The Christmas Accomplice - Hank Edwards Page 0,1

end of September. Dean had texted Welton and asked him what he thought about the trip. There’d been some back and forth, with each of them telling the other to take it, and then saying they would take it, and finally Welton had said he would take the trip and send Dean his half of the payment after New Year’s when he’d receive his bonus at work, and that had been the end of it.

And Dean had posted more pictures of himself out and about enjoying the nightlife.

A quiet squeal of brakes and the loud ticking of a turn signal had Welton craning his head to see around the very tall woman in the seat before him. The shuttle driver was waiting for a traffic light to change so he could turn into a driveway. A sign topped by snow told all passers-by this was the entrance to the Snowcapped Mountain Lodge and Resort, and Welton’s heart beat a little faster. His palms felt a bit sweaty, and he wiped them on his khaki pants.

He didn’t need to be nervous. This was his chance to make positive changes in his life. He was in control of how he filled his days and the attitude he chose to face them. The time he spent here at the resort would be the starting point for a better, more outgoing lifestyle going forward. It was all up to him.

The light changed, and the driver eased the shuttle along the winding drive. The other passengers chatted excitedly about the beautiful grounds and the ski lifts lining the background. They sounded so happy and excited, Welton felt alone in a crowd again. It made him think about middle school gym class, when he was the odd kid out with the glasses and baggy shorts, sitting on the bleachers until some bigger and stronger kid was forced to pick him to be on his team.

Even though Welton was traveling on his own, he didn’t need to be lonely, he reminded himself. He had the opportunity to talk to people. He’d done such a thing in the past; it was how he and Dean had first met at a party thrown by a mutual friend. All he needed was to learn how to do it again.

Dean. Unsurprisingly, Welton had been thinking about him quite often the past week as he’d packed for and eventually embarked on the trip. While he and Dean hadn’t been perfect together, they’d always found something to talk about. Despite Welton’s somewhat reclusive tendencies, he’d enjoyed the connection he’d felt with Dean.

The young man sitting beside him suddenly leaned into Welton’s personal space to peer out the shuttle window, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Look at all that glorious powder,” the passenger whispered in awe.

He was part of a larger group with an uneven number, so he’d been forced to sit beside Welton. He’d been turned away the entire ride from the airport to talk to his friends across the aisle, so this was the first time he had spoken to Welton. Beer tainted the man’s breath, and a strong smell of evergreen body spray wafted off him every time he moved. Good Lord, was the guy trying to attract elves?

Determined to make a go of his change of attitude, however, Welton managed what he hoped looked like a genuine smile and said, “Yeah, it’s really something.”

The guy sat back, thankfully, but the evergreen smell lingered. “You ski, bro?”

“Oh, you know, a bit,” Welton said, then hurriedly added, “Bro.” He only held eye contact with his seat mate for a fleeting second before having to look away. The guy was way too handsome for Welton’s comfort.

“They’ve got great powder up here,” the guy said. “On top of a really solid base.”

“That’s what I’ve heard,” Welton said. “The base is, like, the best base all around. It’s like if this place were a jazz musician, it would be Count Basie, it’s got so much base.”

Silence greeted his attempt at humor, and Welton risked a glance at the guy to find him frowning.

“What’s that even mean?”

Welton was saved from having to respond as the shuttle eased to a stop under a porte cochere, and the doors at the front rattled open. All the other passengers stood up and surged into the aisle, Welton’s handsome neighbor included. Welton remained in his seat until the others had exited before he got up and stepped off.

After the warmth of the shuttle, the cold air stung when it touched