Bryce Marek loved to ski. When her boyfriend, Matthew Whiting, asked her to go away for the weekend, she suggested the Killington Resort in Vermont. She had many fond memories of skiing there with her father during her childhood. In fact, she held those winter weekends dear to her heart.

After her parents divorced, Bryce rarely saw her father. He quickly moved in with Crystal Murphy following the separation, and her mother remarried. She continued to live with her mother, although Greg Janson gave her the creeps. Greg smiled too much and habitually touched her when he spoke to her.

Mother wouldn't listen to her when she complained. Wrapped up in her new life, mother rarely paid attention to Bryce. She couldn't understand her mother at all. Smart and sophisticated, she was a junior partner at a Boston law firm. Greg, on the other hand, rarely worked. Instead, he lounged around the house in his underpants, drinking beer. Bryce found him repulsive.

Over the years, Greg's touching became more exploratory. Bryce dreaded coming home from school in the afternoon. Not only did her stepfather's undressed appearance concern her, but his hands roamed over personal parts of her body. She wanted to live with her father, but her mother stood in the way. She knew how to manipulate the system and constantly thwarted her father's attempts at custody.

The skiing weekends in Vermont provided some relief for Bryce. She liked Crystal, who always smiled and welcomed her to her father's new family. At times, she longed to talk to her stepmother about Greg's behavior. However, when she tried, she became shy and tongue-tied.

As soon as Bryce graduated from high school, she took summer courses at Bentley University. Packing up her belongings, she moved out of her mother's house and away from Greg "The Octopus" Janson. Her mother protested vehemently, but Bryce stood her ground.

Bryce found freedom at the university, where she also met Matthew Whiting. Matt shared many of her courses, and soon, they began studying together. Before long, they became a couple. Bryce loved Matt, but she flinched whenever he touched her. She willed herself to accept his affection but couldn't stop flinching.

"Is there something wrong?" Matt asked, reaching out to touch her hand.

The couple sat side by side in the library. Several books lay open on the table in front of them. Matt reached out to touch Bryce's hand; Bryce withdrew hers quickly. Instead of responding, she stared at the middle distance.

Matt sighed, his firm shoulders collapsing. Bryce turned sorrowful fawn's eyes toward him. She couldn't talk to Crystal about Greg. How could she tell Matt what troubled her?

"All right," Matthew conceded, returning to his studies. Silence prevailed between the couple.

Bryce gnawed on her bottom lip. She longed to please Matt, but she couldn't. Before she left home, something terrible happened to her. The Octopus gave her a special graduation present—one she would never forget...or forgive. Tears formed in her eyes; she fought to hold them back.

"I want to go back to the dorm," she suddenly stated. Snapping the books closed, Bryce gathered them and returned them to their shelves. Her back became rigid when Matt put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm here for you if you want to talk about it," he whispered, his voice soft and low.

"There's nothing to talk about," Bryce answered, slamming the books in place.

"You can get counseling if you'd like," Matt calmly suggested.

"Who says I need counseling?" she fired back. Without waiting for an answer, she marched from the library.

The fall semester began at Bentley University. Bryce and Matt studied in the dorm lounge and hung out in the local pub. They held hands and kissed, but she wouldn't let him go further. She tried to control her rigidity at his touch. At times, she succeeded and felt perfectly at ease with him. At others, her insides welled up in a terrorized scream. She had to force herself from shrieking out loud.

Bryce let herself cry in the shower. It was the only place she found relief from her turmoiling emotions. She cursed Greg Janson and pummeled her fists against the tiled shower wall. Family secrets, she decided, were the worst secrets. They tore into her heart and set it on fire.

Bryce wondered if she would ever have a normal life. She cursed her mother and her mother's husband.

Matt held onto his patience. He loved Bryce and longed to stroke her beautiful auburn hair. Yet, when he moved too close, she moved away. In his heart, he knew what was wrong. His sister, McKenna, experienced a rape when she was fourteen. The withdrawal was immediate and complete. For years, his sister rarely left the house; she never spoke unless absolutely necessary. He sensed the same conflict in Bryce and longed to help her.

