“That’s not what I’m doing. I don’t ski for pleasure—”
“I just feel like she and I have some of the same issues. I think the lessons would be good for her. Let her spread her wings a little bit and at least try to see what she can handle. You can’t keep her in a cocoon all her life, never letting her experience the thrill of victory, no matter how small.”
Chase was right—she’d limited Lindsey’s activities all her life in hopes of keeping her safe. “It’s the agony of defeat I’m worried about. I don’t want anything to happen to her. If she pushes too far, and her leg gives out on the slopes, she could get hurt. I’d never forgive myself.”
“But you want her to be independent, right?” There was no sting behind Chase’s words. “One day, she’ll have to leave home and try new things and fend for herself. The ski lessons might help her with that. In fact, they will help her with that. It’s my personal guarantee.”
She’d come here to say no—to turn down the offer and disconnect from Chase. But now, Tana found herself battling the urge to lean against him, wanting to press her forehead to his chest and breathe.
“—few runs.” She’d been caught up thinking about what she wanted to do with Chase, that she’d missed what he said.
“What?”
“What about a trial run?” The corner of Chase’s mouth turned up in a smile. “You let her take a few lessons with me, and if it doesn’t work out, we can stop. I’ll keep a close eye on her and watch for any issues, I promise. But if it does work out, then she’s learning from the very best. Aside from you, obviously. You’re great.”
“Nice try. I must say, you’re very convincing,” Tana said, as she mulled over his words. She was seriously considering taking him up on the offer.
“Hey, I meant what I said. But I do think it’s easier for someone to take lessons from a person they don’t know. That’s just my experience.” Chase looked down at his watch, then back up at Tana. “How about this—tomorrow’s Sunday and we can meet up then, or whatever your next day off is. You can stick around and watch to make sure Lindsey’s doing okay. Deal?” Chase stuck out his hand.
To her utter astonishment, she took his hand and shook it. “Deal.” Her own reservations clamored for attention, but for once, she wanted to give Lindsey a chance to do something she’d always wanted to do. Ski. “Thank you.” Tana squared her shoulders and brushed past Chase, heading for the door. “I’ve got to get back to my next lesson. But I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Let me get the door for you.” Chase reached around her for the handle, bringing their bodies close together. “And I want you to know that I meant what I said. If you come to the conclusion that it’s too dangerous for Lindsey, or she starts having problems, you can stop the lessons any time.”
Chase was so close that Tana couldn’t help but tip her face up toward him. God, he smelled good. Like cedar and expensive cologne. She could see every bit of razor stubble and appreciate the green of his eyes streaked with silver. Eyes that were currently fastened on her lips. A shiver of pleasure moved through her.
His gaze drifted back to hers. Tana forgot how to breathe, the hunger in his eyes the only thing that existed at that moment. She took a tiny step forward, and all the sound reasoning not to do what she was thinking, disappeared.
Chase leaned in, closing the distance between them. “I want to kiss you. Do you trust me?”
She was so close, but at the last moment, she panicked. “I don’t know,” she whispered and took a big step back. “I’d need to think about that, too.” Tana whirled away and fled, leaving him standing there. She didn’t dare turn around, or her resolve to leave might vanish.
6
The lost and found at the Elk Lodge was a fantastic place for Tana to score the much-needed ski jacket for Lindsey on such short notice. Company policy allowed employees to sort through the after-sixty-day box before the items were donated to a local charity, and she intended to take advantage of the rule.
The actual container was a massive chest carved from birch trees. Tana liked to run her fingers over the decorations on the front of it, something she’d discovered during her first week working for the Elkin family. Lots of well-to-do families vacationed at Elk Lodge, and inevitably they left some of their clothes behind.
Linda, the secretary, poked her head in the room. “Hey, Tana. Hope you find something good because that box is overrun with stuff. I’ve got to run upstairs. Just don’t grab anything with the name Emily on it. She loses things so often that we try to set them aside for the next visit, and her mother hasn’t been in to check yet.”
“I’ll make sure. Talk to you later.” Tana started to dig through the chest, piece by piece, searching for the perfect coat.
Bingo. She pulled out a purple jacket that looked brand new and would fit Lindsey.
“Did one of your students lose something?” Chase’s voice sent a shockwave of embarrassment through her.
Tana’s cheeks blazed, and she yanked the jacket guiltily to her chest. She’d walked away from him when their lips were inches apart, as if she didn’t really want to kiss Chase. And she didn’t. Except part of her did. Part of her wanted desperately to know how it felt to have his lips brush against hers and for his tongue to—
Oh, stop. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Tana lifted her chin and turned to face him, who stood in the doorway watching her. “No, they didn’t. I was looking through the lost and found for a ski jacket for Lindsey. I don’t have the time or the money to make a shopping trip before her lesson with you.”
“Well, if you find one, make sure it doesn’t have the name Emily on it.” He grinned.
Tana’s mouth twitched as she fought back a laugh. “Oh, so you heard?” In the past two days alone, Emily had reported to her she’d lost a set of ski gloves, a pair of snow pants—how? —and a change purse. Tana hadn’t known girls still carried change purses—they seemed like an artifact from her own childhood.
“I heard.” Chase smiled, too, and suddenly it felt illicit to be having a conversation with him about a guest at the resort.
She shouldn’t be gossiping about guests with Chase—a bad idea on so many levels. Especially when she was picking through the lost and found. Tana took another look at the jacket, arranging her face into what she hoped was a serious expression.
Chase’s eyes followed hers, then strayed to the chest behind her. “Let me buy her a new one in the ski shop.”
Tana tensed. “No, you don’t need to do that.”
“Why not? I get a good employee discount. And if there’s nothing here, I could run into town and find her something.”
Tana clutched at the jacket. “Seriously, this is fine.” The fancy ski shops would cost a fortune, not that it would make any difference to Chase. This was precisely why she couldn’t get involved with him. They were from two different worlds. “We’ll make do with what we have.”
Chase pressed his lips together, and an awkwardness crept in around the beat of silence. “Are you...satisfied with your pay rate working here? Because if it’s not good enough, I’ll speak with the family about upping salaries across the board. It wouldn’t be out of line. We want to make sure we’re the best.” He caught Tana’s eyes again, and she had to catch her breath. “That includes taking care of everyone who works at the resort.”