Iced Tower

By Olivia Parker

Three young women from different backgrounds move in together. Robin Ashton, the young multi-talented entrepreneur; Ashley Mc Gillis the rich English figure skating brat, and her opponent; Terri Lee the professional figure skater and rebellious daughter of an international fashion designer. Robin’s unsuccessful business takes a prosperous turn when the figure skating production of the year comes to town. The influx of tourists brings with it waves of excitement in Robin’s seemingly ordinary life. The winds of change shapes her life as it brings with it new relationships and great challenges – love being the greatest one. While blinded by her heart’s inability to choose between the man she thinks she loves and the man she thinks she hates, Robin finds herself caught up in a love triangle bordering on life threatening danger. The decisions she makes and the consequences thereof lands her at the wrong place at the wrong time and puts her squarely in harm’s way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris NZ
• Release date: Aug 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543495713

Olivia Parker

At eight years old, Olivia Parker wrote her first romance with a fat red marker. It made one's eyes hurt to read it, but it did have a tortured hero. Since then, she's dedicated her efforts to improving her craft (now using pencils) and divides her time among her love of writing, reading, and relaxing with her family. She currently resides in northern Ohio with her husband, three children, a border collie, and a cockatiel, who eats a worrisome amount of popcorn.

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Copyright © 2019 by Olivia Parker.

ISBN:                Softcover              978-1-5434-9572-0

                          eBook                   978-1-5434-9571-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/27/2019

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Contents

Iced Tower

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

About The Author

ICED TOWER

No one ever promised that life would be fair

Tears come with the load that we bare

For fate is believed to be your own creation

Giving to the soul a life’s long revelation

A wink of an eye could put you down in history

Within the turn of an hour

Or it could mean locked away within an iced tower.

A single word can make a stranger’s day

Or break them down –

Cast them away

So much sorrow in a smile that never reaches the eye

When he holds her

A frozen heart caged inside an iced tower.

The miracle of life

Beauty, change, growth and splendour

The pleasure derived from a conquered endeavour

Thanks in abundance and blessings in a shower

To save a fellow man from turning into a corner stone

Of an iced tower.

Ignorance can shove your mind into a state –

Irrational and irregular

Your destiny in debate

For its little things that make life so spectacular

Love, friendship and power

All life’s components trapped within a steely

Iced Tower

-OMP-

1995 – 1996 (Reworked 2016/17)

For Vedette, Lee, and Jozette for the crossover year from primary school to high school when the uncertainties of adolescence were at its worst.

For my sister, Azelé and my parents Gustav and Denise for years of wondering when they would get to see the productof the hours of writing.

For the teachers and staff of Cape Town schools Valhalla Primary and Elsies River High, and for the community of Elsies River who created an opportunity for a twelve-year-old South African girl to dream.

For my children (and because we don’t use the word ‘step’ in our family) Reed, Wayrinley, Hayden, Hess-Maree and Ilse – I love you crazies no matter what.

For my lifelong friend, childhood neighbour and husband, Wayne. Much love and respect to you the reader.

PROLOGUE

The brassy glare from sprawling dark grey clouds above her, had set the tree-lined highway in a burnished ominous setting. There were very few things that motivated Robin Ashton to drive from Texas right into a Montana thunderstorm. Not being able to reach anyone in Whitefish, Montana via mobile phone added to the stress she was under by not knowing the condition of her weak, ailing father. It had been almost an hour down the highway since she had passed another car or gas station. It would be a terrible pity if her sturdy white classic 1969 Camaro suffered a flat or ran out of gas. She knew exactly what to expect as she neared her hometown. The heavy suffocating air and humidity rang dark with the heady scent of rain. The large pattering drops she’d got along the way was a clear indication of the onslaught she was soon to find herself in. The crackle of thunder she experienced moments ago had charged up to a deep roar, vibrating through the mountains and tree filled slopes of Flathead County. It was in the heart stopping seconds of silence that fear had set in before flashes blue and hot silver lightening split the darkened sky. The tempo of the rain increased to a steady downpour, making visibility near impossible.

