Chase drove out into the end-of-school traffic, and she turned to look at Lindsey. Her daughter looked just as shocked as Chase had moments ago. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were shining and glued on Chase as though she was seeing the biggest celebrity in the world. Because, of course, she was—at least according to her criteria.
“I hope you had a good day today,” Tana said, unsure of what to expect, but there was no avoiding the situation. It was ten minutes back to the resort. “Linds, this is my friend Chase—”
“Chase Elkin,” whispered Lindsey. Lindsey seemed to think about this for a few long heartbeats, and then the surprise melted off her face. “Chase, you’re my favorite person.”
He let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, I’m sure your mom is your favorite person. She only got a ride from me because she got a flat tire, and—”
“You are the best skier in the world. I’ve watched all your videos. Mom, can I see your phone? Please?” Lindsey acted as though she hadn’t even heard Chase, cutting him off to gush on like a true fan.
“For one minute,” Tana said automatically. She tried to avoid screen time with Lindsey if possible. Still, in the end, she wanted her daughter to have some experience navigating the world of the internet. Tana pulled out her iPhone and passed it to Lindsey. “What do you need on there, honey?”
Lindsey was already focused on the phone, her tongue sticking out between her teeth. “I just need my playlist.”
Tana blushed. Lindsey’s playlist wasn’t just a collection of random videos she liked. It was a playlist of videos that featured Chase, the ski world’s golden boy up until his accident. “Are you sure about that, hon? We can watch the playlist at home.” Tana gave Lindsey a big grin, which her daughter missed entirely. “Linds?”
Sound burst from the phone’s speakers. “Show him this one first, Mom.” Lindsey thrust the phone up toward Tana. “Watch this, Chase. It’s a movie of you, and you’re doing awesome.”
“Honey, you need to call adults Mr. and Mrs. This is Mr. Elkin unless he gives you permission to call him Chase.”
“Chase is fine.” He twisted around in his seat to give Lindsey a thumbs-up.
Lindsey squirmed with excitement.
Tana gave her daughter another smile that hopefully communicated pull it back just a little and took the phone. She held it up, the screen vaguely pointed in Chase’s direction.
“It’s, uh, it’s a little hard to see while I’m driving.” He tried a smile, but it faded almost immediately.
“Well, I’ll tell you what happens.” Lindsey strained against her seatbelt as far as she could. “You come down the hill. You go around all the flags.” She waved her hand in the air, mimicking the path he took in the video. “And then, when you get to the bottom, you—” Lindsey sucked in a breath, anticipation brightening her face. “Then you go over a jump!”
“Oh, I can teach you how to do that.” Chase was busy making a turn, and Tana saw the moment when he realized what he’d done. It was a flinch, barely there, and then gone.
Lindsey squealed at a pitch capable of shattering glass and bounced up and down in her seat. “Can I do it, Mom? Can I have private lessons with Chase? Can I please, please, please do it?”
Tana noticed the tension in the firm set of his jaw. “You don’t have to do that,” Tana said quickly, trying to help him find a gentle way out of his mistake.
Chase stared ahead out the front window, as though he wanted to be anywhere else other than here.
“Honey, that’s really not something we can ask Chase to—”
“It’s fine.” Chase maneuvered the winding roads through the resort. “I’m—I’m glad to give the lesson. No charge.”
That wasn’t what she’d been worried about. Tana hadn’t been ready for this when she got in the car with Chase, but she should have been. Clearly. “We’ll talk about it at home, Lindsey.”
“You have to let me take lessons, Mom!” Lindsey’s voice had gone higher. “Chase is the best skier on the whole planet.”
“I know, honey.” The ride had been going so well. How could she not have seen this coming? “We’re in employee cottage number two off the eastern road.” Tana had never been more relieved in her life than when Chase pulled up in front of the little cottage on the edge of the resort property where she and Lindsey lived. “I’ll think about it, okay? Tell Chase thanks for the ride.”
“Thanks for the ride!” Lindsey chirped. She grabbed her backpack off the seat next to her and hopped out of the car. Tana got out too, but not in time to stop Lindsey from poking her head back in. “You want to come in, Chase? I bet my mom has enough snacks.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I’ve got some things to take care of over at the lodge. I’ll see you around, Lindsey.” Tana didn’t know if he was trying to look calm or not, but he was failing. “You too, Tana.”
“Thanks again for the ride. You really bailed me out.”
A smile flickered across his face. “I’m not done yet. I’ll see about the flat tire, okay?”
Tana wanted to argue—Chase had already done plenty—but in reality, his help was appreciated. She closed the car door definitively and took Lindsey’s hand. Her daughter insisted they wait on the sidewalk to wave goodbye as Chase drove off. He raised a hand and waved back in front of the rearview mirror.
Back in the little cottage, Lindsey hung up her backpack and raced to the bathroom to do the first thing on the After-School Fun List—wash her hands. It didn’t seem to matter that the activities themselves weren’t what Tana would call “fun”—washing hands, changing clothes, and a snack. Okay, the snack part was fun.
Lindsey was up on a step stool with the water running when Tana got to the bathroom door. “I met Chase Elkin,” she announced as if Tana hadn’t been in the car the whole time. “He is the best skier in the world. And now I get to ski with him.”
“Honey—”
“I’ve always wanted to ski.” Lindsey pouted, her expression pained. “I’ve always wanted to ski just like you, Mommy. And you said it was dangerous, but Chase is a good skier. He wouldn’t do something dangerous.”
Tana bit back the urge to remind Lindsey about the fact that Chase’s skiing career had been ruined by an injury. She wanted to be able to talk to her daughter about everything in a calm and collected way.
“You know what, Lindsey? Your teacher texted me today. She told me you got all your homework done in the Kids Club.”
Lindsey nodded proudly. “I did my whole sheet.”
“Then you know what?” Tana leaned down and brushed her fingers gently over Lindsey’s ribs, causing her daughter to giggle. “You can watch Frozen as a special treat. Okay?”
“Yes!” Lindsey punched a fist in the air, spraying droplets of water all over the bathroom. “Oops.” She flashed Tana the most charming grimace she’d ever seen before grabbing the hand towel to dry off the floor.
“And that can go right in the laundry.”
Lindsey scampered off to her bedroom to change clothes, leaving a shirt and pants and underthings in her wake. Drawers opened and closed, and then she ran out again in her favorite Frozen PJs to turn on the movie.