Chapter Five
Autumn ended the call and shoved her phone into her back pocket. She leaned her forehead against the wall in the kitchen. The buyer who only hours earlier wanted to buy her ski area had already changed his mind. She had barely said the words that she agreed to Dottie Lucier before Dottie cut her off.
“Sorry, Autumn,” Dottie said.
“It’s fine.” Which it was far from.
“Do you want me to continue looking?”
“Yes, please.” She had ended the call then. If Dottie couldn’t find a buyer in the next thirty days, the bank would take the land and she would have to move out of her house. Losing the ski area killed her, but she had to hang on to the house.
Just that much, please. For Quinn. She had no idea who she was asking that favor from. In the meantime, she would continue to cater to the few guests she had and make this last winter on the Backwater Ski Area the best they’d ever had—as long as it didn’t cost any money.
She put the last of the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. Quinn was upstairs in her room doing homework. Vera, thankfully, was tucked in her room for the night. She hadn’t been feeling well and had retired right after dinner.
The ski slope was closed too. She had managed to get the lift fixed this morning in time for the first run. But she didn’t offer night skiing. Everyone was gone by five.
Now she would pour herself a glass of wine and soak in her tub. She had earned a few hours to herself.
The knock at the door stopped her hand midair over the dishwasher. She never received guests anymore. She had no time to entertain these days. She could ignore it and hope they would go away, but her mother’s door opened.
“Autumn, who’s at the door?” Vera said in her bad stage whisper.
“How would I know? Go back to bed, Mom. I’ll take care of it.” She glanced at her mother in her pink flannel nightgown.
“Fine.” Her mom huffed and closed the door.
Her mother definitely didn’t want guests to see her in her nightgown. Autumn was grateful for Vera’s vanity at the moment. She would be less likely to get involved in the conversation, and Autumn could send whoever it was away quickly so she could soak in that tub waiting for her.
She pulled the door open, and the air froze in her lungs. She could blame it on the freezing temperatures outside, but she would have struggled to breathe on a perfect seventy-five-degree day with not a cloud in the sky.
Jett Ryker stood on her porch. His tall frame and wide shoulders took up most of the doorframe. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his shearling barn coat, but when his gaze registered hers, he tipped his black cowboy hat.
His face was passive and absent of any smile. His dark eyes could stare down a grizzly. He had probably shaved this morning, but his strong jaw was dusted with a day-old beard. His facial hair had always grown in quickly, and she hated that she remembered that.
“Howdy,” he said. “I’m sorry to bother you so late. May I speak to you a moment?”
He was forever formal. In all the years they were nothing more than neighbors, he had not once treated her without kindness. Unfortunately, he had treated her like any other stranger he would encounter. He was always polite. She had wished just once he would get angry at her or allow her to express her anger. But that wasn’t the stoic Jett Ryker. She hadn’t fallen for the brother with a more uneven emotional tilt. Not that any of the Ryker men were ever that emotional. But Jett held his emotions closer than the others.
“Is there a problem?” Maybe his truck had broken down at the edge of her driveway and his cell phone was out of service.
“Nothing like that. I have a proposition for you. I thought it better to speak about in person than over the phone. I couldn’t break away from the ranch until now. Could you come outside?”
Her curiosity was piqued, though she’d be hard-pressed to tell him that. And she would not invite him in. Her mother probably had her ear against the bedroom door, listening for whoever would be at the front door.
“What kind of proposition?” No matter what he might offer, it would be all business. Jett wasn’t the kind of man to show up out of the blue with anything on his mind other than business, even if deep down she might entertain the idea of his proposition being a little more seductive. No, if Jett were ever interested in her in any way other than professional, he would not show up at her door unannounced and proposition her.
“A business one.”
Like she figured. “Can you elaborate? It’s late.” And the cold air was penetrating her sweatshirt and flannel pants.
“Can you come outside? I don’t want to wait to do this in the morning or ask you to meet me somewhere else because I don’t have a lot of time. I know my presence makes your mother uncomfortable. But I’m asking, as a neighbor, if you would come outside and listen to me for a minute.”
And ever the straightforward one. “Let me get my coat.”
She grabbed the old quilted coat off the hook by the door. It had been Trent’s once. She should get rid of it, but it was warm and easy to grab in a hurry. It didn’t smell like him anymore. It didn’t smell like anything except dust.
