The morning after our arrival I'm on the ski lift with Cat, when I spot Dane and Garrett already bombing down the hill. I was a little surprised when he said he wanted to split up the girls and guys today. Add on the fact he claimed he was too tired for any extra curricular activity last night in bed, and I'm fairly sure something is going on with my moody man.

“Does Garrett seem different?” I ask Cat.

She looks at me in her matching pink snow pants and parka and shrugs. “I don't really know. I mean he's usually quiet with me.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. She's right. Garrett and Cat have never had to interact much together.

“Why?” she continues without me asking anything else. “Is there something going on?”

I shake my head. “I dunno. I just feel like he’s pulled back a bit since dinner last night.”

“Oh, I'm sure it's just the altitude. You know the air is thinner up here and maybe it's made him more tired. Some people have trouble adjusting.” Her attention turns to Marcus where he’s waiting at the top of the ski lift. “He'll be tearing your clothes off tonight.”

I nod and ski after her off the lift.

“I thought it was guys only,” I remark, stopping to wait for Ava.

“They're all competing with each other. I'd rather ski with my snow bunny.” Marcus kisses Cat.

I stick my gloved finger down my throat. “Seriously, Marcus, cheesy.”

Cat laughs and leans on Marcus to hug him. “I'll be your snow bunny.”

“Eww,” Ava says, skiing right by us off the lift.

“Hold up.” I ski toward her but she never slows down, and instead starts straight down the hill.

I glance back to find Marcus and Cat on the snow covered ground, Marcus trying to pull Cat up and her ski comes off. That's a hot mess I want no part of.

I chase Ava down the hill, but the girl is fast. Apparently her dad always takes her skiing during Christmas break ever since she was young.

Dane and Garrett are nowhere to be found, and when she reaches the bottom of the hill Ava begins skiing toward the lift immediately.

“Ava!” I scream.

She either ignores me or doesn't hear me, digging my poles into the ground with each stride, I ski as fast as I can.

By the time I get my butt on the chair lift, I'm one chair behind her and heaving for a breath.

“Ava!” My voice sounds like I have laryngitis.

Sweet Jesus, I need more physical activity in my life.

She glances over her shoulder but says nothing.

“I was trying to ski with you.”

“Sorry, I'm more of a solo skier.” She faces forward again.

I could call her on her bullshit right now, but instead I wait until we're at the top of the mountain.

Using all my power, I shuttle in front of her and stop. Cat and Marcus are just making it to the top cleft of the mountain. It seriously, took them this long?

“BABE!” Dane screams from a nearby chair lift heading up to the highest peak.

Ava and I both look up, finding him and Garrett side-by-side on a chair. Garrett never even looks at me. I’ll admit—it stings.

“Meet me at the bottom of the double diamond to give me a celebratory kiss,” Dane yells.

“What are the two of you doing?” I scream.

Dane's laugh bounces off every mountain tip around. I’m surprised he doesn’t cause an avalanche. “Your boyfriend and I have a little competition going. Loser has to ski down the hill in his boxers.”

Then their chair is moving past us and they’re gone.

Garrett doesn't seem like the kinda guy to challenge another one so I don't get it.

When I look in front of me again Ava's gone and already started skiing down the mountain again.

“Ava.” I catch her and keep pace but I really wish I’d bothered to notice that she went down a mogul ski run.

“Charlie, don't you get the hint? I don't want to talk.”

Her body moves effortlessly up and down on each small hill.

“Why? Are you mad at me?” I weave in between them so I don’t end up with a snow job for a facial.

“No...yes...I don't know. It's stupid.”

My pace slows with her admittance and for the rest of the way down the slope, I rack my brain for a reason she'd be mad.

Once we're both at the bottom, I go to her side and we make our way to the bottom of the double diamond. “Ava, talk to me. What did I do to upset you?”

She huffs out a sigh. “It's stupid really which is why I didn’t want to talk about it.” She refuses to look at me so I patiently wait for more to flood out of her. “Your friendship with Dane…it's just so...close.”

I bend over and laugh. “You're kidding, right?” When I look up at her, I see she's serious with her arms crossed over herself and her eyes focusing on anything but me.

“Ava.” My laughter stops. “Dane is like my brother.”

She nods, her eyes now shifting to the sky. “I know. Let's just forget it.”

“Ava,” I touch her arm but she still doesn’t look at me. “I'm sorry if I did something.”

“No, you didn’t. I know how long you've known each other. I hate that I'm jealous of it. I think I'm just a little worried because we know Dane has the attention span of a squirrel and we've fallen into a routine lately. We don’t have sex as often. We've been spending a lot of time with Toby. What if I become the old toy he doesn’t want to play with anymore?”

“Oh Ava,” I flip out of my skis and wrap my arms around her shoulders. “Let me tell you something. The other night, Dane came into the bar, giving me crap about Garrett and asking if his height is a reflection of his dick size.”

Ava laughs, showing it takes a rare woman to handle Dane Murray's humor.

“Yeah, true Dane fashion. I asked him if his sex life was so dull he needed to imagine mine.”

She smiles.

“He said he had more than sex. That when he went home, he got back rubs and cupcakes and the woman he's been waiting for all his life waiting for him.” I raise my eyebrows and she turns away to hide her smile. “So, I'd say you have nothing to worry about.”

She nods a few times and screams have us turning our heads toward the slope.

“They aren't?” I ask, my eyes glued to my new boyfriend skiing down the hill, his eyes on Dane.

“I think I may not be the only one who needs some reassurance.” Ava looks at me and then to the two idiots on the slope.

“Not Garrett.” I shake my head but Ava only purses her lips.

No way. She has to be wrong.

But when Garrett cuts off Dane, I'm worried she might be right.