Chapter Five

The winds had continued to pick up all day, now forcing the lift to tilt to the left. Despite the hundred-foot drop into the gorge below, Andy didn’t mind. The chair’s position caused Nikki to slide closer to him.

“They’ll have to close the lifts early. Too windy,” Andy said as they approached the top of the mountain. He’d be upset except that he’d already gotten lots of vertical in this afternoon on his own. His legs should have been tired, but the full-body buzz kept him going. “Looks like we’ll only get one shot at this, so what’s the bet?”

“If you lose, you have to sing ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ for karaoke at the employee holiday party this weekend.” She wiggled her brows with smug satisfaction.

She thought she’d scared him. Little did she know he had a half-decent voice. Granted, he’d never sung in public, but it didn’t matter, especially because he wasn’t going to lose.

“I’m not worried, but you should be, ’cause you’ll be eating a strawberry-sized ball of wasabi when you lose.”

Her mouth fell open. “You do want my job. You’re trying to kill me.” She elbowed him in jest.

He laughed before they skied off the lift and tightened their bindings. Although he guessed a part of her still feared the trees, he respected the hell out of her for the way she’d never been beaten by the memory of that accident. He hadn’t been skiing with her at the time, but everyone in town had heard some version of that story.

She wrinkled her nose, thinking. “Glades until we hit the midmountain lodge. Then anything goes. First to the base of K2 Quad Lift wins.”

“You’re on, Nik.” He fist-bumped her, alarmingly excited by the gleam in her eye and the way she straightened up and skated away. Agile and robust, as always. Man, that turned him on. So much so he’d temporarily forgotten that this was a race. Now she’d gained about fifteen yards on him and was pitching toward the slope.

Luckily his long legs allowed him to glide across the traverse and catch up before they dipped into the glade.

At first, she had the advantage because she was in front of him, and he had no safe option to pull out from behind the single track she was taking through the maze of trees.

“Booyah!” he hollered when he found an opening and, skiing parallel to her, eventually snuck ahead.

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, while sprays of glittery powder puffed up around them. Her laughter filled the air with a kind of happiness he hadn’t felt in so damn long; he breathed it in to hold on to the feeling.

He wanted to look back at her but couldn’t risk it. Dodging trees required complete concentration, especially at high speeds. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her about ten yards to his right, dead even at this point.

He yelled, “Nice try, Nik!” as he jabbed through a cluster of trees and into a wide-open space, where he could tuck and gain serious momentum.

This part of the slope was near empty now, which meant he could really let go and fly. He knew the terrain well enough to ski it blindfolded, but so did she. He could hear her on his heels, but he kept his eyes forward until he heard a yelp and the unmistakable sound of a crash. He swooshed to a stop, turning in time to spot her tumble and lose a ski.

“Nik! You okay?” he called from ten yards below, skiing sideways to retrieve her lost ski.

“Yes.” She groaned, grabbing her elbow and throwing her head back into the snow. “Damn.”

She didn’t look okay. “Hang on.”

He popped his skis off, grabbed her stray, and hiked back up to where she sat waiting. When he got there, she was hugging her right elbow to her chest, wincing but not crying.

“I thought you were okay?” He set her ski beside her, frowning.

“This is nothing. Just hyperextension, I think.”

He reached down and held her beneath her armpit to help heave her up so she wouldn’t have to put pressure on the joint. “Sorry. You need to get it on ice and in a compression brace. I can call Avery to come check you out.”

In addition to being his sister, Avery was widely recognized as the top ortho PT in town.

“Don’t trouble her. My bruised ego hurts worse than my arm. I hate losing, especially because of a wipeout.” Her scowl made him chuckle.

“Double or nothing to the bottom?”

She glanced up, a glint in her eye, then rubbed her elbow again. “No. Fair’s fair. If I were Billy or one of the guys, not only wouldn’t you give me that option, you probably wouldn’t have stopped so quickly to help, either. I told you not to go easy on me.” Her full lips pursed into a playful pout.

The sudden urge to kiss her here, on the deserted slope, in the shadows of the fir trees, gripped him. If she were anyone other than his boss, he would. “I’m not going easy on you. I’m doubling down now that you’re injured,” he teased.

“Well, then,” she said, clicking her boot into her binding, “go get your skis.”

He hiked down to where he’d left them and refastened his bindings while she skied up beside him. “All set.”

“Double or nothing?”

“You got it, tough girl.”

“See ya!” She took off, although he could tell from her pole planting that she was babying that elbow.

