by Astor, Marie
But when the clock arrow moved to twenty-five minutes past twelve, there was still no sign of Taylor. What was she to do? She had no way of contacting him: she did not have his cell phone number, nor did he have hers.
Maggie headed for the Information desk, hoping to get some answers there, but to her dismay she found that the desk was empty. She was about to turn away when she saw an elderly woman rush from behind the door. Maggie instantly recognized her as Millie – the woman she had met on a ski lift during her first day at Eagleville.
“Phil! Would you come out here? There’s no one watching the desk – Hannah is running late,” Millie called over her shoulder. The expression of annoyance on Millie’s face was immediately replaced by that of pleasantness when she noticed Maggie.
“Hello there. It’s Maggie, right? I remember you from a few days ago – we rode up on a lift together. How can we help you?” Millie looked at her curiously.
“Well, actually I was supposed to meet Taylor here at noon…” Maggie started carefully – the last thing she wanted was to go into the details of what she was doing meeting Taylor.
“So I see you’ve already met my grandson,” Millie interjected, not bothering to hide her delight.
Maggie nodded, blushing in spite of herself. “And I was wondering if you might know where he is or how I could reach him – I don’t have his cell number,” she added.
“Well, to tell you the truth I have no idea. It’s not like him to be late - he should have been back by now. Let me try to page him on the radio – that’s the only way to reach him up there since you can’t get a decent reception in the mountains. Now, where is that radio…” Millie muttered, rummaging through the desk. “Phil, would you finally come out here? Hannah is late and there’s no one manning the desk!”
A moment later, Phil emerged from the back door. His glance lingered on Maggie momentarily, as he nodded at her in acknowledgment. “What’s all this ruckus Millie?” he asked.
Millie sighed. “For the third time - Hannah is running late, and there’s no one watching the desk.”
“Well, you’re here,” retorted Phil, clearly enjoying this playful bickering with his wife.
“I’m busy looking for the radio to help Maggie get a hold of Taylor,” muttered Millie. “Remember Maggie? She rode with us on a ski lift a few days ago.”
“I remember.” Phil smiled. “Hello, Maggie. It’s very nice to see you again. Have you been enjoying the mountains?”
Maggie nodded. “It’s been wonderful. Yesterday I went skiing off-piste for the first time, and Taylor was kind enough to show me the ropes.”
Phil nodded. “He certainly knows what he’s doing up there. Did he tell you that he learned everything he knows from me?” he added with a wink.
“Yes, he did.” Maggie smiled.
“And there he is,” said Phil. “Millie, you can stop searching for that radio now – Taylor is here, and there’s Hannah, walking right behind him.”
Maggie’s heart jumped when she saw Taylor walk in. One look at his face told her how glad he was to see her and that his lateness must have been caused by circumstances that were outside of his control. Suddenly, Maggie felt a strange sensation of someone else looking at her, and saw that Hannah was studying her carefully. Maggie nodded in acknowledgment, but Hannah did not seem to notice and quickly averted her eyes.
“Taylor, there you are! A gentleman never keeps a lady waiting, you know,” Millie chided her grandson teasingly, but before Taylor could reply to her remark, Millie switched her attention to Hannah, “Hannah, you are over twenty minutes late.”
“I’m sorry, Millie – we lost track of time,” mumbled Hannah, throwing an askance glance at Maggie. “Just give me a minute to drop off my gear in the back.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” Millie glanced at Maggie and Taylor. “Come on, Phil, we’ve got some stuff to take care of in the back.”
“Maggie!” exclaimed Taylor, catching his breath. His face was still flushed from being out on the mountain all morning and his golden ponytail was sprinkled with snowflakes. “I’m sorry for being so late.” He cast an agitated look at the clock on the wall. “My watch stopped and I completely lost track of time.” He disgustedly plunked his watch on the desk. “The battery went completely dead, but I didn’t realize it until later, and Hannah had left her watch at home. She claimed she could tell the time by the sun, but apparently her skills are not as good as she said they were.” Taylor frowned, looking at the clock again. “I’m so glad you waited – I was worried that you might leave.”
