Chapter Twelve
COLE
Cole blew out a breath as his last private lesson for the day walked away. She had been a handful, and Cole was not looking forward to a repeat of it tomorrow. Sometimes the women who signed up for lessons were only there to flirt, and she was no exception.
His thoughts were interrupted as she called back over her shoulder, “See you tomorrow, Cole! You’re an amazing teacher.
” She giggled, sashaying her hips from side to side— as Cole cringed inwardly.
She took a step onto a questionable patch of snow, and before he could call out to warn her, she slipped.
Lucky for her—and for him—another snowboarder nearby caught her and helped her back to her feet. Cole watched her switch from flirting with him to flirting with her rescuer, and he chuckled. At least it wasn’t him this time.
That was the only part of his job he didn’t like—the constant flirtations from women, young and old.
Usually it was the older ones, caught in some midlife crisis, who flirted unabashedly.
Cole shuddered as he picked up his board and headed for his cabin.
If it was 1 p.m. now, and the Mynt Mingle and Jingle had been at 10 a.m., followed by the VIP Meet and Greet, Aspen should be done with those, right?
He hoped so, but he wasn’t sure. He’d grab a quick shower and head straight to the lodge.
“Stupid water heater,” Cole muttered, breath puffing in the cold air. He should’ve called someone last week when it first started acting up. Now here he was, half frozen and regretting every life choice that led him to a cold shower that morning.
Cole rarely got cold, but rushing like he had left him no time to warm up before stepping back into the frigid air. At least the shower had been quick—nobody wants to stand under freezing water in the middle of winter.
He blew through the front doors of the lodge, the warm air hitting him like a blanket as he stepped further into the lobby.
He knew which room had been reserved for the VIP guests, so he headed toward the entrance, wondering if they were finished.
Peeking through the windows, he saw a few athletes had lingered, still talking with their fans—and Aspen just happened to be one of them.
He smiled as he watched her laugh at something a kid nearby had said.
She was fully engaged with the children, ignoring the adults as they chatted among themselves while waiting for their own kids to finish.
Her eyes met his, widening slightly before she returned her attention to the kids.
Crap. He’d been caught, and now she probably thought he was even more of a creeper than she already did.
He turned to leave, unsure where he was going but certain of his embarrassment, when a throat cleared behind him.
“Hey,” Her voice rang out. He stopped in his tracks, frozen, not wanting to turn around but knowing he had to.
He would just play it cool—no big deal. He just happened to be here, looking through one of the many windows in the lobby, and she just happened to be perfectly in view of the one he’d chosen. Simple. Simply stupid.
He turned around and gave her a wide smile. She stood there, arms crossed, one boot tapping the ground. “Hey… Aspen. Figured seeing you here—what a coinkydink.” He cringed as the words left his mouth.
She couldn’t help but laugh at the moron he was, a cute little snort slipping out as she said, “Yeah. A total, how do you say it, coinkydink. What are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have work?”
He shook his head and stepped closer. “Nope. I just finished up my last lesson for the day.”
She mirrored him, stepping a little closer, her eyebrows scrunching together as she whispered, “Rudolph,” before bursting into laughter.
“Rudolph? What do you mean, Rudolph? Did I miss something?” he asked, watching as she doubled over, clutching her stomach while laughter spilled out.
When she finally caught her breath, she said, laughing, “Oh, we were asked this ridiculous question at the Mynt Mingle and Jingle—‘If you could be a reindeer, which one would you be and why?’” She shook her head, grinning.
“Someone said Rudolph because her nose turns red when she’s cold.
Well, Mr. Rudolph, your nose is oh-so-red. ”
She leaned closer, tilting her head as she studied him. “But why? You don’t seem like the type to get cold.”
She paused, waiting for his response. His hand shot up to his nose—and sure enough, it was cold to the touch. Aspen laughed softly, clearly amused.
“My stupid water heater broke, so I had a freezing cold shower, and then I went outside right after. I forgot, when I walked through the doors, that I had been freezing—hence the Rudolph nose.” He kept his hands on his nose, trying to warm it, and Aspen stepped closer, gently pulling his hands down.
Her hands lingered for a moment before she stepped back.
“I’m joking. It’s not that red… just a little pink.
