Casey interjects. “Oh no. Don’t take her advice when it comes to sex. Trust me.”
“Oh, come on.” She snorts and looks at Casey. “Sorry. Think about it. A sweet little cupcake like her saying that? He’ll harden in an instant.” She sits back in her chair with a satisfied smirk. “I know about these things.”
I say, “Wait, that’s kind of advanced fuckage, isn’t it?” I grin, and Casey laughs so hard she spits out popcorn. Gretchen loses it.
Megan recovers first. “You’ve totally corrupted her. She teaches kids.” She gets up from the table. “I think I need one of those cosmos after all. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. I might have just wet my pants.”
“I’ll get them.” Gretchen stands up and takes all our glasses.
Casey clears our plates. “You guys will be in trouble if we don’t eat dinner soon. I’ll turn on the grill for you, Gretch.”
“Thanks. Sure I can’t add a dash of vodka to yours, too?”
Casey says, “Oh what the hell, go for it. But you’d better hold my hair back when I’m sick later.” Metal grates as the glass door slides open. Wind blows into the dining room and the candles flicker.
I hear the whoosh of propane catch fire. Casey walks back in. “Lori, you’re welcome to stay tonight if you don’t want to drive home.
Megan pipes in. “Or Nick can give you a ride. He’ll come get me if I can’t drive. Where do you live?” She hands me my martini.
“About a mile down King Ridge Road. I’m in an apartment over the police chief’s garage. So, yeah, I probably won’t want to drive home tonight.”
Megan nods slowly. “I know that apartment.”
She has a strange look, and I notice how blue her eyes are. Huh. “It’s tiny.” Megan touches my arm gently. “And safe.”
“Yeah.” She knows something. But I sense she won’t ask any questions.
I lift my drink but think better of taking a sip before it gets to my mouth. I set it down on the table instead. Gretchen comes from the kitchen with a platter. I slide open the door for her and close it quickly. It’s cold tonight, and I’m grateful to be inside with friends.
Dinner was delicious, and we’ve moved on to dessert. I nurse my second martini. Gretchen is getting drunker, but it seems as if this is normal for her.
She stabs a piece of pineapple with a toothpick and waves it as she speaks. “Okay, so I’m here for a coach. Lori is here because she loves skiing. Casey is here because she was an idiot running away from Jason, and he was brilliant in chasing her.” Casey swats her. “What about you, Megan? How did you end up here?”
“I went to CU Boulder and came here for a job as a rape counselor. I took the night shift so I could ski during the day. It’s a pretty intense job and too much for me, so I switched to domestic-abuse victim placement part-time and became a ski instructor. It’s a great mix for me.”
Megan doesn’t look at me, but I realize she knows I have a stalker. Strangely, I’m not freaked. I’m relieved and say, “Megan, people are lucky to have you.” When I look in her eyes, I see she understands.
Casey swallows. “Is there a lot of domestic abuse around here? It seems too affluent.”
“Domestic abuse happens at any income level.” Megan reaches for a strawberry. I watch the red juice stain her fingers as quiet settles.
Casey breaks our silence. “I don’t know about you, Lori, but I need to get a second job. This ski-instructor income is tough to live on.”
“I was thinking the same thing. I might go see if I can do some coaching at the ice arena. It would be fun to work with younger girls doing something I can do in my sleep.” I take a sip of my drink and notice it’s warm. “What are you thinking about doing?”
“I don’t know. Probably something retail. The Wine and Cheese shop would be a fun job.”
Gretchen stands with her empty glass. “Would you bring home tasty things to try? Because I could get behind that.” She glances at my glass and motions toward it. “Want some ice?”
“Oh, thanks. That would be great.”
“I don’t know, Gretch. I keep waiting for you to bring home the tasty treat. You’ve been here three weeks and no man. What’s up with that?” Casey smirks.
Gretchen sits back down with her drink. My martini fizzes as she drops two ice cubes into the glass. “I’m taking my training seriously. I don’t have time for relationship drama.”
