Page 4 of Merry on the Mountain
The other two guys grumble a bit more but ultimately agree as well.
CHAPTER 2
WILLA
Puffs of hot,moist air assault my face as I come to consciousness from a hard sleep. I reach over, patting Maya, my black lab, on the head. My alarm startles me the rest of the way awake. With a big yawning stretch, I swing my legs over the side of my bed and stand. The floorboards of my van are freezing, and I once again berate myself for not installing the more expensive insulation.
Maya whines impatiently as I start heating water for my coffee before filling her bowl with kibble. The swoosh of her tail rapidly increases as I pull out the container that keeps her food fresh and start scooping it up to feed her.
“Hold.”
I tuck my hair behind my ear to make sure she follows my command. Her butt hovers an inch off the floor, but I don’t reprimand her. Yesterday she had a long day of training as a search and rescue dog. I can’t blame her for being so hungry thismorning, especially with her big, brown eyes looking up at me with so much love.
I drop the scoop back into the container and stand. “Release.”
She launches herself at her bowl. Her tail wagging happily while she munches away. I grab my laptop and get back on the bed to go through my work schedule for the day. Ski patrol in the morning and then a few private ski lessons this afternoon. Easy enough.
After I get my coffee made and poured into a travel mug, I slip on some boots and my parka to take Maya for her first walk. She waits as I close the van door and lock up behind us. The RV park I camp at during the winter is nearly empty with most tourists preferring luxury condos or vacation rentals for ski trips.
I love the solitude. The quiet. There’s no way I could ever give it up.
Maya stays beside me as we follow the familiar path into the snow-covered pine and aspen trees. Just weeks ago they were a brilliant yellow, and now they’re a stark contrast between the snow- and mud-covered ground and bright blue sky.
My breath mists into the air as I follow along behind my sniffing dog. She’s smelled every square inch of this trail three times over by now, but she’s just as excited each day. When she tries to take the long way, I have to redirect her back to the van. She’ll be excited once she sees she’ll be up on the slopes with me for the morning.
It doesn’t take me long to put my hair into two french braids and get dressed for work. Before I know it, I’m behind the wheel and pulling out onto the pot-holed road into town. It’s the first sunny day in over a week, so I have to reach onto the floorboard to find where my sunglasses slid off the dash to a few days ago.
The van jolts loudly as I hit a bump and immediately sit up straight. There are no cars in front of or behind me, so I know I didn’t hit anyone. A glance in my mirrors shows no animals or branches in the road, just a brand-new hole I didn’t see coming. I turn my music down and listen to the engine intently, trying to make sure everything sounds good.
Not that I know a single thing about engines.
I got this van from a whitewater rafting guide two summers ago. He built everything out himself, including rebuilding the engine. According to him it ran like a dream and easily had a good hundred thousand miles to go on it.
“That was close.” I glance over at Maya who looks back at me with whale eyes, clearly stressed by the entire experience. “Sorry, girl. I’ll just use the visor for now.”
The employee lot is full, so I have to use the public lot by the resort. At least it’s a weekday, so parking is free. Before I get out of the van, I slip Maya’s harness on; all our ski gear is kept in the employee locker room.
“Hey Willa,” Knox says as I enter the building.
“Hi. Saw we’re on patrol together this morning.”
“Yep. Lucky me getting the two sweetest girls on the mountain to work with.”
I give him a sassy sidelong glance. “Maya, maybe.”
“You have your moments.”
“Few and far between.” I push open the door to the locker room and let Maya in. “We’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“No rush.”
Maya sits while I pull on all my gear. I slip a treat out of her harness pocket to reward her for being so well behaved and patient. She gets another reward when she allows me to slip her boots on. Early on in her training, she wasn’t a fan of wearing them, but she’s grown to tolerate them. It makes me feel better knowing her paws are protected.
The morning is uneventful; we only had to respond to a few minor calls and clear one trail of some fallen branches. Maya spends a good bit of time riding on the front of my skis, something I’ve been training her to do for a while now. She lives for all the attention she gets when she’s on them with me.
I love seeing the joy she brings people on the slopes. Who doesn’t love seeing a dog riding a ski lift or skiing with their handler? Dogs bring happiness everywhere they go.
Her hours of fun in the snow have caught up to her, though. As soon as I bring her inside the employee lounge, she finds her pillow and curls up, falling fast asleep. I busy myself making a light lunch of ramen and baby carrots before I have to get ready for lessons.
