Looking Out for Lexy (20 page)

             
April laughed that silver laugh of hers.  “You did a wonderful job for not being on skis for several years.  You’ll be all right kid.  Just get right back out there tomorrow.”             

             
“Easy for you to say, Mrs. Ski Expert!”  Lexy grumbled under her breath.  “My sister is expecting us for dinner around 8:00.  I’m going to go take a shower and get ready.  I’ll see you back there.  Snag the kids for me will you?” 

             
With a groan, (much exaggerated to give effect) she slid out of the booth, finding her way through the crowd.  April noticed several nice looking men of all ages watch Lexy leave, eyeing her up and down.
And why not,
thought April.  She’s one good looking chick.  There are plenty of other roosters in the barnyard.

             
April would see to that, subtly of course.  If Lexy even suspected April was pushing her toward a man she would run the other way as fast as she could.  She elbowed Steve, who was admiring a tall, long haired snow bunny.

             
“Hey sport.  Let’s get the kids and get going.  You have all week to look.  Look but not touch!”  Steve grinned at her.

             
“You know me too well, April.  That’s what I love about you.  You know I wouldn’t do more than look.”  They rose, going to find Jessie and Ryan.

             
Dinner with her sister and brother-law was always a great time.  Charles, Edie’s husband was from South Africa.  Lexy always loved to hear him talk.  

             
Her sister looked dazzling as usual behind the small half-moon bar.  As soon as they could, the proprietors joined their little group of revelers.  Lexy was glad she'd decided to come on the trip.  She was having a good time, although every time she saw a man with long dark hair that curled down his neck she was reminded of Jack.  And, there were plenty of tall, dark haired men out here.  Lexy kept imagining she was seeing him.  The impossible dream of course. 

             
After they’d eaten dinner and had shared a sinful dessert, Edie brought out a bottle of wine and they continued to party.  By the time they were about to close the place up at midnight, everyone (except the kids of course) was feeling pretty good, including Lexy.  She knew that she’d pay dearly in the morning, but at the moment she was having a great time.  It was something she didn’t do enough of, thanks to her almost hermit like existence DT.(during Tom!)  As a result, Lexy was doing everything at full throttle, trying to make up for the last few years. 

             
That had been obvious this last time in New York City with Jack. It embarrassed and sent chills up her spine simultaneously. She’d  wanted him badly and had acted shamelessly.  No wonder she hadn’t heard from him.  It hurt her to think she’d allowed herself to be used again.

             
Oh shoot!  Lexy didn’t know what the heck was going on.  He hadn’t called, but then he’d said he would be busy.  Did he really want to see her again?  God, she wished she knew.  This getting back into the dating scene was worse than death, for Heaven’s sake! 

             
Lexy felt sorry for all those young people just starting out.  It was much simpler years ago when she'd first started dating.  Now you had to be careful of AIDS, and everyone jumped in the sack so quickly it made her head spin. 
And I’m just as guilty as the next person.  I wanted him to ravish me for God’s sake!

             
“Lexy.  Have you heard a word I’ve said.  You’re in another world.”  She snapped back to reality as her sister practically shook her.

             
“Sorry.  I’m really here.  Now what were you saying?” 

             
On the way back to the ski lodge she and April were hanging on to each other to keep from falling down, singing at the top of their lungs in the pure mountain air.  Steve and the kids walked as far behind them as they could, hoping no one would notice them with those two lunatics. 

             
Still singing, Lexy and April moved through the lobby towards the staircase leading to their second floor rooms.  As she glanced around, she spotted a dark haired man at the bar with his head bent, nursing a drink.  She shook her head as they started up the stairs again. 

             
The kids hurried on ahead so as not to look like they were associated with them.  Lexy tossed her head. He looked so
familiar, she had to look again.  The man wasn’t there now.  Now this was ridiculous.  She hadn’t had that much!   She just thought she’d seen him. 

             
Oh well, she sighed.  I guess I’ll be seeing his face everywhere I go.  At least I was with him again for two days. 

             
With another quick glance back, Lexy wandered up the stairs to the room she was sharing with her kids.  Lexy wasn’t looking forward to the hangover she would most definitely have tomorrow.

              The next morning Lexy bravely opened one eye and looked at the clock.  It was 11:00 already.  She groaned as she lifted her head.  It felt twice the normal size.  She painfully put her feet on the floor, standing up.  “My God!  Why!  why!  why!”  Waving her hands ahead of herself, barely able to stand the bright light, she made it to the shower. 

             
Lexy stood under the soothing water for twenty minutes.  By the time she'd dried herself off and drank the glass of tomato juice that the kids had obviously left for her, she felt five-hundred percent better, which wasn’t saying all that much. 

             
She struggled into her baby blue ski pants and matching jacket.  Brushing out her hair very carefully, she plopped her white ski hat on.  Lexy wasn’t about to be the party pooper, although at the moment she would’ve liked to be. 

             
Cursing her sister under her breath, she went down to the lobby and started toward the door.  As she looked around the big open main room in the lodge she caught a glimpse of a slim, well built, dark haired man in a black ski jacket and jeans, aviator sunglasses in place.  He seemed to be watching her.  Abruptly he turned and walked out a side door.

             
Heavens, she had to cut this out.  He wasn’t here for God’s sake.  He didn’t even want her.  He’d made that quite plain when he hadn’t called her!

             
Lexy slipped into the chair lift and was carried up the mountain.  She had decided to try something a little more adventurous than the beginner hill.  The way she felt at the moment, it didn’t seem to matter. 

