Page 76 of Stuck on the Slopes

“For real?”

“Yeah.” He looked as serious as ever. The Bavarian buildings passed us by, but I didn’t even see them. All I saw was Juniper. “You deserve it.”

“I’d be honored, Juni.”

“Good. Effective as soon as doors open.”

“Thank you.”

“No, Rach, thank you. For everything. You’ve been so patient with me.”

“If there’s anything I learned from my dad adopting all those stray cats, it’s that a little patience can go a long way.”

He rose a brow. “Did you just compare me to a cat?”

“And so what if I did?”

He laughed as we pulled into the Chinese restaurant’s parking lot. “Well, if my mom says any more dumb shit, my claws will really come out.”

“Thank you for standing up for me, by the way. A lot of people don’t actually say anything when it isn’t to look good on social media.”

“She can be really ignorant sometimes. For all our years of arguing, that is a more recent development. My dad and I don’t know where the hell it came from.”

“It can be easy for people to fall down those rabbit holes. I’m sorry to hear that.”

We finally got out of the car, bracing for the Christmas Eve chill. Juniper said, “It is what it is. Know that I’ve got your back.”

His earlier actions already proved that. “I know.”

Chapter 21

Juniper

TheElk’sHeadwassilent save for the sounds of plastic containers popping open and forks clanking on plates. It made me want to grab a chair, shatter the window beside me, and run outside to retreat into the forest of pines as the snow fell in light flakes. Maybe the elk along the edge of the trees would accept me as one of their own, or maybe they’d maul me in the gut with their massive antlers and put me out of my misery.

Either scenario would be preferable to whateverthiswas at the table. Once Rachel passed a container of orange chicken to my dad, he started humming to fill the silence. My mother, who poked and prodded at her food more than she actually ate it, looked like someone shat on her plate.

Maybe someone should.

“So,” my dad said, “you’re both living here?”

There was a pause as Rachel and I both finished chewing our food. I beat her to it. “For now.”

Mom reached a hand toward me, but then withdrew the moment she saw my scowl. “Oh, honey. Do you need money?”

“No, I’ve got plenty.”

“But you’ve been out of work for so long.”

“Yeah, and even with all of this, I saved up more than enough,” I reminded her.

My mother and father knew my years of snowboarding were excessively lucrative, but I never disclosed exactly how much I made once I turned eighteen and took control of my finances. I didn’t take kindly to being treated as a retirement plan instead of as a human being, so while I made sure they were more than comfortable, my money was ultimately mine. Dad understood. Mom complained but ultimately sucked it up when she realized she had no choice.

So, the usual.

“It’s easier for me to stay here with everything going on.” I didn’t bother to correct the shortness with which I spoke. “When Rachel started, I offered her the same since she moved cross-country. Figured it would help her get started as soon as possible.”

“What about when you open?” Mom shook her head. “You really want guests to know where you live?”

---