My Favorite Souvenir

by Ward, Penelope

  “Where do you live now?”

  “Seattle.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a high school music teacher.”

  Not sure why, but that warmed my heart. I had the best memories of my music teachers, who were part of my early inspiration to pursue a career in music photography.

  “Really? That’s so cool.”

  “Well, I try to be cool, but generally my students can see through me.”

  Damn. I could only imagine how many hormonal teenage girls had a crush on this guy. I was starting to feel a little like one of those girls the more I stared at him. He was sexy in a grungy way, his hair a perfect, tousled mess. There seemed to be a permanent glimmer in his eyes when he looked at me, a bit scrutinizing and a lot sexy. And don’t get me started on those lips, so full. They were quite distracting.

  I shook my head, because the last thing I needed was to start fantasizing about some stranger I wouldn’t see after tomorrow.

  I cleared my throat. “Wow, okay. So, we’ve both worked in fields that involve music—you in a much different capacity, of course.”

  “Well, naturally, when you said you were a music photographer, my ears perked up. Except I chaperone field trips on school buses, whereas you were gallivanting on tour buses. The latter sounds much more exciting.”

  I sighed. “It was.”

  “I assume you dated some of the musicians?”

  “Only one. Herbie Allen. The drummer for Snake. Ever hear of him?”

  “Yeah, sure. Whatever happened with that?”

  “We dated for a couple of months, and then I decided staying with a musician would ultimately end in heartbreak. I was scared to get hurt, so I broke up with him. Real ironic, considering my conservative fiancé was the one who ultimately broke my heart. I probably would’ve been safer with Herbie. At least that would have been more what-you-see-is-what-you-get.” I shook the thought away. “Anyway, tell me how you ended up becoming a music teacher.”

  He stared at me for a few seconds. “That might be a story for another time.”

  I shook my head. “There’s not going to be another time. We won’t see each other after today.”

  He winked. “The night is young, sister.”

  Who is this man and why am I so captivated by him that I almost completely forgot I was snowed in at this damn hotel? Why am I telling him my life story?

  I had so many other questions for “Milo,” but he soon changed the subject back to me.

  “So, who are you really, Maddie?”

  Moving the last of my cocktail around in the glass, I answered honestly. “I’m not sure anymore, Milo. I’m really not. I feel very lost right now, like I don’t know which direction to take my life.” I looked up at him. “But at this moment, I’m quite happy to just be Maddie, to forget about my troubles for a while.”

  “Then Maddie you shall remain.” He smiled. “Whatever makes you happy. Think of our time here as a little adventure.”

  “I’d like that. Mr. Hooker.”

  “Very well, Ms. Hooker.”

  I sighed. “I lost my sense of adventure over the past few years. I have wondered if my fiancé calling off the wedding might have been a sign I was headed in the wrong direction. Every day had become the same as the last. And as much as I appreciated the stability, I don’t know if that kind of life is in my nature.”

  “That’s my girl. Look at what happened as your ticket out—on to bigger and better things. I can see the need for adventure in your eyes.”

  “What does a need for adventure look like? A tired, crazy person?”

  He just laughed.

  We stayed at the bar, enjoying our conversation for a while longer until we decided to call it a night. Milo left Ed a huge tip before we walked together back toward the elevators.

  After arriving at our adjacent hotel rooms, we lingered before entering.

  I was the first to speak. “Well…it was nice chatting. Thank you for the drinks.”

  Despite my essentially saying goodbye, we continued to stay in our spots.

  Milo suddenly shook his head. “No.”

  I was confused. “No?”

  “This can’t be how it ends—I go back to my room. You go back to yours. We fall asleep and then part ways in the morning. You said you wanted adventure, right?”

  My heart sped up. “What do you have in mind, Mr. Hooker?”

  “You have your camera with you?”

  “Of course. What kind of a photographer would I be without my camera?”

  His mouth curved into a mischievous grin. “Good. Grab it. Then meet me down in the lobby in about ten minutes. Wear your coat and dress warm.”

  Chapter 3

  * * *

  Matteo

  She said she wanted adventure; I planned to give it to her.

  I wanted to see if I could put a smile on her face. This girl—whoever she was—had gotten a raw deal. Why not make the best of being stuck in Vail? There were worse locations to be trapped. If anyone knew how to make the most of this place, it was me. Though I hadn’t lived here permanently for years, I still had a major in at one of the best attractions in town.

  The only problem would be getting there in this blizzard.

  I was waiting for her in the lobby when Maddie exited the elevators. Damn, she was beautiful. Wild red hair and a dusting of freckles over her nose. She wore a white knit hat that matched her white puffer jacket. She looked like a living snow angel. Despite the obvious pain she’d experienced lately, her whole face still it up when she smiled. Yeah, there were definitely way worse situations to be stuck in. I wasn’t minding this at all.

