Tristan stood and clipped the leash on her, and she whined at Frankie.
“Go on, girl. When you get back, we’ll go to bed.”
She hung her head and slumped behind Frankie. Tristan didn’t know why she didn’t like him, but she was particular. Usually, he was the only one who could get her to do anything. Delilah could as well, but that was it. Sera seemed to like Mia too. Maybe she missed having a woman around. It’d been so long though, and he was surprised that Sera even remembered Delilah. Maybe it was just that something about Mia was different. Tristan certainly thought so.
He undressed and brushed his teeth. Sleep would be hard to come by tonight. He wiped at his eyes again. He shouldn’t have looked at the pictures. When he started to think of her, the nightmares would come. She would be sick all over again, and he’d relive the pain in his dreams. It was torture.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
What the hell?
He threw on a pair of shorts and raced to his door. He flung it open.
A bellboy stood there, panting. “Mr. West, come quick. Sera ran outside.”
Oh shit. She could be halfway down the street by now.
Tristan stopped long enough to put on his sneakers and a sweatshirt. He followed the bellboy to the elevator. It moved way too slow.
“Where is Frankie?”
“Chasing her.”
“She’ll never stop for him.”
Damn the slow elevator. Sera didn’t know the area. She could easily get lost, and it was too cold for her to spend the night outside. The elevator door opened, and he flew out the front doors and into the icy air. He couldn’t lose the only girl he trusted to stay with him always.
While perusing the aisles of Walmart, Mia decided to make the classic chocolate chip cookies. She’d come back later for extra supplies to make more traditional Christmas cookies. The store was mostly empty except for a few skiers who forgot sunscreen or lost their gloves, and she was the only one shopping for baking supplies.
She stepped outside and found the snow coming down. It was pretty. As she walked to her car, she marveled at how the snow reflected the moonlight. Pale-yellow light illuminated the parking lot and the mountains in the distance. It looked completely different from the way the moon shone on the slopes. She imagined it was because they were also lit by large lights for night skiing. She’d read that on a sign behind the front desk. There was something about skiing at night on certain slopes being at the guest’s own risk.
The snow fell around her like tiny feathers fluttering to the ground, and she held her arm out to let the white flakes land on her jacket. She marveled at the intricate little shapes, how each was so different. The wind blew an icy blast in her face, and she rushed toward the car. The sooner she got home, the sooner she could bake.
Her foot slid forward on a patch of ice. The other stayed behind until she found herself in an awkward half split, struggling to get back up. Her arms flailed, spilling some of her purchases, and it took her a moment to balance enough to lean down and put a hand on the ground. Slowly, she inched her back leg toward her front and straightened up.
Her heart hammered in her chest. She picked her groceries up, thankful no one was in the parking lot to witness her clumsiness and that she hadn’t broken her neck.
She sat in the parking lot in her car for a few minutes and watched the snow coming down until her breathing returned to normal. For some reason, the snow seemed more magical in the mountains. Maybe things were different up here. Maybe she should take her sister’s advice to heart. She hadn’t even been there forty-eight hours, and she’d already befriended the bellboy, become best friends with a dog, and had the most amazing bath of her life. Though, she’d leave skiing off her list of things she loved about Breckenridge.
And there was Tristan. Every time she closed her eyes, she pictured him standing there in that towel. She wanted to know the meaning behind his tattoos, but she didn’t really care beyond that. She’d never been one who was driven by desire. She was firmly attracted to personalities. The wrong ones apparently, based on her track record with men.
Maybe just once, she should let lust drive her. It couldn’t be any worse than before. Plus, she wasn’t planning on giving up her heart, so there was no way this could go wrong. She could be turned down, but she doubted he would. She’d seen the fire in Tristan’s eyes when he looked at her chocolate robe.
The magic of the mountains might be what she needed.
She relaxed her hands on the wheel and pulled onto the street. She went slowly, the roads slick. She slid a little, causing a momentary panic, and one of her bags flew off the seat.
Shit. It was the eggs. She managed an acrobatic feat not to break them before. She reached down to pick them up, momentarily taking her eyes off the road. Once the eggs were safely back on the seat, she concentrated on driving again.
A black dog raced in front of her, and she screamed. She slammed on the brakes, and the car slid, narrowly avoiding the dog. She let out a breath of air. That was close.
Out of nowhere, someone raced in front of the car. His body slammed against her hood and went flying. Adrenaline flooded her veins.
The car finally stopped, and she scrambled out of her seat and raced for him. The seconds seemed like hours as she slipped and slid across the pavement.
Please don’t be dead.
Please don’t be dead.
Please don’t be dead.
She dropped next to the man and turned his face toward her.
It was Tristan.
He was still breathing, but unconscious. She scrambled for her phone. No one else was out this time of night. At least the ambulance wouldn’t have trouble finding them. She was about a half a block from the resort.
She swallowed. She’d never even been in an accident before, and now she’d hit a pedestrian. Turmoil twisted inside of her. A cold nose pressed against her cheek.
