Edge of Desire

Chapter 23

Avery

Melissa’s flight was due to arrive in ten minutes and I was running late. The short-term lot was to my left, and I was in the right-hand lane, dammit. I stopped to let the cars zoom by and then snuck in. Finding the first spot available, I quickly pulled in and raced to baggage claim.

The door slid open and there she stood, fully decked out from head to toe in the brightest, shiniest scarlet jumpsuit I’d ever seen. Her hair was shorter than when I saw her last. It looked as though she’d stuck her finger into an electric socket because it was extraordinarily frizzy, and vividly red with sparkly stuff in it.

“Ava,” she yelled. Her booming voice nearly shook the walls, and everyone stopped what they were doing to gawk. Moments later I was lifted by her massive arms as she swung me around like a rag doll.

“Ayyyye,” I screamed, as much from being startled as from having the air completely squished out of my lungs. Melissa had added some more girth to her body since I’d seen her last. “Melissa,” I eked out, “put me down. Can’t breathe.”

“Oh my God! You’re such a wimp!” She let me go and I dropped to the floor like a lead weight.

As I lay on my ass in the middle of the baggage claim area, with dozens of people gaping at us, I started to laugh. Really laugh, like I hadn’t done in ages.

“Would you at least help me up?” I asked, between guffaws.

“Damn, girl, you need to grow some muscle.” She extended her arm and I latched on to her hand as she nearly flung me to the other side of the room.

“What the hell, Melissa?”

She propped a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes. “You’re such a wuss. You were supposed to be working out this whole time. And look at you, you’re nothing but a damn stick with toothpicks for arms. What am I gonna do with you? Have you been laying off the Ben and Jerry’s?”

“Actually, I haven’t. Since Pres ... well, you know, I’ve taken in more Ben and Jerry’s than I care to admit. But let’s get your bag and go.”

“You mean you’re not even going to comment on my new look?”

Oh God, I was so hoping she wouldn’t go there. “I was gonna mention that you’ve changed your hair style.”

“Yeah! Cool, huh?” She waggled her brows, and it was then I noticed she had dyed those too.

“Er, yeah, it’s, um, awesome.”

Dear God, it was cherry red. She looked like the homing beacon at the top of the C2 buoy when you entered the Charleston Harbor. How could I tell her that though? I couldn’t because it would hurt her feelings and there wasn’t anything I’d do to hurt Melissa’s feelings.

“So, why the change?”

“Well, I thought maybe I might meet someone out here. This will help attract men, don’t you think?”

The circus was more like it. Somebody, help me. I coughed a few times and then said, “Yeah, well, I guess. You know these ski bums though. You never can tell.”

“So, Ava, did you book me some lessons with Sven?”

“Sven?”

“Yeah, you know, the hot Nordic guy that’ll teach me how to ski?”

“Oh yeah!” I half chuckled. Griffin and Marley were gonna kill me. I could already see the looks on their faces when we showed up in the morning. “Actually, you have two instructors, and their names are Griffin and Marley.”

“Not Lars and Sven?”

“No, I don’t think there are any instructors here by those names. But I’m gonna be there with you.”

“Oh yeah? You’re not going to try to move in on Griffin or Marley, are you?”

My head rapidly swiveled back and forth. “No way. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m done with the man plan, remember?”

“Right. Sorry for bringing that up.” She reached over and gave me a head nuggie.

I smacked her hand. “Ouch! That hurt.”

“I’m gonna toughen you up while I’m here. You’ve turned into the biggest sissy I’ve ever seen.”

We made it back to my car and she asked, “New wheels?”

“Yeah. I had to buy a car when I got here. I didn’t want to fly back to Charleston and then drive back here. You like it?” I bought it after I turned in the rental. It was a used four-wheel-drive SUV with low mileage.

“I don’t know. I’d like a truck better, but you might be too weak to drive one of those.”

Too weak? I didn’t know you had to be strong to handle a truck. We drove back to my super-sized studio apartment and parked in my spot in the garage. We still had a two-block walk to get there, since you couldn’t drive in the village. I explained that to Melissa, telling her to use the wheels on her bag.

“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’ll just carry the little sucker.” She hefted that huge bag over her head and walked like she was carrying a feather up there.

Shaking my head at her, I laughed. “You kill me.”

“Wait till you see my moves on skis.”

“What do you mean? I didn’t think you knew how to ski.”

