by E. L. Todd
“Good idea,” my mom said. She wore a green beanie and her long blonde hair stuck out underneath.
“Be careful,” he said to her.
“Dad, they’ll be on the bunny hill. They’ll be just fine,” I said.
My dad held his board with one arm. “Let’s go.”
Everyone else was sticking with their parents. My dad and I were the only ones who preferred snowboarding over skiing. We were cool like that. We moved to the chair lift then let it take us to the very top of the mountain.
“You want to race?” I asked.
“Not really.”
“Scared?” I teased.
“I just don’t want to hurt your feelings. I know how sensitive you are.”
I slugged him in the arm.
“Was that supposed to hurt?” he said sarcastically.
“Go to hell, Dad.”
We reached the slope far in the back then finally got off the lift. Like pros, we moved off the lift easily then rode our boards out of the way of other people. We stopped when we reached a good part to drop in at. It was almost a cliff face. I smirked in excitement.
“I can’t believe you aren’t wearing a jacket.”
“It’s not even cold. It’s sunny as hell.”
“You should still wear one.”
“Then how will anyone see my tats?” I argued.
“Maybe you should put them on your face if that’s all you care about,” he snapped.
I shrugged. “I guess that would be cool.”
He rolled his eyes then buckled himself in. “Ready?”
I checked my boots then strapped myself in. “Let’s do this.”
“You first.”
“Dad, you don’t have to trail behind me. I’m a big boy.”
“I like to know where you are. There’s no reception up here.”
“Whatever, Dad.” I moved forward then pushed my weight into the dive. I picked up speed as soon as I took off. Like I’d done it a million times, I cut through the snow, shredding the fresh powder. My dad was close behind me. I could see him in my peripheral vision. He was pretty good, just as good as I was. There’s no one I’d rather go with than my dad. He was the only one who could keep up with me.
I was going fast down the slope, faster than I ever had. It made me feel alive, exhilarated. When I cut through the snow, I felt like I could do anything. I didn’t think about school or life. I just thought about the moment I was in. Personally, that’s how I thought life should be lived.
When I reached hard snow that was practically slush, I lost control then slipped down the mountain. I was going so fast that I couldn’t stop. I dug my board in to slow down but it was too hard. It must be an area where it melted overnight and refroze as ice. There was no friction so I kept going. I dug my hand into the snow so I would stop. My skin burned from scraping against the ice.
When I flew off the trail and into the trees, I started to panic. I’d never done that before.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
When I was about to hit a tree, I managed to swerve out of the way.
Shit, that was close.
“Slade, I’m right behind you!”
My dad was there. Thank god. “I can’t stop!”
“Dig your board into the snow!”
“What do you think I’m doing?” I screamed.
“Slade! Stop! Cliff!”
Shit, did he just say cliff?
Fuck. I tried to grab onto anything.
All of a sudden, I felt something heavy land on top of me. I was pulled to an immediate halt. I felt hands grip both of my arms.
“Son, are you alright?”
I looked up and my dad was looking down at me with concern in his eyes. His nose was bloody.
“Yeah…I’m fine.” I sat up then rubbed my head. “What happened?”
“I landed on you.” He said it like it was no big deal.
“How did you manage that?”’
“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking. There’s a cliff fifty feet away. If I didn’t do something, you were going to fall.”
Holy shit.
He wiped the blood from his nose then caught his breath.
“Thanks…”
“Yeah. Be a little more careful next time.”
“I don’t know what happened. I just hit an ice patch.”
Then I heard a sound that made me even more terrified than I’ve ever been in my life.
A bear roared.
My father and I both moved to our feet with a quickness that belied our ability. Twenty feet away was an enormous grizzly bear. He was on his hind legs and didn’t look happy to see us.
Could this get any worse?
“Give me your lighter.” My dad said it calmly.
“Why?”
“JUST DO IT!”
I dug my hand into my pocket then threw it at him. “What the fuck are you going to do with it?”
My dad cracked a branch off a tree then held the lighter to it. It caught flame in a few seconds. Then my dad marched to the bear with the stick raised. The bear started to back away. My dad swung it at the beast, the heat searing its fur. Then it turned around and ran away.
My dad turned around then dropped the branch in the snow. “Let’s get back to the slopes. Now.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I grabbed my board then walked alongside my father, looking around to make sure we were alone. When we made it back to the main lift area, I started to breathe again.
I looked at my dad. “We almost died. Twice.”
“Say a word to your mother and I will kill you.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“Good.” He ran his fingers through his hair but he still seemed calm. My dad saved my ass twice and he didn’t even freak out over it. It was like nothing phased him.
“Dad, you’re a badass.”
He looked at me, his eyes dark. “No. But I would give my life for my son. It’s called being a parent.” Seriousness was in his voice.
We stood there, saying nothing. No other riders were on the slope. We were there alone, listening to the silence.
“Want to hit the bunny hill?” I asked.
