Sweet Victory

by Melanie Shawn

  “They had a long road to get to where they are but I am so happy for them. Even when they didn’t believe it, I think everyone else always knew they belonged together.”

  “Sometimes it’s hard to see what’s right in front of you,” Luke said, staring meaningfully into Samantha’s eyes.

  Luke heard a small gasp escape from Sam’s mouth. Without even consciously doing so, he leaned forward so that their lips were mere millimeters apart. He could feel her breath against his face. He could see the flush in her cheeks. He was mesmerized.

  Just as he was about to close the tiny gap between their lips, the lift jerked and they both stood and moved to the side of the chair. He was glad that they had both had so much experience dismounting from so many lifts throughout their lives. If the process had not been distilled to autonomic response, pure muscle memory, for both of them many years ago, he was certain that they would both be lying face first in the snow right now, having been kicked in the ass by the seat of the lift.

  Free now from the confines of the small, two-seater bench they had been riding high over the trees, they silently made their way to the top of the run. Neither one of them made a move to address what had just passed between them, but there was an acute awareness crackling between them nonetheless.

  Luke noticed that Sam’s breathing was labored, and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the short walk to the top of the mountain from the lift. She was avoiding eye contact with him and he could practically hear the wheels turning inside her beautiful head.

  Well, in Luke’s mind there was only one thing to do.

  “Samantha,” Luke said in a husky tone. As he said this, he grasped her upper arm and looked down into her beautiful face.

  He saw a shiver ran up Sam’s back and noticed goosebumps rise on the few bits of skin that were exposed in her winter garb. He smiled. That was a good sign.

  “Yes.” Sam responded, and he could hear that her tone was breathless. Another good sign.

  He let another of his slow, sexy smiles – the ones he knew from long experience worked wonders on the opposite sex – spread across his face before he spoke.

  “Race you to the bottom,” he said mischievously as he took off down the run.

  Stunned momentarily, Sam then began to laugh as she yelled “CHEATER!” and raced down the slope after him.

  --- ~ ---

  As Luke pulled in front of Sue Ann’s Cafe for the second time that day he was happier than he could remember being in a long time.

  He and Sam had spent hours on the slopes today, and he could honestly say he had never had so much fun with another person with his clothes on. He smirked. Hell, even with them off.

  He had been teasing her on the chair lift today about boarding being better than sex. But today on the slopes with Sam, he had actually proven that statement.

  Luke had always thought that Sam was sexy as hell, but today on the slopes? She'd completely blown up and exceeded even his past perception of her sexiness, which was considerable.

  Seeing her up close and personal alongside him on the mountain today, she had the most intoxicating euphoric expression on her face as she sped down the slopes. She owned her run, there was no question about that.

  She was not only gorgeous, when she boarded, she was confident, capable and competent. She took calculated risks. For instance, during their third run down the mountain when she did a Misty Flip off the second jump. She just went for it! It was hot as hell. It turned him on more than any supermodel in a bikini ever had, that was for damn sure.

  Luke had always been a laid back guy in his personal life. He was fiercely competitive on the slopes, but in his personal life, he just didn’t have to work that hard. He'd never felt the need, and he'd never had the necessity.

  That is...until Sam. He felt more alive and aware when he was around her. It was like he had been sleeping his way through life and now she had woken him up.

  He liked the fact that she was a challenge. After all, he was a competitor by nature. What good was having something if you didn't have to work to get it? Hell, even getting Sam to open up and talk to him was challenging, but in a good way. In a way that made him feel confident that if he played it right, if he proved himself worthy to her, there would be a prize at the end of this obstacle course that outshined anything he had ever fought for before in his life.

  Yes, of course, if he honestly thought that she had no interest in him, he wouldn’t be pushing for more. That wouldn't be a challenge...that would just be making a pest of himself. He had dignity, for God's sake! If he really didn't feel any answering spark from her, he would keep things friendly but professional. But that wasn't the case. He had definitely sensed interest on her part.

