Page 105 of The Aster Valley Collection, Vol. 1

SAM

While Truman was sending Barney off, Chaya was calming Deputy Stone down.

Not that the man needed calming. He took everything in with the same cool detachment he’d had before.

Once the significance of the beads was explained, he promised to update the fire investigators and let them determine whether beads that clearly hadn’t even been in the fire were evidence in an arson investigation.

Even though it was clear Barney hadn’t had time to plant the beads in the few moments he’d been sitting at the table, I still wondered if he’d done it.

The bead situation seemed awfully similar to the miraculous discovery of Aunt Berry’s notebook.

But then why not just offer them to Truman the same way he’d done with the notebook?

And when the evidence was so clearly indicative of the Stanners’ involvement in the arson, why would Barney attempt to frame me for it? It didn’t make any sense which was the only reason I didn’t think he was a reasonable suspect for planting the mala in my bag.

So then, who else would have done it?

I looked around the room at so many familiar faces.

Pim and Bill from the diner, who’d been nothing but kind and generous with Mikey and Tiller since they’d arrived in town.

Their son, Solo, who was scrolling through his phone like a typical teenager.

Mia and Mindy, who seemed to dote on Truman like a pair of big sisters.

Nina from the ranch, Gentry, Winter, and Doran, who had absolutely no motive whatsoever considering Gent’s music career had made him millions.

Winter still happily worked as an OT at the hospital clinic, and Doran continued to manage Gent’s career the way he’d done for years.

That left Deputy Stone, who was definitely hard to read.

I noticed him paying close attention to the discussion Pim and Tiller were having about opening the ski resort.

Pim’s eyebrow lifted at Tiller. “Mikey said you guys were thinking about getting it up and running sooner than you planned,” he said, pouring another cup of coffee.

Truman walked back into the kitchen and snuck under my arm to wrap his hands around my waist. I dropped a kiss on top of his head. “Okay?”

“Yeah. It’s over.” He sounded relieved which was enough for me to say a silent prayer. Hopefully he was right.

Tiller nodded at Pim and explained about having some investment interest that had sped up his timeline.

He didn’t share the name of the well-known skier yet, but he gave everyone as much detail as possible about what the plan was.

“And Sam has agreed to come on board to manage operations, which we’re thrilled about,” he said with a grin in my direction.

Everyone cheered and congratulated me, but I only had eyes for Truman’s reaction.

Even though I’d told him already, it still obviously made a difference to him to hear it confirmed. His cheeks flushed pink, and his mouth curved up in a smile. I couldn’t help but pull him more tightly against my side and lean down for a kiss, which of course made for more cheering and excitement.

“Also,” Tiller continued, “my agent has hooked us up with some high-end PR agency to ensure that any media coverage about Aster Valley and the Rockley Ski Resort will be positive and focused on the future as much as possible. To that end, they’re in contract negotiations on our behalf right now with a film producer who wants to shoot most of his movie on the mountain later this summer. ”

I could tell this was news to Mikey. His face lit up with excitement, and he began asking a million questions.

Tiller shrugged. “I don’t know much yet since the agency is in charge of all that.

I just figured it would start giving the mountain some good news coverage well before the resort opens back up.

That way when we launch the resort and open the mountain for skiing, there will be more for the media to cover than just the accident and subsequent shutdown. ”

It was a good plan, something I never would have thought about in a million years. “That means we need to get those chalets ready,” I said. “Offer them as rentals for the cast and crew.”

Tiller laughed and pointed a finger at me. “Earning your keep already. I like the way you think.”

Deputy Stone cleared his throat. “If you wouldn’t mind keeping us updated so we can help with crowd management and whatnot, that would be much appreciated. Meanwhile, I’m going to head out. Thank you for your hospitality this morning.”

The deputy’s departure broke up the party with most everyone else admitting they needed to get back to work. Mikey cheerfully showed everyone out while Tiller asked if we could talk about some business logistics for transitioning into my new role.

It was an exciting way to spend the rest of the morning, and I enjoyed sneaking glances at Truman from time to time. He was happily helping Mikey clean up from breakfast by washing dishes and putting leftovers away.

I fell into a kind of daydream haze of imagining plenty more days and nights like this, hanging out with friends and enjoying watching Truman thrive among people who loved him.

“And then we can craft tiny space rockets and send messages to the aliens on faraway planets,” Tiller said.

I blinked at him, trying to figure out what in the hell I’d missed. Was he suggesting a themed restaurant on the mountain? “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You’re in lurve,” he said in a singsong whisper. “With a capital L .”

I waved a hand of dismissal. “I’m just tired. Tell me what you think about renting out the lodge to the movie folks.”