He laughed. “I thought you’d never ask.”
39
Trinity
We spent the entire day skiing. My brother was pretty good and so was my father. My dad grew up skiing so he was practically a pro. My mom had never skied before she met my dad, so she and I sucked equally.
My ass was sore from falling down more often than standing up. Every time I fell, my dad waited for me to get back on my feet. I would slide down a few feet before my face was in the snow again. My dad showed me a few tricks but I could never grasp it. By the time we went to the lodge and had lunch and cocoa, I was exhausted. My brother and I didn’t even argue because we were so tired. I needed a nice nap right then.
When the sun went down, we finally returned to the house. Everyone else was already back, probably passed out on the couch or asleep in their beds. The first thing I did was take a shower to warm up. Then I went downstairs and shoveled twice as much food as I normally would onto my plate. I sat down on the couch and ate quietly, too exhausted to talk to my family.
A lot of people were in the other living room, watching TV. But I sat on the couches in front of the fireplace, enjoying the silence. I could practically hear my muscles screaming because they were so exhausted.
My dad sat in the seat next to me, his plate in his hand. “You doing okay?”
“Just exhausted.”
He nodded. “Skiing is harder than it looks.”
“But I think I’m more tired from falling than actually skiing.” I laughed at my own comment.
“You’ll get better.”
I noticed my dad always teased everyone else mercilessly. He was particularly harsh with his own brother. But when it came to me, he treated me in a different way. He never teased me when I failed at something. He always tried to make me feel better. He wasn’t that w
ay with Conrad, just me. “Dad, it’s okay to say it. I know I suck.”
“I never said you didn’t. But you will get better.”
At least he didn’t lie to me. I ate my potato salad then moved on to my chicken.
“How’s school going?”
“It’s okay.”
He ate quietly and slowly. “Have you decided what you want to do yet?” He stared at his plate while he said it.
“I want to go into fashion. There’s no doubt about that.”
“Then are you going to drop out?”
“No,” I said with a sigh. “I’m almost done. I’d rather finish.”
“Honey, do whatever you want. Don’t worry about pissing me off.”
“You spent so much money on my—”
“And you know I don’t care about that. Don’t let money be a factor.”
“But I might be able to use my business degree for what I want to do.”
“Which is?”
“Running my own clothing line.”
He nodded. “It will be helpful. And your old man has a lot of experience to help you.” He gave me a smile before turning his attention back to his food.
“Not according to Uncle Sean,” I teased.
“Well, that guy is an idiot. Don’t listen to him.”
I finished my food then left the plate on the table.
“There’s pie. Do you want me to get you a piece?” he asked.
“No. As odd as this sounds, I’m too tired to eat.”
He chuckled. “You need to exercise more often.”
“I jog.”
“Not the same. You need to do some weight training.”
“I don’t even know the difference between a bench press and a squat.”
“I can show you,” my dad offered.
“Nah. I’ll stick to running on a treadmill.”
My dad finished his food. “Did you finish that book I gave you?”
“I did.”
“Did you like it?”
“Actually, I did.”
He crossed his foot at the ankle. “We should watch the movie sometime. It’s a classic.”
“Sure.” I settled into the couch and pulled my knees to my chest.
My dad grabbed a blanket then placed it over me, tucking me in like he used to when I was a child.
“Thanks.”
“Yeah.” He stared at the fire while he rested his hands in his lap. “Anything new in your life?”
I immediately thought of Slade. I spent a lot of time with him, more than I expected to. “No, not really. Skye and Cayson bring a lot of drama to the group but that’s not surprising.”
“Well, Skye is Sean’s daughter,” he teased.
I laughed. “She can be too stubborn sometimes.”
“Just like her dad.”
“But they’re good together,” I said. “I know they’re going to last forever.”
“You think?” he asked.
“I know.” I was jealous when I thought about it. Skye had a guy that loved her more than life itself.
“You’re going to find that someday too.” It was like my dad could read my mind.
“You think?” I was already twenty-two and I hadn’t found anyone who came close.
“I know. You’re a beautiful girl who’s smart and fun. Believe me, you have admirers even if you don’t know it.”
The only admirer I had was a tattooed bad boy that just wanted to have sex. “Maybe.”
“No, not maybe.” He said it firmly.
I decided not to argue with him.
“I finished your book,” he said.
“How did you like The Count of Monte Cristo?”
“It was good. Too many characters to keep track of but good.”
“Totally different than the movie, huh?” I asked.
“Yeah. But I like the ending in the movie more.”
I gave him a smile. “I did too. I’m a sucker for happy endings.”
“I guess I am too.” His hand moved through my hair for a second before he dropped it.