  Take that very morning on the lift, for example. He knew that if they hadn’t arrived at the top of the mountain at that exact (damn inconvenient) moment that they would have in fact ended up kissing. There was not a shred of doubt in his mind about that fact, just like there was not a shred of doubt in his mind that it would have been amazing.

  He still wasn’t sure why Samantha reacted to him the way she did, so timid and skittish at times, when her personality was anything BUT those two things. Still, the more she dropped her guard around him, the more he knew that there was something indefinably special about their chemistry.

  Also, the more he got to know her, the more he liked her. That was a good sign. With most of the women he dated, he had the exact opposite experience – he liked them a hell of a lot at first, but the better he got to know them, the more the shine would wear off. That was certainly not what was happening with Sam. Each layer of her that he uncovered shone more brilliantly than the last. He had no doubt that at her core, if she ever permitted him to see that deeply, he would find nothing if not a brilliantly sparkling gem.

  He had already known that she had an incredible work ethic. But now he was finding out that she was also a truly loyal, loving friend. Not to mention – she was hilarious! She had had him cracking up all day long!

  Samantha Holt was one of a kind. Luke wasn’t sure why she was still single. What he DID know was that if it was up to him, that particular status would be changing soon.

  Luke pulled up in front of Sue Ann's Cafe and got out of his SUV. He walked the short distance to the front door and glanced up and down the sidewalk of Main Street, struck by just how picturesque a sight it was. Small storefronts lined the wood-planked, porch-like walkways that served as sidewalks on both sides of the downtown area, which was sun-dappled and dotted with pine trees. Behind the buildings, the Sierra Nevadas rose majestically, providing a spectacular backdrop.

  This was the kind of place Luke could picture himself raising a family in someday. He loved Lake Tahoe – without devoting too much conscious thought to the matter, he had always just assumed that when the time came to set down roots, he would move back there. Nowhere else he had ever spent time had even come close to feeling like home to him.

  But now, standing on the sidewalk, watching the sun set over the Sierra’s and listening to the people hurrying up and down the street – it felt right. After only one day in residence, Hope Falls felt like home to Luke.

  As he opened the door he immediately spotted Sue Ann, who was bustling around greeting each table, calling each of the customers by name.

  As soon as she saw him, a large smile spread across her face and she said happily, “Luke, glad to see you again! Ryan is in the back.”

  She gestured towards the hall to the side of the swinging doors that Luke had assumed led to the kitchen. She added, “He’s expecting you, hon. Second door on the left.”

  As Luke walked past the tables of families eating with their kids, he was overcome with the desire to be one of those Dads, busily cutting up his kids' food, ruffling the little tykes' hair, leaning over and kissing his wife.

  As he envisioned himself as the center of the little tableau of domestic bliss, Samantha’s face popped in his head. A smile spread across his face
at that. Hmmm, he thought, now isn't that an interesting thought?

  As Luke approached Ryan’s office, he saw that the door was partially open. He heard voices inside, so he walked up to the door and knocked.

  “Come on in!” came the friendly-sounding call from inside.

  As he pushed the door open, he saw a young guy sitting in the chair behind the desk. A woman with long dark hair was sitting on the edge of the desk facing the guy, which put her back to the door. As he walked in, the woman was laughing, obviously at something the guy had said, and Luke had an immediate impression of them as people he would really get along with well. They had a casual, happy, fun air about them that Luke sensed right away, and like a whole lot.

  When Luke entered the room the man stood, smiled, and stretched out his hand. In a friendly, welcoming tone, he said “Hey man, you must be Luke. I’m Ryan. My Granny said you were going to be stopping by.”

  Luke took Ryan's proffered hand and shook it as the girl that was sitting beside Ryan on the desk turned toward him and, in a mischievous tone, asked, “Luke Reynolds, I presume?”

