On the Slopes of Tahoe (Love Along the Way #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Rory

I texted my boss over my first cup of coffee and got the go ahead to work from home. The rest of the marketing department would be doing the same, including our intern Hannah, who I had handling most of our social media the last two weeks.

“Looks like I’m working from here. You’re sure you don’t mind?”

Breck’s head pops up from the stovetop. Please let that be bacon. “So long as you don’t mind us being underfoot while you’re working, you’re welcome to work here for as long as you’d like.”

I nod, walking over to sit across the counter from where he’s cooking, and take another long sip of my coffee. I smile when he slides over a steamy plate of eggs and crispy bacon. Yes!

“Thank you.” I sigh.

Breck stands with his hands braced on the counter, T-shirt pulled taut across his muscled shoulders and chest. I blush, thinking about how I traced those muscles in the dark last night, how I finally got to see them under the light of the lamp early this morning.

Breck clears his throat and our gazes collide, a cheeky grin pulling up his lips. Smug and clearly satisfied to have caught me gawking.

“What?” I say, a little defensive.

“Nothing. I’m not going to complain about you undressing me with your eyes.” The grin transforms into a full-blown smile. He shoots a quick glance behind me. “I’m guessing that means we’re good. After last night?”

He’s confident and assured in his question, but it is a question.

“Yeah.” I smile. “We’re good. Very good actually.” I don’t mean for it to sound sultry, but he lifts an eyebrow as if to ask Very good, huh?

I give him a one-shoulder shrug and he chuckles, turning to gather his own breakfast. Yeah, last night was very good. One of the best nights I’ve had in a long time, and it was definitely the best sex I’ve ever had. The intimacy was like a living, breathing thing between us as we moved together in the dark.

He carries his plate around to sit next to me at the counter. “Should we talk about how this will work? I’ve got Willow to think about, and I don’t want for us to end up somewhere neither of us is looking to be when it’s time for me to leave.” His words pour out fast and, with his accent, I almost don’t catch half of them.

“We both know this isn’t serious. We’re friends,” I say, using my thigh to press against his, wanting to catch his eye. “We hang out, and when we want to do more and it works, we do. I don’t want Willow to get confused either. It doesn’t have to be complicated. When you go back to Australia, we’re still friends and that’s the end of it.”

“I’m not supposed to overthink this, right?”

“Right. This is for fun. Just for us. Now, I need to eat so I can get to work. So, could you be quiet? Your overthinking is killing my appetite.” I knock his shoulder with my own, drawing a rumble of laughter from his chest.

By the time lunch rolls around, I’m mostly caught up on emails and have touched base with Hannah. I had the majority of our social media set to run on auto-pilot, but it’s nice to know she was there to back me up. Maybe with her around I could finally make that trip to see Wes and Joss this year?

And Breck… Nope, not thinking about that.

I shuffle into the condo from his back deck where I was taking pictures of the mountains and kick my boots off by the door. With the holidays behind us and winter in full swing, I’ll need new content to pull skiers and boarders to the slopes each week.

A shiver rolls across my shoulders, the warmth of the space a stark contrast to the chill outside. Willow is at the table with a book in front of her. Breck’s clicking away on his laptop on the couch, ankles crossed on the coffee table, wearing dark grey joggers and that damn T-shirt. Combined with his tousled hair, he’s mouthwatering.

I join Willow and peek over her shoulder. “What’re you reading?”

She looks up from under her dark lashes. “A book about a mermaid. Dad says I have to keep up with my reading while I’m on summer vacation.” She glances outside and giggles. “Doesn’t feel like a normal summer.” Then her face falls and she goes back to her book, saying under her breath, “Nothing feels normal these days.”

My eyes shoot to Breck and I see the blow land. The happy-go-lucky smile that was on his face dims to a scowl and his eyes freeze over. She didn’t mean for him to hear her—she probably didn’t intend for me to either—but now I’m at a complete loss for what to say. She’s so confident and silly all the time that it’s easy for me to forget she lost her mom less than two months ago. What must that be like for her? Having never lost a parent, I can’t relate. Especially considering Talia could still be here, could still be in her life, but has chosen not to be.

Everything about Breck has tensed, and the way he stands from the couch is stiff. He looks more unsure than I’ve ever seen him. I can almost see the place he’s kept all his grief locked up tight starting to crack open. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he says quietly before heading upstairs.

“Can I get you anything to eat, Bug?” I ask, trying to soften the crackling energy in the room.

“Daddy said he’d make me a sandwich when I finish this chapter. I’m almost done, wanna see?”

“Sure.” I smile and sit next to her, hoping that if nothing else, she’ll know she has people who are here for her.