  My adventure partner had her camera strapped around her neck inside a leather case. She looked like she’d put some lipstick on. This girl was gorgeous without a drop of makeup, but the fact that she’d done that made me wonder if she was trying to impress me. She hadn’t given me any inkling that she was interested. I was sort of sick for even thinking about it since she was fresh off getting her heart broken. Technically, she was supposed to be on her honeymoon. That was so fucked up. I’d had a little rage brewing inside me ever since she’d told me what her ex pulled—definitely a weird reaction to have on behalf of someone I barely knew.

  When she was right in front of me, I could also smell that she’d added some perfume.

  “You look nice.”

  “Thanks.” Her fair skin turned pink. “So, what’s this all about?”

  “You’ll see. Wouldn’t be an adventure if I told you, now would it?”

  “Oh boy. What am I getting myself into?”

  “You’ll be fine. I’d never let anything happen to my sister.” I winked.

  The first thing I needed to figure out was how the hell we were going to get from point A to point B.

  “Stay here for a minute, okay? I’m gonna try to arrange for a ride.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Questioning my ability to work my magic, eh? Are you forgetting how we got our rooms in the first place?”

  She laughed as I walked backwards, flashing her a cocky grin and wriggling my brows. Too bad I nearly crashed my ass into a moving luggage cart.

  Her lack of confidence only made me more determined to make this ride happen.

  I walked over to the concierge to see if there was any chance in hell he could help. “I’m looking for a ride out of here and back in a few hours. I was wondering if you could help me.”

  Without even looking up from his desk, he said, “Driving conditions are very poor, sir. It’s not advisable to be out on the road, even if I were able to arrange that.”

  “Let me ask again.” I took out my wallet and slammed down a fifty-dollar bill. “Can you help me with a ride to Parkside Resort and back in about three hours?”

  He took the fifty. “Give me a minute to see what I can do.”

  The concierge made a few calls while I waited at the desk. I looked back over at Maddie, who was nervously bopping her legs
up and down. She smiled when she noticed me watching her. That smile was worth way more than fifty bucks.

  The concierge hung up the phone. “Good news. I was able to find a driver with a Toyota 4Runner who can take you to where you need to go.”

  “Sweet. Thanks, man.”

  A few minutes later, the black SUV pulled up in front of the hotel. We exited out the revolving doors and got in the backseat. A large man sat behind the wheel.

  “Thanks a lot for doing this,” I said to him, blowing hot air into my cold hands. I promptly grabbed my gloves out of my pockets and put them on.

  The guy turned to look at us. “They don’t call me Crazy Abe for nothing. Makes no sense how people can grow up around here and get freaked out over snow.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  “You headed to Parkside Resort?”

  “Yes.”

  She looked at me. “We’re going to a ski resort?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Wow. Okay. It’s funny, here I was thinking I was going to leave Vail without really enjoying the snow. But…are they even open?”

  “Don’t worry. I got connections.”

  My aunt and uncle owned Parkside, and I had a key to the gondola. Hopefully my plans would work out.

  It soon became apparent that Crazy Abe had earned his name. The guy was driving way too fast, considering the road conditions.

  It probably shouldn’t have surprised me, then, when he drove right into an embankment.

  “Shit!” Maddie screamed.

  “Are you okay?” It took me a few seconds to realize I’d thrown out a protective arm and my hand had landed across her chest. Even through her coat, I could feel the softness of her breasts.

  “Yeah,” she breathed out. “I’m fine.”

  “Sorry about that!” Abe yelled.

  The wheels on the SUV kept turning to no avail as he pushed on the gas. We were officially stuck. Without hesitating, I got out of the car and began to push from the back, trying to help Abe get us moving.

  It was clear more manpower was going to be needed, though.

  I walked over to the driver’s side window. “You mind helping me move this thing? She can get behind the wheel and press on the gas while you work with me.”

  He shook his head. “Sorry, no can do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I got a bad back. Can’t risk straining it. I’ll end up in the hospital.”

  This dude was gonna end up in the hospital for another reason if he didn’t get his ass out here and help me.

  But he wouldn’t budge. The next thing I knew, Maddie had gotten out of the car and was right next to me, helping me push.

  “I can’t believe that guy,” she said.

  “Thanks for coming out,” I said, feeling like a total pussy for not being able to handle this myself.

  Despite us both using all of our might, the 4Runner wouldn’t budge. And we were both covered in snow.

  “This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for an adventure,” I said.

  “Not your fault.” She smiled.

  The fact that she was able to smile at a crappy time like this spoke to her character. She was a good egg, this Maddie.

  We took a quick breather and started the pushing process again. The back windshield wipers moved the snow off the glass and allowed us a view into the car while we were working our asses off.

  We seemed to notice it at the same time.

  That’s not…

  It isn’t…

  He can’t be.

  While Abe was mindlessly pushing on the gas, he was watching something on his phone.

  Not just anything.

  Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “Is that porn he’s watching?”

  “Considering the giant ass on the screen, I’d say that’s a safe assumption.”

  Her eyes went wide. “We’ve got to get the fuck out of here.”

  I nodded in agreement. “One huge push. Ready?”

  “Yes!”

  The grunting that escaped us as we used all of our force probably rivaled the sounds going on inside the vehicle. It was mind over matter because that time, by some miracle, the car pushed free. I could only hope Abe would put his dick away long enough to get us the hell off the road.