"Are you going home for winter break?" Matt casually asked one afternoon.

"I'm never going home again," Bryce responded curtly.

Matt sat back against his library chair and studied her. She rarely spoke of her home life and clammed up when he asked her. One afternoon, he told her of his sister's rape and how counseling helped her overcome her emotional shutdown. Bryce cast her eyes downward but didn't offer her own tragic story.

"Would you like to go away with me?" Matt earnestly asked. "I'll take you anywhere you would want to go."

Bryce considered carefully. If she went away with Matt, perhaps she could accept him as her lover. She did love him, but the problems Greg Janson created in her life held her back. Finally, after a long pause, she nodded her head.

"Take me to the Killington Ski Resort in Vermont," she suggested. It was the only place where she could find a little peace in her traumatic life.

"Sure," Matt replied quickly. His family usually went to Sugarbush, but he would gladly take her if Killington made her happy.

When the winter break began, the couple packed up Matt's SUV and headed north into Vermont. As they neared the ski resort, Bryce began to loosen up. She thought of the happy days she spent with her father skiing. It was then that she found the most peace. A certain joy enveloped her when she rushed down the slopes in the crisp, fresh winter air. During those times, she completely forgot her stepfather, the Octopus.

Bryce surprised Matt when she suddenly began singing Jingle Bells. Grinning widely, he joined in. He felt glad he suggested the holiday outing. Glancing in her direction, he noticed her renewed attitude and joyous expression.

"Shall we hit the slopes immediately?" Matt asked, refocusing his attention on the road ahead.

Bryce nodded, her smile relieving most of their relationship's tension.

Skiing invigorated Bryce. The couple sped down the slopes, invigorated by the activity. They shared a meal at Lookout Tavern and then spent a romantic hour in the hot tub. When Matt kissed her goodnight, she slipped her fingers into his wavy blonde hair and pulled him close. Suddenly, her inhibitions glided away. They made love, and afterward, Matt held her close.

Tears sprang to Bryce's eyes, and she buried her face in Matt's shoulder. Tenderly combing her hair with his fingers, he let her vent her pent-up emotions. He knew he couldn't push her or ask for an explanation. He had to wait until she was ready.

"My daddy brought me to Killington when he could," Bryce finally explained. "Mother made it difficult for him to see me. After the divorce, he was awarded court-ordered visitation, but she knew how to quash it. My time with daddy was precious, and so was Killington."

Throughout the night, Bryce described her parents' separation and her mother's second marriage to Grag Janson. It wasn't difficult to speak about it with Matt. His love made her feel safe and secure for the first time in years. By morning, she felt like a new woman.

"I will support you if you get counseling," Matt promised, hugging her close. "I'll stand by your side forevermore if you will have me."

"Yes, Matt, I want your support." Bryce smiled and kissed him.

"I'll take you back to Boston when you are ready and help you file a complaint against your stepfather," he continued. Bryce nodded against his chest, her tears flowing again. "You're not afraid, are you?"

"Mother will fight the accusation, Matt," she answered weakly. "Mother always gets her way."

"Not this time," Matt assured her. "Uncle Holden can out-trick your mother with his eyes closed."

"Holden Whiting?" Bryce sat up quickly. "The Holden Whiting who prosecuted the Gilroy case and advocates for rape victims? He's your uncle?"

"Didn't I tell you that?" Matt chuckled, his eyes dancing merrily. "He'll make mincemeat out of your Octopus."

"I knew Killington, Vermont, was my lucky place," Bryce exclaimed, suddenly kissing Matt. When everything's finished, and we graduate from college, can we live here? I want to become a ski instructor and stay here. Is that okay with you?"

Matt hesitated, dragging out his response for as long as he could. When Bryce became despondent again, he smiled and hugged her tightly.

"I always thought I'd like to live at Sugarbush," he ventured, "but Killington is all right too my little snow bunny."

!!!COMING SOON!!!

KENTUCKY