Breck rejoins us fifteen minutes later with wet hair from a shower and a smile firmly in place. I wonder how he got so good at hiding it all.

“Lunch, Willow Bear? Rory?”

“Sure,” we say together and then fall into a fit of matching giggles.

We eat our sandwiches with chips and Tim Tams—Australian cookies Wes and Joss brought over from Sydney.

I swallow a bite of crispy chocolate and grab for my phone that’s vibrating on the table.

Jamie

Ok, so we have a problem.

Me

Okay…

My phone rings in my hand. This must be bad if he needs to call me to talk about it. As soon as I answer, he’s talking.

“I can’t do the shoot this weekend. I’m sorry, but I have to go to San Francisco and meet with my agent and publisher. I’m leaving tomorrow and will likely be there for the week.”

“Oh—oh-kay. There’s no way you can be back in time?”

“I wish I could. They’ve got me scheduled for meetings all week and a last-minute signing this weekend. I’m sorry, Rory, I can email the couple and take the heat for having to cancel.”

“I guess that’s our only option. I can’t exactly take pictures of a wedding if there’s no one to officiate it.” I scrub a hand across my face, using my thumb and middle finger to press into my temples. I can feel a headache coming on. Letting a couple down this way is going to send my people-pleasing heart into a death spiral. Plus, I was really looking forward to this shoot.

Attuned to his energy and warmth, I feel Breck beside me before his fingers make contact with my wrist, drawing my attention to him. He’s pointing at his chest, a questioning look on his face.

Can I do it? he mouths.

I scrunch my eyebrows as my brain hums with the possibility. Yes, he can do it. He got ordained to do Wes and Joss’s wedding. But does he really want to?

“Rory?” Jamie says through the phone. I almost forgot about him for a second.

“Uh, hang on a sec,” I say, and move the phone away from my mouth. “Are you sure you want to?” I ask Breck, and he nods.

“I told you I would.”

“Yeah, but that was when you were talking about the business side of things, not about officiating the ceremonies.”

“I’m happy to help however I can.”

Gratitude wells inside me, and it’s about to spill over and force me to hug this beautiful man.

“Rory?” Jamie says again.

“Sorry. I’m here. Okay, new plan. We don’t have to cancel. Breck’s going to officiate.”

“Seriously? That’s generous of him. Tell him thanks. I hate the thought of leaving you high and dry.”

“I will, and I get it, Jamie. This isn’t your real job. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, yet here we are.”

“Here we are. I really do love doing it with you, but I can’t miss these meetings.”

“I know. It’s fine. I promise. We have it covered.” I glance up and bite back a smile. That we sounded way too good and came out way too easily. Reel it in, Rory, reel it in.

Jamie continues, oblivious to the fact that I’m only half paying attention to him. “Well, I better get packed. I also need to figure out how to get my Defender out of the two feet of snow it’s buried in. You okay after the storm?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I was at Breck’s when the power went out so I hunkered down here.” Those tingles erupt again at the memories.

“Oh yeah…?” Jamie drawls. I can almost hear him waggling his eyebrows through the phone.

“Yeah,” I snip. “Talk to you later, okay?”

“You better. If you’re finally getting out of your slump I—”

I cut him off. “Bye, Jamie.” I hang up and press the phone to the table, willing my face to cool. God, that man. I blow my breath out in a huff only to find Breck silently shaking with laughter. I smack him with the back of my hand.

“What’s so funny, Daddy?” Willow says, glancing between us.

“Nothing, sweetheart. Want to go play in the snow?”

“Yes!” Jumping up, she knocks the table and sends my coffee sloshing over the lip of my mug. Luckily it misses my laptop… and Breck’s.

“Oops.” She covers her eyes with both hands.

“Grab a towel and help me clean this up.” He’s gentle but firm. “And apologize to Rory, please.”

“Sorry, Rory,” she says, quiet and timid.

“It’s okay, Bug. Accidents happen.”

She slips in next to me to mop up the coffee and asks, “Will you come play outside with us?”

“I’ve got a few more things I need to finish up for work, but if you’re still out there when I’m done, I’m all in.”

“Okay!” She runs off in the direction of the laundry room with the damp towel, and then up to her room to get ready.

“I didn’t mean to insert myself into your time. I can go home after I finish up here. The sidewalks are mostly cleared now I think.”

“We need to work out the details for this weekend, right?”

“Yeah, I guess we do. I don’t want to impose though.”

“You’re not imposing. You’re invited.” He leans down close, breath coasting against my ear. “Wanted.”

My breath catches in my chest, awakening something deep inside me.

What have I gotten myself into?