Chapter 10
Chapter 1 0
December 31 st
Turning in my ski gear, I slipped into the pair of slippers I’d worn to the gear room that morning, feeling my foot return to full mobility. The stairs brought out more aches and pains in my knees, but I welcomed them, for the payoff was greater than anything else.
Returning to my room, I took a hot shower, thinking of picking up take-out dinner on my way home. I was going over all of the places in my head to see what I had a craving for. Thai? Pizza? A steak salad from my neighborhood bar the joy of the gorgeous views, especially on bluebird days with not a cloud in the sky; the hot chocolate in the lodge is universally hot and amazing; and, the new cute guy I met doesn’t hurt, either.”
I could hear both my parents laughing on the other end of the phone, my mother clapping. “Do tell us the details, Claire! What’s his name?”
“His name is Blake Walker. And he’s the kindest man I’ve ever known.” Saying it out loud rang the bell of my heart. What was I doing? Why was I about to walk away from the perfect man for me? Theo had rattled me, making me think I wasn’t ready for something real, but God was greater than that.
My parents loved every moment as I caught them up on Blake, while I realized that all of the reasons for keeping things from them no longer made sense.
“So, what’s next with Blake? Will you be seeing him again soon?” my mother asked, and I could hear my father agree with the question.
“He’s asked me to join him for fireworks tonight here at the Superstition Mountain Lodge.” I realized then just how much I wanted to go .
“We hope you have a wonderful time, Claire. And we can’t wait to meet Blake. We are so, so proud of everything you’ve been doing to work on yourself and enjoy new experiences. When we get back, you and I will have to take some runs together at Sage Mountain. What do you think, Claire?”
My father asked the question I’d been waiting for my entire life. Turned out, I had to be the one who took the first step rather than waiting on everyone else to take it for me. Anna, my therapist, had been right all along. I wasn’t a victim of life. I had the option of starting anything I wanted, Lord willing. “There’s nothing I’d love more, Dad.”
I had one more happy tear slip through my eyelashes. Looking at my watch, I still had two hours to get refreshed for my date, which I knew I would attend. I thanked my parents for their words and a few minutes later, we ended the call as I wished them well on their New Year’s journey home from Alaska. My heart was full.
**** *
An hour later, I was back at the boutique with Tamara.
“I wish I had something I could loan you, Claire. Nothing that fits me right now would work, obviously.” She put a hand on her baby bump.
“Aww, you are so kind, Tamara. Don’t worry, I have things that might work for you in my closet. I did go through the ‘I’ve given up’ phase many times in my life.”
We both chuckled, only stopping when Tamara pulled out a silky, red dress. We gasped. “It’s beautiful,” I said, reaching for the price tag instinctively. Tamara swatted my hand away.
“Try it on first. Just for fun, if anything. You need to see how this makes you feel before you look at what it costs.”
“Wise words, Tamara. Thank you.”
The boutique manager led me to the small fitting area, unzipped the dress, and removed the safety pin that had the price tag on it. “Take your friend’s advice,” she said as she winked at me.
The dress had thick straps and came to right above my knee. The color was flawless; it made my skin glow and my hair look more strawberry than blonde. Between its sweetheart neckline and the gentle ruching down the sides, the dress was extremely flattering, creating a feminine hourglass shape. As I stood in the dress catching my reflection in the mirror, I knew it was special. I knew I wanted to wear it. Nothing else would hold a candle to it.
“Okay, okay. How much?” I whispered to Tamara as I tiptoed out of the dressing area, back in my clothes. The dress was still hanging inside. If I needed a second mortgage to get it, I didn’t want to feel ashamed putting it back.
“It’s not that bad. You’d spend more on a day skiing.”
Had I expressed just how much I loved this woman? “With or without ski gear rentals?” I asked while she pondered.
“Like, if you had to buy the lift ticket, rent the gear, and buy some cute clothes to wear so you feel good about skiing, it would be under that price.”
My ski pants were over a hundred dollars. How much were we talking? I held up my hand, holding out all five fingers in reference to the price.
“No, no. Not five hundred.”
I held up three fingers .
She smiled sheepishly. “A teeny bit more. But the good news is, I brought high heels too. You know, in case while I was here at higher altitude, my feet would un-swell.”
We laughed, and I hugged her, feeling better about things since looking at my job offer from Blake’s father. I could swing the dress.
*****
When I turned the corner of the hallway and walked into the grand fireplace area, I saw Blake waiting there, hands in his pockets, looking out at the snow that had just begun gently falling. He hadn’t seen me yet, so I took notice of the fondue pot sitting on the square table in the center of the couches with an assortment of fruits and cheesecake pieces. A single long-stemmed rose was lying beside it.
