Instead of staying home alone, I decide on a quick trip to Breckenridge to reconnect with Nick. Flying commercial isn’t nearly as carefree as charter jets, and I struggle to find my happy place as I plug into my phone for music. Thank God for first-class window seats. I stare out at the tarmac and watch the luggage approach the plane. Wet snow is falling quickly to coat them in a thin veil of white. I long to taste the flakes on my tongue.
A man arrives and startles me when his briefcase lands in the seat next to me. His musk floats toward me as he launches his carry-on into the bin overhead, and the noise rises above the melody playing in my headset. I shrink back from the angry traveler who probably raced to catch his plane.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t take the hint, because once he’s settled, he motions for me to take out my ear buds. I paste on my patient smile and remove one. He asks, “Are you Megan Donovan?”
I sigh because he probably saw me in the tabloids, and I don’t want to chat. The It Girl did a follow-up on me, but this time it was in praise of what I’m doing for young women and their self-esteem by touting a natural look. “Yes.”
“I want to thank you. I have a teenaged daughter, and she loves your makeup. I love that she’s stopped painting her face like a clown.”
“Oh.” My shoulders relax. “You’re welcome. What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Emily.” He lifts up his hip to pull a wallet out of his back pocket. “Let me show you her picture.”
He shares a photo of a young brunette. “She’s lovely. If you give me her name and address, I can arrange for her to be on the new product package list. We send out a box a couple times a year.”
“She’d love that.”
I pull up my email and enter her information in as he speaks so I can send it to the employee in charge. The man is pleasant enough, but I want time with my thoughts. When I’m done, I say, “I’ve had a really long week and am going to try to sleep on this flight.”
“Oh of course, thank you. My daughter will be thrilled about this.”
I smile at him as I put my ear buds back in and lean back to close my eyes. It does feel good to think I have a positive impact on young women. Pride surges through me as I reflect on what I’ve managed to accomplish in the seven months I’ve had at Bellae. I’ve reinvented more than myself, and the company has surged ahead in its share of the marketplace. My mother’s words come back to me. She was right, I did find my calling.
But even though I’ve discovered my career passion, I’m not complete. The love of my life is in Breckenridge, and I want him back. This vacation is as important to me as any business trip I’ve taken. I plan to get what I’m after, but the stakes are high, and a loss will be more devastating than I care to imagine.
I didn’t let any of my friends know I was coming. It’s a busy holiday week at the resort, and I didn’t want them to sacrifice prime moneymaking time for me. I’ll fit myself into their schedules. My stomach flutters as I think about the private lesson I booked with Nick. I had Krissy do it and use her name. I’m not sure if it was because I want to surprise him or to make sure he wouldn’t turn it down. I decide to think positive thoughts and doze off with fantasies of our reunion in my head.
Sleeping most of the flight leaves me refreshed, and the moment I step out of the airport, I take a deep breath of cold Colorado air. It chills my throat and invigorates me as I follow my driver to where the limos and town cars wait. After he loads the SUV with my things, he gets in and asks, “Have you ever skied Breckenridge?”
I’m a vacationer. “Yes. It’s my favorite mountain.”
“Me too.” We get into a conversation about our favorite trails, and he makes suggestions for where I should eat and shops I should visit. I listen as if I don’t know and thank him for his advice. Our chatter fades, and I begin to gaze out the window when the Rockies become close enough that they dwarf the car.
An awesome sight, the mountain range never ceases to amaze me. The white peaks jut into the sky as if they could puncture clouds. They’re set against a sky so blue it could only be Colorado, and I long to be skiing down their sloped sides. The memory of being on the snow and racing down a trail tugs at me, and my heart races in anticipation. It’s not just the skiing that has me anxious though. It’s the unknown of Nick’s reaction tomorrow when he discovers I’m his private lesson.
My nerves stay with me as I check into a posh hotel and settle into my room. I’d call a friend, but I’d rather not alert Nick that I’m here, so I order room service and get a few work items accomplished to enjoy the next few days of my vacation.
After a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast, I’m getting dressed for my day. The tight, stretchy fabric of my long underwear hugs my legs as I pull them up. My phone buzzes with a text, and I walk over to it to find it’s from Krissy, alerting me that I need to call the private-lesson desk.
My stomach sinks, and I hope they didn’t double-book Nick by accident and ruin my plan as I tap out the number.
After a cheerful voice answers, I say, “Hi, I’m calling about my ten o’clock with Nick Merrill this morning. I hear there’s a problem.”
“Hang on.” Keys click in the background, and the woman says, “Krissy, right?”
“Yes.”
“Nick is no longer with us, but I have you scheduled with our top female instructor.” Wait, what? “Casey Cassidy.”
Hearing my friend’s name makes me smile, and I say, “That’s fine. I’m looking forward to it.” But the moment I end my call, I want to vomit. Where is Nick? This can’t be happening.
I rack my brain, trying to determine where he might go. He would have to stay with a mountain to be on dev team. Would he move to another resort because the memories here are too painful? What if he fell in love with another dev team member and left to be with her? Or a student? I shake off the horrible thoughts and continue getting ready. I have a lesson in less than an hour with Casey, and she’ll know what’s going on.
