Snowed in With My Small Town Billionaire

Chapter 3 Sawyer

3

C H A P T E R

Sawyer

S awyer couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. His face was bright red from the cold air that hit his face as the men went down the slope for what felt like the hundredth time. He and Lucas had hit the blue and green slopes all afternoon, racing each other to the bottom.

“Alright man, I’m done,” Lucas said. “I need some food and beer. Tomorrow, though, we’re done with the sissy slopes. We’re hitting the black diamond.”

Sawyer laughed and slapped Lucas on the back. “You’re on.”

The two friends dropped their gear off at the cabin and made their way back to the main lodge. They found a seat in the back corner of the dining room.

“This is exactly what I need. I’m starving.”

Sawyer nodded and laughed when his stomach grumbled.

“What can I get you to drink?” the waitress asked, setting a basket of bread on the table in front of them.

“Whatever you have on draft,” Lucas said.

“We don’t serve alcohol in the dining room. Sorry.”

“I’ll take a sweet iced tea, then,” Lucas replied.

“Make that two.”

She nodded and left to get their drinks.

“Good thing I brought beer,” Lucas said. “Plus, there is a town at the foothills of the mountain.”

Sawyer nodded and studied the menu, then sat back in the chair. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so relaxed. They both ordered steaks, baked potatoes, and country fried green beans. The food arrived quickly.

“Wow. This is really great. Their food gets great reviews on the website,” Lucas said, wiping his mouth and putting his napkin on the table.

“Now I know why you chose this place. I have no idea how you manage to stay in shape when you eat like a horse,” Sawyer teased.

Lucas grinned. “What can I say. It’s good genes.”

Sawyer finished his last bite of steak and started looking at the dessert menu when he felt as though someone was staring at him.

He looked up and saw Jerome Cooper staring at him from a table across the room. Sawyer groaned. Nodding politely, he forced himself to look away, trying not to escalate anything.

We haven’t spoken in years. Maybe we can get through this vacation civilly.

Jerome stormed over to the table. His face was bright red and he was scowling. “Murderer.” Jerome’s voice was loud and echoed around the walls of the dining room.

Every head in the room jerked in their direction and Sawyer felt the embarrassment wash over him.

Before Sawyer could say anything, Jerome pointed his finger at him. “You think you can just sit there and act like nothing happened. Your family took everything from us.”

Lucas stood quickly and raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Let’s not make a scene. We can talk about this quietly.”

Jerome ignored him. He glared at Sawyer. “Because of you and your family, Kyle’s dead,” he yelled. His voice trembled with rage.

“I didn’t…” Sawyer said in a low voice.

“You didn’t what? Your family didn’t ruin our lives? You didn’t buy our land and force Kyle to quit med school? He’s dead because of you and your family.”

Gwen suddenly appeared and grabbed her father’s arm. “Dad, this isn’t the time or the place. Please come sit back down.”

Jerome jerked his arm away and glared at Sawyer.

“Mr. Cooper, please calm down. This isn’t going to help anything,” Lucas said.

Jerome’s hands were clenched in tight fists and he looked like he was going to take a swing at Sawyer. Gwen stepped in front of him.

“Please, Dad. Let’s go.”

Jerome growled at Sawyer and then stormed out of the building.

“I’m sorry,” Gwen said tersely.

“Thank you, but you know this wasn’t my family’s fault. They were just trying to survive like everyone else.”

“Save it. I don’t want to hear it,” she spat at him. Gwen stalked back to their table.

Sawyer could feel the heat in his face and hear the whispers all around him.

Lucas stood and held his hand up. “Don’t worry guys. There was no murder. This is a family feud, so to speak, like the Hatfields and McCoys.”

After a minute or so, everyone turned their attention back to their meal. Sawyer had suddenly lost his appetite and the chocolate cake the waitress set in front of him was nauseating.

“We can avoid them, huh?” Sawyer asked Lucas wryly.

“It’ll be fine. The owners will ask him to leave if he keeps asking like a jerk and continues making scenes. It’s bad for business. Just keep your head and everything will be fine.”

Sawyer looked over at the Cooper table. Brent looked confused and embarrassed. Audrey looked completely humiliated and gave Sawyer a weak smile. He nodded in return and then looked back to his cake.

Sawyer rubbed his head. This is going to be a completely wonderful vacation.

