Wonderland

Wonderland

A Rio Crew Novel

By

Carrie Baize

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Published by

Carrie Baize on Smashwords

Wonderland

Copyright © 2013 by Carrie Baize

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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To my wonderfully patient and supportive family

For understanding, believing, and putting up with me

To the Intrepid Heroes

For always giving me new ideas even when they didn’t know it

and

To all those who take the chance and dare to be a friend to a stranger

And trust that some good will come from it

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Wonderland

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Prelude

Lynette Miller cursed under her breath as she hung up the phone. The season was well under way and the Summit View Ski Lodge had been booked solid for a year. The audacity of the young man she’d just spoken with, though paled beside the number of intimate connections he had among the Summit View Ski Club’s longstanding membership.

Denying him the rooms would be career suicide, and she had too many other ventures depending on the security of her position at Summit View to lose her job because she refused to rent out a set of empty rooms. Catering to a half-dozen Rutherford Academy students didn’t appeal to her, but she had grown far too dependent on the environment provided at Summit View to give it up. She’d given in and rented a set of suites she knew would be empty. The rooms were held for the entire season by Ski Club members that had never spent the holidays at the lodge, anyway... and the young man claimed he knew the members personally and assured her they wouldn’t be in Frasier’s Den this season.

Lynette grumbled under her breath about being invaded by spoiled brats and modified the reservations in the system: removing Cecily Brandywine, Trixi Darrington, and Drake Forester from the system and reserving all three rooms under the young man’s name.

He’s got to be Drake’s son, she muttered as she typed Joshua Forester into the system. She hadn’t considered the connection until she was actually typing the young man’s name, but now it was obvious. That’s the only explanation. How else could the arrogant young man know the holiday plans of three of Delora Valley’s most powerful residents?

She found herself regretting the fact that she’d argued with the young man, but it was too late to undo what she’d done. All she could do, now, was make sure that the younger Mister Forester and his friends were given the proper attention when they arrived and pray.

Chapter One

As the winter holidays loomed on the horizon and the students at Rutherford Academy prepared for the break, Staci Tran seriously considered barricading the door of her dorm room. She didn’t want to hear about the plans of her classmates or the fabulous traditions they enjoyed... but most of all, she didn’t want to hear about their families.

Everyone at Rutherford knew her uncle and his family had been murdered over the summer.

Everyone in Delora Valley knew her father was dead.

Nearly everyone knew that her mother had disappeared before his funeral and that there was no sign of her anywhere in the world.

Of course, that had all been eight weeks ago. While it all still hurt like it had happened that morning, the reality of life amid the social frenzy of the Rutherford Academy was simple – two months was just short of eternity to anyone not involved in the situation. The cold reality of life at Rutherford was that there were only a few people that even remembered any details now... three, to be exact. And as far as Staci was concerned, only two of those three even mattered.

She sunk into one of the plush chairs facing the window and pulled her father’s old quilt around her. Her grandmother had given the blanket to her parents as a wedding gift. Of course, her mother had hated the colors and design, so the quilt had spent its entire life in her father’s study. At least until Staci had been old enough to reach out and grab it. From then on, it had basically belonged to Staci and the fact that she’d brought it back to Rutherford with her after the funeral was no surprise to any of the Trans’ household staff. She was wishing for Josh’s arms around her, but he didn’t have the option of finishing the term without actually having to attend class that she’d been given in the wake of her family’s issues. He’d be here later, she knew... until then, she’d just wrap up in her memories and stare out at the stormy sea.

As she was sitting there, trying to lose herself in the crashing gray surf, Joshua Forester was walking into Tiffany Baxter’s office at the end of the hall.

The office was sterile and empty compared to its normal appearance. It seemed like all of Tiffany’s personal belongings had vanished and all that remained was the generic opulence provided to the supervisors by the Academy.

You’re going back to CalPoly, Josh nodded, as he closed the door behind him.

Thankfully, Tiffany laughed, as she waved to one of the chairs in front of her desk. Billy’s starting in January, so we’ll be able to...

Vacation, first, Josh interrupted with a smile.

Excuse me?

"Billy’s already agreed, so you’re going to have to go, Josh laughed. We’re getting out of here for the break. Stac needs to be away."

"Does Staci know you’re spiriting her away from Delora Valley?" Tiffany chuckled.

Josh’s sly smile answered her question before his voice managed. Not yet. But it’s already done. J.J., Liberty, and Billy are meeting the three of us in Frasier’s Den.

If you were anyone else, Tiffany laughed, I’d wonder how you managed to get rooms at Summit View.

"So, you are going?"

Of course, I’m going, Tiffany smiled. "We may not agree on everything, Joshua, but I do agree with you on this. Staci needs to get out of the Valley for a while."

We’re leaving Friday afternoon, Josh said, rising from his chair.

I’ll be ready, Tiffany nodded.

Josh smiled as he walked out of the office and headed up the hall toward Staci’s room. Now that he’d set all the other pieces in place, all he had to do was convince his girlfriend that the trip was worth taking. Getting her out of Delora Valley, even if it was only for a couple of weeks, really would be best... but convincing her to leave while Lansing & Howe finished liquidating Trixi Darrington’s assets and spearheading the search for Staci’s missing mother seemed like it was going to be just short of impossible.

Chapter Two

I just don’t see why we’ve gotta go play in the snow, J.J. shrugged.

What's wrong with the snow? Liberty chuckled as she poured the aromatic dark roasted coffee into a pair of mugs.

It's cold, J.J. grumbled.