“Well, I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to learn.”

“Um, Melissa, you’re only skiing for three days.”

“Yeah, and by the end of day two, I’ll be killing it, girl. You just wait. Didn’t I tell you? I’m one hell of an athlete.”

That night we grabbed some dinner and went home to drink. She insisted on hearing every single detail about Preston. There were only so many I could share without blowing his cover and that of Caroline’s. I ended up giving her the short version and told her how he’d manufactured a story to save my life. It wasn’t altogether false, but I’d told her the lie to protect everyone.

“Well, let me go and find him and I’ll put him in a choke hold he’ll never forget.”

“You can’t do that. Besides, I don’t know where he is.”

“You mean he didn’t come after you?”

“No, I ran and made it clear he shouldn’t. Then Justin came and told me I should call him, but honestly, I need some time. I want to get past some of this, but God, Melissa, I don’t think I ever will.”

“That bad, huh?” She patted my arm, which made me wince. Melissa’s pats were more like punches.

“Worse than bad. It’s like having your guts ripped out while you’re watching and then having acid poured over them. It’s the worst thing ever.”

Melissa made an awful face. “Maybe I don’t want to catch a man, then.”

“Well, if you ever do, make sure nothing happens to that love. I swear if it does, you’ll rue the day you ever fell in love. I never knew anything could hurt like this.”

“Okay, so enough talk about that jackass who hurt you. But if I ever meet him, Ava, I’m putting him in one of my famous headlocks, whether you approve or not.”

“Okay, Melissa. You do that.” I smiled.

“In the meantime, and since you are currently sans man, I have a present for you.”

I squinted my eyes, peeking at her with skepticism. The last time she’d given me a present, I’d nearly ended up imprisoned as a bomb-carrying terrorist. “Okay, what is it this time?” I questioned her.

“Oh, Ava, you’re gonna love this!” she gushed.

Moving with swiftness that defied anything I’d seen, Melissa tore open her giant wheelie bag and pulled out a wrapped box.

“I see you didn’t try to carry that thing on the plane, did you?”

“Not after hearing what happened to you. I wasn’t gonna take that chance. Here,” she said, handing me a rather large box.

After a deep breath, I took the plunge. What I pulled out of that box, shocked me even more than the monstrous wand had. It was another wand, but the box also held a plethora of other things too.I recognized the usual, such as the penis-shaped vibrator, but there were some strange-looking things I had no idea of what they might possibly be. “What the hell is all this stuff?”

“Well, that one’s a rabbit and you see those little ears?”

I looked closely at the thing, and sure enough, it not only had ears, but a tiny nose to go along with it. “Holy Toledo!”

“Yeah, baby. You’re gonna love those ears.”

“What about the nose?”

“The nose?”

“It has a nose too.” I pointed to the tiny sniffer.

“Let me see that thing.”

She snatched it so fast I barely saw her hands move.

“Well, damn. Mine doesn’t have a nose. It must be defective. Hey, check out the other stuff too.”

That box scared me. I mean, what was I going to do with all those things? I could probably open a sex toy shop with all the crap that was in there.

“Melissa, what are these things?” I held up two fuchsia orbs.

“Those are vibrating balls.”

“What do I do with them? Play ping-pong?” I asked, intending it to be a joke.

“Christ, Ava. Are you really that naive? You can do lots of things with them. You can even do Kegel exercises. I’m just gonna buy you a book. No, make that a few. Bring me your computer. I’m going online to order you some right now. You need an education.”

Damned if she didn’t do it too. By the time Melissa was done with me, I would be the knower of all things where sex doohickeys were concerned. A lot of good that would do me though. On second thought, at least I might start getting a good night’s sleep. I started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” she wanted to know.

Sharing my little joke with her, we both got to laughing. Then she made this mischievous face, and her eyes began to dance.

“Uh-oh. What are you up to?”

“Do you have any Sharpies?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Just let me have one.”

I handed her a royal-blue one, which was the only one I owned. She picked up the biggest vibrator in the package, which was neon pink and shaped like a giant penis, and wrote something near the bottom. Then she handed it back to me. I looked at it and cried out, “Melissa!” Then I dissolved into fits of hysteria. On the bottom of the damn thing, she had written the word Preston.

“Now you can pretend.”