“Oh please. You don’t do drama.” Casey swirls her drink. “She doesn’t do love, either. But some guy will come along some day and rock her world. Mark my words.” She blocks Gretchen’s hand as it reaches out to strike. “I’m only saying that because, as much as I love you, I’m not about to let you live with me and my kids. Someone will have to take care of you.” Casey snickers.
“Not gonna happen. I have plans for a gold medal, a snowboard film career, and then maybe I’ll grow up, in my thirties.” She slurps her drink. “You know, when I’m too old to drink every night and keep this body.”
Megan chortles. “So let me get this straight. You don’t have time for a guy because you want to focus on the Olympics, but you can drink every night?”
Gretchen laughs with us. She waves her glass in a toast and says, “Yeah, it’s the martini talking. I’ll be singing a different song in the morning.”
“I can’t believe you live in a town where there are five guys to every girl, and you don’t think you’ll get a boyfriend. C’mon now, you’re Poster Gretchen.” Megan winks at me.
Casey jokes. “That’s right. Every tuner’s wet dream.”
Megan says, “Hey, careful. Lori and I have a couple of tuners.” She turns to me. “But they’re so whipped we’ve got nothing to worry about.” I smile at her because the Gretchen I see tonight is no threat.
“Your boys are safe from me. Cross my heart.” Gretchen crosses her heart and then grabs one of her breasts. “Of course, it’s hard to turn this off.” She winks at me. “Right, cupcake?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Today you’re about to learn to love cornices.” Kaleb claps his gloves together to try to get more blood pumping into his hands. “It’ll keep you warm, I promise.”
A deep freeze hit us yesterday, and I spent most of my day drinking hot chocolate and dressing or undressing kids. I was tempted to spend my day off reading on the couch. “I hope so, because I’m giving up hot tea and fluffy socks for you.”
“You won’t be sorry. When I saw this yesterday, I knew it was the perfect way to teach you how to fly.” He grins. “I think I took my class over it at least ten times. Each time they got braver.”
Feet propped up on the chairlift footrest, I wiggle my toes to keep them warm. “I’m not sure brave is a word that describes me. And the idea of flying on my skis makes my stomach clench. What exactly do we do to this cornice?”
Kaleb pulls me into a hug and rubs my arm. “We jump off it.”
My stomach drops. “What?” I try to pull away, but he squeezes tighter. “Oh no, I’m not jumping off anything. I like my skis on the ground.”
“When will you learn to trust me, babe? Just stop your brain from imagining the worst. The first time over, you’ll be inches from the snow.” He kisses the tip of my nose.
I relax in his embrace. “I do trust you. But you’re pushing it right now. You know I’m afraid of heights.”
Kaleb pulls away as we approach the exit ramp of the chairlift. “I do. And I’m here to help you conquer that fear.” He pulls up the bar for us. “In fact, my mission is to show you just how strong and capable you are.” The whine of the lift engine is loud, and he raises his voice as we push off the chair. “We’re going to crush fear like it’s a bug.”
Great. He had to say bug. They scare me, too. My skin crawls with a few imaginary ones. Cuddled under a blanket on the couch sounds good right now.
My buckles snap as I tighten up my boots, and I take a deep breath. Kaleb would never put me in danger and push me to do something I can’t. I
throw back my shoulders.
“Ready?”
I nod. “Ready.”
Below-zero temperatures make our skis squeak as we ski across the frozen snow. We cross a few trails until he halts. “Okay, ski exactly where I do. I’ll make one turn and then stop.” His face beams, and I try to feel the same joy.
Kaleb takes us over a small ridge. I catch a view of the cornice from the corner of my eye but don’t quite see it until we’re still. I stare at a snow formation that looks like a frozen surfer’s wave. It starts to gradually increase in size from where we skied until at the end the lip must be six feet off the ground. It’s thick, and even though I wonder if it could break off, I realize I would be fine if it did.
“It’s beautiful,” I say. Sun glistens off the top, and it looks like something magical. “How does that happen?”
