Previously:

When Giselle accused Vincent of sending the threatening letters she'd been receiving, Vincent enlisted Sonya to secretly investigate Father Bartlett. Vincent refused to believe the priest's motives were as innocent as he portrayed.

Highwind investor Claudia Crane-Shaw was less than impressed with Giselle's mishandling of the business. She claimed the Highwind's reputation had been tarnished, but Giselle sought to prove her wrong.

For all her efforts in helping Miles land a date, Josie was floored to discover the man he'd connected with was the father she'd never met.

At Lucy Emery's townhouse, Charlie found a disposable cell phone he believed Erin and Elisabeth had been using to contact their mother while on the run. He hoped this discovery would be the key to finding his fugitive wife.

 

Highwind X-Limit - Exosphere Lodge

The Exosphere was the newly-completed, newly-named lodge housing the Highwind's X-Limit expansion. The entire building was circular in shape with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the treacherously challenging ski runs beyond its walls. Of course, Giselle had ultimate authority over its creation, but the real creative force behind the project belonged to Beau and Kerrigan. She couldn't have been more impressed with all they had achieved.

She proudly gave the grand tour to Liam Bartlett, who had dropped by for a visit earlier that morning. His awe was contagious as she led him through the building, pointing out its many features and innovations.

"I truly feel as if I'm standing on top of the world," Liam marveled, stopping in front of the windows to look down to the pristine beauty of the land below them.

"It will almost be a shame when we officially open, all these hooligans tearing apart the flawless slopes."

"I never knew you were such an environmentalist."

Giselle looked out over the land. "I'm not normally. But it's hard to deny the majesty of it all when it's staring you right in the face."

"How true," Liam agreed, looking to Giselle. "Thank you for sharing this with me. Seeing this place before the hooligans tear it up. It's been a real treat."

"It's my pleasure," Giselle said, clasping his hand between her own. "I'd love to stay and show you around some more, but I have to force myself to a meeting with the loathsome brutesse, Claudia Crane-Shaw."

He chuckled at the vivid insult. "Is this woman an associate of yours? Hopefully you'll do a better job of hiding your contempt when you're in her company."

They made their way back to the Highwind.

"I'll try my best, but self-censorship isn't my forte, especially when it comes to dealing with someone like Claudia. Whatever she wants from me, I'm sure it's not worth my time."

"If this woman really rubs you the wrong way, why bother? Sometimes it's best to be the bigger person and walk away."

Their boots crunched over the fallen leaves. "If only it were so simple," she sighed. "I will admit, I have an irrational, innate distaste for the woman. I have since the moment we met, but she has done her part to provoke me over the years, as well. If I could simply be rid of her, I would, but she's been an investor in the Highwind for as long as we've existed, and I have a good rapport with her business partner, Bruno Bossi. I need their backing -- or at least his -- and unfortunately, those two have always been a package deal."

"I didn't realize it was all so complicated," he said, holding the door open for her when they arrived back at the Highwind. "But if you've been dealing with her for as long as you say, I'm sure you'll manage."

"It becomes more difficult every day," she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time today as it is. I'll leave you to your meeting."

"Thank you for this morning. I've been dreading this thing with Claudia, and you've made my entire day bearable," Giselle said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.

He rested his hands on her shoulders and pep-talked her like he was her football coach. "You can do this. Go in there, get it over with -- oh, and try to keep the claws and the black eyes to a minimum."

As they parted company, Giselle found she couldn't put her quiet, simple morning with Liam out of her mind. He was such a supportive friend, and she was so lucky to have found him the way she did. A smile fixed on her lips, she made her way back to her office and took her seat, just in time for Claudia Crane-Shaw to show up.

"Giselle! So lovely to see you."

It took the woman all of two seconds to wipe the grin fresh off of Giselle's face.

 

Highwind Crossings - Miles's Apartment

Josie Singer jumped when she heard her cell phone. Miles had left for work, but she'd stayed behind in his quiet apartment to study for the college entrance exam she was taking later that month. "Hello?"

"Wanna hang out?" Roddy Wallace asked.

Josie frowned. "I'm kind of in the middle of studying for this stupid test. What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to see you," he said. They hadn't spent a ton of time together lately. Josie wasn't exactly avoiding him, but she had other distractions that had kept her away. "You can't say no. I'm already on my way."

