by Carol Ross
Tate smiled when the waiter soon returned to the table with a cup of Hannah’s favorite—hot chocolate. He recognized the mound of whipped topping and chocolate sprinkles because it was the same thing he was drinking. For some odd reason that fact made him very happy.
* * *
ONCE UPON A TIME, a dinner like this would have left Hannah starry-eyed. But now, as she sat across the table from Spencer, she tried to be honest with herself.
After he had broken up with her it had been so painful to deal with the realization that he hadn’t really loved her—not unconditionally. Then later a part of her was glad because what would have happened as time went on?
There was a myriad of circumstances that could occur in life that forever changed a person. What if they had gotten married right before the accident? Or if they’d been married and she’d later been diagnosed with cancer or some other life-altering disease? Or even now if she ended up losing her leg? Would he leave her? Hannah couldn’t help thinking that she already knew the answer even though he’d been saying all the right things, and doing them, the entire evening.
“Spence, thank you again for the flowers, they’re gorgeous.”
His ready smile had been one of the traits that had first attracted her to him. He’d turned that smile on her at a competition in Aspen—across a rack of skis. She’d been on her way to the lodge for lunch after a morning of hard training. He’d commented on her goggles, which had turned out to be his preferred brand, as well. He’d joined her for lunch where they’d both ordered the special without looking at the menu. Hannah thought she’d fallen for him the second he’d recited her personal best in the giant slalom event.
He reached across the table and held her hand. “Hannah, can you ever forgive me? No, I don’t even want you to answer that right now. I’m just asking that you give it some thought. I made a terrible mistake. I realized a long time ago how special you are and what we had. By then it felt too late. But thinking about you and now seeing you. I miss you...”
Hannah listened to his heartfelt soliloquy, but her eyes kept drifting to their intertwined fingers. Why didn’t the feel of his hand on hers make the cold go away? Sitting here with him she felt as if she’d swallowed a block of icy concrete.
“Are you sure you won’t have a glass of wine? It’s a nice vintage.” Hannah knew it was an expensive bottle, yet she stared in disbelief. Was she crazy to think Spencer should be sensitive enough to ask if she wanted wine before ordering it? She’d rarely consumed alcohol before the accident—just an occasional glass of red wine. But after the accident just the thought, the smell, made her nauseated. She didn’t begrudge anyone else drinking sensibly, but it wasn’t for her. She tacked on a small smile. “No, thank you. I already told you I don’t drink.”
“At all?”
She sighed. “No. Not at all.”
“Okay,” he said. “I understand.”
But she thought she saw a trace of irritation, of displeasure.
“Spencer—”
“Maybe I can talk you into it. I used to be pretty good at that. Remember the time we went swimming in that frozen lake in the Alps? You enjoyed a glass of wine then, didn’t you?”
He added a wink and that was the moment when Hannah knew this reunion with Spencer was truly futile.
* * *
TATE WATCHED AS they finished their meal. Hannah declined dessert and he wondered if it was because she was too full of the Bolognese she’d ordered, but only picked at, or too full of Kitt’s lines.
Finally they both stood, Hannah gave Kitt a quick hug and left the restaurant. Even though he would have preferred to get her alone, he was glad they’d made plans to attend the party with Lucas. At least Kitt wouldn’t be with her all night.
He decided to wait for Kitt to depart before he did the same, but Kitt resumed his seat and now held his phone in his hand.
Tate was settling his bill with the waitress, including another tip for tying up the table for so long when he saw Park Lowell emerge from the bar at the back of the restaurant and walk straight to Kitt’s table.
Hmm. Park and Kitt were friends? He watched the two shake hands. It was obvious that they did indeed know each other.
Then a thought that had been a nagging question all night surfaced in the forefront of his brain; why hadn’t Kitt tried to patch things up with Hannah years ago?
Tate rubbed a frustrated hand across his jaw. Not that he hadn’t made his own mess of things with her, by being so, so...obtuse. Hannah was right—he had been like a bulldozer.
But how in the world was he going to fix it now? The only thing he knew for sure was that he wasn’t going to wait to try and fix it. Not like Kitt had done.
Tate thought for a second and then a slow smile spread across his face. He picked up his phone and placed a call to Stacey.
“Stacey? Hey, it’s me. I need you to see if you can find me something—a gift actually.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE LAST THING Hannah felt like doing was going to the party. She was tired—tired and confused and overwrought. But she’d promised Lucas, and Adele was excited, so she was determined to make the best of the evening.
Hannah and Adele walked into the Big G Lodge’s Cascade Ballroom to find that Stacey had been spot-on about Tate going all out; a long buffet set with gleaming silver servers graced one end of the room while sparkling, powder blue tablecloths covered at least a dozen large round tables, each with a different snow globe centerpiece.
A barrel-sized jar stood at one end of the buffet line along with ballots for guests to guess how many glistening snowflakes had been placed inside. The partygoer with the closest guess would win the snow globe of their choice.