“It’s no big deal.” Maggie smiled.
“Let me just grab your skis from the back, and we’re out of here.”
While Maggie waited for Taylor, Hannah had returned and took her seat behind the desk. After nodding curtly at Maggie, she bent her head over the scattered paperwork, seemingly oblivious to Maggie’s presence.
Maggie could sense the unspoken tension in the air and wondered if there was more to Hannah’s and Taylor’s relationship than she realized. Taylor did not mention having a girlfriend, and Maggie had automatically assumed that he was unattached, but now she was not so sure. She was about to strike up a casual conversation with Hannah when Taylor returned, carrying her skis and his backpack.
“See you later, Hannah - we’re off. You were great out there today – the camera is going to love you.” Taylor winked.
“Later, Taylor. Have a great time out there.” Hannah flashed them both a bright smile.
As they walked out the front door, neither Taylor nor Maggie could see Hannah’s wide smile melt into a frown when, biting her lip, she fumbled with her jacket and after removing her watch from one of the side pockets, put it back on her wrist.
“Is Hannah your…?” Curiosity had taken the upper hand, and Maggie blurted out the words before she could check herself, halting in mid-sentence, embarrassed.
“My girlfriend?” Taylor finished the question teasingly. “No. She’s my ski buddy - we’ve been friends since we were kids. We are training together for the documentary - she is a really good skier.”
“I see.” Maggie had to make a conscious effort to control her expression, as her entire being sang with silent glee. She might not be able to see Taylor again, but that did not mean that she could not be glad about the fact that he was single.
“I think today calls for something special,” announced Taylor after they boarded the tram.
“What do you have in mind?” asked Maggie.
“The Heaven Ridge.”
“Isn’t it the highest peak in all of Eagleville?” retorted Maggie, remembering Millie’s description.
Taylor nodded. “But it’s by far not one of the most difficult ones. It’s steep in the beginning, but then it levels out and turns into this sweet, wide line. You’ll love it.”
“But what about the steep part?” Maggie hesitated.
“It’s not much steeper than the runs we skied yesterday. Don’t worry, you can do it or I would not have suggested it. But if you don’t feel comfortable, we can always find other slopes to ski.”
“No, I’d like to,” said Maggie, remembering that that was the slope where Taylor’s grandparents had gotten married.
“It starts a bit over to the left,” said Taylor once the tram pulled into the offloading station.
They traversed across the several yards of snow that separated them from the Heaven Ridge.
“This is it,” said Taylor, signaling for Maggie to put on the brakes.
“It’s beautiful,” said Maggie, stunned by the mountains framing the horizon in their saw-like majesty.
“This is the spot where my grandfather proposed to my grandmother.”
“And where they got married,” added Maggie.
“How do you know about that?”
“Your grandmother told me when I rode the ski lift with your grandparents on my first day here.”
“She loves telling that story.” Taylor smiled. “So, are y
ou ready?”
Maggie desperately wanted to say yes, but she could not help remembering how menacingly steep Heaven Ridge had seemed to her when she had first spotted it from the chair lift, during her first day in Eagleville - a time that now seemed like an eternity ago. Back then, she would have never believed that she had what it took to ski a mountain this steep, and now, she was going to ski the very same slope that had filled her with trepidation only a few days ago - as much as she wanted to believe it, the prospect almost sounded too good to be true.
Noticing the look of hesitation on her face, Taylor said, “Maggie, we can go elsewhere if you are unsure – I don’t want to pressure you into doing something that you don’t feel right about. I am confident that you have the skills to ski this mountain, but remember, skill will only take you so far. You’ve got to believe in yourself.”
“I know I can do this.” Maggie nodded, remembering that she had skied slopes almost as steep the day before.
