Chapter Thirty-Six
It was mid-afternoon when they heard the rumble of snowmobiles approaching. Enrique made quick work of putting out the fire as Leigh opened the door and worked to clear a path.
Within minutes, three safety patrols pulled up a few feet from the porch. As they removed their face and head protection Leigh recognized the men. Dear friends from her time on these slopes had risked their lives to come save her. Chris led the pack, trudging through deep snow to the cabin, and helped her push through the large mound making it difficult to see them.
As soon as a path was clear, he swept her into a hug, “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispered into her ear, holding her much closer and longer than was appropriate for friendship.
Enrique banged around behind her, “Thanks for coming for us. We’re all ready when you are.” His voice carried across the surface of the snow and the stillness that encompassed the white wonderland around them .
“Any gear that needs to be strapped down?” asked Allen, her longtime friend. They learned how to ski the same year under the careful eye of her brother. He had been a chivalrous child, always looking to help others. Leigh liked him instantly, and they became close. She was so happy when he asked her dear friend Darla to marry him some twenty years later. They had a fresh new baby at home now. Only true dedication to a friend would have taken him away from his small family and sent him up here into the avalanche danger zone.
“Just my skis and poles. All his equipment was lost on the way down,” Leigh informed him, taking them from Enrique’s hands and passing them to Chris, who then passed them along.
Enrique handed her emergency pack to her, and she started strapping it to her back. Chris quickly intervened, removing it and passing it back to Allen as well.
“Any injuries for Patrick to check out before we get going?” Chris inquired, taking a step closer, filling her space.
Leigh instinctively stepped back, right into Enrique, who placed his hands on her upper arms. She didn’t know why she felt relief at the contact. Chris had been in her life since she was a child. Enrique, she had met five days ago, yet Chris’ proximity made her uncomfortable while Enrique’s touch through layers and layers of clothing soothed her. It didn’t make sense.
“No, he may need some stitches and will definitely need an x-ray of his ribs, but there is nothing we can do for him here. Let’s just get going. I don’t want us here longer than we need to be. The sooner we’re all out of the avalanche track, the better I’ll feel.”
Leigh circled around Enrique to have one last look in the cabin. All was as it was when they arrived, save the open boxes of supplies. Her mesh trash bag had been packed in her bag. There were cold remains in the fireplace, but there was little she could do about that without making a much bigger mess. Deciding it was the best she could do, she closed the door, secured it with the numerical padlock, and spun the numbers to reset the code.
When she turned to exit the porch, she realized that Enrique had been seated on Patrick’s machine. Her pack and skis were secured to Allen’s, leaving Chris’ for her to ride. In addition to the seating arrangement, she noticed that his was the only snowmobile without a back support. That meant she was going to have to sit close to him and hold on or risk being thrown off. This rescue just keeps getting better.
“You’re with me, beautiful. Hop on. There’s a warm cup of hot chocolate waiting for you back at the lodge, but you have a two-hour ride before we get to it.” His smile was broad and genuine. He was eating this up.
Chris offered her his hand in assistance, which she ignored and climbed on, leaving several inches between them.
Lifting his full-face helmet visor, he turned to her slightly from his place in front. “I can’t start until I know you’re secure. Wrap your arms around me and hold on tight. This is going to be a very bumpy ride.” He waited until she did as he instructed, then he flipped down the visor, started the engine, and they were off.
Two hours curled around the back of a man you are friendly with but are trying to maintain solid boundaries while in clear view of the man you are forming a relationship with is awkward, to say the least. The time provided Leigh with ample opportunity to think through her current situation.
She was thirty-two. In society, men had it easier when it came to marriage at a later age. It didn’t matter how old they were when they finally tied the knot, but women were often scorned when they reached a certain age and remained single. People start to wonder if something is wrong with her. Leigh felt like she might be approaching that new magic age that said, “Nope this one is officially on the shelf, keep looking.”
Her personal life had been on hold since... forever. First, it was the Olympics. Getting to them and then winning them. All the while, she was in college, fighting to prepare for her life after the Olympics. Now, here she was, having never really been interested in men as she found them to be an annoying waste of time. None of the men, present company included, had ever measured up to her brother, so they had been discarded as not worth her effort. Enrique didn’t really either, but there was something different about him. He had captured her attention from the beginning. The fact that Curtis loved him and found him to be a worthy friend also spoke volumes.
Still, her life was busy. She was in the middle of a very important period of her life and wasn’t sure that now was a good time to pursue a relationship either. Then again, was there ever a good time?
One thing Leigh knew for sure: whatever she decided, Curtis would support her. He had never pressured her to do anything. Even while she was growing up and developing crushes on boys, he never urged her to get a boyfriend or go out and party like the rest of her friends did. He guided her on the things that truly mattered and always advised her to do whatever she wanted to do when she felt the time was right. Her life was her own, and she chose how she lived it. He was there to provide support. She knew he would be the man in her life as long as she wanted him to be and wouldn’t complain. In fact, he was upset when she moved to Florida, and he wasn’t able to be her handyman and all-around muscle for getting things done.
Now, she was contemplating a relationship with a person he considered to be a best friend, and she didn’t worry about any bro codes getting in the way. She worried whether or not she could do it. Was she meant for a relationship? She had always thought not, but after the last couple of days with Enrique, she was doubting the limitations she had placed on her life. It was amazing how well you got to know someone when you were placed in a survival situation and forced to spend days on end with them. She bet she learned more about Enrique over their short stay in the cabin than most of the people in his life learned in years, if ever. Aside from his brothers and Hannah, of course.
By the time the resort came into view, Leigh was frozen and very much looking forward to that hot chocolate. Then, a long, hot soak in her brother’s massive soaker tub. She longed for home. She would sleep well tonight, tucked in her bed in her old room, surrounded by familiar things. She had no doubt that Enrique would fill her dreams now that she had decided to be open and flexible and see what God had planned for her. Things never went well when she tried to steer the ship too much. This seemed like a perfect time to ‘Let go and let God.’ as her childhood pastor used to say. Her Grandmother would advise, ‘If it’s meant to be, it will be. And if it ain’t, don’t force it.’ There were five days left of this little adventure. Time would tell.