"Okay," Josie conceded. "I'm at Miles's."

"Of course you are," Roddy answered, unable to keep the icy tinge from his voice. No matter how gay Josie proclaimed Miles to be, she couldn't seem to allay Roddy's suspicions that there was something going on between them. Maybe if she told Roddy that Miles was dating her father, things would be different. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he said, ending the call.

Josie still wasn't sure what to do about Travis. About Travis and Miles. She hadn't even been able to process it. Not until she knew for sure. Somehow, she kept trying to delude herself into believing she was wrong -- that this guy must be a different Travis Caudill. But it would have been too much of a coincidence. There was no way she could be wrong about this.

She hadn't told Miles. She hadn't told anyone. It was all too bizarre. She knew next to nothing about her father, and from what her mother had always said about him -- how he ran out on her when he found out she was pregnant -- Josie never had much of a desire to know any more.

But now that he was here and so close by, Josie couldn't help but be curious, couldn't help but wonder what he was really like. She'd never even considered that her father was gay. It didn't fit the mental image she'd created of him as some deadbeat, sleazy jerk. It didn't stop Josie from being angry that he'd abandoned them, but it gave her a different set of possibilities to mull over.

"Hey," Roddy said, showing up and stepping into the apartment with a gust of cold wind nipping at his back. He took off his jacket and threw it over a chair, rubbing his hands together to warm them up. He gave her a quick hug. "It's good to see you. You've been hard to pin down lately."

"Just ... distracted," she said, looking down to the piles of books and study guides covering the sofa.

"So you're really going back to school?" he said, arching a skeptical eyebrow.

"That's the plan. Assuming I get a decent score on this test. I'm so stupid. I should have just gone to college right after high school instead of taking a year off for what? To work as a bartender? I feel like I've already wasted so much time."

"It hasn't been a waste. It's better this way. You've had some time to think about it and work for it, instead of just going to school because it's what you're supposed to do. It's something you really want now, something you're driven to do," he offered, his words shockingly reassuring. "And you'll do fine on the test. I'm sure of it. You're unstoppable when you put your mind to something. I should know," he said with his patented, perfect smile.

"Thanks," Josie said numbly, surprised by his sudden depth. "I'm sorry I haven't been around, that I haven't been there for you. If I'd known you'd be this supportive--"

"Shh," he whispered, silencing her with a kiss. "I've missed you. I know it's only been a few weeks, but I have." He stroked her hair, brushing a loose strand behind her ear. "If you want to go back to school, I'm behind you. I'd have hoped you'd known that by now."

Josie knew he cared for her, but their relationship had always been so surface-level. Knowing his history, she purposely kept herself at a distance all this time, not allowing herself to be vulnerable. Maybe she'd never given him a fair shot. Maybe his feelings for her ran deeper than she realized.

 

The St. Laurent Police Department

"Charlie, come in," Jasper Kent said, leading his friend into an office at the station.

Charlie took a seat at the desk, anxiety in the hollows of his stomach. He'd given Jasper the phone number he discovered at Lucy Emery's house to run a trace. Charlie was ready to hear the results, to finally know where Erin had taken refuge.

"This information is just what we needed," Jasper said, sitting across from him. "We already questioned Lucy Emery, but it seems she was holding out on us. Are you sure these calls came from Erin?"

"Erin or Elisabeth. It has to be them," Charlie said, knowing it was the only thing that made sense. Why else would Lucy be carrying around a separate cell phone with a sole purpose?

"The number has a 360 area code. It's in Washington state." Jasper looked at his computer screen, viewing a map of the various area codes in the region.

"Washington?" Charlie said, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected her to have made it so far away.

"The exact number was tracked to a pay phone in a town called King's Bay. Do you know of any reason she'd go there, of all places? Does she have any friends or family you know of in that region?"

Charlie shook his head. "I've never heard of it. She's never mentioned it to me, but we have to check it out, right? We've got to get to King's Bay."

"No, we don't. At least not yet," Jasper said firmly. "We're working with the King's Bay authorities to try and quietly track her down -- without scaring or spooking her. If she knows we're on to her, she may slip away again and run someplace else. We'll have to start from scratch. Charlie, you have to promise me you'll let the police do their job. Just give us a little more time to pinpoint her location."