Carnival-style games had been set up along the other end of the ballroom. From where they stood she could see a basketball hoop shoot, a pop-the-balloon-with-a-dart booth and some kind of fishing game. That piqued some enthusiasm within her. Playing games with Lucas would undoubtedly be the highlight of her evening.
She greeted several of Snowy Sky’s board members, wives, husbands and other family members. Some skiers and snowboarders already in town for the competition had been invited as well, and she knew a few of them, too.
Tate had said he’d see her here, that there was something he wanted to talk about. And this morning on the lift he’d seemed...different. More like the Tate she’d come to know before Christmas Eve. But what did that mean? She didn’t want to open her heart—again—to someone who wasn’t sure what he wanted or if he wanted her. She hadn’t yet recovered from the disappointment of their first go-around.
She was standing near the buffet when she saw Viktor and Lucas enter the ballroom without Tate. She waved and Lucas made a bee-line toward her. They filled their plates and a short time later they were all settled around a table enjoying their meal—Hannah, Lucas, Viktor, Adele and Cricket.
She noticed Tate the second he came through the door, but she pretended not to until Cricket pointed him out. Spotting them, Tate held up a finger indicating he’d be right over.
He arrived with a full plate, taking a seat in the empty chair next to hers. He smiled warmly, so warmly it made her insides flutter. She returned it with a lukewarm smile of her own and was proud of herself for maintaining her dignity. Then he leaned close to her and she felt her resolve begin to melt like a crayon in the sun.
His breath was hot on her ear and he smelled really good, like mint and lemons.
“Is your dance card full?”
“My dance card? Um, no, but I’m not dancing,” she managed to utter. “I’m going to bed. I told Lucas I’d take him upstairs and tuck him in, and then I’m going to my room.” She didn’t mention that her date with Spencer had completely zapped her mentally, or that her leg was complaining after a day of skiing. The pain was stirring a fresh batc
h of worry even though she kept telling herself not to until she knew she had something to worry about. Easier said than done. She was exhausted inside and out.
“Please?”
“Please, what?”
“Please dance with me. I saw you dancing last night at the pub and now it’s on my bucket list.”
“Dancing is on your bucket list?” she asked wryly.
“Dancing with you—my bucket list is very specific.” There was a playful note to his tone that she found difficult to resist.
“Oh? Well...that’s...” Her voice sounded kind of husky and surprised, like a bad Marilyn Monroe impersonation. She felt a warmth at her cheeks because that was actually really sweet—and pretty romantic. She loved to dance and the idea of holding Tate that close left her a bit light-headed.
“I’m not dancing,” she managed weakly. Then changed the subject. “Lucas and I are going to go play some games. Do you want to come along?”
At the word games, Lucas had jumped out of his chair. Tate stood and they all three headed toward the other end of the ballroom.
After a respectable effort, Tate and Lucas won a prize in the hoop shoot. Lucas tried his hand at fishing, which consisted of casting a line over a huge tarp decorated like the ocean. Clearly having a ball, he “caught” several plastic animal figurines. It warmed Hannah’s heart to see him so happy.
Next they made their way to the fish frenzy—a game where the objective was to toss ping-pong balls into small cups, the kind often seen at carnivals in the old days filled with goldfish for prizes. There were no goldfish here; instead the prizes were plush jungle animals. Successfully landing the balls in certain cups scored points rewarded by difficulty. Points were accumulated and you could then “purchase” your prize accordingly. But the game was the same, and it was one Hannah was very familiar with.
Lucas reached over and reverently patted the large green snake the operators used to lure people in to play. It had to be at least ten feet long.
Tate asked him. “You like that snake, huh, buddy? Do you want to give it a try?”
Lucas tentatively shrugged a shoulder. He still had a difficult time asking for what he wanted. “Can you try, Uncle Tate?”
“Sure, I’ll give it a go.”
He bought twenty ping-pong balls. After throwing most of the balls and trying several different strategies, he managed to successfully land two.
Hannah snickered behind her hand. “Listen, Lucas, at this rate we’re going to be here all night.”
Tate turned and glared playfully. “You’re laughing. You think you can do better?”
“Tate, no offense, but my cat Marcie could do better.”
Lucas giggled.
“Okay, hotshot—it’s your turn.” Tate turned back to the kid running the booth. “Ten more balls.”
“Don’t waste your money. I only need five.”
Tate’s brow crinkled in confusion. “What?”
She pointed. “If you make it into the cup in the center, then you can pick any prize you want. Isn’t that right—” Hannah paused to read the kid’s name tag “—Devon?”
“Yes, ma’am. The lucky cup gets you any prize on the wall—including Cuddles.”
“Cuddles?”
“Yeah, Cuddles the snake.”
Tate gave her a patient look. “It’s virtually impossible to make it into that cup. In order to win the cool prize you have to buy a bunch of tries, win like a hundred small prizes and then trade them up for the big prize.”
She shrugged. “That might be your strategy, but that’s too expensive for me. My strategy in pretty much any game has always been to just go for the gold.”
Lucas nodded solemnly like this made perfect sense.