  He turned to her, ready to give a friendly if impersonal greeting, but was stopped dead in his tracks. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “HOLY SHIT, you're Karina Black!”

  Karina playfully smacked Ryan’s arm and said, “See? SOME people recognize me when I am not in full stage make-up!”

  This caused a huge smile to spread across Ryan’s face as he pulled Karina to him and kissed her affectionately on the lips.

  “I’m glad I didn’t know who you were right away, even if I did feel like an idiot when I found out,” he said, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

  Luke realized that he should probably feel like he was intruding in this obviously private moment, but he was too shocked to do anything but merely stare – so he stood there and did exactly that.

  Luke had met plenty of celebrities in his time. Actors, singers, even Presidents, for heaven sake! But Karina Black was…well, Karina Black. She was ubiquitous. His nieces were even obsessed with her. They had all her albums on the iPod they shared and they were only 5 and 7. And the previous Halloween, they each had dressed in ‘Karina Black’ costumes.

  Turning back to Luke, Karina explained, “Sorry, Luke that was rude. It's an inside joke. See...Ryan here didn’t recognize me when he met me the first time,” she laughed, “Or even the next day when he helped me move into my, now OUR, house. Not even when he was helping me unpack my recording studio.”

  “Hey,” Ryan defended himself, “I figured it out then.”

  He swatted her lightly on her rear end, and she laughed again.

  “Anywaaaaays...” Karina said, drawing out the last syllable comically, “Luke Reynolds, what can we do for you?”

  “Why are you calling me by my first and last name?” The question popped out of Luke’s mouth before he even realized it.

  “Sorry,” Karina shrugged. “Force of habit.”

  Habit? How did she even know who he was? He shook his head. It still didn’t make any sense to Luke, but why push the issue? Maybe she was a snowboarding fan.

  “Luke is here because he's renting the apartment upstairs,” Ryan explained, “and I still had the key. He needed to stop by so I could give it to him.”

  Turning to Luke, Ryan said, “Also I have the lease for you to sign. It’s pretty straight forward. Month to month, first and last due now, utilities are paid. Except cable. If you want that, you’ll have to hook it up.”

  “Sounds good,” Luke nodded as he took the lease from Ryan and started glancing over it.

  “Sooo...Luke,” Karina asked casually, but with a slight playful undertone, “How did your first day over at Mountain Ridge go. You and Sam get a lot done?”

  Luke looked up, surprised. He realized that this must have shown through in his facial expression when Ryan jumped in to clarify, “Karina and Sam go way back.”

  Suddenly, Luke remembered his conversation with Sam in the chair lift. He smiled, “Oh, got it! You must be one quarter of the Fabulous Four.”

  Luke felt as if he were finally catching up with the conversation.

  “You know it!” Karina said proudly, “Nothing We Can’t Accomplish!”

  Luke smiled, “That's awesome! To answer your question, it was a great day. We spent most of it on the slopes.”

  “Did you race?” Karina asked, eyebrows raised.

  “Yep,” Luke replied.

  “Did Sam win?” Karina leaned forward, eagerly awaiting the answer.

  “Not the first run down, but I kind of cheated,” Luke admitted, “Every one after that, she did. She’s amazing!”

  The awe he heard in his own voice surprised even himself.

  Karina seemed satisfied with his answer. With a smile, she grabbed her purse and stood up on tiptoe to give Ryan a quick kiss, saying, “Well, I’ll let you boys work out all the apartment logistics. See you soon, baby.”

  “Yes, you will,” He said light-heartedly as he pulled her into his arms, picked her up off of her feet, and gave her one more not-so-quick kiss.

  After being set back down, Karina turned to Luke, with a new flush in her cheeks, and said, “Luke, it was great meeting you.”

  Luke extended his hand, “You too Karina.”

  As she exited the door, she turned her head to smile at him mysteriously. With a wink, she tossed out, “I'm certain we'll be seeing MUCH more of you!”