Charlie grimaced. Waiting was agony. He'd already done enough of that in the past six months.

"You're not the only one who wants to end this," Jasper reminded Charlie. "We're going to find her. I promise. I've sent Erin's photo to the police commander in King's Bay and the surrounding cities. That pay phone must be close to wherever she's been staying, since she's used the same one on several occasions now. As soon as they see her, it's over. It's only a matter of time before she slips up again."

"We've wasted enough time as it is." Charlie could scarcely believe it had been over six months since he'd seen his daughter's face. She was growing up so fast, and he was missing precious time, time he would never get back.

"I know it's torture for you to sit here and listen to me, but rushing after her is only going to make things worse. Remember what happened last time you chased after her?"

If they hadn't tried to tackle things on their own in Rio, Sonya never would have been shot. Charlie would always regret the way things had played out there.

"You can't play the vigilante this time. You're not trained to handle these sorts of situations."

"I know." Charlie rubbed his tired eyes. "I don't want anybody to get hurt again. Not when Summer is with her."

Jasper nodded approvingly. "We can't take the risk. Erin's unstable and unpredictable. Who knows what she might do if she feels trapped or threatened?"

Charlie would have jettisoned himself to 'King's Bay' immediately if it meant being reunited with his wife and daughter, but what Jasper was telling him was right. For Summer's safety, he would have to wait and let the police do their job.

"King's Bay isn't that big. There's only so much ground to cover, Charlie. We will bring her home," Jasper reassured him.

Charlie wanted so badly to believe his friend, but how much longer could he make himself wait when Erin was so close to his reach?

 

St. Magdalene's Catholic Church

Maybe it was just a Pavlovian response to her surroundings, but Sonya felt guilty the moment she entered the Catholic church. It had been far too long since she'd been to a Catholic Mass ... which could possibly explain a bit of the guilt.

But the real reason for her unease was because she knew she was acting foolish. Why was she involving herself in this stupid scheme of Vincent's anyway? Sonya had come to the church to learn more about Father Liam Bartlett for her onetime boss. Vincent seemed convinced Father Bartlett had designs on Giselle, but Sonya seriously doubted the claim. This whole quest seemed like a waste of her time. At least, it would have been if Vincent wasn't paying her for her troubles.

The church was empty, except for a custodian cleaning between a row of pews. Sonya wheeled herself down the center aisle to speak to him. "Hi, I'm here to see Father Bartlett."

He pointed to a set of doors off to the right side of the room, and Sonya thanked him, making her way to the hall that led out to the church's rectory.

"Good afternoon," a friendly older woman smiled as Sonya approached.

"Hello. I'm Sonya Cortes," she introduced herself.

"Susie," she offered. "I'm the bookkeeper here at St. Magdalene's. Can I help you with something?" she asked, looking up from her papers.

"I was looking for Father Bartlett."

"Oh, if only I could help," Susie said, her lips trembling. The woman looked as if she were about to start crying. "Father Bartlett ... he's not here."

"Are you all right?" Sonya asked, as Susie attempted to collect herself.

"Yes," she bobbed her head up and down, trying to convince herself of the fact while tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I'm fine... everything's fine!" she chirped.

"Then ... why are you ... crying?" Sonya asked gently.

"Because Father Bartlett was the best priest we ever had."

"Was?" Sonya asked, confused. "You mean he's not here anymore?"

Susie shook her head, a choking sob bursting from her lungs. "Everyone at St. Magdalene's loved him! I still don't understand ... nobody knows why he would just leave us!"

"What are you talking about?"

Susie blew her nose loudly into a tissue. "Father Bartlett resigned from the church two months ago. Nobody even knew he was considering it until he gathered us all together for the announcement. You should have seen us! We were completely devastated."

"I can only imagine," Sonya said, taking in the wet-faced woman and the trails of mascara running down her cheeks. "But did he resign from his position at St. Magdalene's or from the priesthood entirely?" she wondered aloud.

Susie could only muster up the energy to shake her head. "Who knows? Who knows!" she wailed.

"You haven't heard from him since? Is there anyone else here who might know?"

"Nobody's heard from Liam since he left!"

Or maybe they had heard from him, but simply decided not to inform Susie. She wasn't exactly the most stable person Sonya had encountered of late. She could see why someone might want to avoid upsetting Susie further.