He could overtake her on open terrain, but he knew how competitive she was and worried that pushing her would lead to another yard sale and do real damage. Besides, the view from behind was spectacular. Great ass, perfect turns, powerful grace in motion. A thing of beauty.

As the base lodge drew near, he crouched into a tuck and gained ground, assuming he could overtake her at the very end, once she was sure to finish safely. She tucked and barreled straight ahead, edging him out by a hair.

Nikki whipped off her helmet, wearing a huge grin, and formed an L with her fingers. “Better practice your scales, Andy. Should be quite an audience at Saturday’s party.”

Hell. That might be a little embarrassing. He shrugged, unable to think of a snappy comeback.

When she rubbed her elbow again, he skied beside her and leaned in. “Go get that checked before you make it worse. What if you tore a ligament?”

“It’s not torn.”

“Didn’t know you had X-ray vision.” He shook his head. “At least take something for the swelling and pain.”

“I can handle the pain.”

“Hardhead.” He playfully knocked his fist on her skull.

Over her shoulder, Andy saw Billy B standing outside the ski-school doors, watching them. Andy waved, but Billy sent him a “told you so” smirk before walking away.

#

“Rocky Road? Come on, Amy. You know I’m trying to be good.” Nikki lifted the half-gallon ice-cream container from the grocery cart and handed it to her sister.

“I’m not.” Amy tossed it back in the cart and pushed away from the freezer.

Of course Amy wasn’t trying to be good. She didn’t need to. Amy took after their petite mother, who could eat buttered popcorn every night and never gain an ounce. Nikki had inherited her dad’s genes. She shouldn’t complain, because her strong, capable body had never let her down. But she had to watch her diet to avoid piling on the weight.

“Anyhoooo, I picked up the paint and supplies today,” Amy announced as they rounded the end of the aisle, her head bopping to the beat of “Jingle Bell Rock,” which was playing throughout the store. “Let’s get it done tonight. No excuses.”

Nikki rubbed her still-tender elbow. Forty-eight hours later and still sore. She didn’t want to be a wuss, but she didn’t want to aggravate it, either. “I might need until tomorrow to let this elbow heal completely.”

“I really want to get it done before Christmas Eve. Tomorrow is your company party, and Christmas Eve is the next day. I know you—you’ll be last-minute Christmas shopping that day.” Amy grabbed a bag of Ritz crackers, too.

Great—more carbs to resist. And, yes, she did still have last-minute shopping to do. She let loose a sigh.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t plan on this.” Nikki held up her arm yet couldn’t help but smile. Racing Andy had been fun—no regrets.

“Aren’t you getting a little old to be racing your staff, Nik? You’d think after all the bone breaks and other injuries that you’d stop that stuff.” Amy shook her head.

Nikki didn’t take offense. She knew her sister genuinely didn’t understand her competitive nature or her love for the mountain. Amy skied for pleasure, happily cruising the blue runs with friends, mostly killing time until she could flirt with a lift operator or some handsome vacationer at an après-ski lounge. She didn’t ski for the thrill of the wind in her face or the sense of mastery that came with each new run.

As for the scar, of course most of the time Nikki wished it weren’t there. People noticed it, although it looked better now than it had a decade ago. Lots of people suffered much worse injuries and problems, so she wouldn’t complain. Her face really shouldn’t matter that much in the greater scheme of life. Someday someone would love her for who she was, not how she looked. Hopefully.

“Oh, speaking of Andy, there he is.” Amy pointed toward the checkout line, her face brightening before she called, “Hey, Andy!”

He turned around and waved when he saw them, new Santa cap in hand. “Ladies.”

Amy steered the cart right behind him. “I ought to be mad at you for injuring Nikki.” Her flirtatious tone made Nikki wince, but Andy didn’t react. “Now she can’t help me paint.”

Andy slid a look at Nikki, then said, “I told your sister I’m happy to help.”

“Oh?” Amy frowned at Nikki. “She never mentioned that to me. I’ll tell you what. You help me paint, and I’ll cut your hair for free.”

Oh, no, no, no! Nikki wasn’t ready for Andy to be in her apartment. It seemed somehow too intimate, which was ridiculous.

“Deal.” He grinned. “Where and when?”

Oh, dear.

“Tonight. Two-eight-seven-four Canyon Shadow Road, apartment two B.” Pert Amy’s little shoulders straightened.

“Or not two B,” he teased.

