Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

B ella

Daycare.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t experienced dropping my baby girl off at the hospital’s daycare dozens of times. She’s spent countless hours with several kind and well-trained women who’d brought my daughter out of her initial shell.

However, for some reason leaving her with strangers right now hit hard, my stomach aching at the thought of leaving her alone.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Winters. Cally will be well taken care of. She’ll have playtime and a nice lady is coming in to read Christmas stories while having a snack. And after our afternoon naps, we’re going to go see Santa. Would you like that, Cally?” Zoe Drake was down on my daughter’s level, already making my little girl laugh.

“Yay!”

“It’s just Bella,” I told her. No more Mrs. anything.

“Bella. It’s a pleasure meeting you and you can check on her any time.”

“Thank you.”

“Welcome to Foxhead Resort. You’re going to love it here,” Zoe offered.

“I think it’s good to be here.”

I returned to the corridor where Jenny was waiting. She was speaking Russian if I recognized the language correctly. She jerked iBuds from her ears when she saw me, laughing from the way I was looking at her. “Trying to get ahead in class.”

“Russian?”

“Yes, tougher than it looks,” Jenny admitted.

“I don’t know Danger Falls very well, but I have a feeling there’s not a huge Russian population.”

She laughed and guided me down the hallway. “Not a single person. I want to be in the CIA traveling the world.”

“Including Russia.”

“Oh, I would love to visit Moscow.”

“You do realize it’s dangerous. Right?”

“As my papa always told me, you only live once. Only with risks both physical and emotional can we reach the sweetest rewards.”

Her words of wisdom made me think about Jagger all over again. He was the most infuriating man I ever met and likely ever would. His coldness after the night we’d shared had been somewhat expected, but not to the degree I’d been forced to experience.

“What’s it like here?” I asked, trying to ignore my thoughts and improper visions so I could find my way in a town I didn’t know.

“At the resort or in Danger Falls?”

“Well, both.”

“Danger Falls is the kind of place where our grandmothers grew up. Everyone is polite. Few people lock their doors. Everyone waves. Sadly, everyone knows your life story. And unless you like the outdoors, it’s boring as hell,” Jenny admitted. “I can’t wait to get out of here. But since you have a family, the town will be good for Cally and her daddy.”

“No daddy. Just the two of us.”

“Oh, that explains it.”

Wrinkling my nose, I glanced at her. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Hey. Confess.”

She laughed and at least I could feel a little lighter than before. More hopeful. Waiting tables was an honorable profession and could be very profitable.

“That’s why Mr. Grumpy Fox was looking at you that way.”

“Grumpy Fox?”

“Jagger. I mean Mr. Fox. With three of them it’s tough to be polite. They can be… difficult.”

She was choosing her words carefully around me.

“I don’t know if I could handle three of them. Jagger is the grouchiest man I’ve ever known.”

“Oh, he’s a bear. Don’t catch him when he hasn’t had his first cup of coffee. That’s my first warning to you.”

“What’s a second one?” I asked.

She scrunched up her face as if unsure. “I know. Be careful what you say at Poppy’s Diner. The gossip girls are wicked when it comes to sharing every single thing you say, good or bad.”

“Then I’ll eat somewhere else.”

“Then you’ll miss the best cherry pies in the entire world. Yummy.”

Jenny’s enthusiasm made me feel at ease. “Well, I’ll just keep my mouth shut then.”

She smiled as we rounded a corner. “Do you know which restaurant you’re going to be working?”

“No clue.”

“Well, this is the bar and grill, a place where the boys tend to congregate. Between the microbrewery, the burgers, and the dozens of televisions, if any of the guests are missing their male significant others, this is where you can suggest they be found.”

“I’ll keep that in mind as well.”

“We’ll head to the coffee shop and bakery next.”

“Do you have any idea why Jagger is so… dour?”

She gave me a look. “That’s the perfect word to use for him. Dour. All three men remain very private. Shephard has a girlfriend, which has made him open up more, but don’t let Hunter’s jolly demeanor fool you either. Between Hunter and Jagger, I don’t know which one is gruffer than the other. I heard all three were big time military guys in three different organizations. They turned assassins or something. I don’t know how much of the stories are true. But I’ve seen their tattoos. Shephard was a Marine. I think Jagger was Army. Not sure about Hunter. They’re good guys, just…”

“Damaged.”

