Emma woke early the next morning. Eager to put on the ski clothes she’d gotten last week in Phoenix, she just hoped she’d chosen correctly. According to the sales girl who’d helped her—and who’d vetoed some of Gillian’s less practical suggestions—Emma should have exactly what she’d need for the slopes. Even though Emma had only chosen from the markdown rack, which Gillian had made fun of, it had stretched Emma’s budget. She’d rationalized that a ski vacation in Colorado was worth it. Hopefully, she wasn’t wrong.
“You’re up early,” Mr. Landers said when Emma went into the kitchen. “I just made coffee. Want some?”
“I’d love some.” She ran her hand over the granite countertop.
“Looks like you’re going to hit the slopes.” He handed her a steaming mug, then frowned. “But the boys already took off. Were they supposed to wait?”
“No. That’s okay.” She took a sip. “I’m having a private lesson this morning. I’m such a beginner—it seemed like a good idea.”
“Well, I hope you have fun. And be safe. I want to get up there too, but maybe not today. I promised to stick around with Lisa.” He filled another mug with coffee. “And I promised to bring her coffee in bed too.”
“I hope she slept well.”
“Well, she’ll probably complain,” he said. “But I heard her snoring. I think those pillows and things you found helped. Thanks, Emma.” He grinned. “It’s nice that you could come up here with us. Have a great day.” He held up the two mugs. “I better get back to my lady.”
Emma wasn’t very hungry, but it wasn’t eight yet, and she knew she’d probably need something to give her energy. She ate a yogurt and half a muffin then went out to the mudroom to discover West wasn’t there yet. Hopefully he wasn’t going to stand her up. Well, unless this was something he shouldn’t be doing. She didn’t know what the rules were for caretakers of beautiful homes like this, but he’d seemed pretty laid-back. She waited a bit, then returned to the kitchen for a second cup of coffee.
As she carried it back, she wondered if West might be one of those guys who worked as little as possible in order to ski as much as they could. Hopefully she hadn’t been mistaken to trust him. He seemed nice enough, but who knew? Gillian certainly hadn’t approved of him . . . but then Gillian didn’t approve of a lot of things that Emma liked.
“Good morning.” West popped into the room with a big smile, but he was still wearing jeans and the same flannel shirt from yesterday.
“Good morning.” She stood. “Are we still on for today?”
“You bet.” He looked at the coffee mug. “Any more of that?”
“Sure. Want me to get you some?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
West followed her into the kitchen, and as she filled a mug, he helped himself to one of the muffins sitting on the counter. They’d been left by the homeowner, along with some fruit and a few other staples. Perhaps that was part of the caretaker’s job.
“Where is everyone?” he asked, looking around.
She explained the others’ whereabouts as he doctored his coffee with cream and sugar. He obviously felt comfortable in this house and seemed to know where everything was located. “Nice ski togs,” he said with a crooked grin.
“Really? Or is something wrong?”
“No, I’m serious. They look like good choices. Especially for a beginner.”
“Meaning?” Why did she feel he was teasing her?
“Meaning nothing, Emma.” He smiled. “You look great. And if you’ll excuse me for a minute, I need to check something in the laundry room.”
Emma wasn’t sure what to make of him, but it was comforting to see his familiarity with this house. She’d actually wondered if he could be an imposter. But he clearly seemed to be the caretaker.
When West came back into the kitchen, he had on a different plaid flannel shirt, but she decided not to mention it. “Ready to get going?” He set his mug in the sink.
“Whenever you are. I heard it’s good to get there early to rent skis.” She put the two mugs in the dishwasher.
“Oh, you’re not renting skis. Come on, I think we can get you set up.” He led her back to the mudroom. “As long as your feet aren’t too big or too small. What size are you anyway?”
“Eight is great.” He picked up a pair of boots from the ones lined up on a high shelf. “These should work just fine.”
“But don’t they belong to the homeowners? I don’t think we should just—”
“It’s okay.” He handed them to her.
“But I don’t want you to get into trouble, West. I don’t mind renting something at the lodge and—”
“You won’t find anything as good as these for rent.”