“I’m not sure whether it’s a good idea. It’s our home, you know?”

I nodded. “But you’ll be in Houston for preseason, and you could always offer it at an obscenely high rate.

I’ll bet they’d be willing to pay for the convenience of walking to the set.

Besides, by that time I should have a work crew, and we can always move your personal belongings into one of the storage rooms in the basement and lock it up. ”

“I’ll see what Mikey says. I don’t particularly care, but I know he feels strongly about his kitchen.”

He was right. But the money from the rental could pay for a kitchen renovation a million times over, especially if one’s best friend was a general contractor.

“Think about it. It’s a good idea to establish Rockley Lodge as the place to stay if your plan is to open it as a bed-and-breakfast when the slopes open.”

We talked about it a little more before Tiller and Mikey disappeared back to their bedroom, leaving me blessedly alone with Truman. I nudged him out the back door and across the yard to where Tiller had installed a giant hammock between two trees at the edge of the woods.

It was a glorious spring day with bright, clear sun sparking off the new green growth in the grass and nearby aspen trees.

Once we were settled together on the hammock, I asked him how it had gone with Barney.

“He said he’d only ever wanted what was best for me but that he’d leave us alone. It was kind of sad.”

I agreed. But it was also a relief to hear the older man had finally quit the field.

“He’s coming to terms with the reality of my feelings,” Truman continued.

“I guess. And I really wanted to find a way to stay friends with him. It was sweet of him to make me those peanut butter cookies yesterday, even if he did have to make a point of gloating about how all the ingredients were organic and plant-based. It was a shame you weren’t there to see him brag when he dropped them off, as if he’s the only one who can make a decent peanut butter cookie. ”

Listening to the lengths the man had gone to in order to impress Truman almost made me pity him.

Almost.

“I’m ready to tell Mikey and Pim about the hit-and-run,” Truman said, changing the subject.

“It’s going to come out anyway once the Stanners have to answer to state law enforcement, and I don’t want them to hear about it from anyone else.

They’re going to meet me for breakfast tomorrow at the diner. ”

I ran my hand up and down his back while he changed the subject back to the mala beads.

“Who could have put them in there?”

“Anyone, really,” I admitted. “Tiller and Mikey have had tons of people over, and before that, the bags were still on my bike at the Chop Shop.”

“Ugh, you’re right. You haven’t searched through them since then? You didn’t look inside them after you retrieved them from the shop?”

I shook my head. “I thought the only things in there were a few snacks and an extra jacket. I took my backpack out when we walked into town that first day. Remember?”

Truman sighed. “Yeah.”

Before we could talk it through, Tiller poked his head out the back door.

“You, me, 5:00 a.m. tomorrow. Road trip. Be ready,” he shouted across the yard with all the cocksure attitude of a pro baller.

“Like hell,” I hollered back. I had plans to be naked in bed with Truman Sweet at five tomorrow morning. Besides, if he was going to finally tell Mikey and Pim about the hit-and-run, I wanted to be there for support.

“First job of the COO. We got a lead on a snow gun.”

My brain couldn’t follow his words or logic. “A… snow gun?” I murmured.

Truman laughed and shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I’m a plant man.”

Tiller kept shouting rather than step his precious bare feet off the deck.

“It’s the thing resorts use to make snow.

They’re not cheap, and there are a couple used ones for sale in Breckenridge.

The movie people want us to be able to make snow for the film, and I’d prefer not having to pay full price for them before we know what the hell we’re doing. ”

I hesitated, trying to figure out how to turn down his first request of me in my new role. Truman grabbed my cheek with one hand and angled my face to meet his eyes. “It’s fine,” he said with a smile. “I can handle the breakfast on my own.”

“I know you can. Doesn’t mean you should have to,” I said softly.

“But I want to. And I want you to start your job here so you’ll be locked into staying here in Aster Valley,” he teased.

“Besides, now that Deputy Stone has all the information about the Stanners and the fire investigators know they don’t have an alibi, maybe we can forget about all of this stressful stuff for the rest of the day. ”

“Mm-hm.” I leaned down and kissed him softly, taking my sweet time tasting his mouth.

“Dude!” Tiller called from the deck. “For real?”

“You’re one to talk, asshole,” I called, running fingers through Truman’s curly hair where his head rested on my chest. “Fine. But those things probably not small enough to fit in the SUV either. We’re going to need a trailer.”

His voice sounded as excited as a little kid on Christmas. “New snow machines and a big-ass new trailer? Don’t mind if I do.”

I laughed when I should have said no to the whole damned thing. But I didn’t.

And it turned out to be a dangerous mistake.