From Here to Paternity

wandered onto dangerous turf.“
    Mel grinned. “It’s not an insult. At least I didn’t mean it as one. I just meant that you’re usually so—so domestic. So grounded in your family and house and pets and neighborhood. And then there’s this other Jane—the one I’ve seen today—who can pack up an idiot dog, and a couple small suitcases and calmly take off. You didn’t get rattled or nasty over the airplane seat mix-up, you just sorted it out. You seem to be able to read maps in the dark. You don’t appear to be bothered by the fact that we’re high in the mountains, in a blizzard, and likely to starve to death—“
    Jane laughed. “Us and the Donner party. Mel, we’re parked in front of a convenience store. And my map-reading skills, which you admire so much, tell me that we’ve got another half hour at least and had better get going.“
    “Tell me again why in hell we’re doing this,“ Mel said as he backtracked to the highway ramp.
    “Because of Shelley Nowack’s husband, Paul. He invests in things. And some group wants him to put a bunch of money into investing in this resort. Somebody or other—I’m not clear on whether it was the other investors or the current owners of the place— wanted to knock his socks off with what a great place it is and offered him and eight of his nearest and dearest a free extended weekend. Including airfare, which was really generous. You and I qualify as two of Paul’s nearest and dearest.“
    Mel grinned. “That would probably surprise Paul Nowack to learn, being as he doesn’t even know me.“
    “But he knows of you. And for the sake of this trip, you count as part of my family.“
    “I’m just a humble cop—“
    “Hardly humble,“ Jane muttered.
    “—not a high-stakes real estate entrepreneur, but it seems to me that this place is likely to be a real hellhole if somebody’s willing to go to all that trouble and expense to unload it.“
    “Oh, no. I saw the brochures. It’s a fantastic place. But there is something—“
    Mel’s eyes widened in alarm. “Oh?“
    “Well, it seems it’s a ski resort without a mountain. That’s what Shelley said.“
    “Without a mountain? Jane, even in the dark I can tell we’re surrounded by mountains. They’re great hulking things with pointy tops and thousands of tons of snow poised to avalanche down on us. You can hardly miss them.“
    “This resort’s in the mountains, it just doesn’t have one of its very own. But it has everything else you’d want for a vacation, they say. That was the point in inviting both our families. To show off all the fun stuff you can do at this resort.“
    “Except ski.“
    “Right. And you can ski, Shelley says. Just not right there. You take a shuttle bus that runs every fifteen minutes to a place just two miles down the road that’s supposed to have terrific skiing.“
    Mel was unconvinced. “And we’re not even staying together. You and I, I mean.“
    “I told you, Shelley has to entertain these investors in the condo she’s been given and couldn’t have all the kids underfoot. And there’s no way either of us would trust the kids to stay alone.“
    Mel shook his head. “So let me see if I’ve got this straight. We’re going to a ski resort without a mountain to have a romantic weekend—except that you’re bunking with your daughter and Shelley’s and I’m in with the male offspring of both families. And on top of all that, we’re lost in the middle of the night in a blizzard with an unconscious dog in the backseat.“
    Jane considered, nodding pleasantly. “That’s about it. Yes. I think you’ve hit the main points rather succinctly. Except that we’re not really lost and you left out that it’s free.“
    “Of course it’s free! You don’t think anybody’d pay money for this situation do you?“
    Jane unlatched her seat belt, scooted across the seat, and kissed his cheek. “Mel, maybe you ought to switch to decaf.“
    Jane’s next-door neighbor and best friend, Shelley, had arrived with her husband and all the children of both families earlier the same day. Shelley was waiting at the front desk when Jane and Mel finally arrived at a few minutes after midnight. “I was getting worried about you!“
    “You were just worried that you’d get stuck with all the kids,“ Jane said.
    “There was that,“ Shelley admitted. “Come on, I’ll show you both where you’re staying.“
    They drove from the main lodge up a narrow, winding road