She flicked her eyes up. Sera lay next to Tristan. She had no idea what they were both doing out this time of night, but she only had one thought.
Please don’t die.
Chapter Nine
Tristan’s head was fuzzy, and his limbs felt full of lead, but he suspected that had more to do with the medicine than something being really wrong with him. He still wasn’t terribly clear on what happened, but he’d been stuck in the ER for longer than was necessary.
He’d been in and out since the accident. He remembered seeing that woman’s face from next door and then a few EMTs and doctors. A cute nurse checked in on him not that long ago.
His eyes drifted shut.
“Thank goodness you’re okay.”
He fluttered his eyes open and found Jessica and Liz standing over him, with Adam and Conner right behind. He didn’t like his friends seeing him hurt, but he was grateful they were there.
“What happened?” Conner asked, his jaw tight.
“I have no idea. No one has really tried to explain. How did you know I was here?”
“The front desk told us. They knew we were all here together.”
“Yeah,” Adam said with a fake yawn. “Woke us from a dead sleep.”
Jessica giggled. “I don’t know what you guys were doing sleeping. Conner and I were wide awake.”
“What time is it?” Tristan asked groggily.
“Three a.m.”
“Oh man, sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Jessica said. “We’re just glad you’re okay. We can hit the slopes later than normal tomorrow. Uh. Today. We’ve got two whole weeks.”
Adam pulled out his phone and pointed it at Tristan.
“What the hell, man?” Tristan said. “Put that away.”
Adam shrugged. “Someone’s got to document this.” Adam was the only adult male Tristan knew that posted his entire life on Instagram.
A tall Indian doctor walked in and scrolled through a few screens on a laptop. “How are you feeling?”
“Confused,” Tristan said.
He chuckled. “
I imagine. You have quite the concussion.”
“What happened?” Tristan asked, needing to get to the bottom of this. He never got hurt. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen a doctor or been in a hospital.
He thought hard. Ah yes, sophomore year of college when he and Conner had a little too much to drink and fancied themselves invincible. They jumped off the frat house roof. They both broke their legs, which garnered them a lot of sympathy from girls.
“You went chasing after your dog in the middle of the night and ran across a street without looking.”
“Is Sera okay?”
Liz sat on the edge of his bed. “She’s with Nona, totally zonked out and not the least bit ashamed. You’re the only one who got hit by a car.”
Tristan sank into the pillows, completely relieved. His mind slowly slogged through the other information.
Tristan blinked. “What idiot hit me?”
“There was a woman here earlier with bright red hair who said she hit you,” the doctor said. “She was completely distraught and wanted to make sure you were okay. We wouldn’t let her see you, but did assure her that you would be fine.”
Red hair? Had Mia hit him? Was she okay?
Tristan groaned and brought a hand to his head. Everything was spinning. The doctor continued to babble.
“You are extremely lucky. No broken bones or internal bleeding. You hit the ground hard, but as far as we can tell, your only injury is a concussion. Basically, take it easy for the next couple of weeks and see a doctor for a follow up.”
“Define ‘take it easy.’” If Mia ruined his vacation, they were definitely going to have words about that. And not the kind that led to hot sex.
The doctor perched on the end of the bed. “I’m assuming you are here to ski?”
“Yep.”
“Find something else to do. No skiing for at least a week, I’m afraid. Two weeks would be better. You don’t want to do anything that would worsen your injury.”
Tristan growled. “What the hell am I supposed to do for two full weeks at a ski resort if I’m not skiing?”
“I’ve heard the spas are nice.”
Tristan was tempted to call the doctor a few colorful names, but his head spun again. He would just have to find another doctor to clear him. Surely two weeks was not necessary for recovery.
But his heart sank. He prided himself on his health and did everything he could to take care of his body. Especially after what happened to Delilah. He wouldn’t risk it. Damn that woman.
“When can I go back to the resort?” Now he wanted nothing more than to get out of the hospital and into a bed where he could actually sleep.
“Right now, if you want. No driving for three days. I’m assuming these good people can get you home and in bed.”
“Come on, you,” Jessica said. “Let’s get back so we can all get some sleep.”
She helped him carefully out of the bed and into a wheelchair. He should’ve been able to walk on his own, but he couldn’t stand upright without the world spiraling.
Conner pushed him down the long hallway. “Dude, remember last time we were in the ER together?”
“Memories of that night are fuzzy too.” Tristan chuckled. He couldn’t even remember who’d had the stupid idea to jump off the roof.
“Oh yes, but for a very different reason.”
An hour later, Tristan was in bed with his friends hovering over him. “Do you need anything?” Liz asked.
“Just sleep.”
“Okay, we’ll check on you in the morning.”
“No. Just hit the slopes and have a good time for me. I’ll probably still be asleep when you leave. Check on me when you get back.”
Adam frowned. “Are you sure? We don’t mind. We can all take it easy and watch movies with you and soak in your hot tub. We can make a party of it. I’m sure David, Seth, and Grayson would be down too.”
“No way. I want you all to go out and have a good time. I’m not going to be much fun.”
