Page 58 of Stuck on the Slopes

Juniper

Rachelwasusuallytheone to run errands, but I had her shift gears to work that brilliant marketing mind of hers. I decided a grocery and errand run was the perfect excuse to stretch my legs and take my mind off the pre-opening stresses for a few minutes. I saved the grocery store visit for last, not needing too many perishables, but I always preferred to play it safe, even though it was cold enough outside that my car could probably double as a freezer.

As I weaved through the aisles in the small mom-and-pop grocer, I found myself in the aisle with feminine hygiene products, ovulation tests, and condoms. When I looked at the wrapped box, I knew I should grab a few. I probably should have ordered these online lest someone see me and blab to the paparazzi. But I was right here, and to wait a few extra days might be a waste. There was no way Rachel got an infinite supply of them at that baby shower.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Once I’d returned to the lodge and dropped everything off, I felt worse than I had when I left. What was supposed to be a mind-numbing trip to the store ended up being more trouble than it was worth. The box of condoms stared at me as I ripped the plastic to retrieve a packet from the box to place in my wallet. I almost felt like it was taunting me, reminding me this was what I got for not going online and ordering a box for delivery the second I had service after leaving the cabin.

I tossed the box in the top drawer of my nightstand without bothering to bend down, kicked the drawer closed, and then put on some extra layers. All I knew was I needed fresh air. Whenever I was stressed and jittery like this, I went to the mountains to let the fresh air hit my face and ground me. Maybe Rachel would join me—though I definitely couldn’t tell her about today’s unfortunate encounter. The last thing I needed was her worrying about how public our relationship could be when we hadn’t defined anything. I wasn’t even sure there was anything to put a label on: in a moment of vulnerability last week, we had sex. Ideally, we’d do that more often and exclusively, which I didn’t worry about too much after Rachel confirmed she, like me, wasn’t in it for a one-night stand.

But I also needed to know what she wanted. After seeing how she handled the VIP cabin situation, I could say with certainty that Rachel wasn’t just a good employee or coworker, but a good person. I needed to know exactly what she wanted before I let my brain think she’d be a good girlfriend. A good wife, even.

When I found Rachel in the lobby, she juggled her laptop and a phone call. She smiled and waved at me, then held up her index finger as she mouthed, “One second.”

I nodded and propped my elbows up on the front desk to stretch my leg as I waited for her. I felt the stretch pass down my hip and through my entire leg as soon as I did. Rachel was off the phone not even a minute later and sighed in relief once it was down.

“And that was the last station I wanted to cover our grand opening,” she said. “We’re all set.”

“Need a screen break?”

“Do I ever.” She closed her laptop.

“Quick hike sound good?”

“Wait for me here. Let me toss this back in my room.”

She didn’t leave me waiting long. Rachel had thrown on a coat I’d given her, a scarf, and a beanie for some extra warmth, and then we made our way out. For a while, the only sound was the snow crunching beneath our feet. During the first five minutes, it was decompressing.

But after ten, I felt like I was going to explode.

“By the way,” I said, “I’ve got a few more job listings ready to put on LinkedIn and to send out to the local sites. Since we’re getting close, it’s time to bulk up our staff. And after that near run-in with that elk, I don’t exactly want to deal with that anymore.”

“You mean you don’t want to be stranded in a cabin with me again?” She scoffed and clutched her chest in mock offense. “Rude.”

I laughed. “As much fun as we eventually had, no, I’d rather not.”

“Can’t say I blame you. We can keep that to our rooms.”

Even though I kept a blank expression, I was relieved to hear her say that. I feared that bubbling up everything I wanted would be too much all at once, and since I was horrible with words whenever it really mattered, it was best to keep my mouth shut.

“In all seriousness, I hope I can pay these people what they deserve and not have it bite us in the ass. So many resorts barely pay their crew. But I’ve seen how much work they put into it back when I was snowboarding, and even firsthand now. So many people think this sort of thing is a fun, minimum wage job with free ski passes, but it’s serious work.”

“I think that’s admirable. If anyone can pull it off, it’s you.”

“Couldn’t do it without you.” My voice trailed off as I looked at her.

She came to a sudden stop. “Did something happen today?”

“No, no.” I folded up my trekking poles to stick them in my bag. The trees surrounded us, giving us a private cocoon from the world. “Just overthinking.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“What I want is to kiss you until my brain turns off.”

She answered wordlessly, just with a smirk. Her arms draped around my neck as she craned up to meet my lips. I wasted no time embracing her, the need to feel her close to my body taking over. This time, I wasn’t sure I’d let her go.

When we paused for a breath, Rachel poked my nose. “Better?”

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