by Linda West
“Me, too,” she said into her buttered rum, feeling an unexpected heat surge through her body.
Dodie, ever tuned-in to people’s discomfort, took her own seat and leaned forward in it. “So what do you think the kids from the children’s home will do?”
“Aha!” Tanner reached into his bag and drew out a piece of paper. “Well, I wanted to have shots of them reaching the summit. We could even make it like a metaphor, you know, like overcoming adversity and reaching new heights. Also, from the top, we can get a stunning 360 view. When people look out over things, they get a new perspective. Their eyes are opened to the world beyond theirs.”
Dodie nodded. “Okay, so we could include a hike up the mountain… though I’m not sure all the kids could make it.”
“No problem,” Tanner said. “We can have the whole town make the hike, if they want to. Oh! And we can have some ride on the cable cars. I don’t know of all the facilities here, but I want to have them using the mountain in every which way—
just as long as they look like they’re enjoying themselves. I want everyone to be having an awesome time for the camera.”
“That sounds good to me.”
“I… I could teach them how to snowboard,” Kacey offered.
A gorgeous, wide smile stretched across Tanner’s face. “You can read my mind?”
Right then she was glad he couldn’t read hers.
Brody, Brody, Brody, she kept repeating over and over in her head.
“I’ve got plenty of other celebrities coming in,” Tanner said. “Courtesy of…” He glanced down at his paper. “Aero Anderson. Anderson. Is that anything to do with you?”
“Oh no,” Kacey said. “Those are my brothers! Brad used to be a pilot for American Airways, and Jason was in the military, but they both fly locally now.”
He looked at her with such calm, interested respect that it made her feel uncomfortable. “So, so… so who have you got coming?”
Tanner tapped the side of his nose. “I like surprises.”
Kacey didn’t like surprises. They set her heart racing. Just like… No. Just like no one. No one but Brody.
“I think I’m gonna go out and train,” Kacey announced, getting to her feet.
Dodie gestured towards her rum. “But you haven’t—”
“Never mind,” Kacey said, picking it up. “I’ll just take it to the kitchen now. I’m getting awfully hot in here.”
And she was gone.
Chapter 9
Up on the slopes, Kacey felt free. All her thoughts and worries disappeared somewhere into the cold air, as she switch nollied and busted a method air off a cornice.
How could she not snowboard? Sure, she understood that the doctors and coaches had to give her advice and were looking out for her, but she told herself they were being over-cautious to cover themselves. The last thing they wanted was a high-profile lawsuit from an Olympic athlete.
They didn’t understand, though.
Sitting indoors, watching the snow fall and not getting a chance to feel it under the smooth board, to get the rush of hurtling down the mountain? No chance. It would feel like death itself.
She had to get the Olympics. If no one else was going to help her, she’d have to help herself. Though she felt little strains and twinges in her back, where her disc had herniated, she convinced herself they were just psychological. She was just psyching herself out, and had to push through the twinges until she came out the other side. Her body wasn’t used to her old level of training.
So she twisted, turned and nose grabbed. She twisted down the slope until she reached the bottom. There was no feeling so glorious in the whole world as busting some crazy tricks, then sliding down to the flat as if nothing had happened at all, with a nonchalant smile on her face—though her heart leapt inside.
But all that cool nonchalance was swept away as she caught sight of Tanner a little way off, watching her.
He had his legs parted wide in the snow, his hands on his hips, and a huge smile on his face.
“Wow,” he said, walking over to her. “Now that was really something. You gunning for the Gold in South Korea?”
She fumbled with her bindings to unclip her feet. “Yep.” She was surprised by how assured, how definite her voice sounded.
“Even with your injury?”
She blinked, then remembered it was all over the commentary. The fame was still hard to get used to.
“Yes. People say I shouldn’t, but I know my body better than anyone else.”
He nodded.
“The hard truth is that no one remembers a loser. You need to follow your heart, I say. If your heart says ‘Olympics,’ then don’t ever let anyone stop you.”
She had been so used to hearing people telling her to stop training, that his advice was like one huge gust of fresh air. If she hadn’t found her heart almost palpitating around him, she might have reached out and given him a huge hug; that’s what she normally would have done. But as soon as Tanner Williams stepped in, normality let itself out the back door, like they couldn’t even exist in the same space. A shy, “Thanks,” was all she could manage.
A buzzing in her puffy snowboarding jacket startled her.
“Oh, just one second.”
“No problem,” he said, stepping a little way back to give her some privacy and gaze up at the mountain.
