She takes her beer and says, “I need to go the Bike Shop and see about getting a season tune for my skis. You can get your inserts there.”
“Do I need a season tune?”
“I would suggest it. But I have an even better reason we should go now. Remember that guy you were staring at today? The cute one with blue eyes and dark hair? He’s working tonight.” She gives me a mysterious smile.
Blood rushes to my cheeks. “You noticed?” I ask. “He’s pretty hot.”
“Ah, Lori. He walked into a door because of you. Everyone noticed.” She snickers.
Really? Wow. I take a gulp of the beer and hope it will cool my flushed face. “Can we go after this beer?”
“Do you want to wait that long?” Casey’s eyes twinkle.
“No, but I don’t want to waste your money.” Not when I can be getting high off that gorgeous guy instead. “So drink quickly.”
After another swig, Bill walks by and Casey grabs his arm. “Hey, Bill.” He stops, and Casey hands him her beer. “Here, we have to go.”
I hand him mine, too. He juggles the other two beers to take it. “Cool. Thanks.” He looks like a little boy who’s just been handed a bag of candy.
Casey releases us into daylight, and I blink against the brightness. “It’s about a block down. We can walk,” she tells me.
Chapter Three
My face stings in the cold as we walk to the shop. I’m nervous and turn my attention to Casey for distraction. “So what’s going on with you and Jason?”
“It’s complicated. He’s my ex-boyfriend, but I want him back. And I’m not sure how he feels.” She lets out a big sigh and tucks a curl behind her ear.
I don’t want to pry, but I want her to know I’m here if she wants to share. “It’s obvious he still has feelings for you.”
“Yeah, but I was kind of a jerk to him this last year. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” She points at a shop across the street. “It’s right over there.”
Above the door is a sign that has a guy riding a bike with a snowboard on his back. A bell jingles when Casey opens the door, and a hint of the same stale-sweat odor that permeates our locker room makes my nose crinkle.
He’s behind the counter.
“Hey, Kaleb. Have you met Lori yet? She needs inserts.” Casey is all smiles. Kaleb. I like that name. He’s in a flannel shirt that’s open to reveal a tight tee over a muscular chest. His sleeves are rolled up, and strong brown arms tell me he works out. He extends a hand and says, “Kaleb Wakefield.” I look into his sparkling eyes as I take his hand and can’t speak. A blush rushes from the warmth of his fingers to my cheeks and I smile.
“Hi.” My insides tingle. Seriously? I could totally kiss him right now. My eyes drop to his mouth.
His lips move and I almost touch mine when I think about what they would taste like. He says, “So, you need custom inserts for your boots?”
I marvel at his soft, deep voice and imagine how it must sound when it’s husky with desire. “Yeah, my feet are killing me.” I do my best to hide my physical reaction, but let’s be real—I want to do more than kiss him. This crush is off the charts.
“Let me show you what we have.” He walks over to a display and describes the differences. I can barely process it because I’m too focused on how good he looks in his jeans. He stops talking.
Goodness, I’m a mess. I give myself a mental slap and say, “I’ll take a set of whatever you recommend.”
He touches my arm lightly and I swear a current of electricity runs through my body. “Go sit over there and take off your boots and socks. I’ll warm these up and be back in a minute.”
I do as instructed and take a moment to collect myself. Grateful for my recent manicure, I wiggle my toes and peek at the red nails.
Kaleb comes over with what look like two floppy shoe prints. He places them on the floor. “Step on these.” He reaches out a hand to help me balance while I place my feet on each one. His grip is gentle, and his hands are surprisingly soft. “They might feel a bit hot, but they won’t burn you.”
The warmth of the inserts caresses my feet, and I let out a little sigh of pleasure. “Oh, this is nice.”
“You have such little feet,” he says. His hand squeezes mine gently and then drops. “You need to stand still for a couple of minutes.” He gives me a flirty smile. “That makes you a captive audience. So tell me, Lori, where did you come from?”
“New Hampshire. You?”
“Oregon. I came out here two years ago after I graduated from college. My parents are impressed with how I’m using my education.” He smirks.