Nikki shook her head at the lame joke. “You don’t need to help. I can manage.”

“You just said your elbow hurt.” Amy scowled. Nikki felt her face heat.

“It’s no problem.” Andy set his few items on the conveyor belt.

“What time?”

“Seven o’clock?” Amy suggested.

He swiped his credit card. “See you then. Enjoy your dinner.”

After he’d signed for his things, he stuck the cap on his head and winked at them, then exited the store. Nikki waited until Andy disappeared before whapping her sister on the shoulder. “Why’d you do that?”

Amy frowned. “Why do you care? I thought he was your friend? He said he’s happy to help.”

When Nikki scowled, Amy defended. “I’m going to cut his hair, so it isn’t like he gets nothing out of it.” She started emptying their cart, murmuring, “Can’t wait to run my hands through those silky locks.”

Jealousy carved through Nikki like a freshly honed ski edge. Yet, she wasn’t willing to put her hat in the ring with Andy and risk rejection again, so how could she demand Amy refrain from trying?

She didn’t have time to worry about it. Now she needed to get home and clean the apartment before he saw how messy she was. Gah, the daily struggle to be neat. Epic fail.

#

Nikki had to admit that watching Andy’s arms flex as he rolled blue paint on her walls wasn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened. Maybe Amy’s plan had been inspired, after all. After spending two hours watching him paint this room, she wasn’t sure if the fumes or merely looking at Andy had caused her temporary high.

She sat on the edge of the recently vacuumed carpet, touching up the trim around the door to the kitchen while he painted the wall to her right.

They’d pushed the furniture and stuff toward the center of the room and carefully repositioned the small Christmas tree in the archway that led to the kitchen. Amy’s contribution to the effort consisted of playing Martina McBride’s Christmas album, making cocoa and baking cookies to impress Andy, and congratulating herself on the “fabulous” color choice. After all that “hard work,” she’d stepped away for a “short break.”

For the most part, Andy hadn’t been responding to Amy’s flirtations the way most men did. Nikki presumed Amy’s little break meant she’d either gone to plot a new approach or that she’d given up and was on her phone making plans with friends.

“We’re almost done,” Nikki remarked, feeling strangely tongue-tied with Andy so close and in her personal space. She wondered what he thought of her apartment.

Neither she nor Amy made much money, so they’d furnished the tiny unit with hand-me-downs and knickknacks people were giving away on Freecycle. The only artwork on display was of the homemade variety—photograph collages and some of Amy’s paintings from a watercolor class she’d taken two years ago. That and Nikki’s wind-chime collection, which they’d also had to take down before starting to paint.

“Nik, you know these don’t work indoors, right?” Andy had joked while unhooking one from the ceiling and setting it in the plastic bin she’d found at the bottom of her closet.

“I know. I love them, and I guess I keep hoping someday I’ll have a place surrounded by trees, with a front porch and a back porch. Then these will always be singing.”

“Sounds like a nice dream. Hope it comes true.” His expression had turned solemn.

“Me too.”

The one good thing about her current, if tight, quarters was the way it smelled. Amy had a thing for scented candles, and lately she’d stocked the place with some cinnamon-mandarin-pine scented candles that fit the season.

Then again, right now the whole place smelled like paint.

“Told ya we’d bang this out quickly.” He dipped the roller in the tray and then attacked the final unpainted section of the wall.

Nikki nodded. “I didn’t think I’d like this bold color, but, surprisingly, it makes the space look at lot more put together.”

Andy smiled down at her. “And it matches your eyes perfectly, just like I guessed.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She stood, having finished the trim.

“You should.” He rolled another swath of paint high and low, and she continued to spy on him and those corded muscles.

When he finished the final strokes, he stood back and glanced around. “It looks a lot better than that drab beige color. What is it with all the apartments in town having beige walls?”

“Goes with everything, I guess.” She shrugged.

“I’m used to living with Avery. Even this color wouldn’t be bold compared to the Mexican piñata color scheme we’ve got going on at the house.”

Nikki savored that tidbit of personal information, having always wondered about his house.

“Is it weird living with Grey and Avery?” She knew Avery and Andy had bought their parents’ house years ago, but now the odd threesome must have been experiencing growing pains.

“It’s not terrible. I’ve been thinking about asking them to buy me out for what equity I have in the place. They could assume my share of the mortgage. It would give me enough for first and last month’s rent plus some savings. But with my job situation up in the air, I need to play it safe.”

