Wishing he had picked her up at the ranch, Ty waited for Hayley outside the entrance to Teton Village Sports, at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
He glanced at his watch. She was only fifteen minutes late, so he shouldn’t worry. The snow had stopped falling in the lower elevations and the roads had turned to slush. Besides, Hayley was a big girl and had grown up in this town. Lived here longer than Ty had.
A few cars, trucks, and utility vehicles steered into the parking lot, but none Ty recognized. A steel-gray dually pulled around the front, and the girl in the passenger seat waved.
“Hayley?” Ty opened the door for her.
Ty stiffened when her father climbed from the driver’s side and hiked around the grill of his truck.
The man adjusted his baseball cap and glanced around. Then he turned his attention on Ty. “Didn’t want Hayley driving in this. Figured I’d run a few errands in town then come back to pick her up. How long will you be?”
Technically, Ty should have been working today, and technically he was—giving a private lesson. But he’d had every intention of making today special.
Having her father inserting himself into the mix put a damper on things. But maybe Ty was trying too hard. Pushing too fast. Likely he’d ruin the friendship he had with Hayley, if he wasn’t careful.
“A few hours, actually. We have to get her ski gear and rent boots and skis, and then”—Ty cleared his throat, uncertain if he should add the last part—“then I thought I’d take Hayley to dinner. So I’m happy to bring her home. But … you’re welcome to join us for something to eat later.” Ty hoped the man would turn that offer down.
“Oh, that sounds fun, Ty.” Hayley’s eyes sparkled.
Which part—where they ate alone? Or where her father joined them? Ty waited for her father’s answer, though, because it seemed like he was commander-in-chief.
The man studied Ty without a hint of a smile. What was he thinking? Ty had a feeling that her father suspected Ty had a romantic interest in her. Maybe he wasn’t worthy of Hayley Covington, but maybe … maybe he could get there. Meeting her had definitely changed his perspective on life. He could see that God had in fact answered his prayer that morning—giving him direction. Or more like sense that he needed direction.
He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew he was heading somewhere, and he’d let God be in the driver’s seat.
“Daddy?” Hayley spoke up, when her father didn’t answer. “Ty will bring me home. I don’t want you to have to wait around. And I don’t want to have to rush, either, okay?”
The man grumbled something unintelligible and moved around his big manly truck. “You.” He pointed at Ty. “Be careful with my daughter. Call me when you’re headed out to the ranch, Hayley.”
“I will,” she said. “I love you.” She smiled at her father and waved as he drove away and then her lips flattened.
She blew out a breath and looked at Ty. “Sorry about the third degree. It’s like I’m sixteen or something, going on a first date, only this wasn’t a …” Hayley’s blue eyes, accented by the white stuff behind her, searched his gaze. “Was it? I mean, dinner and … Oh, Ty, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put pressure on you.”
He hadn’t known whether or not she thought about him like that. A person can only suspect that someone else feels the chemistry, but they can’t know until words are said or kisses are shared. “I’ll never tell.”
She laughed. “Oh, you. Now I feel—”
“Don’t.” He grabbed her gloved hand and squeezed. Even though he couldn’t feel her soft skin against his, holding her hand lit a million candles inside his chest. “Let’s have fun today.”
The next hour they spent in the sports shop buying ski clothes and renting the boots, skis, and poles. No point in buying those until she knew she wanted to do this again. After they geared up, Ty led her outside to a level area to give her the basic skiing instructions, then he showed her the moves in a place where she could practice before they tried the green slope for beginners.
Hayley fell down a few times, and Ty helped her up, but that was to be expected.
She tugged her goggles over her head. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to get this. You’re not disappointed, are you?”
“Disappointed? Are you kidding me? You’re doing great, and in fact, I think it’s time to take the lift.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Oh wow, I’ve always wanted to do that. But I … just never did.”
Yeah. Ty had his own tale of just never did. “Then let’s go.”
They rode the ski lift to where the beginner’s slope began then slid off at the right moment. At the top of the ski run, Ty positioned himself next to Hayley. “You can do this, just take it slow and easy, and stop if you need to. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Thanks.” Hayley held his gaze for a few seconds longer than necessary.
Was Ty reading too much into that? She pulled her goggles down over her eyes and pushed off with her poles. She took off a little too fast, and since Jackson was considered one of the most vertical slopes in the continental United States, maybe even the green was too hard.
