The Professional Bride: Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book Three, page 10
By the end of a restless night, Rym decided Amber was right: she didn’t need to tell her ex-husband about her new husband.
Except … he wondered how much contact she had with her exes. She’d mentioned that her first husband had married her childhood friend. So they obviously kept in touch. She rarely spoke about husband number two, and for the life of him, Rym couldn’t remember the guy’s name. Everyone knew Jeremy, though—at least, everyone with ESPN. What if Jeremy wanted Amber back? Pamela had said something about contracts extending. What if Jeremy decided he needed Amber? What if Amber decided Jeremy needed her more than Rym did? Rym didn’t like that thought at all.
Chapter 13
A week later, Rym and Amber still hadn’t found time for her first lesson. However, Rym was pleased to see Amber bundled up in her sapphire coat each time they left the house or office. He had to admit that it looked really good against her blond hair and tanned skin. She’d purchased a cream scarf, and when she pulled the hood up she looked like the models they used to sell outerwear, and he had a hard time keeping her out of his thoughts.
Rym left his office and made his way over to Amber’s desk. She’d taken up a small area just outside the storage room with an old desk and a new filing cabinet. Near enough to his secretary that they could converse without yelling, she was positioned so visitors did not mistake her for his secretary. Amber had managed to become a part of the Iron Mountain executive staff without stepping on anyone’s toes. The managers respected her as an equal and the support staff genuinely liked her. She’d made it clear from day one that Rym was the boss and all questions should go through him, yet she somehow managed to guide Rym through the tough spots. One tough spot in particular had been showing up with a wife. So many people at the resort knew Rym and knew he was single. Instead of making up a whole big story, Amber suggested Rym say that the timing was just right for the two of them. Which wasn’t a lie. It was one more way that Amber showed her ability to manage a situation with grace, and Rym didn’t appreciate it until just this moment.
At his approach, she typed furiously on her laptop. Pausing, she smiled up at Rym, and his heart thudded loudly in his chest.
“I’m headed into the meeting with Patrick Pederson from the Division of Water Rights. Are you available to join us?”
“I didn’t see it on the calendar?” Amber tapped her touch screen and brought up their joint calendar. This week was a jumble, with several appointments listed in each hour slot. It was all they could do to keep up on things this week.
During the season, there were several time periods that were busier than others. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was one of those busy times. Since it fell on a Thursday this year, many families had used it as an excuse to take the week off and ski in Utah. Iron Mountain was booked out of rooms, instructors, and daycare slots. It meant he and Amber were busy during the day, and at night they entertained high-profile guests. So far this week, they’d dined with—and Rym couldn’t believe he used the word dined; he didn’t think he’d ever dined in his life—a presidential hopeful, a producer, an Italian count, and a man who owned a billion-dollar hair product line. Through it all, Amber was gracious and beautiful. She didn’t seem intimidated by a person’s success or standing in the world. Instead, she treated them all as if they were dear friends, and they left the resort promising to return again soon. He was learning that, to Amber, every person was interesting and unique and valuable. Somehow she was able to see the good and bring it out for others to see as well. He’d truly enjoyed dining with her this week.
Rym leaned over and placed a hand on her desk. “He just showed up,” he whispered.
Amber made a face. “Government agencies can get away with that,” she whispered back. Sighing, she said, “I’ve got to get this letter finished for Mr. McGraw. If it’s not filed by three, we could lose the chance to enter it in court.”
Rym shook his head. As an instructor, he’d heard about guests who tried to sue Iron Mountain. A ski resort was a high-risk area for injuries. The ones that happened on the snow weren’t the problem; those people assumed the risks involved with the sport. This case was from a woman who tripped down the stairs in the lodge. She’d fallen hard on the tiled floor and broken her wrist. Claiming the resort was negligent in keeping the stairs free from debris, she was suing for fifty thousand dollars. Mr. McGraw was on the case, having handled several like it in the past, he knew the procedures needed to get the case dismissed or settled quietly. As the owner, Rym was shocked to see someone attack Iron Mountain so viciously. The woman had been carrying a food tray and talking on the phone when she fell. Had she been holding the handrail, she wouldn’t have fallen; of that he was sure. He and Amber had agreed to put the case at the top of their priority list, so he wasn’t surprised when she said, “Why don’t you meet with him and we can discuss it later.”
“Sounds good.” Rym stood up. Taking in the piles of paperwork on Amber’s desk and the line between her brows, he said, “Thanks for all you’re doing.”
Amber’s lips parted, and the crease between her eyes melted away. “You’re welcome.”
Feeling taller than his six-foot-one frame, Rym strode across the lobby and into the conference room.
He paused in the doorway. For all their meetings, Amber insisted Rym sit at the head of the table. She called it the “power chair.” At first he thought all the psychological tools she taught him were a bunch of mumbo jumbo. But as the weeks progressed—it had been a month since they’d tied the knot—the managers had come to accept him as the owner. During this busy week, several had turned to Rym with problems and he’d done his best to help them out, always keeping Iron Mountain’s interest at heart.
He’d come to think of the “power chair” as his chair. However, sitting in his seat, and looking smug about it, was Patrick Pederson. Rym left a seat between them and took the one closest to the door.