“Exactly,” Jessica said. “I like Adam’s idea. We have the rest of the trip to ski. You sleep until noon, and then we’re partying in your room. Now go to bed.”
Chapter Ten
Mia tossed and turned, thinking about Tristan. She hit him full on with her car. The doctors at the ER assured her he was fine, but she still worried. Every time she fell asleep, she’d dream about the car skidding into him and woke up in a sweat.
Not only that. How could she face him? They were going to be neighbors for the next two weeks. Maybe she should request to have her room moved. If she’d kept her eyes on the road instead trying to retrieve her eggs, she never would’ve hit him.
No. That would be cowardly.
She had to make this up to him, but she had no idea how. She lay in bed for a long time thinking of the things she could do to cheer him up. He’d probably be stuck in bed for a few days.
She grabbed her phone. It was ten a.m. Maybe she slept more than she thought she had.
She sent a quick text to Frankie.
How’s Tristan?
Fine. Got back last night late. His friends took good care of him. Word on the street is concussion. No skiing for two weeks.
At least he was okay, but she’d ruined his trip. Sure he probably took trips like this all the time, but this was Christmas, and all his buddies were here, and now he couldn’t ski with them.
Ugh. It’s all my fault. I need to make it up to him.
I’m sure there are plenty of things you can do. Wink. Wink.
Mia blushed. Not those kinds of things. I’m going to make him cookies.
I like my idea better.
She got up, resolved to help Tristan feel better. Food was always a good thing. Especially her chocolate chip cookies.
A door never looked so menacing before. She stared at number 1001 and steeled her resolve. Sera barked somewhere in the room, and if Mia didn’t knock soon, she’d be given away.
She rapped three times on the door.
A cacophony of barking ensued. That wasn’t just Sera.
After lots of shushing and a “Here, you hold her,” one of the women who’d been with Tristan last night peeked her head out the door. She was pretty with jet black hair and bright red lipstick.
“Can I help you?”
“I came to see how Tristan is doing.” Mia held up the plate.
“Oh yeah, come in. Hurry though before one of the dogs escapes.”
Mia squeezed in, and several long snouts sniffed her shoes and legs. She blinked and counted. Six dogs. All Dobermans.
“I hope you like dogs,” the woman said.
“I do. Sera and I are buddies. I’m in the room next door. But wow, six.”
“Oh, just wait until after Christmas Day. There will be three more. The woman held her hand out. “I’m Liz.”
“Mia.”
This suite was much larger than her own but felt a little cramped with all the people and dogs. Mia took in the décor, which was completely different than her room, and had a much larger fireplace and a TV. She didn’t see Tristan anywhere.
Liz waved her over. “You can put the cookies here. This is my sweetie, Adam.” A dark-haired guy held up his beer and smiled at her, and Liz pointed at another couple. “Jessica and Conner.” The pair had been in the middle of an intense conversation, but both smiled at her. “And on the couch are Seth, David, and Grayson.”
The three had controllers in hand, and David stared intently at the TV. Mia was perplexed when she saw they were snowboarding on the game.
Liz must’ve seen the confusion on her face and laughed. “I know. They are in one of the best places to ski and snowboard in the country, and they’re still attached to the screen.”
They all looked like they were models in a fashion magazine. Seth, who’d been so forward last night, didn’t even look at her. She tried to not let that gnaw at her self-esteem.
“Where’s Tristan?” Mia asked.
“Pouting on
the balcony. He’s not allowed to ski for the whole trip.”
Mia cringed. This was her fault. “I’m going to go say hi and leave you guys to your day.”
“Hitting the slopes?”
“No. I don’t ski. I mean, I tried, but I’m not any good.”
“Then why leave? Stay. The more the merrier. Jessica and I are sadly outnumbered, unless you count the dogs. Maybe you can convince Tristan to come back inside.”
Mia didn’t think that she’d have much luck. She barely even knew him. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Mia opened the door to the arctic air. She quickly closed the door behind her before the dogs could follow her out. The balcony wrapped around to the other side, and there was no sign of Tristan. She walked around the corner, shivering, and crossed her arms to keep her hands warm.
On the far end of the balcony was a massive hot tub with a single occupant. His back was to her, and she approached cautiously, studying the tattoo on his shoulder.
“Hey,” she said when she got close enough.
He swiveled his head around, and she leaned on the hot tub so she could see his face. The steam from the hot tub warmed her.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was sharper than necessary.
“I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m doing fine.” The venom in his voice chilled her, and she backed away. He stared out over an amazing view of people coming down the slopes. She stood there awkwardly and considered heading inside, but she was already here. She wanted to make the best of this.
“How’s your head? I heard you have a concussion.”
His eyes stayed firmly planted on the mountain.
“Nothing a few painkillers can’t help.” He finally turned, his face angry. “Is there something you needed?”
How dare he talk to her that way when she was being friendly? He ran out in front of her after all. This wasn’t just her fault. Her fists balled, and a flush filled her cheeks.
“No. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I brought cookies.” She backed up and hit the glass door. The cold seeped into her back.
Christmas and Commitment (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 6) Page 4