“I’m kind of using mine.” I grin. “I majored in elementary education.”
“I majored in mechanical engineering. So I guess my summer job fixing bikes counts, right?” I hear the bell ring, and he turns toward the two new customers. “Hi, guys. How can I help you?”
A man answers. “We need season tunes.” He’s holding two pairs of skis.
“Right this way.” Kaleb’s big hands grab the skis from the man with ease, and he moves behind the counter. He gives them forms to fill out and walks back over to me. “Do you need to be anywhere?”
“No. I have no plans other than pasta and maybe a book. Take your time.” I lose myself a little in his eyes.
“Good.” A smile slowly forms on his face and two dimples appear. Oh, my gosh. Could he be any cuter? “You can sit now. Put on your socks, and I’ll be back when I’m done with these people.”
I watch Kaleb talk to the couple. He’s attentive and kind, and I’m struck by his sincerity. While I’m drawn to him physically, right now the attraction is about what a genuine person he is.
When they leave, he takes the inserts and puts them in my boots. He holds a boot open for me. “I want you to put these on and walk around for a bit. We can make adjustments if they don’t feel quite right.”
I squeeze my foot into the boot. Pressure all around my foot, I have yet to adjust to this torture. The hard plastic makes them hard to put on, and once you do, your foot is cramped until it acclimates to the tight fit. I ask, “Have you been skiing all your life like everyone else here?” I walk back and forth from the bench to the counter. The deliberate heel-toe action clunks steadily, and I wonder if I’ll ever look natural the way the other instructors do.
“I think I started when I was about five. So, yeah, most of my life. How about you?”
“I grew up in ski country but never tried it until I was in college. Once I did, I was hooked. I scheduled my classes for Tuesdays and Thursdays so I could sneak away and ski almost five days a week.”
“Wow. You must love it to have come out here.” He leans against the counter and watches me. His arms are crossed over his chest, and his biceps bulge. Yum.
“I do. Skiers and boarders are nice people. I figured if it was great back East, I’d be in heaven here.” And it’s the last place he would look for me.
I stop in front of Kaleb. “My feet feel great. Is there anything else I need to do?”
“No, you’re all done.” He cocks his head and looks at me for a moment. “Pasta and a book sound boring. Would you want to hang out for a while? It’s slow, so we could eat takeout and talk. As long as you don’t mind me waiting on any customers who come in.”
My heart flutters, and a goofy grin covers my face. “I would like that. Should I go get us something?” I sit down on the bench to take off my boots.
“We can go together. I’m sure Nick won’t mind. He can take a break from tuning to watch out front while we’re gone.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ve been craving Thai. Any good places here?” I stifle a grunt as I yank my right foot out of my boot. Kaleb pulls the tongue of the other boot open for me, and taking my left foot out is much easier. “Thanks.”
“There’s Thai Time down the street. It’s not bad. Let me go get Nick.” He walks behind the counter.
I clench my fists with an inner scream of excitement before I lace up
my hiking boot. This is so much better than being alone in my tiny garage apartment. Not that I’m not grateful for the rental in a ski town—but it’s hard to be alone. Matt’s wife, Nadine, really went above and beyond when she got me an apartment over the local police chief’s garage. She understands my need to feel safe, but I still find I pace the tiny space and fight off panic attacks when I have too much time to think. And remember.
As I finish tying the laces, Kaleb breaks into my thoughts. “All set. We’ll pick up something for Nick, too.” I grab my coat, and as I put my arm in the sleeve, Kaleb holds it for me. How sweet.
Unfortunately my mind flashes to someone else, and a chill slices into me. No. I’m not going there. I turn and look into Kaleb’s face and try to memorize the color of his eyes. Anything to push the terror from my mind.
“Is something wrong?”
Darn it. “No.” I shake my head. “I’m sorry; I was kind of lost in your eyes for a minute there. They’re so blue.” Oh goodness, that was corny, even if it was kind of true. I see him blush a little.
