Raine grinned good-naturedly as Tracy slid her curvy little behind into the seat beside him and the chair lift proceeded up the mountain.

"I had you on that one, slick!" She announced and took her ear warmer off to shake out her hair.

"Only because Austin and Sabrina cut me off so you could."

"Irrelevant." She laughed.

"I've been skiing since I was a child." As if that made his skill better somehow.

"I've been skiing for two years." She replaced the ear warmer. "So what?"

"I haven't fallen once."

"Ever?"

"In years."

"Me neither."

"Until today!"

"That was a freak thing, never happens. I'm an accomplished skier."

"I agree. But when we get back to the cabin I want to check your leg out anyway."

"It doesn't hurt... much." She laughed and then slid expertly off the lift as it rounded the top of the hill and took off. Raine admired her backside for one brief moment and then took off after her.

A few minutes later they met the others at the bottom and Tracy was unpleasantly surprised to see who else had joined them.

"Hey babe." Casey reached for her and pulled her to him for a quick kiss on the cheek knowing how much she hated that kind of public display. "How's the mountain? Remember the time you rolled down the Matterhorn at Summit?"

She didn't even want to remember they had a past at the moment and she sidled away. "How about some hot chocolate?"

"That's right, she's Mormon, she doesn't drink coffee." Casey sneered, trying to get the attention of the others in the group, maybe turn less than flattering eyes on Tracy's quirks. Jolie skidded to a faltering halt, and joined his smirk.

"I don't drink coffee either, and it doesn't have anything to do with my religion." Richard Mann eyed Casey as he passed him to get to the side of his little simpering starlet, Marie on their way to the ski lodge.

"Bet fly-boy doesn't drink coffee either, do ya fly-boy?" Casey followed Richard and Marie.

Raine ignored him, and asked if Tracy wanted to go inside, or if she was up for another run. She cleared her throat which had been feeling sore, and nodded. "I need a drink."

Raine ushered her inside after they clicked out of their skis, and they followed Richard, Austin and their gals indoors.

The lodge was large, with multiple snack bars and seating areas. They walked awkwardly in their ski boots, loosened now, but still heavy and hard against flexible ankles.

Casey managed to get himself in the lead, talking non-stop in a loud and attractive voice--- always the popular kid. The others followed him, buying hot chocolate and snacks and then finding seats in the lounge areas.

"So, what time's the rehearsal? I saw on your -----."

Julian and Bridget had come up, neither of them wearing skis, but looking cute and cuddly in their outfits. They were both surprised to see Casey and Jolie, but greeted them warmly.

"Are you sure you should be skiing in your condition?" Bridget asked Jolie with a trace of a smile, and wide eyes.

Jolie's eyes shot to Tracy's, who shrugged as if to say, well, you didn't tell me it was a secret. And Bridget's eyes slid to Casey's triumphantly. There was no way in hell he could make advances on Tracy now, having let the cat out of the bag in front of all these people.

Appropriate murmurs of congratulations were exchanged all around, forcing Casey to laugh it off and make some funny comments. His eyes also slid to Tracy's, with Bridget sitting beside her--- they both had folded arms, staring back at him with raised brows. Like twin Cheshire cats. Bridget had never been one to let things slide. And she hated deception. And Bullying.

"I didn't know you were a Mormon." Richard leaned over their table to smile at Tracy. "Are you all Mormons?" He twirled his fingers in the air as Austin and Casey spoke to each other, and the girls twittered on in starlet style. Julian lowered his eyebrows, he knew Richard was aware of his religious preferences for one.

Tracy shook her head, setting her mug back on the wooden planked table. "I am, and Casey once was. Raine. Nobody else."

"Tell me more about your church. How did you join it? Were your folks members? My brother is a member, that's why I ask. He's currently serving a mission in Japan."

Tracy's eyes focused on his with more interest, feeling Bridget's lagging attention beside her, and Raine's possessive irritation at her divided regard. "Your brother recently joined the church?"

Richard looked unapologetic. He turned his chair so he was intentionally blocking Marie from listening. She gave him one annoyed expression and then went back to talking fashion with Sabrina.

"A couple of years ago--- broke all the Pentecostal family hearts to join some heathen cult going to hell." He sipped his mug through a straw , and quirked a funny smile at her.

Tracy stretched her arms over her head. "I joined about a year ago too. Casey's family are all inactive members, and he wanted me to join, so I did." The implication read in Richard's eyes was that there had been talk of a wedding.

But he knew---- now there wasn't.

"So, you aren't really into it?"

"Oh, I'm into it." She sipped her own straw and gave Raine a pat on the leg as he leaned forward to start a missionary discussion. Kind of like a 'take it from here, brother' pat. She smiled at him encouragingly, and Richard noticed and turned his attention to Raine.

In seconds they were deeply involved in conversion stories, trading experiences, and Tracy was free to watch. Bridget, uninterested, but not annoyed, was just people watching, humming to herself.

Raine was intent--- believable. His tones were casual, not pushy. His eyes stayed focused on Richard's face, which was nice, since Richard had that propensity as well. She saw Julian look over and register the conversation.