"Well, thank you for your time and for letting me know about Father Bartlett, but I have to be going," Sonya said, hoping to make a quick getaway and find someone else with more information.

"Do you know where he is?" Susie asked, looking as accusatory and dangerous as a one-hundred pound woman in a hand-knitted pink sweater could look.

Sonya shook her head.

"If you see him ... tell him St. Magdalene's needs him. If he's changed his mind -- just make sure he knows we'd always have him back," she said, wiping away her tears.

Sonya escaped, but was left with even more questions. Why had Liam resigned from St. Magdalene's? She wondered if Vincent -- or even Giselle, for that matter -- knew of this recent development.

 

The Highwind - Giselle's Office

Despite her civil overtones, Giselle knew it was only a matter of time before Claudia addressed what had actually brought her to the Highwind. No doubt she had come to lambaste Giselle with her newest series of criticisms and complaints. Giselle tuned out Claudia's mindless chitchat and waited for the other shoe to drop.

"Thank you for seeing me, Giselle," Claudia said, removing her wrap and folding it in her lap. She took a seat across from Giselle's desk. "I wanted to congratulate you on the X-Limit. How exciting!"

Giselle grudgingly accepted the compliment.

"I've no doubt it will be a success. I was worried at first, I'll admit -- carrying out such an ambitious project so soon after your arrest, then your return to the Highwind."

"It's been in development before any of that came about. My son and his fiancée have been overseeing the project from the beginning. They've done an excellent job in my absence. We're right on schedule. On top of that, I've recently hired some amazing new talent at the Highwind to help with the day-to-day operation."

"And it seems you've dropped a bit of the dead weight," Claudia said. "Getting rid of Vincent was a step in the right direction, I'd say."

"Both personally and professionally," Giselle answered with a knowing grin.

Claudia laughed, a throaty, husky sound. "The X-Limit will be opening soon, then?"

Giselle nodded. "We are announcing the opening exhibition event this week, then it's full speed ahead."

"Marvelous. I can't wait to see what you have in store."

Who said you were invited? Giselle thought to herself.

"You know, Giselle, I must apologize for doubting you. You have to understand, I was only concerned for my interest in the Highwind. It was never anything personal, but I'm glad Bruno talked me into remaining on board. I suppose he was right to put his faith in you."

"Yes. He was," she said confidently. "And I completely understand your position," she added. Maybe it was nothing personal to Claudia, but somehow Giselle doubted that ... if her reciprocated vitriol for the woman was any indication.

"But the X-Limit wasn't the only thing I came to discuss..."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"My twin daughters are turning eighteen two weeks from now, and they've been begging me to have the party of their dreams here at the Highwind," Claudia said.

Giselle immediately got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Teenage girls were a foreign demographic to Giselle, but she knew enough to know that this was something she wanted no part of. "I'm not sure this is the most fitting place for an eighteen year old's birthday party..."

"They've heard all about the casino cruise and the masquerade, and they want a special night like that for themselves. Something they'll never forget. They love glamour and spectacle. I know it's probably not something you'd normally do, but if you could consider it -- as a personal favor to me -- I'd be forever grateful." Claudia put on the sweetest smile her severe features could muster, daring Giselle to turn her down.

"What did you have in mind?" Giselle forced herself to ask. "A specific theme? A party here in the grand ballroom? Two weeks isn't much notice..."

"I'm sure whatever you decide will be fine. Who knows what girls their age are into these days?"

"You want me to decide what kind of party to throw? Wouldn't you know better than I would?"

"I honestly don't have the time to think about it. I love them, but I'm too busy to arrange all the details. I'm leaving for a business trip next week. Get a party planner. I don't care. I just want them to have a good time on their birthday and have someone look out for them while I'm away. Is that such a challenge?"

The urge to slap the woman across her heavily rouged face was overpowering. "I'm sure it won't be a problem," Giselle answered, already deciding to pass the responsibility down the line to anyone else willing to take it. Elena or Remy would surely know what eighteen year olds considered 'fun' these days. "We'll figure something out."

"Don't worry. They're great girls, and I don't care if they dance, or stay out late, or even if they drink a little -- you know how kids can be -- as long as they're being chaperoned. I'm fine with whatever you decide is best."

