Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
I t’d been ages since Dallas had driven to the local ski lodge.
Since he spent most of his time in Bozeman, he typically just kept it local. He’d almost forgotten how much he loved this long, winding drive.
With the postcard-worthy overlooks and the sweeping expanse of trees, the trip to the mountain was perfect. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so content. So satisfied. Or…
He glanced to his left.
Maybe this feeling had more to do with the woman in the passenger seat than the epic views.
Ronnie met his gaze and gave him a small smile. “Have you kept up with your snowboarding?”
He grinned. “If you’re asking if I’m as good as I was in high school, which is probably the last time you and I went up here together…” He arched his brow. “Probably not.”
She laughed. “At least you’re honest.”
“Hey, not all of us made it our profession, okay? But don’t worry about me. Antony and I go at least a few times every winter. I’ll hold my own just fine.”
She half turned in her seat, her eyes sparkling more than the snow that topped the mountains around them. “So you’re not gonna challenge me to a competition today?”
He scoffed. “Well, I didn’t say that .”
Her little snort of amusement was so Ronnie…and so cute.
“But hey,” he continued, “maybe I’d do okay if you’re anywhere near as hungover as Giselle and Bailey this morning.”
Ronnie shot him a sidelong look. “They barely drank anything.”
He lifted a shoulder. “That’s the thing. They rarely drink, so when they do have a couple of glasses…they pay for it. Same with Willow.” He frowned, remembering what Bailey had told him that morning. “I can’t believe they let her stay out after they left.”
“She was going to stay at one of Margot’s friends’ houses. She’s fine,” Ronnie reminded him.
He shifted in his seat. “Yeah. I guess. It’s just…hard not to think of her as a kid, you know?”
“Oh, I know.” Ronnie’s tone was full of laughter. “But just wait until you’re helping to pay for her wedding and planning her honeymoon. Then you won’t be able to ignore the fact that your baby sis is all grown up.”
Dallas laughed. “Sounds like someone’s speaking from experience.”
“Maybe just a little.” She shrugged.
They shared a look, and then they both burst out laughing. The song that’d been playing came to an end, and Dallas nodded toward his phone. “Your turn to pick the next one.”
“Ugh, thank goodness.” Ronnie snatched up the phone. “I can’t handle any more country.”
Dallas smirked. He’d picked that last one because he’d had a feeling it would bug her.
They’d been taking turns playing DJ—something he hadn’t even thought to do when he’d driven with Loretta. If she’d had an opinion on what music they listened to, he’d never heard it.
He shifted in his seat again as he took a wide turn onto an even narrower winding road.
Maybe that was his fault. Maybe he hadn’t asked for her opinion. Or…maybe he’d made it so she didn’t feel comfortable going up against him.
Which…made him feel lousy just thinking about it.
“What’s with you?” Ronnie asked. “Dude, if you’re still worrying about Willow…”
“No, no, it’s not that. Just…thinking.”
Ronnie pressed Play, and an upbeat pop song started.
“Mysterious,” she teased.
He chuckled.
“Wanna talk about whatever has you frowning like that?” she asked.
He shook his head, then shot her a sidelong look. “Only if you want to talk about your skeletons in the closet.”
“Eh…” She pretended to think it over. “Hard pass.”
“Fair enough. And probably for the best.” As he spoke, the sign for the lodge came into view. “Since we’re here.”
It didn’t take long for them to unload their gear and get suited up. Ronnie went through the motions like a pro.
“Because I am a pro,” she was quick to point out with a laugh when he commented on it.
Soon enough, they were off to the slopes.
He breathed in the fresh, cold air as they rode the ski lift to the top of the mountain. “Man. I don’t know why I don’t do this more often. I love it up here.”
“Mmm.” Her agreement was oddly ambiguous. But when he looked over, he saw that she was smiling and taking deep breaths as she looked around at the spectacular view. “I missed this place.”
“Is this where you learned to snowboard?”
She nodded. “We couldn’t afford the big ski places in Bozeman or Big Sky, so for a long time, this is all I knew.”
He turned to face her. “And now that you’ve skied all the biggest and best slopes around the world?”
Her smile faltered a bit, but her eyes were still bright with excitement. “I’m still happy to be back here. Really happy. Thanks for coming with me.”
He nodded, suddenly caught off guard by the simple sincerity of the moment. “Of course.”
And then they were at the top, and she was darting off before he’d even finished fastening his second strap. “Hey, wait up!”
Her laughter reached him on the wind. “Catch me if you can, Cowboy!”
He grumbled about the nickname as he got off to a slow start. But he was grinning broadly as he picked up his pace, the movements coming back like they always did at the start of a new season.
Like riding a bike.
But so much more fun.
And the next few hours were a blur of zigzagging races down the hill, and then mogul jumps, and black diamonds. Despite his earlier claim that he wouldn’t try to compete—he couldn’t help himself.
And she so clearly thrived on it.
Between the adrenaline rush and the excitement of sparring with her…and laughing with her…and just talking to her on their rides up the ski lift…
This was turning out to be one of the best days Dallas could remember.
Until their last run of the morning.
Ronnie was ahead of him, and Dallas didn’t know what happened, but one minute she was cruising with her usual charisma, and the next she was hitting the snow with a hard thwack , then sliding on her back toward a clump of trees.
“Ronnie!” Dallas winced, watching her body jolt to a brutal stop at the edge of the tree line.
They’d both had their fair share of spills on the slopes, but this…
This time she didn’t get up right away, and Dallas picked up his pace, worry coursing through him as he caught up with her.