Free Snowed In by Cassie Miles Page B

Hamilton the suite with the bathroom. His aides had bedrooms across the hall.
    “We don’t have room service,” she said. “If you’re hungry during the night, you have to jog down to the kitchen and help yourself.”
    The general strode across the room to the pine bedside table. His posture was so rigid that he seemed to creak as he bent at the waist and picked up the telephone receiver. “If there’s no room service, why do you have a phone?”
    “It’s an extension to call out,” she said. “Cell phone service is spotty here.”
    “Not anymore,” Blake said as he reached into the pocket of his jacket and took out two phones. He gave one to the general and the other to Mike Alvardo. “Satellite phones, totally reliable.”
    “Unless there’s a blizzard,” she said with a devilish flutter of her lashes. “Or a bear knocks over the satellite terminal.”
    “Not likely,” he muttered. “The terminal is halfway up a tree.”
    “Bears climb.”
    The general barked a laugh, and they all turned to stare. It would have been less startling if a hundred-year-old spruce jumped out of the forest and started break dancing.
    He laughed again. “I like you, Sarah.”
    “Same here, Charles.”
    “Your B and B is delightful,” he said, “but we haven’t seen all of it.”
    “Is there something you’re looking for?”
    “Where’s your bedroom?”
    Well, well, aren’t you the dirty old man? “Downstairs. And I keep my door locked.”
    “Wise decision.” He charged across the room, taking command. “Let’s go downstairs to the big room with the fireplace and discuss the current situation. FYI, Blake, I don’t believe any of it. My enemies are devious, but they aren’t fools. There’s no logical reason for them to kidnap Emily.”
    * * *
    D OWNSTAIRS , B LAKE POSITIONED himself across the room from the fireplace. He was plenty warm. The general’s last comment had him sweating. Blake agreed that the attack on Emily was neither well planned nor well executed, but the threat was real. The last thing he needed was to foster an attitude of complacency among the wedding guests. They needed to be on their guard.
    He waited for everyone to get settled after they served themselves coffee or tea from a setup on the dining room table. There were also two trays of snacks. One was veggies, and the other chocolate chip cookies. Nobody touched the carrots.
    Jeremy and Emily had pretty much tuned out everyone else. They snuggled together on the sofa, whispering and staring at each other with greedy eyes.
    Of the two aides, Alvardo was taller, more self-composed and probably higher in rank. In a show of efficiency, he’d brought his leather attaché case with him and placed it on the floor beside the rocking chair where he sat with both feet planted firmly on the floor to keep the chair from moving. His build was solid, and his blond hair was military-cut. For the details regarding the threat, Blake knew he’d be consulting with Alvardo.
    That wasn’t a bad place to start. He approached the rocking chair and leaned down. “Jeremy sent me an email list of people who had a beef with the general. Can you give me more detailed information?”
    “Whatever you need.” He lowered his voice. “What’s the deal with Sarah?”
    “Are you asking for yourself or the old man?”
    Alvardo winked. “The general likes to flirt, but I’m the one who wants to know.”
    “She’s single,” Blake said, “and I saw her first.”
    He turned to the other aide, Maddox, and gave him one of the screens showing the views outside the B and B. “If you notice anything suspicious, let me know.”
    Maddox nodded. “Yes, sir.”
    The general sat in a leather wingback chair and placed his coffee mug on the table beside him. “All right, Blake. Give us your briefing.”
    Years of military experience had taught him how to quickly sketch in the outlines of a situation without raising too many questions. He covered the events of the