Peril on the Peak
By Jo Carey
()
About this ebook
Astronomer Celestina Moretti loves her work but isn't happy when she's asked to play tour guide for observatory visitors. She isn't good with kids and taking two teenage boys and one of their fathers to the top of Yachunne Peak is not her idea of a good time.
As low as her expectations for the trip were, it's hard to believe reality could be worse.
Could they survive long enough for Celi to find her happily ever after?
Jo Carey
Jo Carey grew up in the Midwest but her curiosity and gypsy-spirit has kept her on the move. She's lived in eight US states and spent three years living in Ireland. She has always loved creature movies, so creatures and bugs often show up in her books. Jo, a former information security compliance guru, writes fast-paced, character-driven stories in a variety of genres from medical thrillers to space operas and cozy mysteries. Her novels are filled with humor, romance, and sometimes creatures or aliens, or maybe even all of the above. She often builds her stories around a strong female lead character surrounded by plenty of hunky male heroes. Jo's been under fire on a golf course and climbed out the roof of an elevator in the Netherlands. Life hasn't been boring. Now residing in Texas, setting often plays a huge role in her stories. Jo was intrigued by the League of Planetary Systems, a world her husband, Frank, created for his science fiction books, and she now writes mysteries and other types of tales sets in that world. Jo was bitten by a cat, a fire ant, and a snake, before succumbing to the bite of the writing bug.
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Peril on the Peak - Jo Carey
CHAPTER ONE
Noooo. I must have forgotten it was my day off and set my alarm.
I slid my hand across my nightstand looking for the phone so I could silence it. After working 4 very long days at the observatory, I was enjoying two days off at my apartment in the city. I didn't find the phone, but the noise stopped. I snuggled deeper into the soft blankets ready to return to my dreams.
The noise started up again. I must have been more awake because this time I knew it wasn't my phone alarm. Someone was knocking at my door. I pulled the blanket over my head. No one who knew me would expect me to be functional at this hour. The pounding didn't stop.
Swearing under my breath, I struggled into my robe and headed for the front door. Looking through the side panel, I saw my sister, Aurelia and her two children. Before she could start pounding again, I opened the door. Aurelia, what is wrong with you?
She pushed her way through the door and dropped two large tote bags on my sofa. You look awful,
she said. If I thought it was because you were up all night entertaining a sexy man, I could understand, but I'm certain your bed is empty.
Why are you here insulting me and disturbing my sleep on my day off?
Just then a horn honked outside. I thought I lived in a quiet neighborhood. I peeked through the curtains and saw Aurelia's husband, sitting in their SUV.
You forgot, didn't you?
I think that's obvious since I asked why you're here?
You agreed to watch the kids this weekend so we can celebrate our anniversary appropriately,
she said. Has it been so long since you were in a relationship that you can't remember what I'm talking about?
I had some vague memory of Aurelia emailing me that the lady that was going to babysit my niece and nephew on their anniversary weekend canceled.
Have fun kids. Try to help your aunt Celestina see how great it can be to have children. If she doesn't get married and have a family of her own, you'll have to take care of her plus your father and I when we're old. It's not an idle threat.
She bent down and kissed each child before heading for the door. I sent you a text with the phone number of the resort. Don't expect me to answer my cell phone. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Have fun.
Before I had a chance to object or ask any questions, she was gone. I love my sister, but I don't always like her very much. Today, I definitely wasn't a fan.
Any thoughts I had of enjoying a quiet relaxing weekend of great coffee, good food, and making some serious progress on the work I agreed to do editing an astronomy textbook were out the window. I needed to switch my mindset to survival mode and quick.
I gave the kids toast and settled them on the sofa with a kid appropriate movie and the electronic devices that seemed to have grown from their hands shortly after they were potty trained. After a starter dose of caffeine, I checked the clock—30 hours and counting. My chances of surviving were about the same as surviving 30 hours on the surface of Mars without a spacesuit.
It isn't that my niece and nephew are bad kids. I suspect they are no worse than other children of similar ages, but I've never been around kids and think it's best for all concerned if I keep it that way.
I exited a quick shower and checked on the kids, before getting dressed and making myself a much needed cup of Italian roast coffee I sat down in the living room to keep an eye on them. I'm sure it's not healthy for young children to be so absorbed in electronics, but at the moment I felt blessed that they were happy and quiet. By the end of coffee number two I came up with a plan that I hoped would see the three of us safely through the next 28 and a half hours.
Child-friendly activities with breaks for lunch and dinner filled the rest of the day. All three of us were drooping when we walked back into the apartment at seven. If I could stay functional long enough to get them into bed, I was feeling good about my chances. I should have known that overconfidence would be my downfall.
As planned, the kids were exhausted. My hope had been to get them to sleep so I could relax with a glass of wine and make some headway on the textbook editing project. With wine in hand, I turned on my laptop and caught up on some emails. Before I even opened the textbook files, my eyes were closing. I turned off the computer, checked that both kids were sleeping soundly, and carried my wine into the master bath.
What the he...?
I jerked my head up when I heard an alarm going off. Crap I must have fallen asleep.
I climbed out of the tub, spilling my wine in the process. Wrapping my