“Wowwww. Well, hello, gorgeous,” Blake spoke, and I saw he could see my reflection in the glass as I entered the room. Spinning around, we walked towards each other, but I didn’t know what to do when we got there. He took the lead and held my hands in his. “Happy New Year’s,” he spoke softly, appearing to be a little nervous. I felt his hands trembling in mine. “I’m so glad you made it.”
“I almost didn’t… But then, I did.” I smiled ear to ear, knowing I made the right choice.
He looked me over respectfully. “That dress is everything. Have you ever been told that bright red is your color? It’s also what you were wearing when we met.”
“Oh yes, that’s right. I was wearing my ski coat out since it hadn’t gotten much wear before that.” I smiled at him and noticed his impeccable outfit. He had changed since I saw him earlier in the day, putting on a collarless shirt with the top unbuttoned. He wore crisp, black slacks and a fitted blazer. I caught a glance of our reflection in the window. We looked like we went together, and I was happy to be there on that unexpected New Year’s Eve date.
“Care for some fondue?” He motioned to the setup behind him, and when I agreed, he led me by my left hand to a seat. Two champagne flutes sat beside the plates. “Champagne?” He held up a beautiful festive bottle.
“I’d love to, but that stuff gives me a headache.” I threw my hands up .
“Same here. I can’t drink it at all. How about some cold press?” He pointed to another bottle on the table. “Just made. Fresh from ‘The Squeezery’ downtown, which I can’t say with a straight face.”
I laughed in agreement, and he poured the colorful turquoise juice drink. “Spirulina, to give it some festivity of its own.” It was delicious and paired perfectly with the chocolate fondue I’d dipped a strawberry into.
“Thank you. This is really fun, Blake—the perfect end to my vacation.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. I wanted you to have fun tonight.”
And we did. After eating a copious amount of fruit and chocolate fondue, two glasses of cold-press, and a few bites of cheesecake, we had a few more minutes until ten.
Blake picked up the rose from the table. “Why do I feel like I’m on an episode of ‘ The Bachelor ’?” He handed it to me. “Claire, will you take this beautiful, fragrant flower I received from the man passing them out in the lobby?”
I laughed and took it. “Of course, Blake. Thank you for the rose.” I breathed in its delicate scent.
“Shall we go to the balcony? We want to get a good spot for the show. ”
I nodded in agreement. He picked up his coat, and it was then I realized I’d forgotten mine. But not a second passed before he put his coat around my shoulders.
“Won’t you be cold?” He was still gently trembling, after all.
“No, your smile keeps me warm.”
“In that case…” I grinned dramatically, showing all of my teeth like I was on an infomercial.
“Perfect. I feel warmer already.” Blake opened the door to the balcony, leading us out. My high heels clicked loudly on the flagstone tile. To my surprise, only a few people had come for the fireworks. Blake must have noticed the same.
“There’s a big party at that bar tonight—you know, where we met for the second time.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t want to go there, then? Maybe I could re-enact the fall in case there was anything you missed the first time.” I crossed my arms and leaned on the wood railing, looking towards the mountains.
“Oh, I didn’t miss a thing. But I knew it would be quieter here, and I was hoping to tell you one more thing that I didn’t get to earlier. ”
“Okay, what is it, Blake?” I stood up from the railing and turned my body to face him.
“Remember how I told my parents that we weren’t dating?” I nodded. “That was missing something. Well... I told them we weren’t dating, yet.”
My heart picked up the pace.
“You see, I’ve never met anyone like you. You make me feel like I’m alive for the first time, not running from my father’s shadow. I may have kept away from relationships, but with you, that is impossible to do, Claire Riley. Truth is, ever since you slipped on the wet tile at Barn Door, I can’t get you out of my mind.”
My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest as he took a step toward me. “So, what part of the fall did it for you? Was it my legs flying up in front of me, or... something else?”
He smiled and shook his head, taking my face in his hands. “It was your smile, Claire. How you held it—you didn’t miss a beat; you didn’t let it faze you. We all fall in life; I slipped just a few hours ago, in fact. Kind of did something to my knee. But you, Claire, did it with grace. ”
I was relishing in the fact that someone considered anything about me graceful, when he suddenly leaned in, still holding my face. “Truth is, I knew right at that moment who I was made for. My soul recognized yours.”
As soon as his plush lips touched mine, the fireworks went off in my heart and in the sky.