“Yeah, it’s hard to tell looking at me, but my mom is a blue-eyed blonde. Other than the eyes, the rest of me is all Dad.”
“He must be a handsome guy.” Since I’ve already started down this path, I may as well keep on going. A flush rushes to my cheeks at my brazenness.
Kaleb blushes even more. “You keep this up, and I won’t fit my head through the door.”
I chuckle. “Sorry. I’ve never been very good at hiding my feelings.” Lie. Total lie. I could win an academy award for my acting skills under pressure. But I’d better cut this out. This guy seems genuine, and I don’t want to weave a web I can’t untangle.
As we walk toward the restaurant, I huddle into my parka and pull up my hood. “It’s supposed to snow tonight, isn’t it?”
“Yup, and we should get a good dump. Have you skied fresh powder yet?” Kaleb shoves his hands into his pockets, and I wonder why it is so many guys don’t think gloves or mittens are essential winter wear.
“No. And to be truthful, I’m afraid to.” Though I’m looking forward to getting over that fear. As instructors, we can get on the chair with ski patrol before the mountain is open to the public, which means we get an hour of skiing before work. I plan to take advantage of it most days.
“Aw, c’mon. It’s not that hard. Once you get it, you’ll be just like the rest of us, living for a powder day.” He nudges me with his shoulder. “I happen to know a good teacher if you want a lesson tomorrow.”
I’m looking at the license plates of the parked cars we pass, and note the make and model of any that are from New England. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. You don’t want to watch me fall instead of doing what you love.”
“I’ve had more powder days than I can count. I really don’t mind. Besides, it’s fun to be with someone when they first experience it.” He steps in front of me and walks backward so we’re face-to-face. His look teases me. “You know you want to ski with me tomorrow morning. Just say yes.”
I snort. “Okay, yes. But you may regret this when you have to retrieve my ski for the fiftieth time.”
He hops back beside me. “It’ll be awesome, you’ll see.”
Oh God, what am I doing? I’m letting some guy I have a crush on coach me? Uneasiness settles over me.
Chapter Four
Musky garlic and cumin swirl around us when we enter the restaurant. I check out all the patrons. “How’s the curry here? Is it super spicy?”
Kaleb shakes his head. “No, not really.”
“Good. I like it kind of mild. But I guess you’re a how-hot-can-you-make-it type.”
He cocks his head at me. “I am. How did you know?”
“Well, I did have a fifty-fifty chance of being right. Besides, something about you says wild.” Good Lord, I’m shameless! I grab a menu from the takeout counter and hide in it.
“I wouldn’t say I’m wild. Truth is, I’m kind of a homebody. I’m not very good at the bar scene. I don’t know how some people do it. Drinking all the time is so hard on your body.”
I look up from the menu and scan him with my eyes. “You’d rather go to the gym, right?” Wow, I’ve really got to stop this. He’s going to think I can’t wait to get him naked. Well, I can’t, but I don’t want him to know that yet. When did I become such an over-the-top flirt?
“Sometimes. But staying home and hanging out with a few friends is nice, too.” Kaleb tilts his head toward the girl who waits for our order. “Know what you want?”
“Green curry chicken with brown rice, please.” I slip the paper menu into my pocket to take with me.
“Hey, Gina,” he says. “I’ll take two lime shrimp, one extra hot, please.” The girl smiles at him in a way that tells me she thinks he’s cute, too.
We move over to a bench to wait for our order. Large goldfish swim in a tank behind it, and the air system gurgles.
Kaleb asks, “So what about you? Are you a party girl?”
I shake my head. “Not really. I can be happy curled up with a good book. But I don’t like too much time alone, either.” There’s nothing like a little alone time to bring on a good panic attack, but I don’t tell him that.
“Being with me isn’t alone, is it?” He has a twinkle in his eye.
“Definitely not.” I flirt right back.
“Good. Because I’m happy to keep you company.” He leans in, and I catch a whiff of a salty, ocean scent mixed with his musk. I want to swim it in.
I look around the restaurant, doing my usual surroundings check. I realize Kaleb has caught on, and wonders what the heck I’m doing. He doesn’t need to know, so I ask, “Is there a bathroom in here?” Of course there is, and I know exactly where.