Hayley screamed as she skied.
Ty yelled at her to throw her skies into a wedge, which would stop her.
But she just kept skiing faster.
Ty yelled for her to drop on her backside. If nothing else, that would bring her to a stop.
Finally, she fell, and Ty skied up to her. He tugged off his sunglasses. “Are you okay?”
Breathless, she looked up at him and grinned. “That was awesome!”
“You scared me to death.” Ty gasped, trying to calm his racing heart. “You’re some kind of crazy, Hayley Covington.”
Hayley finished the ski run and went back for more.
She and Ty laughed and talked as they rode the ski lift, and he showed her all the other green runs. She hoped to advance enough before the season ended to try the intermediate, but he cautioned her. She wouldn’t worry, she had Ty Walker as a ski instructor, didn’t she?
At the bottom of the slope, on their last run, Hayley could feel the endorphins kick in, just like if she’d gone jogging, or after an exhilarating ride on her horse. She followed Ty to take off her boots and return her skis.
“No wonder Daddy never let me ski,” she said. “He knew I’d get addicted and wouldn’t have time for the ranch.”
Ty helped her get out of the jacket she’d gotten tangled in. “Well then, I sure hope he doesn’t hold that against me,” he said. “Of course, he’ll know your new evil vice is because I’m a bad influence.”
When Hayley turned, he was oh, so close. Hayley could have kissed him at that moment, and the thought took her breath away. It seemed a natural next step, but they were in a public place. Ty hadn’t exactly said they were on any kind of date. But he just stood there and stared down at her. Was he thinking the same thing?
“Are you ready?” he asked. His voice cracked a little.
For you to kiss me? “For what?” she asked.
“To eat. I know the perfect place.”
“Yes, I’m famished.”
Ty took her to a wonderful restaurant featuring international cuisine instead of Bubba’s Barbeque—which she loved—but she and Daddy went there far too often. This was a seriously high-end place. A fire blazing in the fireplace—and suddenly Daddy’s words came back to her:
“All it takes is a little kindling to start afire blazing.”
She had a feeling she knew what he meant. She’d met Ty in the art gallery only a few weeks ago, and from the moment she’d met him, they’d connected. Felt comfortable together. Enjoyed each other’s company. Hayley found herself thinking about him a lot, thinking about something more than friendship. But did he feel the same way?
Ty sat across from her, his gaze penetrating. “What are you thinking about?”
“You said you wanted to teach me to ski, and I wasn’t expecting all”—she gestured to the ambience—“this.”
Hayley couldn’t hold his gaze any longer and wished she’d kept that to herself. If they were to be more than friends, how did they go there? Was it even a good idea?
“I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable choosing this place,” he said.
“No, not at all.”
“Earlier, you mentioned that this wasn’t a date, and then you asked if it was.”
“Right. You said you’d never tell.”
He grinned, one cheek lifting into multiple dimples. “If I had asked you on a real date, what would you have said?”
He kept the tone light and fun—that was who Ty was—but she understood the serious nature of his question.
“Yes.” She swallowed. “I would have said yes.”
“Well then”—he swirled the water in his glass—“what do you say we make this a real date?”
She smiled, feeling that tingling over her skin again. “I think you know the answer to that.”
He leaned forward. “I want to hear you say it.”
His question and demeanor seemed out of character. But Hayley decided that she liked it. She liked it a lot. But then Daddy’s other words came back to her—the words that warned her of guys who only wanted her to get to the ranch and her money.
“Yes, I want this to be a real date.”
Leaning back, he smiled. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” She looked at the waiter, who finally appeared with the dishes they’d ordered.
Once he’d left, Hayley cut into her steak and savored the tenderness. “What did you want to ask me?”
“You’re a beautiful girl, Hayley. And you have a rich history here … and I’m just … Why aren’t you with someone? Why aren’t you already married? I guess what I’m really asking is what are you doing here with me? Why would you want to be on a date with me? The local ski bum?”
Hayley heard both the accusation and the insecurities in his question. She liked his honesty—that he was transparent. She sensed he didn’t want to play games. Neither did she.
An ache burned behind her eyes. “I don’t know, Ty. There was someone once. But things didn’t work out. I think maybe, I think … Daddy ran him off. Daddy was scared Ray was only after me to get at the ranch. And in turn, Ray didn’t want to deal with my intimidating father. But you … I don’t know. When I met you, you didn’t treat me like you were on the hunt and I was the treasure.”