We both laughed so hard our sides ached. When we finally calmed down enough to have a conversation, she wanted to know all about the next day, so I told her. As we kept drinking, we got louder and louder. Suddenly there was a loud bang on my front door, so I went to answer. It was the neighbor, complaining of the noise we were making. I promised we’d take it down a notch. When I got back to the living room, Melissa was pouring us a round of lemon drop shooters.

Great, just what I needed.

She promised we’d be quieter, but the neighbor came back three more times that night. On his last visit, Melissa answered the door, and after a brief look at her, he scurried down the hall, and we never heard another peep out of him.

In the morning, we both woke up with hammers beating against our skulls. I looked at the clock and flew out of bed, waking Melissa in the process.

“Oh shit! We’re gonna be late. Your lesson starts in thirty minutes, and we need to get your equipment. Hurry and get up and brush your teeth.”

When Melissa rolled off the blow-up mattress, I thought I would die laughing. Her red frizzy hair was all mashed down on one side, but the other side had gained the added volume and came to a point. It looked like a reverse tornado.

“What’s so funny?”

I put on a straight face and said, “Nothing. Get dressed. We have to leave.”

“But you’re not dressed.”

“Oh yeah.” What the hell was wrong with me? I was getting ready to charge out the door to go skiing in my pink-and-black polka-dotted pajamas. Not bothering to take off my pajama bottoms, I pulled on my ski pants and socks. After that, I tossed on a bra, shirt, and another one just in case it was cold. I grabbed my helmet and goggles.

I yelled at Melissa, “Are you ready? Hurry!”

I glanced over at her, and she was rolling around on the blow-up mattress struggling to get into her ski pants that were brightly colored fuchsia and stretchy. Apparently, they weren’t stretchy enough.

“I can’t seem to get into these. They fit when I bought them last week. Do you think the altitude has inflated me?”

“Well, I suppose that’s possible.” I grimaced. “There is such a thing as altitooties.”

“Altitooties?”

“Yeah, it’s tooties from the high altitude.”

“I thought so because I’ve been quite bloated and gassy since I’ve been here.”

Lord, save me. “Can I help?”

“Yeah, how about get behind me and tug the waist.”

“Um, okay.”

I sat behind her on the blow-up and squiggled around to get a good grip on the waistband of her pants. It was no easy feat. “You’re gonna have to scoot back a little because I can’t reach the waist.”

“Okay.” She scooted and I squirmed. Just a bit more and I’d be there. Finally, the waist was in reach, I grabbed it with both hands and pulled. She screeched and I yelled.

“What the hell’s the matter with you?” I asked.

“They’re tight!”

“Don’t be a wimp, dammit. Now come on. On a count of three. One, two, three, pull,” I yelled.

“Brrgghruuppp.”

A deafening blast ripped through the apartment, rattling the windows. Melissa flew forward, tried to stand, but fell back. She landed on top of me, squishing me. I was suffocating, so I shoved her with my hands, ineffectively pushing her off me.

“Mmewissa, gettoffame,” I screamed, only it was completely muffled.

Another huge thunderous boom erupted from her, and she heaved a gigantic sigh. “Ahh, I feel so much better now.”

Of all the ... please, God, send me some kind of message telling me she did not just pass gas on me.

She finally rolled over, stood, and pulled up her pants with ease. “There, they fit perfectly now. See?” She patted her stomach, offered me her hand, and yanked me to my feet.“Well, what are you waiting for?”

My tongue was lodged somewhere between my stomach and knees. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to speak again. Her hand hit the middle of my back and gave me a shove. “Aren’t you going to put on a jacket?”

Turning around I punched her in the arm. “If you ever do that to me again, I swear to God, I’ll kill you.”

The utter look of horror on her face should’ve made me laugh, but I was still too appalled for that.

“I couldn’t help it. I was in agony. You heard it. You know it was bad. You should’ve told me the altitude causes gas.”

“Oh, hell, Melissa, let’s just go.” The thought of what ejected from her made me shudder.

I grabbed my jacket and she put her bright fuchsia one on. What a sight we made. She looked like a carnation that had been caught in a nuclear explosion and I didn’t even want to know how I looked. It must’ve been hideous.

We made it to the ski school where Griffin and Marley waited for us. When they saw Melissa, they both turned a sickly shade of gray. I pulled them both aside and promised them lots of stuff. Drinks, food, tips, I think I even told them I would buy them each a new pair of skis. I wasn’t sure. I was still recovering from Melissa’s sonic blasts I had been so rudely exposed to.

