“Yeah. We might have to cut our look-see short.”
“I can’t imagine why anyone would even want to ski in this!”
“It’s not usually this bad,” he assured her. “Usually just a few weeks at a time.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I was beginning to think I could be an investigator someplace in the South.”
He laughed again. The car started without a problem, but it didn’t warm up at all before they reached the construction trailer just west of town. Masters General Contracting sported a low-key black-and-white sign. The gravel parking lot had been mostly cleared of snow and the tires gripped it well enough.
“Why did you choose Wyoming?” he asked as he parked.
“Wide-open spaces, mountains, and not a whole lot of people.”
“Sick of people?”
Half of them, she thought, but self-censored. “Not really. I couldn’t think of a bigger change of pace, and I needed one.”
“I bet you did.”
They climbed out and headed for the steps leading up to the door. The trailer was skirted, and the steps weren’t rickety at all. The guy had managed to bring a sense of permanence to what was probably only a stopgap.
Inside, the trailer was warm. A man in a sweatshirt and jeans sat at a desk with a computer in front of him and the inevitable stack of papers beside him. He rose immediately, smiling. “Luke Masters. You must be DeeJay and Cade Denton.” He shook their hands warmly and immediately offered coffee.
DeeJay didn’t even want to unzip her parka yet. “Thanks. It’s cold out there. I was wondering why anyone would want to ski in this.”
“Maybe not in this weather,” he agreed. “Although you can cover your face up pretty well. But this isn’t typical.”
She couldn’t help herself. “Is there any typical weather anymore?”
Luke Masters surprised her by laughing. “Shh. Don’t inform my employers. We’re getting lots of snow, and that’s what I tell them about.”
She noted he had a slight limp as he headed for the coffeepot, once again leaving her to wonder if all the men in this place were sporting injuries.
He caught her look as he brought the pot back to the desk where three mugs, sporting his business name, were already arrayed. “Took a fall last winter up on the mountain. The leg is fine, it just objects to cold weather.”
They sat around the desk, and Luke began his pitch.
“I can show you plans and drawings to give you an idea where we intend to go. I have photos of the artist’s renderings you can keep. I can take you up on the mountain so you can see where we’re cutting the ski slopes and get a breathtaking view or two. But unfortunately I can’t take you inside what we’ve built yet. It’s very much a hard-hat area. We’re using the winter to work on interiors, but they’re a long way from looking anything close to finished.”
DeeJay slipped into her role. “Do you really intend to be open next fall?”
“Barring anything unexpected and major, yes. We won’t have fleshed out all the plans, though. We’ll be starting fairly small and expanding with demand but all the basics will be there. The resort hotel, a few of the restaurants, some of the shops. And of course the main slopes. We can always add a few more later if we need them. And once the weather improves in the spring, we’ll give the town a face-lift.”