* * *
The familiar noises of the ski area are music to my ears. The whine of the chairlift engine is constant as conversations hum, skis over people’s shoulders clatter, and snow is pushed around by skiers and boarders whizzing by me as I make my way to the Private sign. As I approach, Casey gazes at me, and I watch her face frown for a split second as it morphs into recognition. She screams, “Megan!”
We hug each other tight before she pulls away to ask, “What are you doing here?” Her expression appears to be concern, and I wonder why she isn’t thrilled to see me.
I say, “I’m your private lesson.”
Her mouth forms a perfect O, and she blinks. “You booked a private with Nick?”
I nod. “Where is he?”
“Oh my God. Oh. My. God.”
My throat tightens with the fear she’s about to squash my hope for reconciliation. “What?”
“Oh boy. Come with me. I’ve got so much to tell you.”
“Casey.” I grab her arm after she drops her skis to put them on. “Where is Nick?”
Her boot clicks into a binding. “Put your skis on. We might as well use your two hours to do more than talk.”
Chapter 27
The safety bar of the chairlift clunks down once we’re seated, and I practically yell so she hears me over the engine’s roar, “Casey, please. I’m dying here. Where is Nick?”
“He’s on his way to Long Island.”
“What?”
Her green eyes are intense as she says, “Let me start at the beginning. When Nick came back, he moped around for a couple weeks and then decided he couldn’t be here without you. So he enrolled in a couple classes at CU in Boulder this past fall to update his teaching certificate with the intention of finding a different job once this winter was through.”
I recall the way Nick was with his students and his unwavering patience with even the most challenging person. Casey continues, “But something changed his mind a few weeks ago. Maybe it was because Stacy blew out her
knee and learned she injured it so badly she’d never be able to ski aggressively again. I don’t know.”
She touches my arm. “All I know was I was so excited when he told us he got a job at a prep school in the Hamptons. I was dying to tell you, but he wanted it to be a surprise.”
He wanted to surprise me? “Oh my God.”
“Exactly. He’s in a car somewhere on his way to New York to get settled in and then find you.”
“And I’m here to get him back. I had this great plan to move here for winters so I could be with him. And I was going to beg him to find a way to be in New York for the summers.” I unzip my jacket to reach for my phone.
“Do you have any idea how romantic this is?” Her eyes get wide. “You have to text him.”
I wave my phone at her. “On it.”
Icy wind bites at my fingers as I remove my glove to type. I speak as I do so Casey knows what I’m typing. “I booked a private lesson with a sexy instructor, and he blew me off.”
I lift my phone and say, “Smile for Nick.” She holds her hands up and raises her eyebrows as if to say “I don’t know.”
The shutter clicks, and I send him the image followed by, “This is who they gave me instead. I want my money back.”
Casey says, “Hey. I’m going to take you to all the fun places.”
“Yes, you are.” I lift the chairlift bar as we approach the exit ramp. “Because I’ll go crazy if all I do is wait for his reply.”
The familiar rush of snow under my skis sounds as we slide over to a trail. One of my all-time favorites, it branches off into chutes, and I recall many powder days in my mind as we take off. While the snow is hard packed today, it doesn’t lessen the joy I feel as my muscles flex with power to move me through my round turns. Casey doesn’t stop at the chutes, and I follow her as we blast through. My chest heaves with the exertion when we stop at the bottom.
“That was so fun.”
“Not bad for a corporate girl.”
My phone rings, and I whip open my jacket, knowing it has to be Nick. It is, and I say, “So I’m at the bottom of the chutes right now, and you’re not here. I’m going to have to tip the redhead.”
Nick’s laughter rings out, and my heart wants to burst with happiness at the sound. He says, “That damn Casey’s stealing my best clients.”
She yells, “I heard that!”
Nick says, “You’ve kind of ruined my New Year’s plans. I was going to knock on your door and beg you to take me back.”
“What do you think I was coming out here to do?”
Nick’s voice gets low, and he says, “I love you, Megan. Ditch the skiing and come be with me.”
“I’ll be on a plane tomorrow.” I ache for his touch. “When will you get to Long Island?”
“Tonight.” The swish of skiers makes me glance in their direction as they race by us.
“I can’t wait to see you,” I say.
“I’m excited to see you too.”
I’m afraid he’s going to end the call, so I ask, “Nick?”
“Yes?”
“I love you. And no matter what I have to do this time, I’ll do it.”
“Same.”
When I end the call, I glance over at Casey to find her eyes shining. Mine tear up too, and she says, “You’re better than a movie.” She sniffs and says, “C’mon, we’ve got trails to ski.”
When I finish my time with Casey, I don’t bother to go in. Instead, I stay out skiing until I physically have had enough. After a hot shower and phone calls to arrange my travel, I walk into town to visit Dannika and Lori at Rhinestone Cowgirl. On the way, I stop at our favorite café to bring them fancy coffees and cake.