Once Griffin and Marley had been comfortably bribed, they escorted Melissa inside where she was fitted for skis, boots, and a helmet. She, of course, wanted hot pink or red. She ended up with red, which went horribly with her red hair and fuchsia ski outfit. Melissa loved it.

We took the gondola up the mountain and started out on the green slopes, but Melissa wasn’t kidding about being an incredible athlete. She really was. By the end of day one, she was already skiing the intermediate slopes and doing very well. Griffin and Marley couldn’t believe it. They would only have to show her something one time and she would catch on. She had no learning curve at all. It was a straight line.

After the day on the mountain, we headed over to Tres Chicas, where I worked, to grab a few chilly ones. I treated Griffin and Marley too. When Melissa took off her red helmet, I thought Griffin’s and Marley’s eyes were going to roll out of their heads. Her red curly hair had been smashed down all day by her helmet, so the top part lay close to her head. The rest of it frizzed out and made a colossal ring around it, much like Bozo the Clown. I tried my best to get Griffin and Marley to stop staring at her, but it didn’t work. Melissa just thought they were smitten with her.

“It’s my athleticism,” she leaned over and whispered to me.

“I think you’re right,” I whispered back. I kept jerking my head at the two guys, but they were lost in the enormous halo of red fuzz. I cringed when I saw Griffin’s hand reach out and grab a chunk of it and just squeeze.

“You like that, don’t you?” Melissa hummed.

“Yeah, I do,” he answered as he licked his lips.

Oh my God. I was mystified.

“You ought to see it when I’ve just fixed it. It’s really something. Isn’t it, Ava?”

“Yeah, it’s something all right.”

The next thing I knew, Marley’s hand was reaching out too. Who were these guys? Who even liked that kind of hair?

“So,” Melissa started out, her voice low and husky, “what’s it gonna be for dinner tonight, boys?”

I was in shock and my brain refused to cooperate with my mouth.

“Ahblabtisy ...” Marley mumbled.

The dudes couldn’t even speak. All I heard out of them was gibberish. Now I was beginning to feel like the third, no, make that the fourth wheel.

“Well, I’m up for whatever you boys want to do.” She winked.

I facepalmed myself. “Um, okay, Melissa, maybe I need to leave you three alone.”

“What? No way. You’re coming with us tonight.”

“Not if it’s where I think you all are headed.”

“Dinner?”

“I’ll do dinner, but that’s it.”

“Oh, I got you. Don’t worry, Ava.”

Since I had a foot in that door, I said, “So where do you all want to eat. We could stay here and eat if you want.”

“Sounds good to me,” Melissa answered.

The guys weren’t saying a thing. All they did was stare at Melissa’s hair. And boobs. She had some whoppers, no doubt about it. She’d shimmy around and smush them together, so they looked like gigantic hot-pink marshmallows just waiting to be squeezed.

“Melissa, you were amazing today. Guys, where are you taking her tomorrow?”

No answer. Just heavy breathing. Or more like huffing and puffing. And some drooling too.

“Okay, guys, look, if you three want to leave, just say the word. I work here and know everyone. I can grab a bite to eat and go home. It’s cool. Really.”

The three of them glanced at me, then at each other, and they skedaddled out, leaving me sitting at the bar. I scratched my head, still trying to figure it out. Here I was thinking that Melissa would be ostracized, but no, she goes home with two guys instead. I mean that sort of creeped me out, but she was a consenting adult and who was I to interfere?

Since I went home alone that night, I decided to watch a comedy movie. Maybe Netflix would have a good romantic comedy. I needed a large laugh, because it seemed like everyone was having fun but me.

I walked into my studio and tossed everything on the table, then went into my bedroom, which was also the living room too. I hit the shower, and when I finished, my flannel jammies, the ones with the pink poodles on them that I had recently purchased, were calling out to me. I pulled them out of the drawer, but when I reached for my jammie top, something unusual caught my eye. It was Preston’s shirt, the one I still slept with every night, hugged tightly to my chest, tucked right beneath my nose, like a baby’s blanket. Here’s the thing. I always, and I mean always, tucked that damn shirt beneath my pillow every morning. The reason being was I was mortified by the fact I slept with the damn thing. This morning, I had been extra careful, even though I was hung over as hell, because Melissa was there, and I didn’t want her to know that I slept with Preston’s shirt. There was no way in hell I wanted to hear her crap over it. So yes, I’d been careful to hide it under my pillow before I had even gotten out of bed.