Tate rolled his eyes at her and asked Devon, “Devon, does anyone ever win Cuddles like that?”
“Oh, um, sure. My buddy Jake said someone won it once when he was working a booth last year in Juneau.”
Tate gave Hannah a told-you-so look.
She returned it with one that said she wasn’t intimidated.
“So, you’re saying with just five ping-pong balls you can hit the lucky cup?”
A small crowd had begun to gather.
“Yes.” She tousled Lucas’s hair. “What do you think, Lucas? Can I do it?”
He nodded, exuding complete and total confidence in her.
“Thank you for believing in me.” She narrowed her eyes at Tate. “It’s nice that someone does.”
He chuckled. “I would be willing to bet just about anything that nobody could win the snake that easily.”
“Really? Anything?”
“Yes, let’s bet. If you miss, then you have to dance with me tonight.”
What was his obsession with dancing all of a sudden? Although, she had to admit she wouldn’t mind losing. If her leg wasn’t aching. No, it wouldn’t be a good idea even then, so why was she even considering it?
“Fine, I already told you I’m not dancing tonight, though. Hand ’em over, Devon.” Hannah waggled her fingers in his direction and he counted them out one by one.
“Lucas, can you hold these for me?”
He nodded eagerly and she placed four of the balls in his cupped hands.
Gearing up for her first attempt, she paused to ask Tate, “What do I get if I win?”
He shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
She thought for a second and then nodded. “Sounds good. You’re sure about this?”
“Positive.” His total confidence in her inability would be irritating if it wasn’t so amusing.
She took aim, gently lofted the first ball, and missed the lucky cup, but it landed in one just outside the center. The small crowd collectively exhaled a mix of excitement and disappointment.
“Don’t worry, buddy,” she said to Lucas as he handed her the next ball. “I’ve got this. These cups are set a little higher...” She tossed the next one with the same result.
Tate looked impressed and also maybe a little nervous.
She offered a palm to Lucas. He kissed the ping-pong ball and placed it in her hand.
“Thank you, Lucas. That ought to do it.”
Ready to launch the third ball she paused again to look sideways. “Something you should know about me, Tate. The story of my life should be titled—” with a flip of her wrist the ball landed with a quiet plop in the center cup “—‘She Was Underestimated.’”
“She did it!” Lucas jumped up and down. “She did it, Uncle Tate. It landed in the lucky cup.”
“It sure did,” he managed to utter.
Hannah laughed at the stunned expression on his face.
“Whoa! No. Waaayyy.” Devon stared openmouthed for a few seconds before digging a cell phone out of his back pocket. He took a picture. “Do you care if I post this on the internet?”
Hannah winked at him. “Not at all.” She looked down at Lucas. “I’ve got two more tries, so these along with the two your uncle made will give you enough points for a medium stuffed animal, too.”
She lobbed the balls in quick succession, both of them landing in cups near the center.
Lucas was grinning from ear to ear as he chose a fluffy gray elephant as a companion for Cuddles, who was already wrapped snugly around his shoulders. Devon took a photo of him with his prizes and encouraged Hannah to join him in another.
“You’ve obviously played this game before.” Tate commented drily when they finally strolled away.
She lifted a shoulder. “A bit, but I’m a natural at the fish frenzy. I can’t tell you how many goldfish I won back in the day. We used to go to this carnival in Glacier City every summer and I would clean up. They finally asked me to quit playing and I agreed because I could only give away so many goldfish to my friends.”
>
He shook his head like he’d been had. “What do I owe you?”
“Hmm...” she drawled, leaving him in suspense for a long moment. “I’m letting you off the hook. We’ll call it even after the auction thing.”
“That’s not necessary,” Tate said with a smile. “I have no complaint about that. Besides, a bet is a bet.”
“No, really, I wanted to do this for Lucas. I would have done it anyway.”
“Maybe I’ll offer a kiss as a way to pay you on my own.”
She started to respond when she looked up to see Park sauntering toward them.
“Out hustling unsuspecting marks again, huh?” he asked as he stopped before them.
“Unsuspecting marks?” Hannah repeated with a laugh. She couldn’t resist a sarcastic retort, “Gosh, Park, watch CSI much?”
Tate’s gaze flicked from her to Park and back again.
Park glared, which made him seem even more weasel-ish than normal. “Hannah, you know what? You—”
Tate interceded with a raised hand, “Whoa, let’s simmer down here, Park. I knew exactly what I was getting into. I should have guessed Hannah would be an expert at this game. She’s apparently good at everything. And if she’s not, then I’m positive she’d be smart enough not to bet that she was. That was my mistake.”
She beamed at Tate and then looked at Park.
“Words of wisdom you could have used at one point in your life, huh, Park?”
Hannah took Lucas’s hand and steered him around the two men. She didn’t see any point in sticking around lest she lose her temper with Park. She seemed to be less composed than normal these days. Maybe she needed a session with Dr. Voss. She hadn’t seen him in nearly a year, and she’d been feeling so out of sorts lately.