The shock of the untimely news of her father being on his deathbed had her fumbling out of her dorm and into her car without checking if the spare was good or whether her water and fuel were adequate for the journey. The medium red leather seats, identical to the colour of the two broad stripes on the hood, felt cold under her scantily dressed body. The cold from the storm had begun to make her shiver violently. Her choice of clothing hadn’t seemed all that strategic now as her teeth clattered. The black cotton cropped T-shirt and cheeky denim shorts suddenly seemed ridiculous, making her aware of her poor choices over the last few weeks. Student life had been great until the moment she got the call to return home. Her second year in college had started out fun until that moment. The uncertainty added anxiety to her already shot nerves and increased her distress. As a second year college student, Robin barely had time to visit her folks.

Being away from them gave her some kind of freedom in finding herself and her purpose although she wasn’t quite sure what that purpose was yet.

Joseph and Janelle Ashton was an elderly baron couple who had adopted her as a toddler. Since adoption was not very common in the little town of Whitefish, located on the western side of the continental divide, near Glacier National Park, Robin got teased on a regular basis as small town life hardly meant any privacy at all.

She took solace in knowing that she could escape the teasing after school by playing freely and to her heart’s content on the Ashton ranch.

Not once in all the time that she lived with the Ashtons had she felt unloved or like she did not belong. Joseph and Janelle were her parents despite the fact that their blood did not run through her veins.

Joseph taught her to be tough and brave while Janelle taught her how to be a self-sufficient woman.

Life on the ranch had become strained once Robin had started high school. Despite the fact that the teasing had stopped, Robin found it increasingly difficult to make friends. Instead, she started hanging out at the library in order to plan her future far away from the mountainous Montana. She often searched the notice boards at the library for odd jobs that would allow her to gain valuable experience. A brief stint at the local photographic and videography shop had taught her all she needed to know about the trade. Helping out at the local events and catering companies whenever she could, especially during annual events such as the arts festival and the annual cookout event that Whitefish was famous for, had been the one thing that motivated her to apply to universities offering qualifications in the field of public relations and events management. One such day, checking the notice board in the library, had led her to discovering a list of possible pen pals. As she had no interest in befriending any of the youngsters in town, she instead chose a name off the list and started a friendship with a girl of the same age from Virginia Water in Surrey, England.

Being able to drive meant she no longer needed to use the school bus, and it meant she was free to go where she had wanted and when, but when her elderly parents’ ages started catching up with them and with her leaving for college, it became necessary for the Ashtons to sell their ranch and move to their mountain cabin which had been reserved in the past for mini breaks. Robin had always thought it unnecessary when she was younger, but the older she became, she realised what a good investment it had been. The sale of the ranch meant the family could afford to have a caregiver see to her parents, which meant Robin only needed to visit when it was really necessary. Another decision that seemed really stupid now, as she drove into Whitefish, Montana.

A blanket of heavy black clouds covered the small town, casting houses, trees and vehicles in an eerie tinted gloom in the faltering light.

Robin should not have been surprised by the lack of movement in the main street of the town as she passed through it. Through the stillness of the town came the low rumbling of thunder. Rain continued to curtain down and beat the frantic wipers of her car as she eased out of the town heading in the direction of the Ashton’s secluded mountain cabin.

A combination of bronzy slivers and violet flashes from the black sky bounced off road signs and markings, proving to be somewhat scary and helpful at the same time. Robin found the dirt road leading to the cabin to be mushy and muddy from the merciless rain. The only light from the cabin was the porch light guided her as she brought her car to halt. The brave nineteen-year old grabbed her little canvas tog bag, and made her way to the front door. Robin fumbled in the soaked bag for her set of keys while lightening continued to crack the sky above her.