So, that raised the question of, how the hell did it get from under my pillow to the top of my bed? Did it grow feet? Highly unlikely. The next question was, who’d been in my studio snooping around?

Quickly pulling on my jammie bottoms, I looked around for signs of anything else. Was anything missing? I didn’t have much. I bought most of my stuff after I’d arrived here because everything I owned was still at Justin’s. He’d brought me some things when he’d visited and Preston had bought me a few sweaters and such when we were at the cabin, but I owned nothing of value other than my laptop and TV. They were untouched, so who’d been in here? I hope it hadn’t been some creeper snooping through my things. In the morning, I’d give my landlord a call and find out if anyone else might have a key. Just to be safe, I dragged the couch in front of the door. That bit of extra security might ensure I didn’t have any unexpected intruders during the night.

The whole incident freaked me out and had my heart thumping for the rest of the night. The movie was a wash. I couldn’t focuslong enough to enjoy it. I tried to sleep but thoughts of the creeper and then of Preston prevented that. I chalked up one more sleepless night in Vail.

The next morning, since I didn’t hear from anyone, I just showed up at the ski school, where they stood waiting for me.

“Where the heck have you been?” Melissa asked.

“Well, a phone call would’ve been nice.”

“Oh, sorry. We were a little, um, busy.”

“Spare me the details. Guys, what’s up for today? Double blacks with some waist-high moguls?” I asked sarcastically.

Griffin smiled and said, “We thought we’d hold off on that until tomorrow.” I almost lost my eyeballs with that comment. “But we’ll move to the black runs today. We think she’s ready, don’t we, Marley?”

“Oh, our girl is definitely ready.” The three of them snickered. This was going to be a long day.

“You know, why don’t we meet up around lunch? That’ll give you time to ski together without having to worry about me.”

“You sure?” Melissa asked.

“Yeah. I’ll hit the back bowls and then we can meet for lunch and ski together this afternoon. Name the time and place.”

We decided on Two Elk at one thirty and I was off. It was a bluebird day, and the snow was perfect, not a powder day, but packed and groomed. I made it to the back and did a bunch of runs, but all the while, I had that odd sensation again, like someone was watching me. I’d stop and search, but never saw anyone. I was probably imagining things, so I’d aim my skis down mountain and take off again. That feeling persisted all morning, even after I met the gang for lunch.

After we ate, I skied the front side of the mountain with them, but sure enough, they had Melissa skiing groomed black runs by then. And boy what a sight she was. She looked like an enormous flaming carnation flying down the mountain. I’d never seen anything like it. The whoops and hollers she emitted would never be heard again on the slopes of Vail, unless she returned to make them herself. People everywhere stopped and ogled her. It was difficult not to. She owned that mountain when she skied.

That night, it was just the two of us, Melissa’s choice. Griffin and Marley were still drooling over her, but she begged off, saying she was tired and wanted to spend some alone time with me.

We walked back to my place, and again, the sensation of someone watching me hit. It was freaking me out now, and I kept jerking my head around, hunting for the source.

“What is wrong with you?” Melissa wanted to know.

“I don’t know. I keep feeling like someone is watching me.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. It’s me they’re looking at. I get it all the time.”

“No, I felt it all day, even when I was alone.”

“That’s strange. Do people normally stare at you?”

“Not really. I’m not what you’d call a people magnet, Melissa.”

“Yeah, don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t think so.”

She knew how to make a girl feel good. “I’ve never been one to attract a lot of attention like that.”

“You just need to put on a few extra pounds and that would do it,” she suggested.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve grown out of everything now, several times. I can’t continue this because it costs a fortune to keep buying clothes.”

“Why don’t you find a good consignment shop?”

“I guess I haven’t been anywhere long enough to think about that.”

“So, Ava, what are you going to do now?”

I stopped walking and grabbed her arm. “I’ve decided to stay here. Permanently. I’ve always loved it, ever since I was a kid. I love to ski. I don’t want to leave. This feels like home and I haven’t felt this way in a long time. Well, ever since the cabin.”

She eyed me for the briefest minute and then said, “I can see you here. You fit right in. But, Ava, you need to put on some weight and change your hair.”

“My hair? What’s wrong with my hair?”

