Release: New Adult Sport Romance (Fire and Ice) (2 page)

Casey breaks through. “Do you know him?”

I crash back to reality and look at her. “No.” I shake my head.

But, I want to, I think. Please tell me that was attraction and not something else. When I look back down the aisle, he’s gone, and I walk toward my locker in a daze of confusion.

Chapter 2

The buckle of my helmet strap clicks shut. I wonder what he teaches. Sliding my arms into my coat, I run a mental checklist of what I need for the day and try to focus. I don’t trust myself to get it right considering the way I feel just now. The steady beat of ski boots leads me to the racks that hold our skis and boards. I hope to catch a glimpse of Adonis.

But I don’t. Disappointed, I get my skis and head out the back door. Metal clangs as my boots bang up the steps to the snow. The bright sun reflects off the powder, and I squint as I head over toward the purple building known as the Kids’ Castle.

I walk by the adult instructors. A mass of purple, red, and black uniforms, they joke around as they gather for their lineup. They actually line up shoulder to shoulder and get pulled out by the supervisor for their assigned level. A part of me hopes I’ll get good enough to teach adults someday.

Once inside, I’m immersed in the sound of people talking. Adults fill out forms on clipboards while children bounce about. I slip through nylon arms and little bodies, and I make my way into a cafeteria-style room. Long, low picnic tables are laid out in rows. The scent of pine and lemon tries to hide a spoiled-milk odor. This is where the five- to seven-year-olds come to meet. I walk over to the registration desk, and Heather sends me to a table. My first day teaching I’ll be working with another instructor.

“Evan?” I ask. “I’m Lori.”

Evan’s straight hair is over his eyes as his Sharpie squeaks out a name on masking tape. He blows air up to move his bangs as he raises his head to look at me.

“Hey, Lori. We just got Emily, and I’m getting her labels ready. She needs six, one for each ski, each boot, her helmet, and one for her cubby.”

I sit next to Evan, across from the little girl. “Hi, Emily. Are you excited to ski today?”

Big brown eyes glance up at me. “Uh-huh.” She’s busy drawing a picture.

“What are you drawing?” I hear the sound of masking tape tear from the roll.

“It’s my doggy, Ollie. He didn’t get to come with us, and I think he’s sad.” She scribbles him in with a purple crayon.

“Maybe he needs some doggy skis. Do you think he’d like skiing?”

She giggles, so I tease her a little more. “Of course he’d need a helmet and goggles too. Wouldn’t that look funny?”

Evan brings a little boy over to joins us. “This is Owen. Lori, can you do labels while I run the kids to our table?”

I grab the pen and tape. “Of course.”

I spend my day on the beginner trail, teaching kids to stop and turn. Frequent trips to the bathroom and lunch duty add to the physical exhaustion of picking up little people all day. I love this job.

Later, I’m sitting on the bench by my locker, rubbing my feet when Casey comes in. “What a great day. I had beginners, and they were a blast. How did kids go?”

“It was fun. They’re so adorable and funny.” I peel off a sock and rub my foot. My arches ache. “My feet are killing me. Does this get better?”

Casey flicks open her boot buckles. “Do you have custom inserts? They make all the difference in the world.”

Of course they do. Why didn’t I think of that? “No. I don’t have any of the stuff you cool kids do.” I grin at her so she knows I’m joking.

She smiles. “Well, we’ll just have to fix that. By the end of this year, you’ll be running with the big dogs.” The odor of boy’s gym socks wafts my way.

“Are you going to the Gold Pan?” The Gold Pan is a bar where the locals hang out. I haven’t been there, but talk in the locker room is instructors will be meeting there after work. I think a beer would taste good, and I’m a little excited about being part of a group instead of watching it. I also hope to talk to Adonis. He has invaded my thoughts quite a few times today.

“I am. We can walk out to the parking lot together and meet there if you want.” Casey fluffs up her hair. “I’m going to go to the bathroom quickly and come back to get you. Bring your boots, and I’ll take you to get inserts, too.”

“Sounds good. I’m almost ready.” My hair is silky in my hand as I brush it out and put on a hat to cover any helmet-head issues. Checking the mirror I have attached to the inside of my locker, I decide to add a touch of lip gloss. I wish I’d thought to bring mascara. I may not have that Adonis’s baby blues, but I know my brown eyes are one of my best features. I really should find out his name.

I Velcro my ski-boot power straps together to sling them over my shoulder with one boot in front and one in back, the way I’ve seen other instructors do it. My leather-and-fleece boots caress my feet as I move across the tightly woven carpet floor.

The locker room is a series of dark blue locker aisles. At the end of my row, I can turn left to go to the bathroom, ski and board racks, and the back door that leads to the snow. I turn right and walk by the supervisor offices lining one wall. At the end are the double doors that lead to the parking lot.

I’ve almost memorized all the employee cars and will soon be comfortable enough that I would notice a change. I scan quickly and refresh the images I’ve stored. It’s a quick ride to town, and my heater has just started to work when I arrive at the bar. I rub my cold hands together and wait for Casey.

She pulls into the Gold Pan parking lot minutes after I do. I hop out of my truck and slam the door with a heavy metallic clunk. The remote lock beeps when I press the button, and we approach a run-down-looking building. The sight of a dive bar makes me apprehensive. I glance around the area for anything unusual and recognize most of the vehicles from the employee parking lot. Relief washes over me.