Ty didn’t say anything, just studied her as if considering her words. Measuring his own. Then finally—“I hope with dinner tonight, I haven’t been too forward. That I haven’t ruined our friendship.”
“You haven’t.” Ray sure hadn’t taken an interest in Hayley’s pottery like Ty had. Maybe he hadn’t cared about her, after all. Maybe Daddy had been right and Ray had only been after the ranch and money, though without liquidating the ranch, there was no real money.
An awkward silence grew between them. Hayley wondered if she’d scared Ty off all by herself. “So tell me about yourself,” she said.
“What would you like to know?”
“I know about your grandmother, but what about the rest of your family. What brought your family to Jackson?”
Fair enough question, without probing too deeply, she hoped. But the evening was suddenly turning serious, and Hayley wished they could rush back to the slopes. Back to the laughter and smiles.
“My parents are in Texas. We’d come to Jackson to see Nanna—my grandmother—for the holidays or vacations, and I fell in love with skiing early on. Moved in with Nanna when I was a teenager so I could train and make something of myself.” He half laughed, half scoffed. “And the rest is history.”
Hayley searched his gaze, hating how he talked about himself. “You sell yourself short, Ty. You’re a very good instructor. And you pointed out a few of your students to me today. They looked like they were having a ball.”
“You know that’s not what I meant. I wanted to make racing history, but I took a few falls and just never got up. And here I am. I never did anything more with my life.”
She laughed, hoping to inject a lighter tone to their conversation. “Well, it’s like Daddy said, we make an interesting couple. Me an artist, and you a ski—”
“Bum. I’m a ski bum.”
“I was going to say instructor. You’re a ski instructor, and there’s nothing wrong with that profession. It’s honest work, and it’s what you love. I saw that today.”
That seemed to ease his tension, his shoulders visibly relaxing. “I love to ski. And I love teaching others. I loved seeing your face shine when you finally got it.”
They finished dinner, reminiscing about their afternoon on the slopes. Ty paid the bill for their meal, which had to cost him, considering the restaurant. He insisted this was a date the old-fashioned way, so he would pay.
“Thank you.” Hayley hoped he knew how happy she was that she was officially dating him.
He offered his hand. “You ready?”
“Are you taking me home now?” She didn’t want to go. Not yet.
“I don’t want to lose the battle with your father.”
Hayley liked his answer. That meant he was willing to fight, even after everything he’d just revealed. But she dreaded the trouble her father might cause over another man in her life.
In Ty’s vehicle, they held hands as he drove the dark highway, a comfortable silence between them. When it started sleeting, making the roads more hazardous, Ty released her and kept both hands on the steering wheel. On the curve around the base of the mountain going to the Covington property, he pulled over before the ranch house lights came into view.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He shifted closer to her. “There’s something I’ve wanted to do all day, and I know I won’t get the chance once I turn into your driveway. Not with your father watching over us.”
Hayley’s breath hitched.
He pulled her closer and gently brushed her hair from her face. He searched her gaze, as if trying to read whether or not she wanted him to kiss her. She hoped he read in her eyes an emphatic yes.
But just in case he didn’t, she inched closer and pressed her lips gently against his. He put his palms against her cheeks and kissed her back. Soft. Gentle. And sweet.
Ty was a gentleman. She’d always believed that and had wondered if they would ever move their relationship to the next level. If he would be too shy or gentle, or intimidated by her father after that first supper. But even Daddy hadn’t stood in his way.
Headlights shined brightly into the cab, interrupting the moment. Ty and Hayley shielded their eyes.
Daddy. She groaned.
The vehicle pulled next to them and stopped. Ty lowered his window.
“Hayley, you were supposed to call when you headed home. The roads are bad. I got worried when I couldn’t reach you on your phone. A good thing I’m here. Looks like you broke down.”
She’d turned her phone off to enjoy her dinner without interruption and forgotten to turn it back on. Hayley squeezed Ty’s arm, whispering, “I’m so sorry, Ty.” Then to Daddy, “We stopped to talk for a minute before going all the way home.”
Daddy looked off in the distance, the sleet shifting to snow. “Looks like I interrupted something. For that, I’m sorry.” He glanced at Hayley then backed up the truck, turning around. She watched the red lights of his vehicle disappear in the night.