Closing the door behind her, she faced Jett. “Okay. What’s up?”
The night air was as crisp as a fresh crease in a new piece of notebook paper. It was a lovely night for a sleigh ride or a horseback ride. The sky was clear, and the moonlight drifted over the untouched snow, setting off its blue-diamond blaze. She pulled the coat a little closer, but sitting outside with a hot drink and a fire would do wonders for the stress knotted through her tired muscles. She might have to forgo the bath and come back out here to relax after Jett left.
He shoved his hands in his pockets again and leaned against the railing. “I’d like to rent your ski slope through March.”
“What do you mean ‘rent’? You already send your guests over here to ski. You’ve been doing it for years. Why the change now?” Was he trying to partner with her in some way? He had better come up with another crazy idea because she would not partner with him. That was totally out of the question. She couldn’t afford to lose the revenue those guests brought by splitting it. The money was what kept the lights on.
“The local ski organization needs a place to practice. Their slope closed. You’re in a good location, and the rent would be added income. Every business in town could use the extra money these days.”
Her cheeks heated up. She hoped if they were red, he would think the cold was the culprit and not the embarrassment of him knowing her predicament. At least he had the decency not to mention he knew she needed money.
“Why are you here asking me and not someone from the ski school?” And she wasn’t sure why he couldn’t have called about this. But she was glad he had come by. Even with their tattered past and the distance they had kept over the years, she still enjoyed seeing him.
He was an incredible-looking man with his dark skin and darker hair that flipped a little at the ends. She had always believed he was the best-looking Ryker with his narrow nose and close-set, steamy black eyes. His thick biceps pressed against the fabric of his coat. Working the ranch wore well on him. A sigh fought its way to her lips, but in the end she pushed it back.
He removed his hat and scratched his head. The hint of a smile shifted his lips. “I’m the new coach. It’s the coach’s responsibility to find a new practice spot. Your place came to mind. I won’t have to drive far for the practices. That will save me a lot of time.”
“You’re coaching? I wasn’t expecting to hear that.” Not from the man who lived to work.
“Why not?” His shoulders snapped straight.
“Anything besides the ranch isn’t exactly your thing. You’re not known to have a lot of hobbies.”
“Who says that about me?” He shoved his hat back on his head.
“I don’t know, Jett. It’s just talk. You know how this town is. Anyway, what I think about you coaching isn’t important.” She wanted to tell him no way. She did not need him on her property every afternoon. Living next door was bad enough. Bumping into him in town was more than bad enough. But to have him on the land every day? How much pain could one woman take?
“Will you allow the ski school to come? They would be here every day from three till five. Longer if the daylight allows. The school is prepared to pay a hefty price.”
“Are you the only coach?”
“Yes, you’ll have to deal with me. I don’t like it any better than you do, but we’ve managed to coexist in this town all these years. We should be fine. This is all business. Nothing personal. I’ll stay out of your way. And you can stay out of ours.”
“Stay out of yours? Do you think you’ll come onto my ski area and just ignore me?” She tried to keep her voice from rising, but she didn’t do a very good job of it. This man was the epitome of arrogant. What did he think? That she would hang on him like some groupie? She had walked away from him all those years ago and had not once asked him to come back. Not once.
“I’m not trying to argue with you. I wouldn’t ignore you. Have I ever?”
She crossed her arms over her chest to ward off the cold and to protect herself from his direct attention to detail. “We have always been able to be polite. And I thank you for that.”
“Then you’ll rent it to the school? Name your price, Autumn. This arrangement will be good for you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of overcharging the ski school. Quinn is a part of it. The school is a great opportunity for these kids. Some of them really need it. And actually, they are lucky to have you as a coach. You were a very good skier once.” She dropped her gaze. Looking into his intense stare while she paid him a compliment made eye contact difficult.
“You remember that?”
She remembered too much. She had never forgotten how agile he was on the slope. He could slice through the snow as if he weren’t even touching it. She remembered his tender way with the horses on his ranch and how his face lit up when he allowed something to set loose that laugh he kept hidden. She could still feel his rough hands against her skin. Every part of her body would tingle when he touched her.