“Just remember to keep close and stay above my line the entire time. This is one of the smoothest runs on the entire mountain – so just relax and enjoy yourself.”
For several moments Maggie watched Taylor float on the glorious white snow, his skis leaving a perfectly smooth curve behind him. His body moved effortlessly, innately in sync with the cadence of the mountains. Looking up at the wide, open sky above, she spotted a magnificent eagle soar on his regal wings, and for a moment it seemed to her that the man and the bird had become one, united by the rhythm of nature.
Maggie took a deep breath as she edged her skis.
Cautiously, she began her descent in a series of tight, controlled turns, following the technique that Taylor had taught her earlier. Another turn followed and another as she heeded the inner rhythm of her body, settling into a series of fluid movements that had become reflexes. At last, she allowed herself to relax and began to relish the steepness of the incline, rejoicing in her prowess, confident in both her body and her mind.
In no time Maggie was next to Taylor, smiling breathlessly at him.
“I’ve never seen anyone advance so quickly in so short a time – you are a natural.” Taylor’s face shone with pride.
“Well, I think that’s only because I have such a wonderful teacher who believes in me.” Maggie blushed.
They had been skiing for about two hours and had just ridden up on the air tram for the fourth time.
“How about a break?” suggested Taylor.
“Yes, please!” Maggie kicked off her skis and collapsed onto the snow, stretching out her legs and arms as she stared into the wide-open sky above her.
“Okay then, a break it is,” said Taylor, taking off his backpack.
“Taylor, look. Isn’t he beautiful?” Maggie pointed at the regal bird that was circling in vast, sweeping loops, oblivious to their presence.
Taylor looked up. “He does look magnificent.”
“Doesn’t he look free, as though nothing could ever touch him?” Maggie murmured wistfully.
“You think that eagle doesn’t have anything to worry about?” Taylor looked at her with his piercing green eyes. “He’s probably circling there like that because he is searching for food.”
As if in testament to Taylor’s words, the eagle surged downward in a swift, sharp dive and soared back up several moments later, clasping his catch in his claws, beating his wings hastily as he made his way into the sky.
“I guess you’re right,” Maggie conceded, her voice ringing with disappointment. “It’s just that for a moment he seemed so free up there.”
“I know what you mean, but birds are anything but free,” said Taylor, “try hunting for food all the time, not knowing when you are going to eat next, being cold, watching out for predators. Humans, on the other hand, are free.” Taylor paused, looking at Maggie intently. “We can do anything we want – the sky is the limit and there’s no one here to stop us.”
“You really believe that?” asked Maggie.
“Of course I believe it. Don’t you?”
“I’d like to,” said Maggie quietly, and then, meeting Taylor’s gaze, added more assertively, “After today anything seems possible.”
“I like the sound of that,” he answered, his eyes flashing as he held her gaze.
They sat down on an old tree stump. Taylor opened his backpack, taking out a thermos with hot chocolate and two sandwiches. “Lunch is served.” Taylor handed Maggie her sandwich.
“I can honestly say that this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” said Maggie after taking a bite of the sandwich – she had not realized how hungry she was. “You would make a great chef,” she teased him.
“Oh really?” Taylor grinned, nudging her with his elbow. “Speaking of vocations, do you want to show me the photos you took today?”
Maggie nodded, both excited and shy. “This is just something I did today. I have more shots on my laptop – I’ll show them to you later.” She took out her camera and handed it over to Taylor.
“Wow, these are really good.” Taylor looked through the photographs, taking his time to study each one. “You’ve really captured the moment in this one.” He was looking at the shot that Maggie had taken of him earlier in the day: it was a panoramic view of a long, wide incline with Taylor right in the middle. With his skis buried in the deep snow and the gold of his ponytail suspended in mid-air, Taylor seemed like he did not have a care in the world, but one only had to take a closer look at his focused expression to see that Taylor understood full well that he was a guest on the mountain who had to be careful not to overstay his welcome.