The stench of stale beer welcomes us when we walk in. The interior is like an old western movie, and I’m tempted to look for a whiskey bottle and shot glass on the bar. The floor is warped and worn, and a mirror behind the bartender reflects yellow lights and amber liquids, which give the whole place a sepia tone. I look over at Casey. “I’m going to get a beer. Want one?”’

“Sure.” She hands me a five.

I squeeze my way up to the edge of the dull wooden bar and try to catch the bartender’s eye. Evan sees me. “Hey, Lori. You did amazing today.”

“Thanks. You were super helpful. I appreciate it.” The bartender looks at me, and I order two beers.

“I told Heather you’re fine to get your own class tomorrow.” He reaches over and gives me a fist bump.

I turn to the bartender and hand her my money. I take a sip of my beer as I wait for change. It’s cheap beer, but it’s ice cold and feels wonderful as it slides down my throat. I search the mirror to get an overview of the people in the room. It’s a happy bunch and nobody seems to be on their own watching the crowd. Leaving a tip, I take the money and drinks. I search for Casey and find her texting. “I don’t know how long you want to stay here, but I’m not going to last long.

She takes her beer and says, I need to go The Bike Shop and see about getting a season tune for my skis. You can get your inserts there.”

“Do I need a season tune?”

“I would suggest it. But I have an even better reason we should go now. Remember that guy you were staring at today? The cute one with blue eyes and dark hair? He’s working tonight.” She gives me a mysterious smile.

Blood rushes to my cheeks. “You noticed?” I ask. “He’s pretty hot.”

“Ah, Lori. He walked into a door because of you. Everyone noticed.” She snickers.

Really? Wow. I take a gulp of the beer and hope it will cool my flushed face. “Can we go after this beer?”

“Do you want to wait that long?” Casey’s eyes twinkle.

“No, but I don’t want to waste your money.” Not when I can be getting high off that gorgeous guy instead. “So drink quickly.”

After another swig, Bill walks by and Casey grabs his arm. “Hey, Bill.” He stops, and Casey hands him her beer. “Here, we have to go.”

I hand him mine, too. He juggles the other two beers to take it. “Cool. Thanks.” He looks like a little boy who’s just been handed a bag of candy.

Casey releases us into daylight, and I blink against the brightness. “It’s about a block down. We can walk,” she tells me.

Chapter 3

My face stings in the cold as we walk to the shop. I’m nervous and turn my attention to Casey for distraction. “So what’s going on with you and Jason?”

“It’s complicated. He’s my ex-boyfriend, but I want him back. And I’m not sure how he feels.” She lets out a big sigh and tucks a curl behind her ear.

I don’t want to pry, but I want her to know I’m here if she wants to share. “It’s obvious he still has feelings for you.”

“Yeah, but I was kind of a jerk to him this last year. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” She points at a shop across the street. “It’s right over there.”

Above the door is a sign that has a guy riding a bike with a snowboard on his back. A bell jingles when Casey opens the door, and a hint of the same stale-sweat odor that permeates our locker room makes my nose crinkle.

He’s behind the counter.

“Hey, Kaleb. Have you met Lori yet? She needs inserts.” Casey is all smiles.

Kaleb. I like that name. He’s in a flannel shirt that’s open to reveal a tight tee over a muscular chest. His sleeves are rolled up, and strong brown arms tell me he works out. He extends a hand and says, “Kaleb Wakefield.” I look into his sparkling eyes as I take his hand and can’t speak. A blush rushes from the warmth of his fingers to my cheeks and I smile.

“Hi.” My insides tingle. Seriously? I could totally kiss him right now. My eyes drop to his mouth.

His lips move and I almost touch mine when I think about what they would taste like. He says, “So, you need custom inserts for your boots?”

I marvel at his soft, deep voice and imagine how it must sound when it’s husky with desire. “Yeah, my feet are killing me.” I do my best to hide my physical reaction, but let’s be real—I want to do more than kiss him. This crush is off the charts.

“Let me show you what we have.” He walks over to a display and describes the differences. I can barely process it because I’m too focused on how good he looks in his jeans. He stops talking.

Goodness, I’m a mess. I give myself a mental slap and say, “I’ll take a set of whatever you recommend.”

He touches my arm lightly and I swear a current of electricity runs through my body. “Go sit over there and take off your boots and socks. I’ll warm these up and be back in a minute.”

I do as instructed and take a moment to collect myself. Grateful for my recent manicure, I wiggle my toes and peek at the red nails.

Kaleb comes over with what look like two floppy shoe prints. He places them on the floor. “Step on these.” He reaches out a hand to help me balance while I place my feet on each one. His grip is gentle, and his hands are surprisingly soft. “They might feel a bit hot, but they won’t burn you.”

The warmth of the inserts caresses my feet, and I let out a little sigh of pleasure. “Oh, this is nice.”

“You have such little feet,” he says. His hand squeezes mine gently and then drops. “You need to stand still for a couple of minutes.” He gives me a flirty smile. “That makes you a captive audience. So tell me, Lori, where did you come from?”

“New Hampshire. You?”

“Oregon. I came out here two years ago after I graduated from college. My parents are impressed with how I’m using my education.” He smirks.

“I’m kind of using mine.” I grin. “I majored in elementary education.”

“I majored in mechanical engineering. So I guess my summer job fixing bikes counts, right?” I hear the bell ring, and he turns toward the two new customers. “Hi, guys. How can I help you?”

A man answers. “We need season tunes.” He’s holding two pairs of skis.

“Right this way.” Kaleb’s big hands grab the skis from the man with ease, and he moves behind the counter. He gives them forms to fill out and walks back over to me. “Do you need to be anywhere?”