Silver Mountain

  Silver Mountain

  By Tima S. Dowding

  Book 0ne of the Silver Springs Collection

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and circumstance are products of the authors imagination and are fictitious. No actual reference to any real person, living or dead, is intended or inferred.

  This book is intended for adult readers and contains some sexual content.

  Copyright © 2017 by Tima S. Dowding

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by recording, photocopying or other mechanical or electronic means. Including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review and other certain non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Written and Edited by Tima S. Dowding

  Cover Art by Tima S. Dowding

  Dedication

  For David Dowding,

  who was brought back into my life by Fate.

  He’s my husband, my best friend and my soul mate.

  For me he is the reason why “true love” has meaning...

  Acknowledgments

  To my husband David, who is, my rock and sometimes my voice or reason. Thank you for letting me be who I am and for always being so supportive. To my favourite teacher, Miss Lori Holton who encouraged me to write and instilled in me my passion for writing. Lastly to my friend Usha who is like a big sister and has helped keep me grounded!

  Table of Contents

  Silver Mountain

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Liz stepped out of her car into the cool refreshing mountain air. She basked in the warmth of the early morning sun and wondered why she hadn’t taken this trip earlier than she had. But she knew why, and she wasn’t going to think about that now because the pain was still too fresh. She had come up into these mountains to get away for a while and to rejuvenate herself. Going to the back of the car she opened the trunk to retrieve her luggage and then slowly walked to the main building, all the while taking in the surrounding sights.

  The place was breathtaking. The mountains loomed up all around her and there was not a cloud to be seen anywhere. The surrounding buildings were all log cabins varying in size. The small ones that ran off into the surrounding forest were obviously reserved for happy families on vacation or those couples that wanted their privacy. Couples, thought Liz. She wondered if she would ever be a part of one again. Sighing out loud, she knew that in her present state that answer would be no. Don’t even think about it she told herself. She’d come up here to have some fun, to live in the moment, not to think about what would or wouldn’t be in her future.

  Carrying her luggage, she walked towards the main lodge where she would have to check in. She entered the large double glass doors and stopped to stare at the sight in front of her. In the middle of the room stood a Christmas tree that had to be at least twenty feet tall and it was absolutely breath taking. It was decorated in bright red bows, silver ornaments, strings of garlands, electric candles and a large star on the top. Never in her life had she seen a tree that was so breath taking. After taking in the tree she took a quick look around the rest of the room. To her right was a long counter draped in holiday decor where there were two receptionists cheerfully helping guests. Beside the counter were two doors that probably led to offices. Further down there was an adjacent room set up with comfortable looking furniture and a large fireplace. On the far side of this room there were floor to ceiling windows that looked out towards the base of the ski hill. To her left was a large winding staircase that led up to a balcony that surrounded the room in which she stood in. Along the balcony were places to sit and watch the activities down below. To the side of the staircase was a small lounge in which people could sit while waiting to be seated in the restaurant that filled up the remaining space of the lower level. The place was perfect, Liz thought to herself.

  “Excuse me Miss. Miss could you please let me through,” a voice behind her said interrupting her thoughts. Liz slowly turned around and stared at the man who had spoken to her. Her mouth started to drop open, but she quickly shut it when she realized what she was doing. But she could not move a muscle. She was looking at what had to be the most attractive man she had ever seen in her life. Sparkling brown eyes stared back at her with what looked like a hint of amusement and annoyance at the same time. Once again, the man spoke. “Miss as you can clearly see, I have an armload of wood here, which I might add weighs a ton. Now if you would be so kind as to move out of the way so I can put this down over there I would be very grateful.” Coming to her senses Liz stepped out of his way and muttered a “sorry” and watched him walk towards the fireplace in the other room.

  I must be dreaming she thought to herself. No one could possibly be that good looking, but she was wrong. This man had the perfect body, broad shoulders, a slim waist and long powerfully built legs. A woman could wrap herself around him and never let go. A thought that Liz wouldn’t mind doing. Okay, hold on a sec Liz told herself. Where had a thought like that come from? The last thing she needed to do was attach herself to another man right now. Not after Bruce. No, men were not a part of her plans right now. But while she told herself this she could not keep her eyes off the man who was stacking logs by the fireplace right now. The way he was squatting stretched his jeans to their limit and it showed off every curve of his powerful legs. Liz finally managed to tear her eyes away from him and moved towards the front desk.

  “Hi there, I’m Liz O’Riley and I would like to check in please,” she said to one of the receptionists.

