Page 6 of Snowbody

Together, we walked out to the back parking lot. My truck was there, already warmed up. I wasn’t going to make Maddy freeze while we drove down into town.

On the way, we chatted. She told me a little about her time at school; I talked mostly about what I did at the lodge, and places where I saw room for improvement. We both had to agree that there wasn’t much we could to about Melody, but there were other places where we could work together.

She really cared about this place.

We parked at McAdams’ and went inside. Immediately, the bartender called out to me, gesturing toward a table in the back.

They may have been starstruck when I first started coming here, but now I was just another regular.

Maddy and I sat down at the back. One of the waiters brought me my favorite beer and took Maddy’s order. To my surprise, she ordered the same beer.

“Most girls around here drink wine.” I smiled at her over the edge of my glass.

“I’m not most girls.”

She sure wasn’t.

She took a sip of her beer and looked up at me. “So… I know a little bit about you, but… what got you here?”

I bit my lower lip. How much could I tell her?

“Well.” I shrugged. “I started snowboarding at this lodge when I was seven. It’s where I took my first lesson.”

She smiled. “That’s wonderful.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it… it’s really important to me. I practiced on the mountains here every year and eventually started getting attention. Competing. And winning.”

Her eyes were bright as she listened to me talk.

I wanted to look at her forever.

I took another sip and kept talking. “I did the Olympics twice. Silver medal, both times. And then… I was at the US Open four years ago and I had a fall. Landed bad on a jump and ruined my knee.”

Her expression softened. She bit her lower lip, lowering her gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

I shrugged. “It was the end of competing. But I recovered enough that I can snowboard for fun and teach. So, I didn’t have to give it up completely. And your dad offered me a job when I moved back home and was all recovered. I took it right away.”

“That’s good.” She smiled. “I’m glad you can still have fun with it. And that it can still be your living.”

I nodded. “Me, too. I would have missed it too much if I had to give it up.” Snowboarding was what I loved; I wasn’t sure I could have lived if I’d had to give it up completely.

Maddy nodded. “I understand. I wish I had something I loved so much, you know?”

“Really? Well, what do you—”

“Oh, my god, are you Jacob Reed?”

I turned my head. Four girls stood at the edge of our table, all in jeans and cropped sweaters. I groaned inwardly.

Across the table, Maddy sank down in her seat, head bowed.

“Uh… yeah.” I forced a smile. “But I’m kinda eating dinner with my coworker.”

“Okay, well, can we just bother you for a real quick picture?” The girl at the front of the pack held up her phone.

I looked to Maddy. “Do you mind?”

“No.” She shook her head. “No. Uh, go ahead.”

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