“You could do with some curls. You saw how those guys went after me. It was the hair, Ava. They couldn’t get enough of it. They rubbed themselves all over it.”

I held out my hand, palm out. “Please stop. Melissa, I don’t want to hear any more. That’s just too much information.” And it would be something I’d never unhear.

“Well, okay, but I’m telling you the hair is a man grabber. You could go red and curly too. Just think of the possibilities.”

There wasn’t anything in this world that would make me do that.

And she didn’t stop there. “I think you need to dress a little flashier too. You know, grab some attention. When you walk into a room, you want people to notice you. You need to make an Ava statement. Right now, you just sort of blend into the wall.”

My face must’ve looked odd, because she threw her arm around me and said, “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, Ava. I want to help you out of this depression you’re in. I want you happy!”

“Melissa, I don’t think I’ll ever be happy again. Preston destroyed all my happies. I thought he was it. You know, the one. I figured we’d always be together, and I’d never have to look again. I don’t even want to look because there is no one else for me. No matter how many years pass, I’ll always feel this way. So truthfully, I don’t want to be noticed when I walk into a room. I don’t want to make an Ava statement. I want to slink right on into the background and just blend in like I’m not there.”

“Ava, you can’t mean that. At least not forever anyway. Come on, let’s go home,” she said as we walked with her arm around me. I felt like a dwarf next to her, but it was okay because for once in a long time, I was comforted.

The last day of Melissa’s visit flew by. We skied, then we finished early because I had booked a massage for us at a spa in the village. We were pampered and drank some wine and then ended up at Wildflower’s for an excellent dinner. But the feeling of being watched persisted. Melissa asked me about it several times and kept an eye out for anything that looked out of order, but we both came up with nothing.

We strolled into my apartment after ten and sat around for a couple more hours chatting. Melissa thought I needed to open a business in Vail where women sumo wrestlers could come and ski during the winter months and mountain bike in the summer. I didn’t want to burst her bubble, but I doubted there was a huge market for that. Instead, I told her I’d do a bit of research on it. She insisted it would be a big seller. She said we could even sponsor a sumo ski event, where they would ski in their sumo outfits. She did add they would wear helmets for safety. I couldn’t seem to get that visual out of my head.

We both fell asleep shortly after that, but something awakened me a few hours later. I wasn’t sure what it was, so I got out of bed and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. As I stood over the sink, I looked down at the street and noticed a man standing directly across from my building. He was dressed in solid black, but I couldn’t discern any of his features. I could’ve sworn we made eye contact, and he didn’t look away. He was too far from me to recognize anything familiar about him, and he wore a hat that was pulled down close to his eyes. Of course, the first person I thought of was Preston, and immediately felt a surge of heat crawl across my skin.

But why would he be here? The answer was obvious, but too much so. If he’d come here, why hadn’t he called? I’d decided it wasn’t him after all. My heart fell as I realized how badly I’d wanted it to be him. But what if it had been? Was I really prepared to see him? Was I ready to talk? I clasped my hands together and moaned. I didn’t know. I just didn’t know. Yes, I wanted him, or at least my body did. But I’d been so hurt by that stupid lie. Was Justin right? Would I hurt like this forever, because I was more than willing to move past this? I was as miserable today as I was months ago when I left in a puddle of tears. No, I didn’t cry nearly as often, but only because I’d trained my body not to do so. Mere thoughts of him could still bring me to my knees, exactly like I was feeling now.

Finishing up the water, I went back to bed, knowing thoughts of Preston would prevent me from getting any more sleep. My body burned with the thought of him standing outside my apartment. If I had any kind of courage whatsoever, I’d throw on a jacket and run out there right now. But courage had never been my forte, so I lay in bed and tossed and turned the remainder of the night.

In the morning, we loaded Melissa and her belongings in the car, and I drove her to Eagle County Regional Airport. We hugged and hugged when I left, but I didn’t expect the surge of sadness that invaded me as I drove away.

Christmas morning, I woke up and was downhearted by having to spend it alone. I’d signed up to work the whole day, but we weren’t expected to be very busy that night.

My phone stared me straight in the eyes and I had to do it, but my stomach turned at the thought of placing that call home. I wanted to wish my family a merry Christmas, but it would kill me to do so. Mustering up the courage, I tapped in the number, praying the whole time my mom wouldn’t answer the phone.

“Merry Christmas!” a deep voice said on the other end of the line.

“Merry Christmas, Dad.”