Maggie smiled, warmed by the glow of Taylor’s praise. “All I did was press a button – it was a perfect shot.”
“Yes, but you knew when to press it,” countered Taylor, “isn’t that what photography is – finding the right moment to capture? You have real talent, Maggie. I’ve seen photographs in magazines that aren’t even half as good as these. Actually, that reminds me - Nick Richards is going to be here next week.”
“The editor from Snow magazine?” exclaimed Maggie in disbelief, remembering the interview she had seen with Nick Richards on TV. “Do you know him?”
Taylor nodded. “He stayed at the lodge several times. He is doing a cover story on our town. I’ll introduce you - you should show your work to him.”
“Do you really think it’s good enough to show it to a magazine editor?” asked Maggie.
Taylor’s green eyes looked straight into hers. “You know it’s good. Stop doubting yourself. What’s the worst thing that could happen? He’ll say no – so what? There are plenty of other magazines you can reach out to. But I guarantee you that if he has any common sense, he’ll love your photographs – I’m willing to bet my skis on it.”
Maggie could not help smiling at Taylor’s bold offer. “You’re right. It’s just that sometimes I can’t help wondering - what if my photographs aren’t good enough?”
“I’m the same way with my skiing - I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my technique, searching for new challenges to overcome. Questioning is good - the trick is not to let doubts creep in.”
Maggie and Taylor made two more descents that afternoon. Then, both tired and exalted, they decided to call it a day and head back to the lodge.
“How about a bite to eat?” asked Taylor after they had put away their skis.
“I’d love to,” Maggie replied, forgetting all about her resolution – this was supposed to be the last time she saw Taylor Denton, but she simply could not force herself to say no. “But I’ve got to change out of these clothes and take a shower first.” It’s just a bite to eat, she thought, how much harm could it do? After tonight, I won’t see him anymore.
“Same here.” Taylor grinned. “I’ll pick you up at six? There’s this really great restaurant in town that I think you’ll love.”
“See you then.”
“It’s a date.” Taylor winked.
Maggie managed a smile. She was in deep water now �
� there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it –Taylor’s invitation was a date.
Chapter 21
Back in her room, Maggie flung off her clothes and rushed into the shower. She made the water as hot as she could stand it and felt her fatigued muscles relax under the heat. As she lathered up her body with the mandarin-scented foam, all she could think of was the way Taylor’s eyes glinted when they parted earlier. They had stood so close to each other that for a brief second their hands brushed, and she felt her entire body quiver, as she imagined what it might be like to feel Taylor’s arms wrapped around her. Alas, all she could do was fanaticize about the moment.
After she finished her shower, Maggie blow-dried her hair, letting it fall loose over her shoulders. She studied her face in the mirror, seized by a sudden bout of nervousness as she applied her make-up with a slightly quivering hand. She made sure not to put too much – just a touch to brighten her eyes and lips.
Next, she surveyed her clothes, wondering what she should wear. Tonight was going to be the first time she would see Taylor when she would not be in her ski gear. If she had been going out with Jeffrey, she would have put on a fancy evening dress, but Maggie knew that Taylor was different, and she felt different when she was around him. She did not need to strap herself into some incongruous, oversexed concoction for Taylor to appreciate her beauty. She wanted to wear something that was both flirty and comfortable. The choice did not take long to make as she reached for her favorite sweater dress of mauve wool, black leggings and boots. Finally, she surveyed her appearance in the mirror and was pleased: her face glowed with color and the sweater dress showed off her figure flatteringly.
At six o’clock sharp, Maggie went downstairs and saw that Taylor was already waiting for her. As usual, his hair was tied in his trademark ponytail, but now, he was dressed in jeans and a dark green wool sweater that made his eyes look almost emerald. He smiled as he watched Maggie walk toward him, never taking his eyes off her.
“Hello. You look beautiful tonight.” Taylor’s eyes twinkled, taking her in.
