Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
There was a knock on the door.
“Mom? It’s locked. Can you let me in?” I heard Sutton ask.
“Absolutely!” I called out, rolling off the couch in a graceless heap and landing on my knees.
Weston took hold of my waist and lifted me to my feet like I weighed less than a sack of flour, then steadied me so I didn’t fall again. I didn’t pause or wait, just scrambled toward the door, smoothing my sweater into place on the way.
I yanked open the door and plastered a smile on my face. “Hey, sugar!”
“We had such a good time!” Sutton blew right past me, her arms loaded down with bags that from past experience I knew would be full of new clothes and anything else she would have so much as glanced at while out with the Wilsons.
“Thank you so much for letting us visit with her,” Mrs. Wilson said, appearing in the doorway with even more bags. “And I’m sorry, but we can’t help but spoil her when we see her.”
“No need to apologize.” I knew they did it out of love, and more than a little grief for Gavin.
“Hopefully we’re not too late.” Mr. Wilson carried in more bags.
“Nope, we were just…” I turned and the words died on my lips.
Weston was gone.
8
Weston
* * *
“That’s the safest fall line right there, see?” I pointed to the line that ran past the trees and down the slope. “You’d have seen it better if we had skinned our way up.”
“I like the helicopter,” Sutton said with a grin.
“Yeah, well, it spoils you, and I only let you get away with it because I’m already tired from being out here today.” I ruffled the pom-pom on her neon pink hat.
“You thinking about coming down anytime soon?” Theo asked from the valley below, his voice coming through the radio strapped to my hip.
I unclipped the device and hit the talk button. “We’ll be down in ten minutes.”
“Just don’t lose the daylight,” he replied.
“We have hours.” I rolled my eyes.
“Two, max,” Theo said.
“And I just need ten minutes of it. We’ll see you at the bottom.” I clipped the radio back on my belt. “I’ve already skied this today, so I know it’s safe, and it’s the easiest I’ve seen back here,” I explained to Sutton. “Now, what did we talk about?”
“Don’t ski where you don’t know.” She pulled her goggles down over her eyes.
“Yep.” I did the same. “And?”
“Absorb the impact with my knees.” She bounced up and down beside me, like she needed to psyche herself up for the run.
“You got it.” I put my goggles into place. “What else?”
“Make sure we can see each other at all times.” Her mitten-covered hands flexed on her poles.
“Yep. And you go first,” I reminded her. “Just follow the tracks that are already there.”
“The point is to take a whole new path.” She lifted her brows at me, a move she had to have learned from Callie, because she looked just like her when she did it.
Callie. Nope. I shut that thought down. I wasn’t thinking about her…or that kiss. Not when I was up here teaching Sutton.
“The point today is seeing how you manage out here.” I stared her down. “No daredevil stuff, okay? If I break you, your mother will kill me.”
“No promises.” She giggled.
“Sutton.” I cocked my head.
“Fine, fine,” she agreed. “Take the easy path today, I get it. But you’ve already seen me on the jumps by the slope.”
I snorted. “That manufactured stuff isn’t even close.” I’d spent yesterday afternoon watching her on moguls, in the trees, and in the little groomed section of jumps the snowboarders favored, so I knew she could handle the run in front of her, as long as she wasn’t scared. Fear up here was just as dangerous as the mountain. “Now you go down first, that way I’m not worried about leaving you up here alone in case you…” How the hell did I phrase it without insulting her?
“Chicken out?” she challenged.
“Yep. That’s it.” I nodded toward the gentle slope. “Now go, drop in, and remember, there’s about an eight-foot drop halfway down. Knees, Sutton. Knees.”
“Got it!” She gave me a thumbs-up and pushed off, dropping in.
She took the first drop like a pro, and even if it was only a five-footer, her form was good. The girl was a natural. She hooted with glee.
“Concentrate!” I shouted after her.
Crew would love her…if he ever came home.
I held my breath when she came to a fork in the tracks. The left would take her toward the bigger drops I’d led a group over this morning, and the right followed the line I’d put in just for her about an hour ago. Lucky for me, she took the right path.
She dropped out of sight, and I took off, skiing after her.