“It’s good to see you again, Patrick.” Amber had encouraged Rym to call the other owners of the resorts and those he worked with by their first names and treat them as peers. They might find it cheeky at first, but they’d get used to it. Patrick shifted in his seat and Rym could almost hear his pride crinkle.
“You too. The last time I saw you, you were bussing tables in the dining room.”
Rym leaned back in his seat. “I’ve come a long way.”
Patrick scooted his chair back from the table and put one ankle on the other knee. “How are things going on this side of the hill since your grandpa passed?”
Rym tipped his head, considering Patrick. “Good. Grandpa had this place running like a machine.”
“Even machines need maintenance.”
“I can assure you, Iron Mountain is in good hands.” Rym leaned back in his chair.
Patrick gave him a greasy smile. “Wonderful. I’d hate to have your water rights go to Utah Valley Resort. They’re revving to acquire a few more.”
Rym leaned forward. “Why would they think they could get a hold of ours?”
“Your renewals are due in one month. They’re usually filed and paid for by now.”
Rym’s heart sank. Those water rights were essential to keeping Iron Mountain running when Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating. If they couldn’t bring in water to make snow, the runs would become muddy and reservations would drop. “I’ll be sure to look into it.” He stood up. “Thanks for stopping by, Patrick.”
Rym kept his steps calm as he made his way back to the office. He was met by his secretary, who had her hand over the phone. “It’s Mr. McGraw, says it’s urgent.”
“Where’s Amber?”
“She’s with him.”
Rym nodded. “I’ll take it in my office.”
Picking up the receiver, Rym scribbled out a post-it note to look into the water rights. He stuck it on the corner of his desk and said, “This is Rym.”
Mr. McGraw proceeded to explain the intricacies of what happened when they entered their evidence in court, and Rym concentrated so he wouldn’t miss a thing.
At the end of the call, he was actually looking forward to meeting Amber for dinner at the lodge. He patted his stomach. A good meal, Amber’s company, and the chance to ask an Olympic gold medalist about riding the moguls had him looking forward to the evening.
Chapter 14
“Your grandpa bought the water rights back in the seventies when they were ridiculously inexpensive. From what I understand, he had to use his own money because Iron Mountain wasn’t doing well.”
Rym nodded as Mr. McGraw explained how Rym himself, rather than Iron Mountain, ended up with three hundred shares of water.
“As the years went by, the price increased to a point that Iron Mountain couldn’t afford to buy the shares from your grandpa. He kept them, paying the fees and taxes out of his pocket in order to ensure that the resort had the water it needs.”
Rym tapped his pen against the desk. “Who would benefit if we lost the shares?”
“Well, one share can sell for around six thousand dollars, so the agent facilitating the sale would make a huge bonus.”
“Which explains Patrick’s glee. Why did he even warn me? Why not just let them expire?”
“He’s required by law to give you notice. Otherwise you can take it to court and get them reinstated.”
“And any resort in the area would snatch them up.”
“Right. No one has snow like we do.”
Mr. McGraw snapped his briefcase shut.
Rym stood to see him out of the office. “Thanks for the paperwork. I’ll get started on it right away.”
“No worries.” Mr. McGraw paused. “You’ve done well here, Rym. Your grandpa would be proud.”
Taken aback by the unexpected praise, Rym blurted, “Thanks.”
“I enjoyed working with Amber on that case. She’s on top of it.”
“That she is,” Rym agreed.
“Is she around?” Mr. McGraw craned his neck to check Amber’s desk.
Rym bristled. “Sorry, she’s in the rental shop.”
Mr. McGraw lifted one side of his mouth in a smug smile. Like he’d been trying to push a button and was pleased when he found it. “Call me if you need anything.”
A little chagrined by his jealousy, Rym said. “I will.”
Settling behind his desk, Rym dug into the paperwork for the water shares. Better to focus on work than on why he’d gotten riled up over Amber.
Chapter 15
The day finally came when both Rym and Amber were able to schedule three uninterrupted hours for her first ski lesson. The January rush was over and the February rush, centered around Presidents’ Day and winter break, hadn’t started yet.
Valentine’s Day was next Thursday. If all went well with Amber’s lesson, Rym hoped to buy her skis as a gift. They weren’t romantic in any way, so it took a lot of pressure off. Not that he had any romantic ideas about Amber. However, he felt obligated to get his wife something for Valentine’s Day. What kind of a husband would he be if he didn’t? He wondered if her other husbands had bought her gifts. She had some beautiful jewelry. The diamond necklace she wore could have been from the doctor guy …
Rym pushed thoughts of Amber’s other husbands aside. It did him no good to think of her married to any of them; it only served to make him cranky.
Rym dropped Amber off at the ski shop in the lodge to get fitted for a pair of rentals while he picked up their passes.
“Just two?” asked Robyn from behind the ticket window. Rym had taken a group from a resort in New Zealand out in the past week. It was as close as he got to being an instructor again, and he’d relished every minute out of the office.
“It’s just me and the wife today.”
“Sounds good. Have a good time.”
