Read Online A Conflict of Interest by Barbara Dunlop - Free Book Online Page A

jacket as he headed for the exit.
    Happily, most of the kids had vacated the deck. He assumed they were boarding their way down the hill. He could only hope they’d had enough of a head start to stay well ahead of him.
    While Liam waited for the next gondola car, Max and Jake made their way to the rack that held their snowboards. Max’s path to his board was blocked by a boy of about eleven who was struggling with his bindings.
    Inwardly sighing at the delay, Max crouched down on one knee. “Need some help?” he asked, masking his frustration with a friendly tone.
    He couldn’t help but wonder where the kid’s parents were or why a member of the jamboree staff or even the ski hill staff hadn’t already assisted the boy. Max had seen numerous officials wandering the slopes in bright yellow jackets with the name of the hill plastered across the back.
    “It’s stuck,” the boy whined, jamming at the buckle with his fingers.
    Max looked at the kid’s face and realized the boy was fighting back tears.
    “Don’t worry.” He did his best to sound reassuring. “We can fix it up.”
    Stripping off his gloves, Max straightened a bent buckle on one of the mechanisms. Then he pulled the strap through, tightening it until it was secure.
    “How does that feel?” he asked the boy.
    The boy flexed his foot. “Okay.” He sniffed.
    Max straightened as Jake came up behind them, one foot secured to his board, the other pushing himself along the even ground.
    As Max reached for his own board, he noticed the boy glancing worriedly around.
    “Are you here with you parents?”
    “My friends.”
    “Oh.” Max glanced around for a likely looking group. “Can you see them?”
    “They left.” The boy pointed to the start of a medium-difficulty run. “That way.”
    “They left you behind?” Nice friends.
    The boy nodded, looking both embarrassed and upset.
    Moving a few feet to the top of the slope, Max strapped his boots to his board while Jake secured his free foot. This was really none of their concern. But it wasn’t like they could leave the poor kid to his own devices.
    “What’s your name?” Max asked the kid.
    “Ethan.”
    “Well, Ethan.” Max snapped his goggles into place and did a quick check to make sure Ethan was all set to go. “I guess you’d better ride down with us.”
    The boy brightened.
    “I’m Max, and this is Jake. I’m sure we can find your friends at the bottom.”
    As they headed down the run, it quickly became obvious that Ethan’s enthusiasm outstripped his skills.
    Max slowed his pace, pulling behind the kid, cringing at his sloppy technique and his wobbling balance. Ethan gamely tried to take a few, small jumps, but he took fall after fall on the landings.
    Finally, Max couldn’t stand it any longer. He pulled up beside him and helped him to his feet.
    “Bend your knees,” Max instructed. “Go back on your heels,” he demonstrated. “But don’t overbalance the landing. Here, hold out your arms, like this.”
    To his credit, Ethan watched carefully. He bit his lower lip and nodded in obvious determination.
    “You want to watch me do it once?” asked Max.
    “Yeah. That would be good.”
    “Okay.” Max pointed to a small mound downhill from them. “That one.”
    He took it slow and easy, jumping just enough to get some air, exaggerating his balancing movements on the other side.
    Ethan took a turn. Surprisingly, he kept his feet on the landing. He grinned at the accomplishment, punching a celebratory fist in the air.
    Max chose another small one, and Ethan followed.
    It was the longest run of his life, but when they came to a rest point midway, Ethan took the most impressive jump so far, getting a fair degree of air, then landing it and keeping upright.
    Max found himself shouting in celebration, while Ethan sprayed up a small rooster tail of snow and grinned ear to ear.
    The sound of cheering erupted beside them, and Max turned to see a group of six boys calling