Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Kari met up with Austin at four and thought she was skiing pretty well at that point.
The little man was an impressive skier and showed her up constantly with tricks and jumps, but he was patient and cute with her just like his big brother had been.
Okay, maybe not just like. Gavin couldn’t be cute, more ultra-attractive.
She hadn’t dared ask where Gavin was this afternoon.
Though she’d found herself looking for him throughout the day.
The lifts shut down at four-thirty, but Austin talked the operator into letting them go up one of the longer lifts.
“It’ll be awesome,” Austin promised as they rode up the lift that seemed to take forever.
She was checking out the incredible view of the lush mountains and the occasional glimpses of the valley far below, but she was a little nervous.
“It’s not any steeper than Little Falls, it’s just a lot longer,” he reassured her.
“It’ll give you a chance to really work on your turns, and we’ll go by one of the terrain parks so I can show you some jumps and tricks. ”
“Okay,” she agreed. “I can’t wait to see your tricks.”
“I know.” He grinned at her.
She adored this little man and hoped to spend much more time around him and Gavin. “Gavin was too busy to come ski with us?” she finally let herself ask, hoping the ten-year-old wouldn’t see right through her.
“Yeah. He works really hard. But he’ll be ready to take me to practice at six. I’m pretty much his favorite person on the planet and the only one he’d ever take time off for.”
Kari felt a rush of warmth. Gavin had taken almost three hours off this morning to spend with her.
If what Austin was saying was true, maybe she was something special to him.
Yet Austin was at school most days of the week.
Maybe his brother regularly took time off during the day to ski with women from the lodge and Austin knew nothing about it.
Maybe the whole line about poles and coming to her room was a ploy he’d used repeatedly.
Maybe the brooding hero attitude was all an act to yank all the unsuspecting females in.
Kari rejected that stupid theory. Her hero would never be so underhanded.
She rolled her eyes at herself. Gavin wasn’t her hero.
“I bet he loves to spend time with you,” Kari said.
Austin nodded confidently. “All my family does.”
“So your siblings are all older than you, right?”
He nodded.
“Who’s married already, or getting married?” She wished she was staying longer than Monday and could meet some of his family. If they were anything like Austin and Gavin, she’d love them all.
“Let’s see. Heath and Hottie Hazel are getting married as soon as Nick gets back.
They’re in Connecticut right now at one of Heath’s resorts.
Same with Cassie and Jed, they’re away helping kiddos in …
” His face screwed up. “I think Costa Rica right now, but they’ll come back when Nick gets here and get married soon.
Trey and Ella are married already. They’re really smoochy.
” He winked at her. “So just me, Stetson, Gavin, and Nick aren’t married. ”
“When does Nick get back?” She thought they’d said he was in the military.
“Two weeks.” Austin smiled happily. “It’ll be so fun. He gets home at the end of February, and then Stetson has spring break the first week in March, so everybody’s promised to come home and be together that whole week. I think that’s when the weddings are. Hey … you should come too!”
Kari found herself wishing she could be part of a huge family gathering like that. Her family was just her mom, dad, and her brother, Miles. But she had no right to push her way into the Strongs’ reunion. “That’s really nice, Austin, but I’m sure your mom just wants your family.”
“Maybe, but think about this. We’ve got three new people in the family now: Jed, Hottie Hazel, and Trey. I mean, Trey is Gavin’s best friend, so he’s pretty much always been around, but the other two are new. If you married one of my brothers, you could be in the family too. Mama would love that.”
Kari’s heart was beating faster and her palms were sweaty in her gloves. Could Austin tell how taken she was with Gavin? Maybe Gavin had said something to his little brother and was interested in her as well. Oh my. Living in the real world was fabulous and exhilarating.
“I mean, I know you want to be my girlfriend, but that’s kind of a tease, right? You’re way too old for me.”
Kari laughed, but it sounded unsteady to her own ears. “Way old.”
“But if you married one of my brothers, that would be awesome.”
Kari waited, hoping, praying he would say …
“Nick.” Austin’s face lit up as if he’d solved world peace. “Nick’s awesome! He’s so tough but still funny. He’s been in the military for, like, forever, so he hasn’t seen pretty ladies and would be way into you ’cause you’re pretty, fun, and nice.”
“Nick?” she repeated dumbly.
“Yeah, he’s a stud. Will you come back in two weeks when he comes? Or maybe you could just stay.”
“Nick? No, that’s not right at all. What about Gavin?” she blurted before she could stop herself. The top of the lift was fast approaching, yet she wasn’t even nervous about skiing down a bigger hill; she was concentrated on Austin’s answer.
“Gav?” His brow wrinkled and his lips pursed. “Nah, that wouldn’t work. Gav doesn’t date girls.” He started laughing. “Gav dating …” His laughter increased and he shook his head. “No way!”
Kari’s heart sank. Gavin didn’t date girls.
It was bad enough Austin was laughing about the idea of them being together, but he didn’t even date?
That … stank. Yet she was glad he wasn’t some womanizer.
If she could somehow break through that exterior, she really would be special to him.
How could an inexperienced woman like her have a chance with a man like Gavin Strong? Her spirits sank further.
The lift ended, and they stood and glided off.
She followed Austin down the long, winding ski trails.
She thought she did pretty good, though he was obviously waiting for her at times.
Yet her mind was churning with all things Gavin.
By the time they reached the lodge, the sun was getting close to the trees.
That was one thing she didn’t like in the wintertime—how early it got dark.
It seemed earlier here than Arizona, probably because of the huge mountains shading the entire valley.
This place would be great in the summer: gorgeous and a lot cooler than the hundred-plus temps she saw every day in Arizona.
Maybe she’d plan another trip. Austin wanted her to return. Did Gavin?
Austin jumped to a stop, spraying snow to the side. She snowplowed to a stop and then straightened her skis and shuffled over to him.
He put out his fist to bump. “You did good for a newbie. Don’t tell Hottie Hazel this, but you picked it up way faster than her.” He wrinkled his nose. “Probably ’cause Heath babied her, hugging her down the slope and weird stuff like that.”
Kari’s face filled with heat as she remembered the run down with Gavin hugging her. She’d rather be a horrible skier and ski like that any time. “Thanks for teaching me.”
“Sure.” He popped his skis off and swooped them off the ground. “Hey, we have to go to practice, but you should eat dinner with us. You want to meet at the lodge for dinner at eight-thirty?”
“Sure.” She felt her heart thumping fast again. He’d said “us.” That had to mean him and Gavin, right? Austin didn’t think that Gavin would date her, but she still held out some hope.
“See ya.” Austin walked to the lodge.
Kari took her skis off much more slowly than Austin had and carried them around to the ski shop.
She wished she could see Gavin again right now, but a long bath and some makeup would be nice before she saw him again.
He’d promised to come get the poles from her room, and she was meeting them for dinner.
She wasn’t going to bring the poles down to dinner.
If he wanted to be with her, he’d come to her room alone for the poles.
If he wanted a barrier, he’d bring Austin.
Either way, she’d know if the kiss, and any kind of a relationship with that man, was in the script for her.