“Not sure,” Pete said. “I have to go to Portland on Monday, and I have a deadline tomorrow night. I think Aaron wants to ski first tracks then leave in the afternoon.”
Cassidy wondered if Pete was traveling to Portland for a story. “If you want, I can give you a ride home in the morning,” she said before she could stop herself.
He glanced at her, and their eyes locked. “You sure? It’s out of your way. You would have to drive up here from the cabin in Glacier to get me,” he answered.
“It’s only a few miles,” she said. “Plus, then I could meet Ginny.”
Pete grinned. “She is a beauty,” he agreed.
As they approached the top of the chairlift, the din of the machinery turning the lift hummed louder, making conversation impossible. After gliding down the ramp, Cassidy followed Pete to the backside of the ridge, where the snowy valley yawned below them. A metallic ribbon from the hidden sun shone from the underside of the cloud cover, casting a warm glow over the freshly coated slopes.
Cassidy removed her goggles to take it all in, shivering a little as the sweat from her all-day exertion cooled on her skin. To her right, she noticed the ski patrol hut and collection of poles and skis parked outside. No doubt the patrollers were resting up before completing their final sweep of the mountain after the lifts closed.
“You okay?” Pete asked.
Cassidy was pulled back to the present, and paused to wrangle the rush of emotions crowding into her thoughts. “I thought . . . ” She took in the view, hoping the beauty and strength of the mountains would fortify her. “I thought, when you didn’t show, that something might have happened to you.”
His expression softened. “I’m sorry I put you through that.”
“It’s not your fault,” she replied. “It’s just where my brain went.”
“From now on let’s make sure we don’t get separated. Unless, of course, you want to get rid of me.” His eyes flashed with playfulness.
Cassidy gave him a look. “Why would I want to get rid of you?”
“Because my feet stink.”
Cassidy laughed hard. “What?”
“It’s true. After my feet have been in ski boots all weekend, I can clear a room.”
Cassidy wrinkled her nose. “Hmm, maybe I won’t be giving you a ride home tomorrow.”
“See?” Pete said. “It’s just a matter of time before you discover all of my quirks.”
Cassidy squinted at him as her stomach fluttered. She felt a powerful tug, as if an invisible rope was pulling her steadily towards some thrilling yet terrifying unknown.
He leaned to her, and she closed her eyes as his kiss touched her lips. Her whole body filled with warmth. The kiss continued, making her blood pound. A craving to be with him soared through her.
He pulled back and smiled. “Ready?” he asked.
“Ready,” she replied.
The next morning Cassidy pulled her car to a stop next to the RV Pete had described as “the ugliest hunk of metal in the parking lot.” It was true: Ginny’s tan, rectangular-shaped mass was adorned with poo-brown stripes, rust stains, and a colorful line of bumper stickers crowding the back window with sayings like: “Jesus is coming . . . look busy” and “I believe in unicorns.” Steam billowed from the vent in the roof.
During the night, the gentle snowstorm turned windy, depositing another six inches of snow. Even though the conditions would not be as enjoyable as the previous day, Cassidy longed to ski these first few morning hours. However, she needed to get home.
The RV door opened and a beacon of light shone from inside. Cassidy caught a glimpse of Ginny’s interior: a tan couch, a stovetop, fake wood cupboards. Pete poked his head through the doorway, a cup of something steaming in his hands.
Cassidy’s skin tingled. She rolled down her window.
“Coffee?” he asked her, grinning. He wore Levis, fur-lined Sorel boots, and a forest-green puffy coat patched with duct tape that made his arms look like the Michelin Man’s.
“Sure,” she called out, then met Pete halfway to the RV. The cold air swirled around them. Her heart tapped high and fast in her chest.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” she replied. They stood close, the energy between them crackling. All the way down the mountain the day before she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him, and scenes from their day had replayed like a slide show in her mind as she tried to fall asleep. This morning, she had practically jumped out of bed to pack up and make the drive to meet him.
He leaned forward ever so slightly, and the sensation of falling gently toward him took over.
Aaron appeared at the RV door. “Coffee’s ready!” he sang.
Startled, Cassidy jumped back.
Pete turned to him, and Cassidy caught the look of mild annoyance on his face. “Why, thank you, Aaron.”
Aaron blinked. “You’re so welcome,” he replied, then disappeared inside.
Pete exhaled, his smile a playful half-grin that flipped her stomach inside out. “Would you like the tour?” he asked her.
“Absolutely,” she replied.
Pete took her hand, and the sudden contact from his touch sent a rush of energy through her. He led her up the stairs.
After the tour, with a cup of piping-hot coffee in her mug and Pete settled in the passenger seat next to her, Cassidy cruised to the end of the parking lot and turned down the twisty mountain road. She let him pick the music, then they listened to an episode of a podcast she had downloaded. The tension of the missed kiss in the parking lot seemed to hover in the air, and Cassidy fought the urgency to speed home. At a rest area where they stopped for a stretch and a bathroom break, Pete offered to drive so she could work. Cassidy jumped at the opportunity, and so pulled out her stack of Geology 101 labs from her bag. When she removed her down coat, she caught Pete checking