Even as she got her cell out of her jacket pocket, pulling open the zip, she gazed at him. The wonder in his face as he stared up at the peak was almost mesmerizing.
She looked down at the screen. Brody. A feeling tugged at her heart, somewhere halfway between affection and guilt. Was it guilt for snowboarding, when she told him she wouldn’t… or… something else?
“Hey, Babe,” she said, kicking the snowboard up into her hand and walking away from Tanner.
“Hey, Babe,” he said back. “Just calling to tell you I just got into Park City and the… Snow. Is. Epic.”
She tried to find some enthusiasm. “That’s great!”
The sound of girls giggling in the background made a lump rise in her throat.
“I hope you’re having a good time.”
“Sure I am,” he said. She expected something else to come, like ‘but it would be so much better with you here.’ Instead he asked, “What are you doing right now?”
“Oh… er… I’m just taking a walk around the bottom of the mountain,” she lied—while the guilt multiplied and swelled in her chest.
“As long as you’re not snowboarding. Take care of yourself, Kacey.”
“I will.”
A silence grew between them, and was filled with more feminine giggling.
“Well…” he said, and the discomfort in his voice made her feel awful. “I’ve gotta go.”
“Okay.”
And, despite everything, she waited, just as she did at the end of every call. Maybe this would be the time he would say those three small words that her heart craved.
“Well, bye, Babe.”
Or not.
It looked like she’d be on her own again, the only one to go out on a limb and declare her feelings. “I love you,” she said, in little more than a whisper.
A tiny silence, and then a series of three beeps that let her know he’d hung up. Had he heard her and hung up?
Or taken the phone away from his ear before that?
What did it matter anyway? He’d probably take up with some beautiful snowboarder—maybe even Brittany—and forget all about Kacey.
Blinking tears back, she headed over to tell Tanner she was going back up.
She needed another run down the mountain to get all the worry out of her mind.
But before she could speak, he did.
“Hey, you know it sure would be nice if you let me buy you dinner tonight.”
“I’m in a relationship,” she said quickly, though her pulse raced out of control.
He laughed a little, but gently.
“I just meant as friends.”
/> Her mind grasped for excuses but found nothing.
“Oh… well, sure. Of course, friends, I don’t even know what I was thinking. Friends. Dinner. Sure.”
Chapter 10
Aside from Eagle’s Peak Lodge, the Old Cabin Café was the place to eat in town. Since she’d been eating Earl’s food morning, noon and night, she fancied a change. Somehow Tanner had read her mind and suggested it.
They sat at a table tucked into the corner. The dim flicker of the candle in the center of the table played over his face, making his eyes look more intense and magical than ever. Kacey felt uncomfortable.
Was she cheating?
She asked herself that throughout the night, and whenever she did, a twinge of guilt twisted in her gut.
She had felt guilty, as she’d stood in front of her wardrobe, way too long deciding what to wear. She had felt guilty when she’d spent ages fussing with her hair, straightening and curling and straightening it again, trying to work out what looked the best. She had felt guilty as he’d complimented her on how beautiful she looked and her stomach had fluttered with a thousand butterflies.
Friends, she reminded herself. He said “just friends.”
“You seem really motivated by snowboarding,” he said, leaning over the table toward her.
She noticed his eyelashes curled widely, softening his chiseled looks into something ever more gorgeous. She looked out of the window over at the streets of Kissing Bridge, flooded with golden lamplight.
“I just adore it,” she said. “It makes me feel like there are no problems in the whole world.”
“Wow.” Tanner leaned back in his chair and looked at his hands. “I wish I had something like that, something that made me forget.”
Her heart ached for him. She had heard that he had been orphaned early she could only imagine the pain he kept locked away. He looked so crestfallen. She couldn’t help but reach out and touch his hand in kindness.
“But at least you make a difference in the world. You don’t run away, you face the problems head on.”
He blew out a puff of air with a modest shrug. “I guess.”
“You guess?” she said, laughing a little.
“You’re one of the most inspirational people I know. You helped get so many people aware and interested in saving the earth. That’s no small feat!”
He smiled then, staring at the wood grain of the table, though he was clearly trying not to. He looked up at her with troubled eyes and squeezed her hand tightly.
“Have you decided what you’re having, Beautiful?”
Kacey studied his handsome face; so strong, so mature, so determined. The more time they spent together, the more she liked him. Not only was he achingly handsome, he was talented, passionate, and modest, too? So different from Brody with all his showboating.
“What are you having?” she asked.