They had a couple of beers when they got back to the cabin and watched The Expendables and Air Force One since they were the most interesting movies on any of the channels provided by the resort.

“Let’s get some sleep. I intend to smoke your tail on the slope tomorrow,” Lucas said.

Sawyer took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and hopped into bed. He had been tired, but his eyes popped open because memories of Jerome’s outburst flooded his mind.

“I will not let that jerk ruin my vacation.”

Finally, he managed to fall into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Sawyer woke up early, the sunlight barely filtering through the windows. He stretched, rolled out of bed, and got dressed. The smell of coffee lured him into the kitchen.

Sawyer quickly downed his coffee. “Let’s hit the dining room early. Maybe we can avoid the Coopers.”

“Sounds good, although he really can’t do that every time he sees you,” Lucas said. “Maybe you guys can just pretend the other doesn’t exist.”

Sawyer shook his head. “With all the comedians in the world out of work and you’re trying to be funny.”

He quickly scanned the room for Jerome or Gwen and was very relieved when there was no sign of the Coopers in the dining room. They got a table in the back of the room and ate a huge omelet, four strips of bacon, and a couple pancakes each.

“That’s right, eat up,” Sawyer taunted. “You’re going to need it to nurse your ego when I kick your butt.”

After they ate, they grabbed their gear and headed for the ski lift. The morning air was crisp. Sawyer looked around him, overcome by the beauty of the mountain. The sun shone brightly overhead making the snow glisten like a million diamonds scattered over the ground. It was a perfect day for skiing – clear skies, powdery snow, and the cool mountain air that wasn’t bitingly cold.

They both stood at the top of the hill. Sawyer grinned at Lucas. “Prepare to eat my snow.”

The steep slope tested Sawyer’s skill and adrenaline coursed through his veins. He was exhilarated by the time he hit the bottom.

“Man, that was awesome,” Lucas said as he pulled up next to Sawyer.

“Even though you lost?”

“I let you win. I didn’t want your feelings to be hurt.”

“Sure. That’s what all losers say,” Sawyer teased. “Let’s go again.”

They managed to get eight runs in before they decided they needed a break.

Lucas checked his watch and rubbed his tummy. “It’s twelve-thirty. Time for lunch. I beat you five to four. You’re buying.”

“Only because I let you win.”

Laughing, Lucas patted Sawyer on the back. “It seems to me that a really smart guy I know said that was what losers always say.”

They dropped their skis and poles off at the cabin and lumbered through the snow to the lodge. Sawyer felt his stomach tighten as they walked into the dining room.

His worst fears were confirmed when he saw the Coopers sitting at the same table they had occupied the night before. Jerome looked like he had just swallowed a lemon. Audrey and Gwen looked tired. Brent was talking animatedly about the morning’s runs.

Sawyer froze for a second. The urge to turn around and avoid any kind of confrontation was overwhelming. “Maybe we should just go back to the cabin and open a can of beef stew,” he muttered under his breath.

Lucas shook his head. “You can’t run from them. We’re here to have a good time – not to tiptoe around them. We’ll sit on the other side of the room and pretend they’re not in the room. If Jerome tries to start anything, then we’ll deal with it.

Sawyer signed and nodded, knowing that Lucas was right. He walked toward, what he thought of, as their usual table. The waitress brought some stew, bread, and more sweet iced tea.

He tried to focus on his food, but it was hard because he could feel Jerome’s eyes boring into his back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jerome staring at him since his seat was in direct sight of Sawyer’s and Lucas’ table. It was obvious that he wasn’t trying to conceal his hatred. Gwen and Audrey were doing their best to not acknowledge their presence, while Brent chatted nonstop, completely oblivious to the tension.

Some of the guests, who had been present for the previous night’s drama looked back and forth between Sawyer and Jerome, as though anticipating a second act. However, much to Sawyer’s relief, Jerome stayed where he was.

Lucas tried to lighten the mood. “While we’re here, we need to try some of the backcountry trails. According to the website, they are incredible. They’ve got really good ratings.”

“Sounds good. I’m in.”

For a while, Sawyer focused on their conversation about skiing and he relaxed a little, even though he occasionally caught glimpses of Jerome glaring at him through the corner of his eye.

When they finished eating, Sawyer made a point to not look at the Cooper’s table. He was relieved when Jerome didn’t say anything, although he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that he hadn’t seen the last of Jerome’s nasty temper.