Page 121 of Just Let Go

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “Jaden was right. It’s in God’s hands.”

He laughed. “You guys and your God talk.” He started toward a table in the dimly lit cafeteria. “Mind if we sit here a minute?”

She shook her head and sat across from him. “You don’t buy into all this God stuff?”

It was an important question, and he knew it. Not only because Jaden had told him this was one of the greatest differences betweenthem, but because he could see it on her face. He shrugged. He didn’t want to lie to her. “I guess my idea of religion is a little skewed. My parents preached a lot, but I’m not sure how much they practiced.” But earlier that day—he’d given over control. And he’d felt genuinely free.

How did he keep that feeling once he was back on the ground?

Quinn gave a soft nod.

“I can tell it’s important to you and your family,” he said.

“It’s everything.” She looked away. “I can’t imagine getting through something like this without my faith. I think I’d end up angry.”

“At me?”

“At God.” Quinn met his eyes.

Something inside him shifted, and for a split second he felt like she could see straight through him.

“I don’t think your sister loves having me here,” he said, anxious to change the subject.

“She’s just stressed out,” Quinn said.

“I actually thought you’d be the one who would be mad at me.”

She took a drink. “This is kind of terrible.”

“You’re used to fancy coffee drinks.” He took a sip of his own black coffee. “Oh, nope. You’re right. It is terrible.”

She laughed. “I thought I’d be mad at you too, but I’m sure it wasn’t your fault. It was an accident.”

He stared past her, willing away the unwanted emotion that balled up in his throat. “Maybe it was my fault.”

He didn’t have to look at her to know her eyes were fixed on him.

“He trusted me to guide him,” Grady said. “I just got so caught up in my own skiing, maybe I didn’t give him enough coaching.”

“He’s not a beginner, Grady. He does know his way around that mountain.”

Grady forced another drink down, mostly an attempt to distract himself. He would’ve changed the subject if he’d been able to think of a single thing to say.

“Jaden told me you didn’t want him training with me,” Grady said. “Maybe you were right.”

She straightened. “I’m sorry I said those things. I was wrong. I actually think you’ve been good for Jaden.”

Grady shook his head. “Obviously not.”

“You didn’t force him to go with you. Don’t beat yourself up over this.”

“You don’t understand, Quinn. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. And last time...” His voice trailed off.

“Last time, what?” He didn’t miss the concern in her voice.

He shouldn’t tell her about Benji. Not right now, not when her nephew was lying on the operating table somewhere in this very hospital. And yet... her eyes pleaded with him for one honest moment.

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