She made herself meet Chase’s eyes. “The income and benefits you offer here are fantastic. I just learned the hard way that if you can scrimp and save for a rainy day, you should do it.” Tana sighed. “You know, I’d really rather be hitting the slopes and refreshing my skills. I haven’t done any work on the moguls or hills in quite a while, and I’m getting rusty. Not the best look for a ski instructor.”
“I could help you out with that. Want a free lesson?”
Chase’s words cut into Tana’s skin, followed by a burst of irritation. There Chase was, a hot former ski champion wearing shoes that cost more than her whole outfit, and what was he doing? Helping her dig for a used ski jacket and offering her free skiing lessons. Tana hadn’t asked for any help—not from Chase, and not from anybody here. She was fine on her own.
“I didn’t ask for a lesson, but if I wanted one, I’d pay for it,” she said, her voice verging on a snap. She couldn’t help but be defensive. “Just like I could afford new clothes if I wanted them. I’m just saving every penny I can for Lindsey. Emergencies happen all the time, and if we make it through okay, that money will go toward her college.” Tana’s face heated. This shouldn’t be such a big deal. It was only that depending on someone else never worked out.
Chase straightened, tipping a handful of clothes back into the chest. “You know,” he said gently, “I wasn’t offering you lessons as charity. My work for the afternoon can wait a while, that’s all I meant. Besides, it’s not like I can ski with you—just dole out advice.”
Tana swallowed a tight lump in her throat. She’d been fighting for a long time to make a good life for herself and for Lindsey. It hadn’t always been easy. What was it about Chase that made her feel so defensive about not having a lot of money? She worked with rich people every day. She didn’t have time to figure it out now, especially not with him looking so attractive as he stared intently at her waiting for an answer.
Something unlocked in her chest, way down deep. One run down the hills while Lindsey was in school. What was the harm? And if it helped Chase reconnect with the sport he loved so much, all the better. Just because he didn’t ski, didn’t mean he couldn’t help others. “Okay.” She nodded, pleased to see Chase’s eyes light up. “Let’s go.”
Forty-five minutes later, Tana came to a stop at the bottom of the Elk Lodge’s most challenging run, where Chase waited for her in a sturdy pair of snow boots. He might have an injured leg, but he still looked incredible in his snow gear, like a model who had stepped off the pages of Ski Magazine. That made sense—Chase had been a model in Ski Magazine. A face like his made every woman in the world want to buy magazines with him on the cover.
“You’re cutting it a little too close on the moguls, but your balance is killer.” Chase ran through a couple of other pointers—real pointers—and Tana lifted her goggles away from her eyes to look at him. It felt so sexy, having him assess her like this. Tana couldn’t quite catch her breath, and it wasn’t from the trip down the mountain. “Keep an eye on the straightaways, and you could be a champion.”
“I’m not going to be a champion, but thanks for the kind words,” she said, and she meant it. Disappointment needled at her. She hadn’t wanted a free “lesson” in the first place, and now she didn’t want it to end. “Thank you, we should do this again sometime,” she said, stepping closer to give him a kiss on the cheek by way of thanks.
Chase turned his head, and her lips landed on his mouth instead. “I agree, but I also think we should do something else now.” He grinned, his eyes twinkling. “How about a drink?”
The man was incorrigible, but it made her heart dance a merry tune. Twenty minutes later, they slipped into a booth at the back of the alpine-themed bar, where the menus were held in a holder shaped like the main lodge. The Christmas decorations complemented the theme—tinsel and fake holly everywhere. Tana had to brush her fingers across it to be sure it wasn’t real. The Elkin family pulled out all the stops at Christmas. All the artwork on the wall had been wrapped like gifts with silver and gold paper, and a tree in the corner glowed with multicolored lights and gold ribbon. All of it went together seamlessly, but then it should, considering they always hired an event planner.
Tana took a sip of her beer, trying to decide what to talk about.
“Has Lindsey always wanted to ski, or is this a relatively new thing?” Chase made the decision easy. He wanted to talk about her daughter. One of Tana’s favorite subjects.
“Definitely not new. She’s wanted to ski ever since she learned to walk.” Tana cradled her glass in her palms and leaned in closer. “Not just an average skier, a great skier. Like you, in case you couldn’t tell.”
“I can tell.”
They both laughed.
Tana felt comfortable enough to ask the question on her mind. “Is it hard? Not being able to ski anymore, I mean.”
Chase’s gaze grew distant. “A little bit. I’ve had my struggles. But it’s made me slow down and take stock of my life.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. “I’ve had an offer from a friend to be a spokesperson for his sportswear company startup. It would mean leaving Elk Lodge.”
“Oh, wow.”
“Yeah.” Chase took a long drink of his beer. “We had a follow-up call a few days ago that went surprisingly well, but I’ve never seen myself in a sales career. It’s tough to adjust your expectations after something happens. You know what I mean?”
“I do.” Of course Tana did. Her life had been a series of surprises, and having Lindsey meant even more of them. Life had dealt her plenty of adjusted expectations.
“But at the same time, I know I can’t stay here forever.” Chase’s green eyes lingered on hers, and Tana looked down at her beer to hide her blush. “I want to spend the holidays with my family, but then I need something else.”
Chase was only beginning to come out of what seemed like a depression over his ski accident. Another good reason this wasn’t the best time for them to explore their attraction. He didn’t even know what he wanted in life. And yet—his determination to move forward with his life drew Tana to him.
“It’s difficult,” she said after a minute. “Things happen. All you can do is roll with it.”
“I could have been better.” Chase winked, his grin a good sign.
“You? I don’t believe it,” Tana scoffed, playing along with him.
He shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.” Chased laughed, and Tana felt herself falling into his laughter headfirst. Heart-first. Enjoying his company was a risk.
She wiped the smile off her face and straightened. “Listen, I don’t think we should...continue this…umm, this,” she waved her hand back and forth between them, “whatever it is that’s going on between us.”
Chase leaned back in the booth. “Why not?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked. “It was just a simple kiss.”
There was nothing simple about it—not to Tana. “It wasn’t a full kiss,” she pointed out.