by E. J. Noyes
* * *
Stacey and I were back skiing a week after the avalanche. Only this time we stayed on our home turf. I had to beg Cate, but I knew sitting around letting myself get stiff was worse than pushing through a little pain. After all, I’d spent most of my life doing that. As we rode the lift up, Stacey admitted to being a little nervous but after a few runs, the tension drained from her.
I’d expected to feel some sort of panic myself as I always had after an accident, but there was nothing there. It was like a block of that emotion had been carved from my body, replaced by everything Cate and her daughter had given to me. How far I’d come in such a short time, and how much I’d been enriched along the way.
When we were done with our Saturday morning session, Stacey and I spent a few minutes talking things over and making notes. With the man-sized mitten to fit over my cast and a regular glove on my right hand, I’m sure I looked totally professional. Tucking my notebook into my jacket pocket, I fumbled for my poles.
Stacey looked behind me and I turned to follow her gaze. Immediately, I recognized Cate sliding toward us, and my skin heated the way it always did when I saw her. Now, more than ever. Cate stopped a few feet away and the first thing she said to me was, “How’s your wrist?”
I grinned. “The same as it was when you last asked me.” Which was stiff and sore but manageable with well-timed doses of NSAIDs. “Nice to see you too.”
My fiancée smiled knowingly and turned her gaze to my protégé. “Hi, Stacey. How’re you?”
“Hello, Ms. Tierney. I’m very well, thank you.”
I glanced around, trying to find Gemma. “We’re just finishing up now. Are you guys going to take a few runs before lunch?” I shifted my new goggles away from my nose. Hastily purchased along with the other replacement gear so I could get back on the mountain, they were tinted wrongly and didn’t quite fit.
“Yes. Gemma’s just getting her stuff organized.”
Gemma skied over and paused when she spotted us. Her eyes went straight to Stacey. Smile, blush, bigger smile.
Oh…wait a minute.
Gemma stopped next to me, leaning against my hip. “Are you guys done?”
I pulled her close, hugging her to my side. She’d grown an inch or so since we’d first skied together, and her face was changing—growing more adult and revealing Cate’s beautiful bone structure. “Sure are. But I’ll go another few times if you want.”
“You don’t want to ski with Mom?” She tried for nonchalant. She failed.
Stacey interjected, “I’ll go with you, Gemma.”
Gemma tensed. “Oh, yeah sure. That’d be cool. I mean, it’s not the big stuff or anything but…”
“I don’t mind. That okay, coach?”
I stepped away from Gemma and gave her a gentle nudge toward Stacey. “Mhmm, perfectly. Sure. Go ahead. Not a problem at all. Be safe, guys.”
Waiting off to the side to make sure Gem and Stacey were safely on the chairlift, I pulled my glove off to blow my nose. Cate pulled hers off quickly to help me when it became apparent that one-handed nose blowing wasn’t in my skillset.
I grabbed her hand as it came out from stashing the tissue in my pocket. I’d left the house before she was awake and I was desperate to touch her. She leaned in to kiss me softly. “I missed you this morning.”
“Me too.” Lifting our joined hands, I kissed hers. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The air was cool but not cold, the sun behind clouds casting diffuse light over the snow, and I had a sudden sweet pang of nostalgia, thinking of the first lesson Cate took with me. I slung my arm around her, checking the girls’ progress in the lift line. They were standing close, heads bent together, talking and laughing as always. Oh boy.
Cate gestured with one of her poles, indicating Gemma and Stacey. “I’m so glad they get along.”
“Yeah. About that. I think Gem might have a crush on Stacey.”
Cate laughed. “You think?”
“Mmm. I’m sure Stace likes her, but…I’m also pretty sure she has a girlfriend. And the age gap thing. Two years is an eternity when you’re that age.” I squeezed Cate’s hand. “But, she’s a good kid. If she realizes, she won’t be mean to Gem. They’re both such great kids.”
Her eyebrow rose slowly, a teasing smile following. “I thought you said Stacey was just like you.”
I held up a forefinger. “No, I said she was like a better version of me. Calmer, more responsible than I was at her age. And don’t tell her, but she’s got far more natural talent than I do.”
Cate shook her head. “No, Aspen. You’re the best version of you.” She leaned over to kiss me again. “You’re the only version I want.”
I grinned and brushed a thumb over her cheek. “Good, because they haven’t started working on Aspen two-point-oh yet.”
She shook her head at my lame nerd joke, but she was smiling. “Do you think she’ll get her gold medals?” Cate leaned against me, sliding her arm around my waist. Even with layers of snow gear between us we fit seamlessly, our bodies just knowing how to be together.
“Yeah I do. Many of them.”
“Does it ever bother you? That it’s her and not you?” She shifted back a fraction to look up at me.
My smile came easily. “Not at all. I used to think the most important gold came from a medal, but I’ve changed my mind.” Raising her left hand, I kissed her knuckles. “It’s right here, on your finger.”
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