Her nod almost added another layer of regret to my actions. What business did I have in caring to any degree? I couldn’t.

So I wouldn’t.

“After the coffee shop, I’ll take you to meet Chef Zimmerman. My final warning. Don’t allow any insult she gives you to sink in. She’s just over her head with the job.”

“I’ve been warned.”

As we walked toward the brightly lit coffee shop, I noticed Jagger out of the corner of my eye. He noticed me as well and for a few cold seconds, we stared at each other. Every cell in my body was suddenly on fire as they’d been the night before. He had that kind of effect on me.

The man refused to look away, but I wasn’t entirely certain his thoughts mirrored mine. He did have demons, the kind that outranked mine.

I hadn’t realized I’d placed my fingers over my lips until Jenny bumped me in the arm. “Mmm… I can see you two know each other. Be careful or he might bite.”

My laugh sounded foreign and as she took me into the shop, I murmured under my breath.

“He already has.”

I was shocked how time flew. I’d been given the whirlwind tour, introduced to the staff, and tossed a resort tee shirt and apron. An hour later and I was serving the late breakfast crowd.

Without knowing what the hell I was doing.

At least I was lucky in that everyone feasting on homemade blueberry muffins, strawberry pancakes, and Eggs Benedict to die for were in jovial moods. They didn’t seem to notice I dropped a tray full of plates, spilled a drink on a customer, and almost got a bloody nose by running into a wall.

I’d performed sixteen-hour intricate surgeries without breaking into a sweat. But this. This incredibly busy day had shown me I was out of my element so far that I was close to space. I was also exhausted. When I looked at the clock, I realized it was almost four. How had so much time passed?

“Hey, Jenny. Do you think it would be okay if I stepped out to the lobby to catch a glimpse of the kids with Santa?”

“Of course not. We’re at our slow point now so I’ll cover your tables. You’ve been working your butt off helping me. I’m grateful.”

I untied my apron, meandering out of the back toward the lobby. There were at least fifty kids if not more waiting to have their special moment with Santa. I was floored at their good behavior.

Maybe it was helping they’d been smart to have a kids’ area set up with a cartoon playing and toys strung everywhere. Plus, four people were dressed as elves. They were handing out candy canes and other treats. I’d been in some of the finest resorts in the last few years and I was thoroughly impressed.

As I searched the area, I finally noticed Cally. She’d made a new friend already, another little girl about her height standing next to her. The two of them were jabbering away. Every one of the daycare workers was keeping track of them, watching every little move the kids made.

I resisted interfering, longing to see how my baby did with new surroundings.

“She looks happy.”

The deep voice was right behind me. I immediately tensed and folded my arms across my tee shirt. It was my effort to try to keep Jagger from noticing the kind of effect he had on me. My nipples were rock hard.

“It’s a little bit of a miracle. She’s bashful around people usually.” The fact she’d immediately taken to Jagger told me he had a good heart even if he fought it.

“She doesn’t seem shy.”

“Not right now, but she just doesn’t like new places. It comes from her being in the hospital on and off from the time she was born until she was almost two.”

I felt him stiffen even from where I was standing. Why I’d chosen to share something so painful and personal was beyond me.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He didn’t ask why and I didn’t know if he cared, but I almost felt compelled to continue.

“She had a heart defect when she was born. Several surgeries, sepsis, dozens of infections later and she became my little miracle. My survivor.”

“Maybe she’s just like her mom.” Jagger stepped slightly in front of me, which allowed for a much better view. “I’m not prying. Your business. Your life.”

“You might be right, Jagger. We all learn to adapt if we want to survive.”

He huffed his answer.

About that time, Cally caught my eye, waving to me like the happy kid she was. “Santa was a good idea.”

“Not mine.”

“Not a holiday guy, huh?”