Claudia collected her stole and her handbag. "I owe you for this." She air-kissed Giselle's cheeks.

Yes, you do. And I'll make sure you remember that, Giselle thought. But she knew she needed to remain on Claudia's good side, and this could be an easy way of earning her favor, especially if she got someone else to do all the real work. Giselle Ormand was no babysitter, and she wasn't about to start with Claudia's brats.

 

Miles's Apartment

Josie and Roddy had started watching a movie. She was curled up in his arms on the couch doing her best to clear her mind and relax for one afternoon, but it was so hard to focus. Her too-short attention span had already left the movie behind and had turned back to Travis Caudill.

"Is something wrong?" Roddy asked, leaning forward to look at her expression.

"No. Why?"

"You haven't even noticed the movie's been paused for about five minutes now, have you? What's gotten into you? You can tell me..."

She shook her head, but he knew something was up. She'd been caught. "I've been thinking a lot lately... about my father," she said, aiming to make it seem like an offhanded comment. "I've never met him and I barely know anything about him. It's been bothering me lately, that's all."

"Oh. That's ... totally not what I was expecting. I thought you were mad at me."

"No," she said with a smile. "Not this time. Just the dad thing."

"Well, if it's eating you up so much, have you tried to find him? Can't you just ask your mom about him?"

Josie hesitated. "I think it's a bit more complicated than that. She's never really told me anything about him, and I've learned to stop asking. It only upsets her. He left my mom when she needed him the most. He didn't want to be around us back then. Even if I want to find him, why would he want anything to do with me now?"

"People can change," Roddy reminded her. "Maybe he's a completely different person than he was back then."

Josie was quite sure Roddy was right. Travis wasn't at all what she'd been expecting. He was apparently gay, for starters. "I think I'm scared to find out what he's really like. I've had this idea of him in my head for so long."

"But you don't know anything about him. Of course he's not going to be what you'd think. But that doesn't necessarily mean he's going to be something worse."

"What if I don't like what I find?" she asked, considering the possibilities in her mind. If something truly evolved between Travis and Miles, Josie was sure she'd cross paths with her father at some point. Maybe she wouldn't have the option of remaining in the dark about him.

"At least you'd know one way or the other. You could be missing out on something better than you imagined."

"How great could he be if he's the type of guy who'd abandon his own child? Run from his responsibilities?" Josie wondered. And if he was that type of person, then he didn't deserve Miles either. Josie didn't want her friend to fall for someone like that and get his heart broken if she could prevent it.

"I have to tell Miles," she whispered to herself, thinking he should know before things progressed too far.

Roddy's eyes narrowed. "Why does his opinion matter so much to you lately? You've only known him a few months, but you think he's going to give you better advice?"

"He's my friend," she said, covering for herself. "He cares about what I'm going through."

"So do I," Roddy said, pulling away from her. "But for some reason, that's never enough for you."

"That's not true. I opened up to you and told you why I've been so distant."

"What about all the other times? You're always looking to someone else for support. Miles, BJ, Eden ... I don't know what else I can do to get you to trust me like that."

"I do trust you, or I wouldn't have bothered telling you."

"I should get going," he said, shutting her down and throwing on his jacket. "When it's not too much of a 'bother' for you, maybe you can call and let me know what you decide to do about your father. Because I actually do care. At least, I did."

"Will you wait a second and listen to me?"

He opened the door and turned to her, throwing his hands up. "Do whatever you want, I don't care. Do whatever Miles tells you to do," he said bitterly, slamming the door in his wake.

 

Sleepy Hollow Inn - Claudia Crane-Shaw's Suite

"You'll keep an eye on things while I'm away, won't you?" Claudia asked, watching her lover undress.

"Do you even need to ask? I've got the Highwind under control."

"You'd better," she said, her anxiety fading as she was joined in her bed.

"I've done everything you've asked. She listens to me. She'll do whatever I say. I can be very convincing." Warm lips trailed the length of Claudia's jawline resting at the nape of her neck. "Now quit worrying, and just enjoy this."

Claudia dug her fingernails into her lover's back, her face flushed with exhilaration.

She moaned with pleasure as her lover disappeared beneath the sheets, knowing exactly what she needed. "I'm going to miss this while I'm away," she breathed.

It was all within reach now. Everything was falling into place...

And the Highwind was only the beginning.