“Ava! What a great surprise! It’s so wonderful to hear your voice. How are you, honey?”

“Dad, I’m great!” I said, trying to force myself to sound that way. “I’m living in Vail now.”

“That’s what Justin tells us. You know, Vail is a perfect fit for you and I always imagined you’d live there one day. You always loved that place, even when you were a little kid.”

“You really feel that way, Dad?”

”I really do, honey.”

“I’m positive it’s my place, and I still love it. I’ve decided on doing some consulting work for the Vail resorts.” I hoped I sounded convincing again.

“Oh, honey, that’s fantastic. I’m so proud of you. Oh, hang on a minute. There’s someone here who wants to speak to you.”

Please oh please don’t let it be Mom.

“Well, look at you, Miss Ski Bunny, all fancified out in Vail.”

“Grams! I miss you so much!”

“Well, darlin’, don’t be wastin’ your time missin’ this ole bird. You get out there and enjoy yourself. I know how much you love to ski, so don’t you dare miss a minute of it, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am! Grams, I want you to come and visit me this summer, when all the flowers are in bloom. Will you?”

“Why, you can count on it.”

“I love you, Grams!”

“And I love you, Little Avery! You take care of yourself and have a merry Christmas!”

Then another deep voice came on the line but this time it was my brother Pearce. “Why, Ava, you sneaky girl you. I have to say I’m thrilled you ended up there. That was always your favorite place. You were born to live there. Justin’s kept us up to date, but maybe next year Lexi and I, along with the newest Middleton, will come out for a visit.”

“I hope so, Pearce. Please promise me you will.”

“I promise. Now have a great Christmas and we love you.”

“Love you too. Is Andrew around?”

“I’m handing the phone to him now.”

Andrew, my other brother, told me how jealous he was. “You know, I may come out and move there myself.”

“Really?”

“You never know. I always loved that place too. Not as much as you, but I still loved it.”

“I’d love to have you out here. At least come and visit.”

“How does February sound?”

“Any time sounds perfect.”

“I promise to grab a week off and I’ll let you know the dates.”

“I can’t wait to see you.”

“Same here, sis. Hey, I gotta go. Brunch is being served.”

“Okay, have a merry Christmas. Love you, bro.”

“Love you back, sis.”

I ended the call and was in a much better mood than when I made it. The idea of Andrew visiting put a spark in me. It had been good to talk to everyone, but the absence of my mother made it blatantly obvious that she was still angry. Well, too bad. It was time for her to get over it and move on.

Tres Chicas had been relativelyslow all day, and by seven thirty that night, the last customer was gone. Most people left the slopes and headed straight to their homes or hotels for their holiday festivities. They didn’t spend much time drinking, eating tacos, or hanging out at Tres Chicas that day.

I cleaned up the bar, and by the time I closed everything out, it was almost nine. All the other employees scurried off like mice, eager to get back to their families to begin their celebrations.

Since I didn’t have any plans, I strolled around the village to enjoy the lights and decorations everywhere. Vail knew how to decorate for the holidays. Every tree, shrub, doorway, and window were festooned with tiny lights of every color, adding a perfect glow to the village. It dispelled my sense of gloom for a bit, as I watched fluffy flakes of snow fall softly from the sky, making it the perfect Christmas scene. For an instant, I imagined I was in one of those Christmas snow globes, where everything glistened and sparkled, as it should on this special night.

Completing my circuit of the village, I returned to my building and headed inside. When I stepped in front of my apartment door, two huge boxes sat on the floor. One was wrapped in beautiful, handcrafted Christmas paper and tied with a lovely gold satin bow. The other one was an oblong box embossed with a local florist’s logo. I picked it up first, and it was heavier than expected. I set it on the kitchen table and went to retrieve the second box. It also weighed a ton.

I opened the oblong box first, knowing there would be flowers inside. When I lifted the lid, I gasped. It was clear why the box had been so heavy. It contained several dozens of a variety of flowers. They were positively stunning. The first I noticed were white roses, then there were white tulips, purple hyacinths, forget-me-nots and baby’s breath. My breath jammed in my throat for I had never seen anything so lovely. The fragrance from them radiated into the room and I closed my eyes and smiled. But wait! There was another box. I scrambled to open it and this time I didn’t gasp. I let out a loud cry. Inside sat the most amazing hand-blown vase I’d ever seen. Clear glass with lines of purple and pale pink running down its sides, it was simply gorgeous. In the bottom were clear glass purple marbles to add a bit of effect to the display. I quickly filled the vase with water and then placed all the flowers in it, arranging them as I went along.