“Not a people person. Haven’t you figured that out by now?” He tilted his head enough I was able to catch the hard expression on his face.

“I don’t know about that.”

“Well, you’ll get it eventually.” As he’d done several times before, he started to walk away. Suddenly, there was commotion coming from the entrance.

Several vehicles pulled up in a hurry, people climbing out and racing inside.

“What is going on?” I asked.

Jagger shook his head. “Stay here. I need to find out.”

While he raced toward the front, suddenly Hunter was jogging through the lobby, another man who looked an awful lot like him following closely behind. I couldn’t avoid my curiosity, moving around the Santa display toward them.

The sky was already appearing more ominous than before, the few glimmers of sun I’d noticed fading. I had a feeling we were in for another storm.

“What the hell did you just say, Denise?” Jagger asked.

The woman was dressed in a park ranger uniform, the label on her shirt indicating her job position. She was wet, her hair stuck to her face. As men flanked her side, they appeared the same. They’d been in the snow handling a rescue.

My gut tightened.

“A partial avalanche. There was a group of tourists on Danger Cove. They didn’t get the warnings and were trapped. We might have one left out there. Shephard. It’s bad.”

“Why the hell didn’t we get the warning?” Shephard asked.

“We were trying to get them to the hospital, but the rocks and snow blocked the only road leading there.”

“Shit,” Hunter exclaimed. “Where are they?”

“We had no choice but to bring them here. Maybe you have a doctor among your guests. No one is likely to die but a couple have lost a lot of blood. We need to turn your conference room into a makeshift clinic.” Denise was exasperated.

I found myself walking closer even though the little voice in the back of my mind told me what I was thinking was a very bad idea.

“I have no clue if we have a doctor in the resort, Denise. We can try and find out.” Shephard and Denise obviously knew each other fairly well. I could tell by their body language.

“We’re not equipped to be turned into a hospital,” Hunter insisted.

“We have to do something, Hunter. The backside of the storm is coming in. There’s no way a helicopter will be able to get in and take the victims to safety.” Denise was pleading.

I was sweating.

Jagger had his hands at his sides and I had a feeling he knew I was standing behind him. He turned toward me, taking two long strides until he was in my face. “I’m not trying to pry into your business, Bella, but if you’re who I think you are, we need your help.”

Suddenly, all eyes were on me, eight or nine people staring at me as if they knew exactly what was going on. “I can’t.”

Denise pushed her way through the others. “Are you a doctor? A nurse? An EMT?”

Why was this so damn difficult? I tried to shut it down, but the oath I’d taken to do no harm kept flooding the front of my mind.

“Bella,” Jagger growled.

I closed my eyes. “I’m a doctor. A surgeon. Where are the victims?”

“Thank God! They’re being transported in a couple vans. They should be here in five minutes,” Denise answered.

After taking a deep breath, I allowed the woman I’d been to take over completely. “Listen to me. If you have a conference room, I need every six- or eight-foot table you have in the place brought down, chairs pulled away. All the lights on. I need stacks of clean towels and a water source. However many first aid kits you have, I want them brought to the room. As far as any instruments, I may need to borrow some from the kitchen. As long as they’ve been sterilized. Since I don’t know what I’m dealing with, this will be dicey. Can you make sure that’s taken care of?” I glanced at all three brothers.

Shephard nodded. “Of course. I’ll rally some employees and have what you need brought in.”

“Hunter. Will you make certain all the kids find another place to visit Santa? I don’t want the victims brought in front of them.”

“You got it. Zoe. Let’s make a new plan. We’ll go into the Cascade auditorium. It’s much bigger.”

Zoe nodded, immediately springing into action. “Okay, kids. We have snacks and Santa is coming with us.”

I turned to Jagger, needing his help and support more. “I don’t know how this is going to work, but I might need you.”

I’ll be damned if the man wasn’t gritting his teeth like he was going to say no. “Yeah, I’ll do what I can. I might know a thing or two about wounds.”

I bet he did.

As the entire lobby went into a quiet frenzy, I questioned my judgment. Maybe this was the best thing in my life at this point.

A grounding.

A new beginning.

A girl could hope for the best.