“You know how the crosscut path is kind of level and there is a ridge when the trail starts? Wind blows snow over that ridge, and it gets stuck. Over time, it builds. The wind must have been just right for a while now. Isn’t it cool?”
I hear Kaleb unclick his bindings and ask, “What are you doing?”
“Keeping you warm. Take off your skis. We’re hiking back up.”
I place the tip of my pole on the indentation at the back of my binding to push and release my foot. He plans to make me go off the cornice. Oh boy.
“Before you start to freak out, let me explain the plan.” Kaleb hoists his skis over his shoulder. He sweeps his hand to the right. “See how this gradually gets higher off the ground? We’ll progress slowly across it. Each time you go off, it will be a little higher.”
I shake my head. “Okay, but I hope you feel patient. Because I may move in millimeter increments.” I giggle to keep my panic at bay.
“Sweetheart, my patience for you knows no limits.” He hikes up by digging the toe of his boots into the snow, forming little steps. I dig into the same steps, which makes them a bit bigger.
Slightly breathless, we reach the top. This will definitely keep me warm. My skis drop with a thud, and I click in.
“You pick where to start.” Kaleb lets me decide at what point I’m comfortable jumping off. I choose a spot that barely rises off the ground.
I don’t take the time to think and ski over it. The tails of my skis flick the edge. That wasn’t so bad. I turn and stop. Kaleb slides up next to me. “How was that?”
“Easy.” I click out of a ski.
“That’s my girl. I’ll let you decide where to jump each time. The only rule is it has to be a little higher than the time before. Deal?”
“Do we stop when I can’t go further?” He lets me lead the way up the steps.
“We can, but I don’t want you to think about that. Just remember how the last time wasn’t bad and that the next one will only be a tiny bit more.”
“Okay, I can do that.” He’s right; I’m not the least bit cold now.
As we step into our skis, two guys fly off the highest point of the cornice. I hear a “Sweet!” before the sound of their skis scraping snow fades. My competitive spirit kicks in. I can do this. I plan to jump off the end before the day is over. I grit my teeth and move a little further over on the cornice than I find comfortable.
“Uh-oh. I think I see the Olympian.” Kaleb grins, and pride surges through my veins.
I push off and am airborne for a second. I land easily and a shot of adrenaline flows. A grin takes over my face. “That was fun.”
Kaleb unzips his coat a bit. “That’s the spirit. Are you warm enough?”
“I am.” I move faster up the hill in anticipation of the next jump. This time I don’t make such a drastic increase in the height, but it’s enough to make my stomach flutter.
Off I go, and I’m in the air long enough to feel the sensation of weightlessness. Only a split second, and I’m ready to go higher just for the thrill.
I unzip my jacket a little. My body sweats with the heat generated from the climb. I jog a little up the trail, and excitement pumps through my bloodstream. I move halfway across the cornice.
Kaleb chuckles at me. “I think you like this flying thing.”
I flash him a smile. “I do. You may have created a monster.” I don’t wait for a response and take off. The impact when I land jars my body.
Kaleb stops next to me. “Next time I want you to think about your legs as shock absorbers. When you hit the ground, suck it up.” He lifts a knee up to his chest to demonstrate.
“Of course. We do that when we land a jump in skating.” Wow. I wonder if I could rotate too? I smile to myself. Yeah, let’s get the jumping down first.
Kaleb grabs my skis and trots up the trail. “C’mon, rock star. You earned my Sherpa services for the next few tries.” I notice his hands are now bare. I’m warm too but not enough to take off my mittens. Crazy boy.
A few more tries, and I’m finally at the end. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this. The scary part now is I want to.”
Kaleb looks pleased with himself. He should be. “Let’s see it.”
I jump off, suck up the landing with my legs and stop. When he skis up next to me, I throw myself at him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. That was amazing.”
He looks down at me through his goggles. “I’m so proud of you, babe.” He kisses me lightly.
“I am, too. I never thought I would jump off something that high.”
“I’m starved. Let’s go get lunch and then come back. I want you to try this with a little speed going into the jump.” He leads the way.