Companionable silence stretched between us. We could spend hours sitting together without saying anything. It wasn’t awkward at all. Skye and I did the same thing countless times. My dad was my dad, he always would be, but he was also my friend. I knew he babied me a lot. When it came to Conrad, my dad was strict and firm. He pushed him a lot more than he pushed me simply because Conrad was a man. Sometimes I wished he didn’t do it, but there were times when I absolutely loved it. My dad had unique and special relationships with each of us. I never felt like he loved me more or less than my brother.
My eyes were growing heavy and I couldn’t keep them open anymore. “I’m sorry, Dad. I’m so tired…”
“It’s okay, honey. Go to sleep.”
My phone vibrated on my nightstand and woke me up. I was tucked in my bed. I was wearing what I wore earlier except my shoes were gone. My dad must have carried me up and put me to bed. That wasn’t surprising.
I squinted at the clock and realized it was three in the morning. Then I looked at my phone.
Are you awake? It was Slade.
Stop waking me up in the middle of the night! I’m tired.
And I’m horny. Cry me a river.
Good night, Slade. Leave me alone. I turned off my phone so he wouldn’t wake me up again.
Just as I fell asleep, my bedroom door opened.
Ugh.
Slade took off his clothes then got into bed beside me. “Hey,” he whispered.
“We have to wake up in three hours. I’d rather go to sleep than have sex.”
“I didn’t come here to have sex. I want to talk.”
Did I hear him right? “What?”
“You’ll never guess what happened to my dad and I today. We almost died—twice.”
I sat up. “What?”
Slade told me he almost fell off a cliff but his dad saved him. And then a bear almost ate them but his dad used his lighter to scare it off.
It was almost too ridiculous to believe. “Are you making this up?”
“No! Don’t tell my mom. My dad doesn’t want her to know.”
“But…that’s crazy.”
“I know! I almost died twice in one day. It was so awesome.”
“Awesome?” I asked incredulously.
“How many people can say something like that?”
“How many people want to say something like that?”
“I just had to tell you.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because…” He seemed to be at a loss for words. “I don’t know. I just wanted to tell you.”
Silence stretched between us but it was a little tense.
“How was your day?” he asked.
Slade never asked me stuff like that. I turned on my side and faced him in the darkness. His hand rested on my hip. “It was okay. I suck at skiing.”
“What’s new?”
I hit his arm lightly.
He chuckled. “It’s okay. I can teach you if you want.”
“No, it’s fine. My dad shows me but I just don’t get it. I’ve fallen on my face so many times that it’s sore as hell.”
“Your face?” he asked incredulously. “Is it even possible for it to be sore?”
“Yes, it is,” I said firmly. “I just found that out. And my ass is killing me.”
“That’s sore too?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
Slade undid my jeans and pulled them off.
“What are you doing?”
“Who the hell sleeps in jeans?”
“Who the hell doesn’t wear a jacket in the snow?” I countered.
His hand moved to my ass and he started to massage it.
I winced in pain then it started to feel amazing. I moaned quietly and closed my eyes.
“Your ass is really tense.”
“I’m not surprised,” I said with a sigh.
He rubbed the other cheek then moved down to my thighs.
; “You’re good at that. You should be a masseuse.”
“I know the female body pretty well.” He gave me a cocky wink.
“Shut up, Slade.”
He chuckled then kept rubbing me. “Other than that, how was your day?”
“Well, it wasn’t as exciting as running away from a grizzly bear and almost falling off a cliff.”
“Well, your day will never be as exciting as mine was,” he said with a laugh.
“The highlight of my day was when my father and I got hot cocoa and discussed the books we just finished reading.”
“Wow…that’s lame.”
I hit him in the arm.
“You want me to stop rubbing you?” he snapped.
I quickly rubbed his arm. “Please don’t stop.”
He smirked. “I’ve heard you say that several times—but in a very different context.”
“Go to hell, Slade.”
He laughed then rubbed my calves.
“It’s nice to talk about stuff like that with my dad. We discuss politics and economics, and we talk about fictitious characters and storylines. I can’t have those kinds of conversations with anyone else but him.”
Slade stared at me for a long time. “You guys are really close.”
“Yeah…”
“It’s actually really cute.”
“Cute?” That was the second time he used that word.
“Yeah. I’ve known Uncle Mike my whole life and he’s always been fun and aggressive. He tells more jokes than my dad. He’s the life of the party but he can be a brute like a gorilla. But when he’s alone with you…he’s totally different. He’s gentle, quiet, and thoughtful. He treats you like….like a princess.”
“Pretty much,” I whispered.
“And you’re different around him too, a completely different person.”
“You mean I’m myself?”
“Is that the real you?” he asked. “Because I’ve never seen it before. You’re always so sarcastic and have a hot-headed attitude.”
“Well, I know my dad would never hurt me. It’s totally different. He would never make fun of me for saying something stupid. I can say anything and he won’t judge me.”
He stopped rubbing me. “You can say anything to me… We talk about books and stuff.”
I eyed him, unsure of his meaning. “What are you saying?”
He was quiet for a long time. “I’m not sure what I’m saying, actually.”