Page 1 of Fresh Tracks
PROLOGUE
TJ
7 Months Earlier
I castmy line out into the rippling current of the river, breathing in the fresh air of the Cascade Mountains in Central Oregon. At the crack of dawn, I’m the only one out here, wading in the shallow waters to fly fish behind my house. It’s practically perfect. With a gentle breeze, birds chirping, the sound of the water, and the sun rising in the distance, I couldn’t think of another place I’d rather be right now.
That’s why I had Clay design this house and why I built it right here on the banks of the river. The city of Bend is the best place to be in May. The mountain nearby is still open for spring skiing, the hiking trails below the mountain are starting to open, and the warm spring air is helping to feed the Deschutes River with fresh snow melt. Out of all my homes, only the one in Wyoming competes with this place as my favorite.
I like to spend as much time here and in Wyoming as possible. I love being by the mountains and river, especially this timeof year. Everything should be great right now, except there’s just something missing.
I shake my head. “What am I doing with my life?” I mutter to myself for no one to hear.
I give my fishing rod a quick flip of my wrist and give the line some action.
After leaving my band, Teal Tigers, almost ten years ago at the peak of our fame, the past decade has flown by in a blur and this is where I’ve ended up.
Alone. Ticking away my time fishing, running a real estate empire that I never wanted in the first place, and getting overly involved in the restaurants I backed with my friends.
Even this weekend, I was supposed to be in Seattle to meet with my former band manager, but I cancelled at the last minute. I guess there are some perks to being known as the flakey rockstar, even all these years later. I don’t know what I want to do anymore and don’t feel like rehashing those details or opening up that part of my life again — at least not yet.
So that’s how I ended up here, sharing my house with the Chapman family and their friends this weekend. When I originally offered to let them stay, I was planning to be in Seattle and they’d have the place to themselves. Instead, I’m out here because my giant house suddenly feels too crowded.
Getting out here is my normal morning routine, but it feels like even more of an escape this morning while my house is crawling with people.
My eyes drift over the river, trying to enjoy the calm, peaceful setting when a snapping sound grabs my attention. I look over my shoulder along the banks of the river but see nothing. It’s probably just an animal rustling around in the brush, snapping a twig.
I focus again on the water in front of me, with the sunrisewarming my back. There’s a light mist from the rapids at the bend in the river and a small, beautiful rainbow forms, arching just over the water.
CHAPTER 1
GRACE
THANK YOU
“I can’t thank you enough,”I say to my friend, Kayleigh, when she sits down on the bench next to me. She pats me on the thigh and we both look out over the bunny slopes of the Park City resort. Sitting here, we have a perfect view of Clay, my brother and her best friend, trying to wrangle a group of kids on skis.
“This was fun. Seeing things through the eyes of these kids reminds me why I love this. I mean really, what are friends for?” she says. I take my earbuds out and put them back in my pocket.
“Still, you took time out of your hectic December training schedule to help teach these kids. I’m pretty sure they’ll never forget getting lessons fromTheKayleigh Jensen, local legend and Utah’s homegrown Olympian.” She shrugs, but I still notice the way her cheeks turn a gentle shade of pink, contrasting her black hair.
“Well, I need a backup plan. I can’t be a professional skier forever. I could see myself doing this someday though.”
Pride wells in me as I remember why she has been such a good friend for so long.
I beam back at her. “If you’re serious, Wasatch Wishes would love to have you. We can never get enough volunteers, especiallyones that the kids flock to like they do with you. You just have to say the word.”
“Definitely.” She smiles softly back at me and I know she genuinely means it.
I started with Wasatch Wishes in my late teens after my accident. There’s just something about it that’s always called to me. I love teaching these at-risk kids to ski, snowboard, and enjoy the winter outdoors like I did growing up. Being raised in a ski town like Jackson, Wyoming, my parents and brothers taught me to ski when I could barely walk. But until I moved to Utah, I took it for granted that skiing was so accessible.
After moving to Utah to finish high school and attend college here too, volunteering made me realize just how fortunate I was. I still remember the joy it brought me when I started volunteering here. After graduating, it was a dream come true to get a full time job with the organization I had spent so many hours volunteering with.
Nothing makes me happier than spending time outdoors and getting to share it with these kids. So here I am, always trying to rope my brother and friends into volunteering with me.
“Seriously, you’re a natural with them. But him?” I gesture out toward my brother. “Not so much.”
We both look out to Clay, who’s palming his face, looking down at one of the kids sitting on the ground making snowballs, taking bites out of them. Kayleigh watches him for a moment before letting out an amused laugh.