She understood. Andy was a ski instructor in the winter, and his handyman job at Emma’s inn would’ve been low paying and without benefits, too. “Have you ever thought of becoming a carpenter or plumber or something? They make more than a handyman.”

“To become a master plumber requires at least five solid years of experience, which means I’d have to give up ski instructing. I know I’m still on probation, but I’m hoping to make it stick. I can’t imagine giving it up, even though I’ll never get rich unless I win the lottery.” He tilted his head, smiling. “It’s not the smart move, but you understand. I can tell you love it as much as I do.”

She nodded because they definitely shared that passion. Too bad it hadn’t led to other types of passion. “What about home renovations? People around here are always updating the bathrooms and kitchens in these old Victorians. That seems like something you could do and make decent money.”

He cocked his head as if he’d never considered the idea. “I guess I could try. Would anyone hire the town felon, though?”

Technically, he wasn’t a felon, but she knew what he meant, and her heart twisted.

“If I had money, I’d hire you. Have you seen our bathroom?” She laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.

Amy wandered back into the room, interrupting them. Her flawless face beamed when she twirled around the crowded space, trying not to bump into anything. “I knew it would be striking.” She lunged toward Andy and hugged him. His eyes widened, but he hugged her back. “Thank you for helping. I can’t wait for our parents to see it on Christmas Eve.”

For the second time that day, Nikki repressed a surge of envy. Andy and Amy looked positively perfect together. Two beautiful people, who each approached every day with an easy smile and manner. Their personalities were well suited, and no one would deny they’d produce gorgeous, jolly little babies, too. As luck would have it, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” started playing, like the perfect soundtrack to a romantic comedy. Except this wasn’t very funny.

“I’m glad you’re so happy.” Andy eased out of Amy’s hold.

“Thrilled.” Amy reached up and fingered his hair. “Now, let’s clip this mop.”

“I don’t think I need a haircut.” He patted his hair and looked at Nikki. “Do you?”

“I like it as it is.” She loved when his heavy bangs fell across his eyes at times, and the way the back curled against his collar. Even more, she’d love to grab hold of all that hair in the throes of . . .

“What are you thinking?” Amy stared at her with a puzzled look on her face.

“Nothing. My mind blanked.” Liar, liar. She refrained from bringing her palm to her hot cheek. Could she be more ridiculous? Andy was destined for someone sweet and pretty like Amy, not someone as graceless and plain as she was.

“I’ll help you clean up, then I’ll get out of your way.” Andy bent over to collect the paint tray.

“Leave it, please. You’ve done enough,” Nikki insisted. She was sorry to see him go, but better that than watching Amy fawn all over him for another hour. No man, including Andy, could resist Amy’s charms indefinitely. “I’ll walk you out.”

Nikki followed him down the narrow stairwell to the door to the street and out onto the small front porch. “Thanks, again. I know I wasn’t very gracious at first.”

“It’s okay, Nik. You’ve never liked to ask for help.” He leaned close, resting one hand on the porch banister. “So, do you really think people would hire me to do small renovation jobs?”

Nikki saw the stark vulnerability in his eyes and wished she were emotionally bold like Amy so she could fling her arms around him, too. Of course, she didn’t act on that urge. “I do. If you want, I’ll keep my ear to the ground and feed you any leads.”

“Something to consider.” Then, as if he hadn’t stopped to think about it, he reached out and snatched a bit of her hair. Smiling at her, he said, “Looks like you got some blue highlights.”

She’d been so busy spying on him that she hadn’t been paying much attention to what she’d been doing. “Charming.”

“Actually, it is. Fits you and your uniqueness.” He tucked the curl behind her ear. Unlike Billy B, Andy’s eyes never once strayed to her scar.

It felt like the porch had turned into a raft drifting on a choppy lake. She could barely find her footing. Before she could reply, he bent down and kissed her on the cheek, right at the corner of her lips. Soft and warm, and she wished he’d move just a touch to the left.

“Good night, Nik.” He pulled back, lingering for a second as if assessing her response.

Does he want me to kiss him? He’s on probation at work. I’m his boss. Billy B is making waves. Don’t spin something out of nothing. He’s only a friend. Just a friendly guy.

“Good night.” She stepped back with a little wave.

Andy nodded, shoved his hands in his coat pockets, and jogged down the steps toward his car.

Once inside, she leaned against the closed door and touched the corner of her mouth where his lips had been. Bittersweet yearning coursed through her like adrenaline.

If I’m not careful, he’ll break my heart.