” She reached out and lightly tapped the tip of his nose with her finger, then stepped back.
His nose didn’t feel cold anymore—come to think of it, his whole body felt warm, even his cheeks.
Now both his cheeks and nose were red, and there was nothing he could do or say to hide it, so he just smiled and shrugged.
“So, you wanna go get some food? You’re probably starving—unless they fed you at your little shindig.
” Cole gestured toward the lodge’s food court.
She smiled up at him, her green eyes sparkling in the glow of the twinkling lights, and he couldn’t help but stare.
He hadn’t noticed how green they were this morning, but now? Now they were breathtaking.
“Well, are we just gonna stand here, Rudolph, or are we gonna get some grub?” Her words pulled him out of his daze, breaking the spell he hadn’t even realized he was under. She gestured toward the food court, and he chuckled awkwardly.
“Sure, what do you feel like eating? There’s an amazing soup place called The Bread Bowl that serves broccoli cheddar soup in a sourdough bread bowl.
Actually, all of their soups are amazing—especially their homemade chicken noodle.
The noodles are made from scratch every morning, and they’re the best. And Granny Em, the owner, is the sweetest old lady you’ll ever meet.
Sometimes she even gives me what’s left at the end of the night, so I have leftovers at home. ”
He stopped mid-monologue, cheeks flushing red as he realized he’d just spent the last few minutes rambling about an old lady who makes soup, while Aspen stood there staring, probably wondering what was wrong with him.
“Sorry. I asked what you wanted to eat and then rambled like a complete moron.” He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like an idiot. Great. Smooth, Cole. Really smooth.
“I was just waiting for you to tell me if she also teaches you how to make the noodles and possibly the bread. With how amazing those granola bars were this morning, I can only imagine the delicious things you could make if you had a master baker as a teacher.” She smiled, her cheeks tinged pink.
“I would love some soup in a bread bowl. Lead the way.” His eyes held hers for a moment before he returned her smile and motioned for her toward The Bread Bowl.
They stepped into line, and Aspen stared at the menu, her finger tapping her lip, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. “Why so serious, Snow White?” Cole reached up and playfully tugged on a lock of her hair, and her eyes flicked up to meet his.
“Two questions. Number one: what soup should I get—broccoli cheddar or chicken noodle? You told me about both, and now I can’t decide because I want to taste both.” She puffed out her cheeks in a pouty little frown and crossed her arms, and Cole couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Easy. You get one, and I’ll get the other, and you can have whichever you like best. Because I like both of them,” he answered. Her face shifted from a frown to a smile in an instant, and he almost hoped she’d throw her arms around him and give him a hug again—but she didn’t.
“You would seriously do that? Wouldn’t it bother you if I ate the one you wanted more?
Chase always said germs were gross, so he never shared or swapped his food with me.
” She murmured the last part under her breath, and Cole wondered who this Chase person was—and why she spent time with such a thoughtless jerk.
“Was that your two questions? I wasn’t sure, because you said, ‘Two questions. Number one,’ with the first one, but not the second. And since I’m only allowed to answer two, I want to make sure I get the right ones,” he said teasingly.
She shook her head and laughed. “No, silly. That was just a sub-question to the first one. I still have one more. Don’t worry—it’s allowed. I made the rules, after all.” She held out her hand, a gesture for him to continue.
“Okay. To answer your sub-question—no, it won’t bother me at all.
I already told you I like them both. Now, what’s your second question?
Or is there a sub to the sub-question?” He was fairly certain they were flirting.
Her hands were now behind her back, and she did this little twist with her body as she bounced on her toes—it was adorable.
“Nope. No sub-question.” She moved one hand from behind her back and held it up with two fingers displayed. “Number two: why do you keep calling me Snow White? I mean, I don’t hate it, but I’m curious. Snow White has black hair, and mine is white.”
“Ah, that. Well, Snow White got her name because of her fair skin. You also have fair skin, but that’s not why I call you that.” He watched as her cheeks bloomed crimson at his bold statement. They were next in line, so he’d have to save the rest of his answer for later.
“What can I get for you both today?” Granny Em asked, a wrinkled smile on her face. “Oh, Cole! It’s you, sweet boy. Is this a new friend of yours? She sure is a pretty one.”