Desert rat, Liberty laughed as she handed him one of the cups. Besides, she continued, her voice growing far more serious. "Stac really needs to escape... well... everything. She can't exactly do that here."

I know, J.J. nodded.

And it'll do us all good to just... get away... y'know?

You don't have to convince me to do something I already agreed to, Babe, J.J. smirked, taking a drink of his coffee.

I just wanna convince you to stop bitching about it, Liberty laughed.

Yes, Dear, J.J. smirked.

Oh, shuddup, Liberty laughed.

After everything they'd all been through, a change of scenery would be good for all of them... but two weeks at some ritzy ski resort was hardly the sort of vacation J.J. or Liberty would have chosen. Of course, they hadn't thought that far ahead either... but Josh had been focused on helping Staci, and the only way he could really do that was to get them all together somewhere new and different.

Somewhere the ghosts of Staci's beloved family wouldn't be whispering in her mind and making her crazy. The fact that getting her away from that meant removing J.J. and Liberty from the freshest memories of their own personal demons was a bonus.

Billy said Josh called him, too, J.J. said after a moment. And Tiffany's going.

Does she know that? Liberty laughed.

J.J. shrugged as he took another drink of coffee. Who knows... but Billy is, and I'd bet that Josh checked with him first just so she couldn't back out.

They're so cute together, Liberty chuckled. Why don't they just admit that they're together and...

Because Tiff's older than Billy, J.J. interrupted.

So? There are a lot of couples with...

Like, there's a legal line between their ages, older, J.J. interrupted again. Why do you think it was important for Billy to get his parents to legalize him before he starts at CalPoly?

Hmm. Liberty sipped her coffee and shrugged. Never really thought about it, I guess. But they did it, right?

Yup. It's official on Monday morning, J.J. smirked.

And we're all meeting up Friday night?

J.J. laughed and nodded. So as long as no one blows their cover over the first weekend, Billy and Tiff are free to be... themselves.

Good, Liberty laughed. It's about damned time.

This ski lodge isn't gonna know what to do with us, J.J. laughed.

As long as they don't kick us out, it'll all be good, Liberty smirked. Gonna drop me off at the studio?

You damned sure aren't walking, J.J. chuckled.

I think I've heard that before, Liberty called over her shoulder as she walked back into the kitchen with her coffee cup.

And you'll keep hearing it, J.J. muttered.

Rio Hevrir had been quiet since they'd battled with the Ferals, but they knew it wouldn't last. Even the wonderfully skeptical hard-core bitch of a police captain had told them not to get used to it.

Just because it's quiet now, Maria D'Mato had warned them, doesn't mean it's gonna stay this way. Don't get comfortable and, for God's sake, don't get lazy. It'll start back up. Just like it always does.

Even though things were quiet, J.J. wasn't going to blow off the cop's warning. Especially after the way she and Lib had connected after the fight with Sarah Tannemann and her pack. It was strange to think of any Rio cop being honest, but without even trying, D'Mato had set herself up to change J.J.'s opinion... if not of the entire force, then at least of her.

Ready? he asked as Liberty walked back into the dining room.

Better go soon or I'm gonna be late, Liberty laughed.

Chapter Three

Josh knocked softly on Staci's door before dropping his hand to the latch. He knew she didn't expect him to knock, but there was still a certain level of decorum to be maintained at Rutherford. Wondering if it was too soon to start counting the days until graduation, Josh walked into his girlfriend's room.

Staci didn’t even bother looking over when the door opened but Josh could see his reflection on the window in front of her, so he wasn’t as disturbed by her inaction as he normally would have been.

Hello, Darling, Staci said quietly.

Josh walked across the floor and set his hands gently on her shoulders. Are you alright?

Yes, Staci whispered. No. Mister Howe phoned earlier.

Her voice was soft and tainted with the same pain that had devastated it, in varying degrees, since she’d received the news of her father’s murder. He walked around in front of the chair and knelt before her. Her fingers were twisted and knotted in the old quilt and Josh wrapped his hands gently around hers.

What’s going on?

Miss Darrington’s estate has been fully liquidated, she said softly. There’s even a buyer for the property itself.

Well, that’s good, right?

Yeah, Staci nodded, fighting the tears that were beginning to fill her eyes. It’s just...

You need a vacation, my love, Josh said softly.

I do, Staci agreed with a sigh. This has been so...

I’m glad you agree, Josh interrupted with a sly grin. Because it’s already planned.

What?

We’re spending the holiday at Summit View.

Summit View? Staci echoed. How did you manage..? Josh smiled and Staci shook her head. Never mind, she laughed. But what about...

"We’re all going. J.J. and Liberty and Billy and Tiffany."

Staci’s hands finally let go of her father’s quilt and her fingers slipped into Josh’s. You’re so perfect, she smiled.

No, Josh shook his head and rose to his feet, pulling her out of the chair as he did. I just know what you need.

What I need, Darling, is for you to never leave me, Staci said quietly.

And that, he said softly, leaning down to kiss her, is the one thing you never have to worry about. In fact, the only thing you need to worry about right now, is figuring out what you’re going to take with you.

When are we leaving?

Friday afternoon.

Chapter Four

Mitch Cramer didn’t particularly like working at Summit View, but he didn’t really like working at all. The seasonal instructor position at Summit View had its benefits, though – it gave him basically unlimited access to the slopes and he’d have a little extra cash on hand when it was time to move on to the next adventure. It wasn’t a bad gig, really... he just hated having to pretend that he liked the rich idiots he was being paid to teach.

More than his students, though it was the general manager that made his life a living hell.

Mitch