Both men were fair skinned and dark haired, both were fairly tall, and well built. Raine's face was squarer, cleaner in angle and he sported no quirky dimples. Richard leaned into the space, engrossed in Raine's explanations, and Tracy now and then saw him glance up at her, his blue eyes full of some charisma she couldn't name or place, but it gave her the feeling he was more interested for her sake than to find out for himself.

"Hey guys." Casey looked at his watch, interrupting. "Shall we continue this conversation after the rehearsal back at the fireplace where there aren't so many distractions?"

Tracy pushed back her chair, disturbed by Casey's proposal, as well as the idea of him taking over and making this into a reunion.

"We're going night skiing." She blurted, and everyone looked at her, since it had been discussed that they'd go hot tubbing after the rehearsal. She was sure there were those who understood her reticence around her former band leader, but maybe not her willingness to disclude him completely.

"How about we go hot tubbing like we planned?" Bridget suggested, and Casey's eyes widened, hoping for an invitation. So far he just expected to be part of the benefit concert tomorrow, hoped to be included. It was this unseen, unwritten under the surface kind of thing.

Tracy shrugged, inwardly. She felt under no obligation to invite him, or hang out with him. If they all decided to go hot tubbing intimately with Casey Crandall, she and Raine could go on a date, and take Danny along. There were ice caves in Heber.

She felt the tension. Casey's eyes darted to hers a myriad of times, and as conscious as she'd always been of him, she couldn't help but be aware. His desperation was palpable, his insane jealousy and ineptitude--- riding on the heels of prior success, when he'd made little or no real effort to do the work himself, to better himself. She didn't want to feel sorry for him.

What she wanted was to move on.

Like all these other people.

She looked up. Richard Mann had just quickly averted his eyes from hers, and in her heart, she felt shame for what he must have seen: her avarice, her angst. Her cheeks colored and her hand rose to cover her eyes to block the view. For another split second a dull ache spread across the base of her skull, and then blossomed across her forehead. Luckily she'd kept peppermint oil in the side pocket of her snow suit, and a Plum Flower tea bag. She waved a passing waitress and asked for a cup of hot water.

The little starlets had noticed several visiting paparazzi at a nearby table and their attention was captured by the camera lenses pointed in their direction. Disappointment flared as they realized that those who would make the pictures worthwhile for them were deliberately ruining their chances by getting ready to leave.

Austin leaned over and told Richard he was going down the runs again, and he'd keep Sabrina and Marie if Richard wanted to head back to the cabin. Marie gave Richard an imploring glare if that oxymoron was even possible--- she wanted to be seen with the stars--- it was why she was here. Going back to the cabin wasn't. Casey was shooting darts in Tracy's direction and the photographers were desperately trying to get a shot of the Big Stars who were on their way out.

"I can see how much you love having your picture taken." Richard said, pushing in her chair after she loaded her tea bag and discreetly rubbed the oil across the back of her neck and behind her ears.

"Actually I wouldn't mind if they would just keep it simple and uncomplicated. But too often they misquote, link two people in a picture who are not together, and create such a fantasy with it all. You're right. I have a distinct dislike for the fanfare."

Raine had reached for her gloves lying on the table and she nodded gratefully. "What time is it anyway?"

"Time." Julian overheard her, as he propelled Bridget with a hand on the small of her back. He almost looked like he alone was in possession of both famous girls. His sudden auspicious move to coral them did not go unnoticed.

Tracy and Bridget both moved into his familiar wing, Tracy still leaning toward Raine as they went. "Will you come to the rehearsal?"

Both Richard and Raine answered at the same time, both completely captivated by the long tawny curls and exquisitely glimmering eyes, looking luminous and fragile, as if needing protection from the ferocious red headed devil ahead of them.

"It was that kind of attention that precipitated the demise of Pepper's several years ago, wasn't it?" Richard narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember why the band had broken up. Was it the media attention? The first of many snowflakes began to whirl around them as they stepped out onto the wooden planked walkway that led to the chair lift that would actually take them all the way back to Austin's place. The walkway was narrow, so they easily fell into single file, watching their footing, even though the trail was sanded with ice melt.

"Yeah, sort of." Tracy answered, turning back slightly, and then moving on. "Mostly I think we were all too young."

"And you're so much older now?" Richard scoffed, as Bridget gave him a star studded glare.

"How old do we look? We've been around for years, you know."

"I don't know--- in your late teens."

Tracy and Bridget both laughed outright, sounding like cackling hyenas on purpose. They bumped each other for good measure.

"Close." Tracy called. "So close, but no cigar."

Julian stopped dead in his tracks, and since he was leading, the girls ran right into his back. He turned and faced them. "They are still in their late teens mentally gentlemen, so watch your step."

Raine laughed. "And you're here to make sure we do, is that it, Hamilton?"

"He's the same age as us!" Bridget snorted, and pulled Tracy's arm into her own, as they ducked for good measure when the lift careened overhead.

"Lot of credibility you have then."

Julian flipped them off and Raine and Richard both guffawed in acknowledgment.

********