far-fetched tale.
“I have no idea about a secret weapon, and I highly doubt any of the down-to-earth Deltas are hiding a bunch of gold bricks. Even if they were, they wouldn’t blow them up and bury them.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders rounded and her eyes filled with disappointment. “Well, at least I tried. The stinking idiot is going to have to dig out of his own grave.”
“Grave?” He waited, but she didn’t say more. “What’s going on, Ayla?”
She looked around and then leaned in even closer and whispered, “My stupid boss, Bryan. You remember him?”
He nodded. Like he could forget Bryan.
“He’s such an imbecile. I told you I run his insurance office …” He nodded, and she continued, “I do everything while he vacations, sleeps around with every woman who’ll sully herself with him, and thinks he’s the bomb-diggity. He pays me more than ten times what I could make anywhere else, and …” She bit at her lip and looked down. “I have some debts I have to pay off, and I pay for my grandmother’s facility, so I haven’t been able to quit and get a new job. But I promise I’m working on it.”
“I’m sorry that you’re stuck working for him.” How had she run up debt? He appreciated she was finally sharing with him, but was her unfortunate job situation and her debt the source of all the pain he’d seen in her eyes? He didn’t think so.
“Anyway. I know the books at the office, the existing policies and new business I’ve secured this year alone. Bryan has always made insanely good money, and he should clear over two million dollars this year alone. After taxes.”
“Good for him.” Jace had been around wealthy people when he was downhill racing. He was impressed with many of them who didn’t flaunt their wealth and used it to help others. People like Bryan, who made a lot of money because of a with-it, intelligent sweetheart like Ayla working her tail off for him and used it to travel and sleep around, didn’t merit much respect in his eyes.
“Not really. He’s lost all of it to his ex-wives and his gambling. He’s lost more than he’s made. Apparently, he owes somebody millions. He heard about the Deltas’ gold bricks and thought it was the answer. He claims if he doesn’t get those bricks, they’ll kill him.”
“Truly?” Jace’s neck tightened. Was she in danger because she worked for Bryan? How could he convince her to get away from the guy? Bryan had given him bad vibes the entire time he’d been around the guy, and this made it a million times worse. Ayla shouldn’t be associated with him.
“He might be exaggerating, but I’m afraid he’s not. He’s begging me to help him, because you know I always take care of everything. And honestly, if he gets killed or arrested, I’ll be in a heap of trouble. I’ve looked desperately for another job, but nobody wants to come close to what Bryan is paying me. And if I don’t pay for my grandma’s care, they could relocate her to the run-down nursing home across town that doesn’t have the treatments or skilled nurses she needs. If I don’t pay off that credit card debt soon, the interest will keep compiling and I’ll have to sell my condo because they won’t re-fi it with my horrible credit, and …” she trailed off.
Jace was trying to register all of this. He wondered again why she’d be in so much debt and have horrible credit—not that he could judge someone else’s youthful bad choices. It made more sense why she didn’t just quit her job and it was impressive how much she cared for and was sacrificing for her grandmother.