             
At the intermediate hill she put her glasses in place, digging her poles into the slick, icy snow.  She gritted her teeth, pushing off.  Lexy was actually enjoying herself until a big dip came up suddenly.  She felt her skis go out from under her.  Her right leg was caught at an awkward angle under a tangle of skis. 

             
She lay there for a minute, unable to move.  The pain seared through her, replacing her hangover.  A member of the ski patrol came over to see if she was all right.  He helped her up and her ankle gave out.  He grabbed her as the pain shot through her leg right up to her hip.  She gasped in pain.  He put his hand on her ankle and she winced in agony.

             
“Does this hurt?”  The young man was carefully examining her ankle that was starting to swell.

             
“Yes, I don’t think I can walk on it.  Is it bad?”

             
“It feels like a slight sprain.  Put your arm around my shoulder and I’ll help you back to the lodge.  We’ll have our medic take a look at it.  A little ice should do it for the next day or so.”  He helped her to get up slowly. 

             
As they made their way down the rest of the hill cautiously, the handsome, dark haired man at the top of the hill pushed off, leisurely slaloming down the hill, keeping his distance.  Jack Wyatt watched as she was helped into the lodge.  Placing his glasses up on his head, his dark, hazel eyes followed her every movement.  He started toward the door, uncertain where he was going to begin. 

             
He’d seen her look at him the night before, but she hadn’t recognized him in her somewhat inebriated state.  He’d smiled at her serenading the lodge as she had weaved up the stairs.  He had disappeared quickly after that.

             
Lexy sat at a table with her leg propped up with a huge ice bag on her ankle.  The medic had pronounced it to be a slight twist, saying she’d be back on the slopes in a day or so.  Jessie and Ryan had hovered over her like mother hens until she assured them she was fine.

             
“I’m going to watch everyone else for a change.  Now get going.   I want you to have a good time.  I’ll do some man watching, how does that sound?”

             
“Right Mom.  Maybe you do need someone to look after you.”  Jessie put her hands on her hips in a mock imitation of her mother.

             
“Oh get out of here.  I think your mother can handle herself.  Besides, if anyone tries to take advantage of me in this state, I’ll just call that nice ski patrol man.  He was kind of cute wasn’t he?”

             
“You are something else, mom.  I’m going before you can embarrass me even more.”

             
“Me to.  Bye Mom.  See ya later.”  Ryan leaned over, giving her a peck on the cheek.              

             
Her two children turned and waved as they headed out the door.  A couple of blonde teenage girls giggled, hurrying out after Ryan.  Lexy leaned back and sighed.  Her ankle throbbed.  As she reached down to adjust the ice pack she felt someone come up behind her silently.  She always knew when someone was there.  It sent a cold tingle up her spine.

             
“Hello, Lexy.  I see you’ve had an accident  Are you okay?”  She sat up, her spine stiffening, refusing to turn around.

             
“Are you going to ignore me?  You can’t very well get up and leave now, can you.” 

             
Two strong hands gripped her shoulders.  Her body went rigid at his touch.  He came around to face her.  She still refused to look at him or acknowledge his presence.  He squatted down on his haunches, his hands between his long legs, waiting for her to look at him.  She couldn’t move so she didn’t have a choice but to look straight into those beautiful, deep set, chestnut eyes. 

             
Gigantic blunder.  Major mistake.  Again. She caught her breath quickly and managed to pull her act together momentarily.

             
“What exactly, are you doing here, Jack?”

             
“Well, it seems a woman I tried to get in touch with, was here on vacation.  I figured that if I wanted to see her, I better come out here.”

             
“I can’t imagine who that would be.  I expect to hear from
someone
when they say they will call.  So, it wouldn’t be me.” 

             
She stared at him, her eyes, blue ice crystals.  He stood up and began to pace back and forth, a habit he had when he was nervous.  Jack began to knead his hands.  Lexy continued to watch with interest.  At least he was here.  It was much more than she'd ever expected.  She didn’t intend to make it easy for him.  Making her wait over two weeks to hear from him!  He would pay dearly. 

             
Jack halted abruptly in front of her.  Was that pain she saw in his eyes?  No!  She was the one who felt the pain.  Not him.  Never him.

             
“I couldn’t get you out of my mind, Lexy.”  God knows he tried. “I thought of picking up the phone every night.  I couldn’t.  I know you don’t understand because you are so sweet and everyone likes you for who you are.  In my business, people use each other all the time.  I just had a hard time believing that you’d still like or want me, just for me.  As I said before,  most everyone has an angle.”

             
“Oh?  And what is my angle, Mr. Wyatt?  I’d really like you to explain that one to me.  I need to be enlightened.”  Lexy continued to gaze at him with frost in her eyes. 
But not in my heart.  Darn it!

             
“I don’t mean you, Lexy.  You are different.  And please don’t call me Mr. Wyatt.  I think we've passed that stage in our relationship.”

             
“What relationship might that be....Jack.  A dinner date? A fast trip to your video set?  One day of you humoring me by going to the museum and shopping?  Is that the relationship you are talking about?” 

             
She was just getting started now.  His eyes darkened as she spoke of their first encounter.  He seemed almost angry.

             
He got down next to her again, this time his face nearly touching hers.  “You haven’t forgotten our time together in New York.  I know I haven’t.  The time we made love.  That relationship, Lexy.” 
And those times years ago
.
  His mouth was set tightly, and his eyes were now a dark, chestnut color.