  Stephen sat down on the stone slab in front of the fireplace and looked over towards the front desk. The cute brunette he had asked to let him through was checking in by the looks of things. When he had asked her to move he had not had the opportunity to take a close look at her except for her face. He couldn’t seem to get the image of those large chocolate coloured eyes looking up at him through thick eyelashes out of his mind. He had never seen eyes quite that colour before. A man like himself could lose himself in eyes like that. He slowly studied the rest of her starting with her long brown hair that fell in waves halfway down her back. He’d bet that her hair felt like silk. She had a slim build in which her blue sweater and black pants clung to. Stephen shifted uncomfortably on the stone slab he was sitting on. But it was not the stone that was uncomfortable but the fact that that lady he was watching was making his body become aroused; something that he had not experienced since his breakup with his ex-girlfriend Becky a year ago. Running his fingers through his hair Stephen stood up and headed towards the doors that were beside the front desk. Behind those doors were his office and the privacy he needed until he could get his body under control. Reaching the doors he took one last look at the lady and saw that she was watching him. She gave him a small smile then turned towards the receptionist who was offering her a key. In that quick little smile Stephen saw that the lady was not just pretty but beautiful in her own unique way. This fact did not help his body’s current condition and with an audible groan he stepped into his office and closed the door behind him.

  Liz took the key that was being offered to her and waited as a young man pic
ked up her luggage and headed towards the stairs. She had been given a room in the main lodge, as she didn’t need a cabin since she was alone and hadn’t wanted to take a room in the adjoining lodge. She had wanted to be right at the heart of the resort and that meant staying in the main lodge. It had been a little more expensive, but she didn’t care. The young man led her up the stairs and around the balcony to the far side. He took the key from her and opened a door at the far end of the balcony. Liz walked into her room and he followed with the luggage, putting it down beside the bed. He told her that should she need anything all she had to do was dial one and she would be connected to the front desk. Liz handed him a tip and thanked him for his help. After he left she walked around her room and took in its entire splendor. Her room consisted of two double beds, a small sofa, table and chairs, a small writing desk and a dresser. Where she had come in there was a small foyer with a closet and the door to the bathroom. She opened the door to inspect the bathroom and was surprised to find a large Jacuzzi tub. A person could go for a swim in a tub that size. A thought that was appealing to her now. But it would have to wait until after she had unpacked. She went out into the main room and upon further inspection she found a small mini bar, stationary, a telephone book and a directory for different areas of the resort. Liz decided that she would go out onto her private balcony for a look before she started to unpack. First, she grabbed a soda from the mini bar and then stepped outside.

  The view from the balcony was spectacular. In front of her stood the base of the ski hill and off to the left and right she knew the mountains stretched on forever. Even though she couldn’t see the top of the mountains or the other ones she knew that they were breathtaking because of the view she had seen on her drive here from Calgary. Below her people seemed to be going about their business without a care in the world except to have fun. Soon she would be down there too with the same thoughts. Because of the design of the lodge, Liz’s room was on the end, so her balcony curved around to the right side of the building. Walking along the side she turned the corner and was treated to a partial view of the mountains across the valley. The mountaintops glistened with snow and the sides were covered with thick forests. Parts of the forests had been cleared away to accommodate homes and the roads that led to them, but there was no sign of clear cutting as far as Liz could tell. Liz could not see the town, Silver Springs, in the valley below because she was not above the tree line.

  Looking at all this beauty and the bustle of activity below, Liz realized how much she had been missing in her life over the past few years. Life with Bruce had been full of excitement at first but as time went by it slowly started to go downhill. The reason for that was because Bruce had started to show her his true nature, that he wanted to control everything. It finally came to the point that Liz could not do anything without him tagging along. If she protested he would accuse her of not loving him and that she was probably having an affair on him, when it was Bruce who was having an affair on her. That’s when Liz finally realized that she had to get out. So, two months ago she had arranged to move in with her sister Jen and her husband Stan and she had left Bruce for good. Bruce had not taken her leaving very well but at that point she hadn’t really cared, she wanted her life and her freedom back. Shortly after moving in with her sister she had decided to take this ski trip. Rubbing her arms Liz headed back into her room and started to unpack. After that she was going to soak in the Jacuzzi for an hour or so, and after that she was going to start enjoying her trip and have some fun.

  Stephan looked up from the papers he had been reading and stared out the window. Outside people were enjoying themselves and that made him smile. As the owner of the Silver Mountain Ski Resort he was pleased with how much his guests enjoyed the place. He had made many changes and upgrades since he had bought the place last year. He had been born and raised in Calgary but had spent all his holidays and most weekends here. The Resort had been his home away from home since the resort was open all year round. After his disastrous relationship with Becky almost two years ago, Stephen had decided he needed a change in his life. So, when he had heard the former owner was selling the resort he had immediately jumped on the chance to buy the place.

  Money had been no object for Stephen as his now deceased parents had been extremely wealthy and as an only child everything had been left him after their accident. Before their death, his parents had paid for all his expenses but that did not mean he had been a spoiled rich kid. At the age of eighteen he had graduated from high school and gone off to the university in Victoria and gotten his degree in Psychology. Afterwards he had gone on to work for a major charity group in Vancouver. Stephen enjoyed the charity work he had done and was proud of what they had achieved. He planned to do some more in the future and hold some of the charities events at his resort. At the age of thirty-four, he was proud of what he had achieved and done in his life so far.