Once she unlocked the door Robin bolted the door shut behind her, grateful for the dry log cabin. She managed to search the dark walls for the light switch that immediately washed the interior of the cabin in bright comforting light.

Robin kicked off her shoes, knowing instantly that she was alone in the two story establishment. She made her way into the downstairs bathroom, turning on lights and lamps as she went along. Stripping down, she pulled a clean towel from the linen cupboard in the bathroom and draped it around her chilled naked body. Her teeth continued to smash against each other, even in the warmth of the cabin. The temperature was an indication that the hearth had been turned off just over an hour ago, meaning that her folks were probably at a medical facility in town she had passed a few minutes ago.

Robin wrapped a towel around her long rich auburn hair in an attempt to squeeze the access water out of it. The short distance from her car to the porch had drenched her – an indication of the severity of the storm. She made her way up the wooden staircase to the room she had occupied whenever she visited. It was a simple double room with one wall lined with cherry wood cupboards, and a matching dressing table and chest of drawers on the opposite wall. Robin searched through the drawers for a pair of jeans, socks and a dry jumper.

A shower and a freshly brewed pot of coffee would have been a great idea, but the thought of getting to her parents outweighed the prospects of warming herself.

Outside, rain continued to pound the roof of the cabin and thunder droned through the cosy interior. She pulled on wellingtons and grabbed a raincoat from a peg behind her door before making her way down the stairs when suddenly a sharp crack of lightning rolled off the roof. The lights inside the house flashed briefly.

Robin froze. She knew the warning of the flashing lights meant that the ruthless storm would possibly knock the power out. She scanned the lounge area where she had discarded her bag earlier and located it near the door. She made her way down the creaking stairs before an earthshattering boom drowned the open plan lounge in suffocating darkness. The brilliant shock of violet in the dark cabin.

She stumbled though the cabin to the front door. It took her a while to wrestle the keys out of the door with shaking hands. Screaming like a lunatic against the mass of heavy low clouds that made her feel claustrophobic. Robin knew that despite having parked a few feet away from the porch, the rain would soak her denims. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she darted to her car. After a single swivel she brought the car roaring to life and piercing the thick air. She fished out her mobile and tried the local hospital, but the lines were still out. Easing the car out of the clump of trees, Robin found the flooded dirt road. Opaque puddles created an obstacle course on the road that led to the town that only rescue personnel braved, or the truly insane. Rain poured down onto the windscreen and the wiper blades didn’t do much to help her obscured vision. She drove slower than usual, curving to the side of the road, giving way for possible potholes. There were no cars in sight.

Robin entered the town only to find herself faced by road closures. A ranger from the sheriff’s department beckoned for her to roll her window down. He shone a flashlight into her car, Ma’am, you have to turn back. The road is flooded on the other end.

Robin could barely hear him or see his face due to the downpour of rain. Officer, she started, I need to get to the hospital.

Are you injured? he called to her.

No, but my dad is critical and I have to get to him.

Remorse was evident in the officer’s voice, though she could barely see him in the pouring rain. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you through. You are going to have to turn back.

Robin glanced in her rear view mirror, What’s happening back there? she asked.

The road is completely being cordoned off. Some military op involving a senator, but nothing to worry your pretty little head about.

Please, Robin stifled a cry. Politics and state business sparked no interest in her. I have to see my father. Is there no way I can get out of town?

The officer searched her face with his striking blue eyes and sighed in defeat, Okay, but I must warn you that you’ll probably get more roadblocks further down. You will need to take a detour. He explained the detour route to her. Please be careful and stay on the detour.

Robin nodded her thanks and soon eased her car off the main road into a side road that started the detour as the officer had explained. Lightening continued to rip through the inky sky in blinding silver forks.

She was a few miles out of the town when she was passed by an emergency vehicle. Maybe she should have listened to the ranger and just waited the storm out at the cabin.