He grinned. There was no such thing as “just a wife” when it came to Amber. She was the most amazing combination of personality traits—professional and exotic, mysterious and fiercely intelligent. Not to mention a little overprotective.
She even walked sexy.
Someone clomped across the wooden walkway, and Rym looked up to see Amber swinging her legs wide in an attempt to maneuver in her ski boots. He pressed his hand to his mouth to hide his smile.
His shoulders shook with barely controlled laughter as Amber glared. “I feel like I’ve got boulders on my feet. There’s no movement in my ankle.”
“There’s not supposed to be.”
“How am I supposed to control skis when I can barely walk?”
“You’ll learn to use your feet to steer.”
Amber shook her head. “At least I know you know what you’re doing. Don’t let me hurt myself, okay?”
“I haven’t lost a student yet.”
Chapter 16
Amber rode the “magic carpet” to the top of the small hill. She had a good feeling when she didn’t jerk getting off like she had the first five times. Each time down the baby hill, she gained confidence. Keeping her skis in a wedge was tiring but it helped her maintain control. She hadn’t fallen and, though five-year-olds were lapping her, she felt pretty good. Rym was an excellent teacher. She enjoyed having him near, and he was constantly praising her efforts.
“Let’s move up to the blue carpet,” said Rym as she slowly stopped in front of him.
Amber swiveled her gaze to take in the blue hill. Twice the length of the green hill, it didn’t look any steeper. “You’re the boss.”
After a few runs there, Rym led her back down to the big lift.
“We’re going to the top?” Amber’s fear of going up the mountain and not being able to get back down spiked.
“You’ve already had the basic lesson and you’re doing great. There’s a ski school hill that’s wide. You should be fine.”
“If you say so.” She didn’t feel all that convinced, but she climbed onto the chair lift when it was their turn.
***
“Let’s exit to the left and try Bambi’s Backyard,” Rym said. He’d caught her poring over a map of the resort the night before and knew she’d have a basic understanding of where they were headed.
“Is it steep?”
“There’s one section that might challenge you.”
She laughed nervously. “Oh good, I’d hate to be bored.”
Rym turned his head so she wouldn’t see his smile. He’d never heard sarcasm from Amber before. It was kind of cute, like her own little rebellion.
Amber put her skis in a wide wedge as they reached the edge that started the downhill section of the run. These were the edges Rym jumped over to start out as fast as possible. Amber didn’t so much ski down the hill as she moved across it. Slowly. It was exactly what he’d taught her to do and it was excruciating to watch.
Rym did a 180 and put his skies in a backward wedge so he could give her pointers.
Amber smiled at him. “Showoff.”
Rym’s heart leapt as if he’d taken a jump. Teaching Amber to ski had turned out to be one of his best ideas ever. Out here, where the smell of pine trees surrounded them and the air was crisp, there were possibilities. Possibilities Rym was only just beginning to see with Amber. “Yeah, yeah. When I’m done with you, you’ll be skiing this whole mountain backward.”
She looked all around her and shook her head. “You have me at a complete disadvantage, Rym, and you’re loving it.”
Rym tipped his head. “I do like telling you what to do.” He turned back around with ease and caught Amber rolling her eyes. Today was going to be so much fun.
At the first turn, Rym encouraged Amber to bring her skis together. The first time she did, she wobbled and let out a little scream. Slamming her skis apart, she stopped on the side of the trail.
Rym skated back to her side. Facing uphill, he asked, “What?”
“I almost fell.”
Rym shrugged. “Falling’s not so bad.”
“Um, yeah, it is.”
Rym shoved Amber to the side, where she landed with an “umph!” in the powder.
Stunned, she looked up at him like he’d grown a third arm out of his forehead. He cursed silently. He’d never actually pushed over an adult student before. The kids usually laughed as soon as they realized they were okay.
Amber reached her hand out for help up.
Rym eagerly clasped her glove, hoping he hadn’t spoiled their day. He only had the brief moment he registered Amber’s wicked grin as a warning before he was face-down in the snow. His legs were across Amber and his torso was a foot deep in the powder. “Hey.” Rym sat up, taking off his goggles so he could brush off his face.
“Hey yourself.” Amber threw a handful of snow at him and missed terribly, the halfhearted snowball falling apart before it reached him.
Scooping a handful, he took his time packing it together, keeping his eyes on her as he passed it from hand to hand.
“No, no, no, no.” Giggling, Amber scooted back on her bottom, Rym’s legs sliding to the side. She scrambled to get up and finally managed to get her skis under her. Rym could have been up long before she was steady, but he let her get a head start, preferring to play for a few minutes rather than teach her how to get up on her skis. Hurrying away as fast as she could go while keeping her skis in a wedge, she kept glancing over her shoulder.
Only after she’d made it to the first turn did Rym go after her. This area was pretty flat and wide, and it was a good place for Amber to stretch her abilities. Rym rounded the corner and tossed the snowball, which Amber easily dodged. Her laughter floated across the frosty air, and his chest warmed with affection. He’d pushed her past her comfort zone and then he’d literally pushed her down, and instead of yelling at him or giving up, she’d made a game.
They continued to exchange volleys, egging each other on.