  That is, he was proud of everything except for his relationship with his ex-girlfriend. He had thought she was going to be the one he would marry until he had found out that she had only wanted to marry him for his money. How he could have been so blind to that fact for so long he would never understand, but he had been warned that love tends to blind some people. When he had broken off the engagement Becky had told him he was a lousy lover and the only reason a woman would be with him would be because of his money. After that he had decided that he would never marry, as he would never be sure if he were being loved for himself or for his money and assets. Since then his body had been turned off by women. Even when he’d gone out on a few dates he had maintained his celibacy, as he was turned off by the thought of sleeping with any of them.

  Until today that was! His body had gone into overdrive because of that woman he had seen earlier and keeping to his celibacy was the last thing on his mind. Yes, he would like to take that slim fit body with the long silky hair to bed. And for the life of him, he could not figure out why. He didn’t even know her for heaven’s sake. Why would he want to take some stranger who could be just like Becky to bed? He didn’t need to be reminded of what Becky had told him when they had parted ways. But then maybe a roll in the hay with a good-looking woman was just what he needed. It wasn’t as if he wanted to marry the woman. Just a casual relation while she was here might just be the thing for him. A relationship with no strings attached and no hurt feelings when she left.

  Stephen stood up and shook his head. Was he insane? He hadn’t had a thought like that since he was an adolescent teen. There’s no way that she would agree to a thing like that and he was crazy to have even have thought such a thing. For some reason he didn’t think that she’d be in for a casual sexual relationship, no strings attached. How he knew this he didn’t know but he was pretty sure that he was correct. Something in that small smile she had given him earlier told him that she was not that type of girl. Most likely she was smart, and sophisticated and took relationships seriously. Stephen also felt bad about having thought that she may be like Becky. It was not fair of him to have thought that when he didn’t even know her.

  Walking over to the window, Stephen wondered to himself if he would want to take the risk of getting to know her. In the past year he had gone out with what were classified as “ski bunnies” but he had never done more than kiss them goodnight. He had only gone out with them for the company and to go out and have some fun. But for him fun did not include sleeping with them. They had been disappointed when they realized he wouldn’t sleep with them but there was nothing they could do to change and his mind, and some of them had tried very hard to persuade him into their bed. Thinking back upon this Stephen felt sorry for having done what he did. He knew he was attractive and that’s why women were attracted to him, but it seems that he had led these women to believe that there was going to be more to their dates. Hell, at the rate he was thinking today he was going to be sorry for everything, Stephen thought raking his long fingers through his hair once more. It was time to get out of this office and get s
ome fresh air. He needed to clear his head and stop thinking about what he had done in the past. Grabbing his jacket, he strode out of his office and stopped at the front desk.

  “Arlene, I’ll be at my cabin until two if anyone needs me,” Stephen told the receptionist.

  “Yes Mr. Ashcroft,” Arlene replied.

  Stephen started to leave but then decided to find something out first. “Arlene, do you remember the young woman that signed in about a half hour that was wearing the blue sweater?”

  “Yes Mr. Ashcroft.”

  “What was her name?”

  “Just wait a minute and I’ll find out for you sir.” Arlene then proceeded to pull up a different screen on her computer looking for the name. After a minute she replied. “Her name is Liz O’Riley sir and she’s staying in room sixteen here in the main lodge,” she added.

  “Thanks Arlene. Remember I’ll be at my cabin if anyone needs me. But please call only if it’s important,” with that Stephen strode out of the lodge. Once outside he took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air, and turned left which would lead him in the direction of his cabin. He walked past the ski and gift shop, noticing that the store was brimming with customers. Silver Mountain Ski Resort had far exceeded what he had originally thought it would and once again he was proud of what he had done. Although in this case it wasn’t just him, but it was everyone that worked at the resort. Everyone had contributed to the success of the resort and he was glad that they had trusted him when he had taken over the place and told them of his plans to upgrade and spruce the place up.

  Walking away from the store, Stephen headed towards the forest that lay about a hundred yards in front of him. There he would take a path that would lead him to his cabin. Taking the road would take fifteen minutes but if he took this path he would be home in ten. Stephen was thinking of Liz when he reached the path and that’s where his mind stayed for the duration of his walk. By the time he had reached his cabin he had decided that he wanted to get to know Liz and find out why he was so attracted to her. The question was how would he go about introducing himself to her. He could introduce himself as the owner and was curious as to how she was enjoying her stay, but he didn’t want to do it that way. He didn’t want her to know that he was the owner right now. He wanted her to like him for who he was, not for what he had.