“Sure. You were the captain of the team when we were young. You beat Markus in every race.”
“Not every race.” His lip curled up, and his eyes smoldered.
She was pretty sure she knew what he was getting at, but she wasn’t asking. He had effectively ended their relationship. Life had become too hard for both of them, and Jett didn’t or couldn’t get near his emotions. She had tried not to blame him. When they broke up, he had recently lost his brother in a violent crime. But together they had lost so much too. She had needed him then, and he had abandoned her.
“You were the best skier. That much I remember. The school can rent the slope. I’ll send an invoice over there. But a fair one. I’m not doing this for the money. I’m doing it for my daughter who loves to ski.” And might not be able to on this very mountain any longer.
“You should do it for the money. Having extra money isn’t all that bad.”
“I don’t need the extra money.” She struggled to hold his gaze again. She wasn’t a good liar, and she would never dream of lying to him. She might omit a few things but never lie.
He leaned in. She caught a whiff of woodsmoke and cedar and bit her lip to keep her tongue from shooting out of her mouth and licking him. She was a disaster. She still had a lifetime crush on the one man she couldn’t keep and who had never wanted her. How pathetic.
But she had been alone these past two years with plenty of time to think about loneliness and lack of romance. Romance wasn’t Jett’s strong suit, but he was a generous lover. At least he had been.
“I know the money will help you.” His breath was warm against her skin. “There’s no shame in that.” He pulled back, and his warmth disappeared into the cold night as if it were never there.
His words shook her. He knew. Of course, he knew. The whole damn town knew she had failed. But to have failed with Jett’s obvious knowledge sliced her in two. He had been a success at everything. Even though he suffered so much loss, he still had come out on top. And she had been flapping in the wind ever since.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll call the school in the morning. Good night.” She hurried inside and closed the door before she could rethink her choices.
“Why was Jett Ryker here?” Vera stood at the end of the hall with her hands on her hips.
“Were you listening?”
“Hard not to. The walls around here are pretty thin. He didn’t come here looking for anything, did he? Because if he did, you just tell him this family doesn’t need anything from the Rykers.”
“The ski school wants to rent the slope for their practices.”
“You’re going to do it, right, Mom?” Quinn bounded down the steps in her stocking feet. Her hair was pulled up on her head with long strands framing her young face. The smile bursting open made her look like Trent in that moment.
“Mr. Durrell said we had a new coach and had a new place to practice. I didn’t know it was going to be here. That’s really cool. I can’t wait to tell Emily. Can she come home with me right after school? We can grab a quick snack here before practice. That would be great.”
Quinn had that strange teenage ability to speak as fast as an express train without losing the air in her lungs, all the while bouncing on her toes. Oh, how Autumn envied that much energy.
“Were you listening too?” She tucked a piece of hair behind her daughter’s ear. Quinn usually shied away from affection like that now that she was fourteen, but her need to touch her daughter had outweighed the need to also give her daughter what she wanted.
She glanced at her own mother. How was it that Vera never seemed to understand she had a daughter who had needs too? Who had often needed a mother to lean on in difficult times.
“Of course, your mother isn’t going to do it. Montana is full of places to ski. The ski school doesn’t have to come here.” Vera huffed. Probably for added effect.
Autumn needed to intercept any more talk before Vera spilled all the beans on the past. “In fact, I already agreed.” She turned to Quinn. “I told Mr. Ryker that the school could practice here. We could use the extra money.”
“You’re making a mistake,” Vera said.
“It will be fine.” It had to be. Besides, it was temporary. By March, the season would be over, and she and Jett would go back to barely acquaintances. And the full truth was by March they wouldn’t own the slope anyway. But at least she could tell a buyer—should one ever show up—that the ski school had the space until the end of the season. It was the least she could do for Quinn.
“Well, it if were me—”
“It’s not you, Mom. The decision has been made.”
Quinn gave her an unexpected hug. “Thanks, Mom. This is going to be the best season ever. I have to text Emily.” Quinn ran up the steps, her feet pounding on each one.
Vera returned to her room. The door closed with a definitive click.
Alone at last.
She poured herself a glass of wine and drew a bath. When she sank into the hot water, she promised herself she would not think about Jett and how good he looked tonight.
At least she’d stop thinking about him when the water grew cold.