Chapter 11
Climate Awareness Day – Kissing Bridge Mountain
The big day arrived, more dazzling and bright than Kacey had ever imagined. Tanner had called in a team to erect giant screens jutting up out of the slopes. Advertisements for Billabong and Power Bar and Go Pro flashed across them, then illuminated Tanner’s handsome face.
Even zoomed in times a million, he was flawless. Those dark eyes seemed to reach out of the screen and into her very soul.
The event was to be simultaneously broadcast from the East and West coast events.
“Welcome!” he said, and the crowd around her burst into cheering. She caught sight of Dodie helping out with the kids from the children’s home, and felt a warm glow surround her.
The whole of Kissing Bridge had turned out.
Tanner grinned; his smile so much larger than life. He sure knew how to work a crowd.
“Do you wanna change the world?”
The crowd cheered.
“I need you louder than that,” Tanner said. “I need some passion! I need dedication! Now, do you wanna change the world?!” The crowd roared back at him and he burst into beautiful laughter. “Now that’s more like it! There’s a few other people who want to say a big hello to you all—people who would love to be here today.”
The big screens suddenly were lit up and connected with the party from the West coast. The West coast party was a full-on red carpet event; filled with celebrities, producers and rich philanthropists. The California sun shone bright and cheerily, in direct contrast to Kissing Bridge’s snowy mountains and parka-wearing crowd.
Summer Landers suddenly appeared on screen. She looked beautiful. She was in a silver, shimmering short dress that exposed her long tan legs and shoulders. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back and her blue eyes sparkled as she raised her sunglasses to address the crowd.
The reporter held a mic up to her and gushed, “Summer Landers, welcome!”
Brad had told Kacey, not too pleased, that Summer was away on a modeling job. He had not mentioned any star-studded events, but this, of course, was a great cause. Kacey glanced over to him by the VIP tent, escorting a couple toward the champagne. He froze and looked up at the screen at the sound of Summer’s voice.
“Hey, Kissing Bridge!” Summer came through loud and clear on the speaker systems. “I so wish I could be there because there’s nothing I love more than my hometown.”
“It’s Summer Landers!” Tanner said, his voice bursting with enthusiasm. “Tell us, Summer, can you see the crowd?”
“I sure can,” Summer said, waving like crazy. “Hi everyone! I’m coming to you from the West Coast Climate Event! It’s a huge success and every star in Hollywood is here doing their part to combat climate change!”
The perky reporter chirped in next to her, “We’ve got good people here. People really care about the environment. About the world.”
Summer smiled “I’m so proud to be a part of this.”
All of a sudden, Drake Mason, movie star extraordinaire, jumped in the shot, topless and bronze, and all the young girls in the crowd went wild.
Kacey smiled at the big screen.
Wow, this was certainly turning into a star-studded event! She thought how wonderful the event was turning out to be, and helping climate change grow in awareness.
“Hey, Kissing Bridge.” Drake drawled. His voice was undeniably sexy. “Miss you all.” With that, he winked with a sly smile and squeezed Summer affectionately.
There were many giggles from the ladies of Kissing Bridge who had gotten kisses from Drake under the mistletoe and felt on intimate terms with him.
“Whoah,” Tanner said with a laugh. “Put a shirt on, Drake!”
Drake laughed. “It’s hitting like a hundred degrees out here. I’m not putting on a thing.”
With that, he squeezed Summer again. “Except maybe her.”
The crowd cheered again.
Tanner cleared his throat.
“So, you guys have a message for all of us here?”
“Sure,” Summer said. Drake draped his arm over her shoulder as she spoke. Summer pulled away discretely, obviously uncomfortable and forced a smile. Even from her place at the front of the crowd, Kacey could see Brad tense up as he stared at the screen.
“Remember that the earth is all we’ve got,” Summer said. “We need to protect it for our children and our children’s children. God bless you all for being part of this.”
“That’s right,” Drake said, with a superstar nod.
The girls in the crowd squealed, but Kacey guessed they’d squeal if he snorted like a pig, or maybe even if he just stood there, breathing. Wow, look at the way he inhales!
“Well, thank you Summer Landers and Drake Mason!” Tanner said. “You guys go have a good time. We’re going to keep this live stream going so we can all be a part of this sister event in California!”
The blond perky reporter from Entertainment Tonight was nodding to Tanner from her spot at the event, and bubbling and cooing over all the celebrities.
“Well, everyone’s turned out for this event, Tanner! There�
��s Ben and Jen. . . Sean Penn just came in with his lovely date. . .”
The blue Skype screen took over, showing the beautiful people of L.A. stardom—dappled with perfect tans and diamonds—milling about the red carpet event.
Suddenly, Kacey spotted a blonde god in the background.