As I was placing the flowers in the water, I started to think about what they were and where or who they came from. They had to be from Preston because no one else I knew would dare to send such an extravagant gift. They made quite a statement. White roses meant true love for eternity. I knew that one without a doubt. Baby’s breath also symbolized eternal love. I wasn’t sure about the tulips or the hyacinths, but forget-me-nots had to indicate serious love, just from their name alone.

I dashed to my laptop and ran an internet search. When the results popped in, there was no doubt Preston had sent them. Purple hyacinths were the flower of regret and white tulips were the flower that begged for forgiveness. The whole arrangement told me he loved me and asked for forgiveness at the same time.

I smiled as I stared at it. How could I not? It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever received. No one had given me flowers like this before. No one had given me flowers period, at least not from a romantic interest. I was truly wowed by them.

I picked up the box the vase came in, and it was then I noticed another oblong box and a card at the bottom. I had almost missed them both. The card had my name scrawled across the front in big, bold letters.

Holding it against my chest for a few minutes, I sat there in silence. He’d touched this. He’d held this in his hands and now it was in mine. Was I ready for this? Was I ready to face him and move forward? My body said yes, but what about my mind?

Taking a deep breath, I ripped the envelope open and pulled out the contents.

Avery,

If you’re reading this, then you’ve received the gifts I sent. I hope you enjoy them, but it’s my deepest wish you understand the meaning behind them.

The regret I live with for having hurt you and lied to you is with me daily. I’ll carry that until the day I die. It was selfish and foolish of me, but the past is the past, and I can’t change what’s been done. The only thing I can do is prove I will do whatever it takes to show you I’ll never lie to you again.

I have never, nor will I ever stop loving you. My feelings of love for you were nothing but sincere. You never leave my thoughts, and I only ask that you see me this one time. If you can find it within your heart to talk to me, maybe we can figure out a way to bridge this gap between us. I’ll do whatever you want. But if you don’t think that’s possible, I’ll understand. Just say the word, and I’ll walk away and never bother you again. I’m in town and staying at the Crystal Ski Lodge. You have my number, so I beg you to call me. I only ask for one chance. Just this once, Avery.

Always yours (whether you want me or not),

Preston

I picked up the oblong box and knew what would be nestled inside because it was from Tiffany”s. I slowly opened it and yelled, “Oh my God!” Lying on a bed of navy-blue velvet sat a gorgeous diamond bracelet of the likes I’d never seen. My mother owned a ton of jewelry, but nothing like this. There were too many diamonds to count, but it was magnificent. Sitting right next to it was another small card in Preston”s handwriting.

This bracelet represents my love for you, always encircling you and never ending.

Yours forever,

Preston

It was absurd to think I’d consider saying no. I clutched the letter and box, holding them tightly to my chest, not wanting to release them. Knowing he loved me was one thing. Feeling those words flowing from him was another. My breath huffed and puffed in quick bursts, and I dabbed the moisture from my eyes. What the hell was I waiting for?

My feet scrambled beneath me as I went to jump up. I suddenly laughed at the way I must’ve looked. Wondering if he was outside my window, I ran to take a peek. Not wanting to look like the total loser, I inched the blinds apart to check. He wasn’t there and a huge wave of disappointment hit, making my belly ache.

What should I do? Should I call him? Should I just go over there? Maybe I should surprise him.

Stop overanalyzing this!

Before I lost my nerve, I tugged my jacket, hat, and gloves back on, slipped the oblong box into my pocket, and headed out the door. My feet picked up the pace as I got closer to his hotel. It was only about a ten-minute walk, but I could barely stand it. Before I knew it, I had broken into a jog. That didn’t last too long since I wasn’t what one would call a jogger. I was quickly winded and gasping for oxygen. Spying his hotel in the distance, I slowed my pace, so by the time I got there, I’d be able to breathe again.

When I pushed through the front entrance, I headed straight to one of those hotel phones, but then changed my mind. I texted him instead.

A: Hey, where are you?

P: Room 317.

A: I’m coming up. Is that ok?

P: It’s more than ok.

A: See you in a minute.

With heart pounding, I pushed the button to the elevator and waited for the doors to open.