  --- ~ ---

  Sam had just settled back into her couch, in her comfiest sweats, hugging a mug of decadent hot chocolate warming her hands, when she got a text. She sighed. Hot chocolate was a treat she rarely ever indulged in, and relaxing was an even rarer indulgence for her. Now she had the feeling that both were about to be ruined.

  She crossed to the table where her phone was sitting and picked it up. It was Stephan, her ex-trainer-slash-manager. She grimaced. Damn it, she knew her “me time” was about to be ruined as soon as she heard that chime! It was like Stephan instinctively sensed when she was enjoying herself and felt the need to intrude and break it up, and she – being so used to his meddling – instinctively recognized the sound of it, even if the text chime was the generic one. She would always recognize the sound of Stephan intruding on her life, she was certain. She would be able to recognize it by the chills that crawled up the back of her spine.

  Sighing in resignation, she tapped the screen to open the text. Stephan was letting her know that a HUGE endorsement deal had come across his desk for her. All she had to do was commit to four competitions and eight personal appearances this year. If she would do “just that” they could ink it.

  She scowled. Just seeing the words made her chest tighten and her stomach clench. She did NOT want to go back to competing and traveling.

  The problem? Stephan was as notoriously bad at respecting her boundaries as he was at taking 'no' for an answer.

  She responded immediately, letting Stephan know in no uncertain terms that she would not be signing anything, committing to anything, or competing for this entire year. She also reiterated that she was still planning to retire after taking the year off.

  As soon as she sent the message, her stomach unclenched, and she felt like she could breathe again.

  She was doing the right thing. There was no doubt in her mind. It was time to walk away.

  She sighed. Competition. She had really loved it when she was in it, but the last couple of years it had seemed to be less about her skills and more about endorsements and her “image.” That part made Sam’s skin crawl.

  On the one hand, she completely understood that she was, in fact, a product. She got that. She knew that, in order to compete, she needed endorsements. It wasn’t cheap, the life that she lived. The training, the travel, the gear...it all added up.

  Some of her colleagues were great at both aspects of the business. They really considered themselves a brand and 'worked it.' Sam wasn’t, and she doubted she ever could be.

  She h
ad tried to adapt to that business model. She had done everything she could, including posing for photo shoots she wasn’t comfortable with.

  But, when it came down to it...that wasn’t the life she wanted.

  Today had erased all lingering doubt that she was on the right track with her life.

  Today had been amazing!

  Taking a deep breath, she rolled her neck and enjoyed the feeling of having shoulder muscles that weren't perpetually clinched tight. She sat back down on the couch with her hot chocolate mug cupped in both hands, and raised it up to her face. She wanted to savor the moment. She breathed in the scent through her nose, and prepared to take the heavenly first sip.

  There was a knock at the door.

  She closed her eyes and bowed her head in frustration. OF COURSE there was a knock at the door!

  She set the mug down and moved toward the front door, glancing at her wristwatch. It was after eight pm, and she wondered who could be at the door. I swear to God, Stephan, she thought to herself, if you have flown here and shown up at my door to pester me about this freaking deal, I will punch you right in the throat!

  When she opened her front door, though, and saw that it was Karina standing on the other side, her annoyance immediately changed to concern.

  “What’s wrong?” Sam asked worriedly.

  Karina smiled, “Oh my, how the tables have turned.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sam asked, not following Karina's train of thought.

  Karina stepped past Sam and dropped her purse on the entryway table. She began taking off her gloves and jacket and said, “I seem to remember a time in the not so distant past that I was the one opening the door, thinking that something must be wrong for someone to be dropping by that late.”

  “Oh, that,” Sam said sheepishly.

  Karina continued, “I also remember that, in that same fairly recent past, I was the one being grilled for information about my love life.”

  “Well, I don’t even have a love life to be grilled about,” Sam said airily, turning and heading back into her living room.