Chapter One
“Look at the dog!”
“Oh my gosh, that’s so cute!”
“I didn’t know they allowed dogs on the ski runs.”
“It’s a ski patrol dog. Look at its red vest.”
“Shelby! Come!”
Patroller Lily Alton skied to a stop a short distance from the tourists clustered around her Belgian Malinois, Shelby. A woman in a purple ski suit, two men in black pants and brightly colored jackets, and two little boys with shark fins on their ski helmets stood with a third man, who was eating a hot dog. The blonde dog with black muzzle was sitting at attention, focused on the hot dog. “Shelby, come!” Lily repeated.
Shelby jumped to all fours and whirled around. Upon spotting Lily she let out an excited bark and bounded across the snow toward her. The dog leaped into the air, slamming her front paws into Lily’s chest. Lily bent backward, but managed to stay upright with her arms full of fifty pounds of squirming fur.
All around her, people began to laugh and applaud. Lily forced a smile and managed to set the dog down without injuring either of them. “What’s its name?” A teenage girl skied up.
Lily winced as the girl’s skis skimmed only a few inches from Shelby’s paws. The dog was standing still now, looking from Shelby to the girl, plumed tail gently fanning the air.
“This is Shelby,” Lily said. “She’s one of seven avalanche search dogs here at SkyCrest Resort.”
“Can I pet her?” One of the shark-fin-helmeted boys had joined them.
“You can. And thanks for asking.”
Shelby’s whole body wiggled with delight as the kids patted her. The dog sat, then slid to the ground, until she was writhing in the snow, both children rubbing her belly and giggling.
“Would you like a trading card?” Lily took two of the cards, which featured a color photo of Shelby on the front and details about her and SkyCrest’s avalanche dog program on the back.
“Ooh, yes please,” the girl said.
Lily handed out the cards. “You can collect the whole set,” she said. “There’s one for each of the avalanche dogs here at SkyCrest.”
“Thanks!” the boy said.
Lily’s radio crackled. “Alton. What’s your twenty?” The crisp voice of Patrol Director Scott Linden cut through the static.
“I’m at the bottom of lift one,” Lily replied.
“Well, get over here. We’re all waiting on you.”
“Ten-four.” She clicked off the radio. “Shelby, come!” she called.
“Sounds like Scott is in his usual sunny mood,” she told the dog when she pranced up to her.
Shelby wagged her tail in reply. Nothing the grumpy patrol director said seemed to affect the dog’s sunny mood. If only Lily could adopt the same attitude.
She skied to patrol headquarters, left her skis in the rack at the bottom of the steps, then knocked snow off her boots as she stomped up the steps to the door.
A wave of warmth hit her as she stepped inside, followed by the smell of damp dog. Shelby trotted past her to greet Hunter and Darth, the two black Labs in the corner, then moved on to lick the goldendoodle, Farley, in the face. She ended her roundsat the feet of a tall blond man who frowned down at her. Shelby sat and looked up at the man expectantly.
The man, Ski Patrol Director Scott Linden, turned to Lily. “Why were you late, Alton?” he asked.
“A group of guests stopped me to ask questions,” Lily said. Part of their job as ski patrollers was to interact with guests.
“The rest of patrol doesn’t seem to have as much trouble getting to meetings on time as you do,” Scott said.
“That’s because we’re not showstopper blonds,” patroller Chase Sergeant said from his perch by the lockers. He held up his hands. “I was referring to Shelby, of course.”
