“Hats for everyone.” I pass out the hats with my name and sponsor’s logos on them to each kid as some grab the towrope to head for the top of the bunny hill. It’s about half and half, skis to snowboard ratio.

“Grady, Gasoline is expecting you.” Candice approaches me, her teeth chattering since she’s missing her ski jacket.

“Tell them I’ll be there shortly. Have them start with Mia.” I glance back and forth between my agent and the kids, enjoying the smiles on their faces as they take their hats from me.

“I think the girls need their own apparel,” Mia says, joining us. She grabs the towrope, taking off my hat from one of the girl’s heads and replacing it with one of her own.

“What? Did you go to the shop and buy all your stuff?”

She looks over her shoulder at me, a conniving smile crosses her lips. “I can’t let them all look up to you.”

“Great. My two biggest clients right now and they’re both playing babysitter instead of making the people who pay them happy.” Candice stomps off.

Cries echo out from behind me and I turn to find Mia squatting down in front of Barbie girl (who I now know is Katie). The two are in deep conversation, Mia’s hands on the little girl’s shoulders, and from how many times Katie’s mittened hand has run under her eyes, I’m guessing tears are involved.

“Katie is a scaredy cat,” the kid who thinks so highly of Matt Peterson yells out and grabs the towrope.

I grab it right after him, my board sliding up the hill as we start up the incline.

“Where are the others?” he asks me over his shoulder. His arm tucked around the rope.

“Hey buddy, you need to hold the rope with your hand.”

Ignoring my advice, he says, “I get why they give us you because they’re probably giving you a bunch of money to talk to us, but where’s Matt or the other snowboarders?”

I reach forward lifting his arm off the rope and placing his hand on it the right way. “Grip it tight and hold on, otherwise it will tear your jacket apart.”

He grabs a hold with both hands, but he’s struggling and since he’s a tad on the bigger side, it’s probably making it harder.

“You have to be worried about Matt. My brother told me that if he would’ve nailed his landing last week he would have been number one.”

I inwardly roll my eyes then notice the stuffing from his jacket spilling out because he’s trying everything in his power to keep a hold of the towrope.

“I told you it’d ruin your jacket.” Moving up behind him, I change the placement of his hands again. “I’ve got you in case you can’t hold on. We’re almost there.”

“My mom is going to kill me!” He inspects his ripped jacket. “It’s lasted my two older brothers.”

“It’s okay, I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“She won’t.” His shit-talking persona is long gone as his voice cracks.

Finally, we reach the end of the towrope and an instructor helps the kid away from the area, so there isn’t a pile of kids at the top of the hill.

Miss Georgie slides over on her skis sticking her poles in the snow. “What’s the matter, Ryan?...Oh.” Her hand reaches to the torn underarm of his jacket. “It’s okay. You know what? We have some jackets back at the community building. Your mom will understand, these things happen.”

He hiccups a breath, and I glance over to the towrope to find another kid about to hyperventilate. Katie holds Mia’s hand looking unsure of herself as they start to tip their boards down the hill.

Katie’s eyes are closed and Mia’s smiling down at her directing her with her voice about what to do. It’s a touching scene and shows how patient and encouraging she can be. Two qualities not immediately associated with snowboarding’s leading lady.

“Grady.” A hand touches my arm, pulling me away from admiring the scene with Mia.

I blink. “Yeah?”

Georgie is putting her mittens on. “Will you take Ryan?”

I strap in my other foot. “Sure.” I hold up my hands and the two of us ride, inch by painful inch down the hill. Ryan is smiling again, the problem with his coat forgotten as he finds himself living in the moment while the powder and wind rush past his face. Now that I think of it, he reminds me a little of me when I was young.

---

“That was so much fun.” Mia bounces in step next to me as we head to the Gasoline campaign. “That’s so much better than boring interviews and promo photography.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Hey, I’ll meet you up there.”

“Are you bribing those kids with more stuff?” she asks with a smirk, walking backward away from me.

With my hand on the door of the store, I laugh. “Nope.”

The heater vent rushes down on me when I step through the door and I unzip my jacket.

“Can I help you?” A woman follows me as I head right to the boy’s jackets.

“I’m going to take this.” I hand the woman the first black jacket I could find that looked about the right size.