The Baked Bean is bustling with people, and I stand in a long line that almost reaches the door to place my order. I glance over at the table where Dannika first saw her husband, Christian, and recall that day as she embarrassed herself being overheard saying he was hot while Casey, Lori, and I tortured her about it. A grin covers my face as I dart my eyes over to the table where I told Casey that Nick and I were moving in together. It feels like a lifetime ago. My head is full from the happy memories this place brings, and I’m still daydreaming when it’s my turn. The girl behind the counter drags me back to reality. “Miss?”
“Oh. Sorry.” I order our food and pay before I step aside to wait. A couple having an argument captures my attention, and I watch as she gets up to storm out. But her boyfriend grabs her arm and pulls her into a hug. He whispers to her and kisses the top of her head as my lower lip starts to tremble as I imagine her pain. I want to tell her that if it’s meant to be, everything will work itself out.
“Megan.” I turn to the guy who called my name, alerting me that my order is ready.
I say, “Thanks,” and take the food. The cardboard tray holding the drinks is warm in my hand, and I don’t bother with gloves before pushing my way out the door to the street.
My legs are tight as I walk to the clothing store, and it’s a reminder that this is no longer my world. Wind blows my hair, and I lift my face to the icy breeze instead of cowering. I glance around at the people walking along the sidewalks. I wonder if any of them have an idea what a magical town Breckenridge is. It’s the place where love can be found and thrive. It’s a resort town where people run to escape their troubles but learn eventually we all have to face them. And it’s the place where I met the love of my life.
I texted Nick earlier asking him if we could talk later tonight when he’s done driving for the day. He’ll call around nine my time. I look forward to telling him so much while in return he shares his new plan. A woman walks out of Rhinestone Cowgirl just as I arrive and holds the door for me. I thank her before walking in to warmth and the welcoming arms of good friends.
* * *
Stuffed with too much pizza, I make my way back to my hotel. Some of my friends came to see me at Rhinestone Cowgirl, and we laughed as we caught up on old times and new. I tuck my chin into the collar of my jacket to escape the cold. The fleece lining is soft on my face. My phone should ring any minute, and it seems appropriate that I answer it under the stars and sky of the town where Nick and I first met.
When it rings, I stop under a streetlight to speak, and my breath is a blast of white vapor as I do. “Hi.”
Nick’s voice echoes as he speaks. “I can’t believe you went all the way to Breckenridge to talk to me. Why didn’t you just call?”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Good point.” I hear the clomp of his feet on what I guess is a wood floor, and that echoes too. I picture his strong fingers combing through his dark locks as he walks and talks at the same time. “I left too soon. I let pride get the best of me, but once I was in Breck without you, it was awful. Nothing felt right, and nothing helped my loneliness.”
“Oh, Nick. I’ve been miserable without you, too.” I gaze up at the night sky to watch the beginning of snow flurries float down. “Casey told me you got a teaching job.”
“Yes. I knew I would eventually, once being a ski bum got old. I’m the new English Literature teacher at Hampton Prep School.”
“That’s fantastic. And a really good school. I’m impressed.”
“It was the power of networking. Gracie’s the one who helped me get the job.”
“Really?” Does she have plans for him too?
“She’s not as awful as you think. As a matter of fact, she’s a big supporter of you, and us.”
I picture Drew’s face when he sauntered into my office with his love connection idea and grin. The sound of Nick’s feet hasn’t stopped, and I ask, “Where are you?”
“In an empty dormitory great room. They’re putting me up over the holidays until I find a place to live.”
I begin to walk toward my hotel to stay warm. “I know of one you might like. And it comes with some pretty great amenities.”
“There’s only one amenity I need.”
“Same.” The snow is falling more heavily, and it sticks
to my hair. “I came back to Breck because I was going to buy a house and do the telecommuting thing during the winter months to be near you.”
“Wouldn’t that have been hard?”
A man in uniform holds the hotel door open for me, and I stomp my feet free of snow when I get to the grates inside the breezeway. I say, “Yes. But sometimes you have to jump into the icy water to get what it is you really want.”
“Huh, I heard that analogy recently from someone else.” Drew? The grin that covers my face is huge, and I wonder if he and Gracie worked together on this. “I love you so much, Nick. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.”
“I know.”
Nick and I continue our conversation until I can barely keep my eyes open, and when I say goodnight, I lay the phone on the pillow next to me and curl up, imagining his arms around me once again.
Chapter 28
Reggie greets me at the airport, and I’m so excited, I reach up and kiss him on the cheek. He chuckles at me and asks, “What has you in such a great mood? You cut your trip short.”
“Love.” I slide over the cool leather of the town car’s backseat, and the door slams.
When Reggie gets in the front, he glances in the rearview mirror at me to ask, “Aha, is there someone new you’re racing home to see?”
“Nope. Nick moved back to Long Island, and my trip was unnecessary.”
His teeth flash in his smile for me. “That’s fantastic news. Do you have plans for this evening?”
I gaze out the window at the snowstorm. “I hadn’t given it much thought. We’ll probably just stay in and get caught up.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want to think of you out in this storm tonight.”
I recall the champagne I gave Reggie along with a hefty bonus for Christmas. “What are you and Janice doing tonight?”
Pulse: Sport Romance (The Boys of Winter Book 6) Page 14