“Right over there.” He points, and I get up to go.
“Got it.” I force a giggle so he thinks I’m embarrassed for being so clueless. Whew. I forget my usual habits aren’t normal. I’d be a terrible secret agent.
The back door of the shop rattles when Nick yanks on it to make sure it’s locked. “We’re good.” He looks at me. “Tomorrow’s going to be sick. Kaleb will get you up and running in no time.”
“I hope he doesn’t regret it,” I joke.
Nick winks at me. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
“I’m going to walk Lori to her truck. Later.” Kaleb waves to Nick, and we head toward the Gold Pan. The air is heavy, and I can almost smell the storm coming. Headlights from oncoming traffic temporarily blind me, and I feel vulnerable. I know the drivers can see me, so I tuck my hair back and pull up my hood. I drop my head a bit as if I’m cold.
“Where’s your apartment?” Kaleb pulls a hat out of his pocket and pulls it on over his coarse, twist-out curls. His hair is so unlike mine, and I resist the urge to touch it.
“About a mile out of town on King Ridge Road. It’s small. The owner calls it a mother-in-law apartment, but if he were my son-in-law, I’d be insulted.” I chuckle.
“I live in a huge house over on Gold Camp Road. But I’m far from alone. I have six roommates, so it’s kind of a party house. Except Bill’s a neat freak, and he keeps our kitchen clean. Not that I’m complaining.” He smiles. “Except for the chore chart he posted.”
I laugh while we turn the corner to the bar. “There’s my truck.” I point to a teal Toyota in the front row of a packed lot. “Looks busy tonight.” The roar of voices in the Gold Pan increases as a guy leaves the bar, then fades away quickly when the door shuts.
“Yeah, it’s the first night out for a lot of instructors celebrating the new season. We’ll see a few hungover people in the locker room tomorrow.”
The stench of someone hungover from scotch floods my brain. The memory makes me want to shudder, but I don’t. I’m glad Kaleb said he doesn’t like to go out much. I’m not a fan of drunken men and the damage they do.
The space between my truck and the car next to it is tight. I stop at my tailgate and swipe a bit of snow off it and on
to the ground. “Thanks for walking me here. I hope it wasn’t too out of your way.”
He reaches over and touches my arm. “Not at all. I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” He gives me an adorable half smile.
“You will. I look forward to my first powder lesson.”
He shifts his weight with his hands dug deep in his pockets. “I don’t suppose I could have your number? You know, in case something comes up?”
Darn it. “Um, this is going to sound so lame, but I don’t have a phone.”
His eyes widen in surprise, and I can’t tell if he believes me. “No worries.” He turns and walks back toward the Bike Shop. I watch him while my stomach sinks. When he turns back, I give him a quick wave, and he sends me one in return.
Crud. This is my chance at normal. What if he’s on to me? The way I acted in the restaurant, scanning every car that went by, and the phone thing? Who doesn’t have a phone? I slide into my truck and will my queasy stomach to stop moving.
Chapter Five
Before my alarm can sound I hear the vibration of my prepaid cell phone on the table by my bed. I’m reminded of the lie I told Kaleb last night. Only one person has this number, and I grab the phone quickly. “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Mom.” I figured that.
“Is anything wrong?” I’m awake enough now that fear closes in.
“No, no. Everything’s fine. I wanted to let you know Lucas is in rehab. It’s for six months. You can relax now and have some fun.” My fear vanishes.
“Thanks for letting me know. That’s great news.” The corners of my mouth turn up as I imagine what this means.
“It is. Go do what regular girls your age do. Bye.” I detect a touch of happiness in her stoic voice.
“Thanks. Bye.”
It is good news, and I’m happy. I should be so thrilled I want to skip to the bathroom. This means no more looking over my shoulder and panic attacks late at night. I don’t have to hide in plain sight and constantly assess my environment. As I brush my hair, it occurs to me I can even invite Kaleb over. Well, if we get to that.
What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7) Page 140