Her eyes widen, recognizing me I assume, but she smiles, happy to help. Following her to the register, I pay for the jacket and head back outside.

As long as Mia is with Gasoline, I have time to deliver it before Miss Georgie heads back, but when I step out of the store, a smiling brunette is waiting for me, arms crossed over her chest.

“I knew it. Grady Kale has a heart.” All her straight white teeth are on display, so I know she’s not being snarky.

“Keep that between us, okay?” I wink and then jog down to the bunny hill, sliding through small openings of skiers and snowboarders on their way to the slopes. A couple of minutes later, I reach the group.

Miss Georgie is counting heads and Ryan is still wearing his ruined jacket as he laughs with a circle of boys.

“Hey, Ryan,” I say and all the kids turn around. I toss the jacket in his direction, it flies through the air, and he catches it before it falls to the ground.

The little kid’s brown eyes inspect it and then he looks up at me. “Wh—”

“Bribery. Who’s your favorite now?” I smile, and Miss Georgie stops her counting to witness the exchange.

“Definitely you.” His voice low and unsure, wondering if he should accept it.

“Nah.” I wink over to him. “If I win gold though, I want a fan letter, okay?”

All the boy’s mouths are slightly ajar, their heads shifting from me to Ryan and back.

“Thanks,” he mumbles.

“That was very kind of you,” Miss Georgie says, her hand on my shoulder.

I point to Ryan. “Keep your hands on that towline and your armpits away from it, okay?” He nods and I look around at the rest of the kids. “See you guys next time.” After a few fist bumps and high fives, I walk away.

I’m only a few steps back on the path toward the room Gasoline rented, when Mia pushes off the side of the building, walking in line with me. She knocks my shoulder and I get we called a truce, but I never expected her to be this friendly with me.

“That was a very nice thing to do.” She sing-songs, glancing my way.

“Was I supposed to let the kid freeze?”

“I don’t think he would have frozen.”

“He’s not used to it out here.” I continue to make excuses, so she doesn’t get the wrong idea. I’m not deserving of her thinking I’m a nice guy. I’m her enemy and she should remember that and stay far away. Except, I like that she’s warming up to me.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Oh good,” Candice stops in front of us on the path, heaving for a breath.

“You need boots, Candice. And not leather ones.” Mia shakes her head at the knee-high fashion boots Candace is wearing.

“I’ll remember that for when we’re in Korea.” She sucks in another breath. “Listen, Gasoline is ready so let’s talk while we walk.” She swivels around and leads the way, Mia and I following behind.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“Tomorrow I need the two of you to head to Colorado. I have to get back to L.A. because my little sister is getting married. Can you believe it? I told her the timing wasn’t good, but no, her selfish side is being indignant, so why not put everyone’s life on hold so she can marry the world’s biggest douche—”

“Why Colorado?” Mia interrupts her rant, inching forward.

“The entire team is going to be there for a big shoot, but they want you two there a day early since you have more to get done.” She opens the door to the resort and I grab the handle holding it open for both of them.

“Don’t they realize we have to train?” Mia asks. “I was just working on—”

Candice raises her hand in the air. “Relax. They’re blocking off the halfpipe at night for team use. So, your day will be filled, but you guys can train at night.”

“I love night riding,” I remark and Mia shoots me a dirty look. “What?” I shrug.

“We have Grady’s pipe here, it’s easier—”

“Please don’t become all high and mighty on me. This comes with the territory. Go be some snow bunny if you don’t want to be bothered with their demands. Do I need to remind you—”

“No, I get it.” Mia rolls her eyes, unzipping her coat and walking through the doors to the room Gasoline has set-up in.

Candice stops me before I go in. “One more thing.”

“Why is there always one more thing with you?” I raise a questioning brow.

Candice smirks. “You’re both flying there together and staying in a lodge. Break the news to princess, okay?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I raise my hand in the air. “Why?”

“The entire team will be staying at the lodge, but the first night it’s just you two. Some team building nonsense.”

She walks away and my eyes wander over the room when I enter. There are cameras placed all around, a white cloth draped up with lights shining on it, a table full of junk food, and a coffee station. My eyes land on Mia, already in the makeup chair.

A whole night under one roof—just the two of us. One of us might not survive.