After lunch we spend the afternoon hiking up higher than the cornice and jumping off with speed. At the end of the day I’m physically exhausted.
“Every single one of my muscles is jelly right now,” I say while I sit on the bench and lean back against my locker. Cool metal soothes my back, and Kaleb pulls off one of my boots. “How is it you aren’t tired too?”
“I am. But you had to work harder than I did. That was big stuff today.”
“It was. I’ll have to thank you properly.” I send him a smoldering look, because my eyes are the only things that can move.
Strong hands massage my foot. “I like the sound of that. Your place or mine?”
“Yours, so we can do takeout.”
Kaleb’s hand moves under my ski pants and up my calf. “How about yours? If you want to thank me properly…” He leans in close and whispers. “Noise might be involved.”
A flush rises to my face, and I squeak out, “We can still do takeout?” His hand is higher and on my thigh. My core trembles, and a tiny sigh escapes my lips.
“Sure.” His voice is deep.
“You’d better get me out of here,” I say as I melt into a puddle.
Chapter Twenty-Four
My heart soars as I strut down the sidewalk. The sky’s blue color fades with the afternoon hour, but it doesn’t dim my happiness. I had a successful meeting at the skating rink, and I’ve been hired to teach private lessons. Megan made it so easy for me. One of her prior clients works in admin, and with just a call she got me an alias last name to use. It might be overkill, but Lucas will be out one day, and there isn’t an ounce of doubt in my mind he’ll try to find me.
I shift the deli bag to my other hand and open my lungs to the cold air. When I tip my face to the sky, gentle winds comb through my hair. Even better, I’m about to see my gorgeous boyfriend. That boyfriend is turning into something serious. I’m not ready to say anything, but I think I’m in love with Kaleb.
Not only that, I have friends too. Girlfriends that make me laugh and guys I trust and speak with freely. I feel blessed, and a grin spreads from ear to ear. As a man approaches me I smile at him and realize I’m not the least bit afraid. We say hello as we pass each other.
The bell of the Bike Shop seems to sing out my joy as I enter. “Hey, Gretch. Nobody’s here?”
“Yeah, it’s the lull before the storm. What’s going on, cupcake?”
I love her nickname for me. It
tells me she accepts me for the person I am. “I got a job teaching privates at the skating rink.”
“Nice. I need to get over there and check out trampoline time. My air is seriously clumsy.” The buzz of metal being shaved off skis makes me look over at Kaleb as he works the tuning belt. He nods his head at me, and I know when he’s finished he’ll take a break.
“You need to find some grace?” I set the bag down on the counter.
“I do. I saw video today. It was ugly. I look like I’m all, ‘Hey, I’m in the air. Guess I’ll squirm a bit.’” She snickers at herself. “I’ve got power covered, but I need air to look like I planned it to happen.”
“The tramp is good for that. Need any help?” The smell of onions permeates the deli bag, and my stomach rumbles.
“Seriously? Yeah. It would be good for me to hear things from someone else.” She hops up on the counter and swings her legs.
“Whoa. Trouble with Coach John?”
Gretchen grimaces. “Things are kind of weird. I mean, I followed him out here for his coaching, and I think he thought I was coming for his body, too.” She shrugs. “He’s hot and all, but I don’t want to mix sex with my training. My relationships never end well. I need a good coach more than I need a good lay.”
I shake my head and chuckle. “That sucks.” I tilt my head at her. “Fuck.”
She snorts. “Oh, cupcake, you crack me up. You know that word will never sound right coming out of your mouth.”
I jump up and settle my butt on the counter next to her. “I know. I have this friend who tried to teach me. But I just don’t have her gift.”
She leans against me. “Maybe not. Have you tried it on Kaleb yet?”
I push her off me. “No. And I don’t plan to. I’m not sure he would quite understand.” I grin and hear the tuning machine’s roar fade.
“Chicken.” Gretchen hops off the counter. “I’ll go grab my dinner while you two do that thing you do.” She waves her hand at us.
What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7) Page 149