  • • •

  “Wow. This is really beautiful.” Maddie stared out the gondola window at the fresh coat of snow. “I’ve never been on one of these before.”

  “You mean at this resort?”

  “No, I mean I’ve never been on a ski gondola before.”

  “Really? How come?”

  “Umm… Because I don’t ski.”

  I turned to look at her. “What do you mean you don’t ski?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve never tried it before.”

  “But your honeymoon was in Vail? Who goes to the ski-resort capital of the United States when they don’t even ski?”

  She frowned. “My ex loved to ski.”

  “But you don’t.”

  Maddie shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “I told you I started to lose myself.”

  The way her face fell caused an unexpected ache in my chest. “So skiing wasn’t exactly your ideal honeymoon then?”

  “I liked the idea of a nice fireplace with a big picture window looking out at the snow. Does that count?”

  I scratched my chin. “What is your ideal honeymoon?”

  She thought about it. Because of how long it took her to answer, it was clear her dumbass ex-fiancé had never even bothered to ask. The more I heard about her relationship, the more I started to think him calling the wedding off was a blessing in disguise.

  “I’ve always wanted to go to the island of Mo’orea, in Tahiti—stay in one of those over-water bungalows.”

  I smiled. I’d grown up in Vail, and skiing used to be as second nature to me as walking, but I’d opt for Maddie in a bikini over her bundled in a snowsuit any day of the week. Her fiancé wasn’t just a coward. He was a dope.

  “When the right guy comes along, that’s where he’s going to take you on your honeymoon.”

  Maddie smiled sadly. “Thanks.”

  We rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain. I’d programmed it for a one-way trip, so when we reached the exit terminal, it slowed to a halt.

  “Get your camera ready.”

  I still hadn’t told her what I was bringing her up here to see, and she’d never asked. That proved she truly did have an adventurous streak. Maddie unzipped her camera bag and took out two lenses.

  “Do I need long range or close up?”

  “Definitely long range.”

  She detached the regular lens from the camera and clicked a telephoto zoom into place, then cleaned the viewfinder and zipped her case closed. “I’m ready. Should I tuck my pants into my boots? How deep do you think the snow is up here?”

  I chuckled. “Doesn’t matter. You’re not going out there.”

  Her forehead wrinkled. “Are you?”

  “Just for a few minutes.” I leaned over and nudged open one of the gondola’s sliding windows so she’d have an unobstructed view. Then I bent to strap a pair of snowshoes on my feet. “You’re going to look right out there.” I pointed to a dark area of the woods off in the distance. “The gondola is about two feet from the ground because people are usually disembarking with long skis on. I’m going to jump down and go to that control station booth to turn on the lights up here. Then I’ll come back and join you.”

  I could see the excitement in her face. “Okay!”

  Halfway back to the gondola, I heard Maddie gasp.

  I smiled and rushed into the warm, dry enclosure. Pulling the door shut behind me, I brushed the snow from my shoulders. “You see them? I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to or not with the snow. But it’s lightened up a lot since we left the hotel. I think we’re in the eye of the storm.”

  The sound of a shutter clicking away responded before Maddie. “What kind of bears are they? They’re so a
dorable.”

  “They’re black bears.”

  “Are they dangerous?”

  “I don’t think there’s such thing as a safe bear, except maybe Yogi. But the mountains at these ski resorts are filled with black bears. They pretty much learn to cohabitate with the humans. They’ll keep out of your way, if you keep out of theirs.”

  Maddie adjusted her lens and shot more pictures. “I thought bears hibernated for the winter.”

  “They do. But hibernation doesn’t mean going to sleep in November and waking up in June. They just sleep a lot to conserve energy in the months they can’t forage food. But they still get up every few days.”

  “They’re awake now. Bears are nocturnal?”

  “Not usually, but in ski resort areas like this, many of them adjust to avoid people.”

  “That’s incredible. How did you know they were here?”

  “My aunt and uncle own the ski resort. I stopped by the other night, and one of my cousins brought me up to check them out. They had to close this run to skiers, probably for the season, because of how close the bears set up their den.”

  We stayed at the top of the mountain, watching the family of bears and taking pictures, until Maddie’s teeth started to chatter. It was warmer and dryer in the gondola than outside, but not by much with the window open. “You’re freezing. We should probably get going.”

  She nodded. “Okay.” Her nose and cheeks were bright red, so I slid the window shut and started to put on my snowshoes again.

  “Wait. You’re going back out there?”

  “If we want to get back down, I am. There’s no control in here to start the lift. Plus, I need to shut off the lights.”

  Maddie’s eyes bulged. “But there are bears out there.”

  “There were bears out there when I went to turn the lights on, too.”

  “I know. But I didn’t know about them then!”

  I chuckled and finished strapping my foot into the second snowshoe. “Relax. I’ll be right back.” I started to open the door, but turned back with my best solemn face. “Just in case I get mauled, there’s storage under the seat cushion where you can find a whistle and some flares for an emergency.”