The chaotic downpour did not subside in all the time she’d left the cabin. Two more cars passed by her. The night had grown darker. When at last she reached the foot of the mountain pass, she saw stationary lights in the distance. She neared the vehicle with caution. The headlights of her car bounced off the gleaming body of a light green Volkswagen Beetle. There was no one in the car, despite the headlights being on. The heavy sheet of rain continued to obscure her vision and forced Robin to slow down even more. The dark canvas of the sky cracked open with blazing zig-zags lightening up the winding road ahead. Robin instantly spotted the white image on the side of the road. As she went closer her headlights found the hitchhiking man. She stopped instantly making the connection from the car she’d just passed. He came up to her window, Hi.

What are you doing out here? You’ll catch your death, she said, unable to get a good look at him as the rain beat down.

My car broke down, he pointed to the dated car she’d just passed. I was the last in the convoy you probably passed on your way down the mountain. I got caught in the flash flood and my car hit a ditch and just died. There is no mobile reception out here so I can’t call for help. He took a look at her car, shaking his head. There is no way your car is going to make it through those flash rivers either.

Robin didn’t need a stranger to tell her what she already knew. How far back is the flood?

A few miles down. There is a motel and service station. I am not sure of the name as I’m not from around here. I drove up here from San Francisco. It took us almost twenty hours to get here.

Get in, Robin leaned over and opened up the door for him. Another flash blinded her momentarily followed by a loud cracking boom. Beside her sat the young stranger, not much older than her it seemed. He was soaked.

Thank you. I’m so sorry that I am getting your seat all wet, he lowered his backpack to the floor.

It’s alright, she smiled.

He noticed that her jeans were soaked too and smiled, I see we both need to change.

Robin returned his smile and turned her attention back to the road, I don’t always give strangers a ride, but this road is hardly ever travelled. Not many people living out here would brave this weather either.

He nodded thoughtfully, "Where are you headed in this weather?"

I’m taking a detour from Whitefish to the hospital. The roads were all cordoned off due to the storm. Robin took an instant liking to him. He eased into light chatter that took her mind off her father and off the danger of the storm and the drop in temperature with every passing moment.

She smiled and every so often when she glanced at him, she caught him staring back at her.

The motel is just up ahead, he pointed to where neon lights vaguely came into sight.

Yeah. I know the place. Hopefully there is a working telephone, she breathed, suddenly feeling the slightest hint of attraction. Awkward to say the least when she blushed involuntarily, feeling the weight of his stare. She shivered, feeling the crowns of her nipples crystalise under her black and white patterned jumper. Desperate to break the uncomfortable silence, Robin giggled trying to make light conversation once again. What was intended to be a brief giggle, turned out to be a hysterical shriek, I can’t believe you were out here without a coat on?

Not even an umbrella. I usually keep one in my car, but I needed to make space for supplies.

You figured you were not going to need it out here on the western side of the continental divide? she mused raising a questioning brow.

He took a deep breath and when he released it, it was a cloud of vapour. His wet eyelashes stuck together for a suspended second when he blinked.

The little movement made Robin’s heart race. She turned her attention back to the road.

These things only happen to other people, or at least that’s what I thought up until tonight, he looked out the window on the passenger side and then back at Robin.

She smiled again, only taking her eyes off the road for a second when suddenly her car dripped in the front and a parting splash of water caused red-brown run-off spilling over her bonnet and windows. She had driven right through a puddle of water which had caused her car to give three violent jerks before coming to a shaking halt right beside the turnoff to the service station.

Goddammit! She banged on the steering. The force of the storm battered her car.

Once it gets water you’re stranded at least until it dries. At least we are just a few meters from the gas station, her rescued passenger looked at the frustrated girl beside him. I will help you push it into the lot, with that he jumped out of the car and guided her out of the storm to the undercover parking bays of the motel.

There is a diner right behind this gas station, he pointed to the blue and red sign flashing not too far away. The service station must be closed on account of the weather.

Robin hesitated. Think we can make a run for it?

He got back