“But the homeowners might not—”
“Don’t worry, it’s okay.” He grabbed a good-looking pair of boots for himself, setting them by the door, and then selected skis and poles, as well as goggles and a few other items that he put into a small duffel bag. “You take this and your boots and we’ll start loading up.” After a couple of trips, the skis were snapped onto the roof rack on top of the Jeep and everything else was stowed in the back. “Let’s go,” he said.
Emma felt uneasy as she got into the Jeep. It seemed West was a little too comfortable in his employer’s house. “Are you sure it’s okay to use all this stuff?” she asked as he drove down the snowy street. “I don’t want you to get into trouble or—”
“Trust me, it’s fine. My boss and I are like this.” He crossed his fingers with a mischievous grin.
“Okay.” She still wasn’t convinced, but she decided to take in the scenery instead. “This place is so beautiful,” she said as he drove through the quaint little town. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to live here.”
“It’s pretty great.”
“Was it the skiing that brought you here?”
“Pretty much. It’s nice to drive just a few minutes then hit the slopes.”
“Have you lived here for long?”
“Well, I’ve lived in Colorado for most of my life, except for a few years in Nashville, but I couldn’t wait to get out of there and back here. It was my dream to live in Breckenridge.”
“And to be a caretaker?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Now that’s a funny dream.”
“Well, if it allows you to ski as much as you like . . .”
“Good point. And I do get to ski almost as much as I like. But I have to work sometimes.” He parked. “Here we are.” He got out, and after helping Emma into her boots and borrowed goggles and gloves, he showed her how to carry her skis and poles. They walked toward the lodge. Rather, he walked, she sort of bumbled.
“Oh, wow.” She paused to gape at the slope. “That’s so high, West. Are you sure I’ll be able to do this?”
“Sure, this place has some of the best beginner slopes around. Lots of people come here to learn.”
“Really?” She started to walk and then stumbled, dropping her skis. “I can barely walk.”
“Don’t worry, skiing is easier than walking with this stuff.” He grinned. “Why don’t you wait out here while I get your pass.”
“I’ll give you some money.” She fumbled with a glove, ready to retrieve the cash she’d stashed in a pocket, but he stopped her.
“My, uh, boss, he has a special deal with the lodge. Your pass is free this week.”
“Oh?” She blinked. “Okay, then great. Thanks.” As she waited outside, she studied the slopes and wondered about West’s generous boss. Was the pass actually free? Had Harris and Grant gotten free passes too? But then West came back, and after attaching the pass to her parka, he began to lead her out into a less busy area.
“We’ll get you set up here and you can practice a little before we head for the beginner chair.” He showed her how to hold her poles, then knelt down to help guide her boots into the skis. “My best advice to you right now is just relax.”
“Okay.” She squinted up at the gleaming slope. “It’s bright.”
“Let me help you with your goggles.” He slipped them into place. “Now let’s move a little. Try to feel how the skis move on the snow with just your body weight. Try to relax and just naturally follow the motion. Sort of go with the flow.”
“Uh-huh.” She tried to do what he said, but she barely moved. “Go with the flow.”
“Yeah. That’s it.”
“This is fun,” she said as she continued to slide through the snow, increasing speed with him right next to her. “But if I get going too fast, how do I slow down? Or stop?”
“You want the beginner’s brakes?”
“Of course, I’m a beginner,” she declared.
“Just remember to relax. If you get all tense, it will be harder.”
“Okay. But tell me how to stop.”
“Watch me.” He moved ahead of her then pulled the tips of his skis together. “This is snowplowing and a beginner’s easiest way to stop. You just dig in your heels and push outward. Not too much.”
She did as he said, and to her amazement, she slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop. “Wow, that does work.”
“You’re a fast learner.” He grinned.
“Or you’re a good teacher.” She smiled back. “Thanks.”
He helped her practice going and slowing and stopping then explained how to catch a chairlift. “Again, the important thing is to relax. But be ready.” And just like that they were going up the hill.
“This is so great,” she told him. “I think I’m going to love skiing.”
“Well, it’s a little early to say for sure, but I have a feeling you’re going to be a natural. I can tell you’re athletic.”
“And I’ve always liked a challenge.”
“Well, hopefully, you won’t mind taking a tumble or two. That’s just par for the course.”
“I figured as much.”
“But if you stay relaxed, falling’s a lot less painful. Kind of like life.”
“That makes sense.” She looked up the mountain. “It’s so beautiful here—I can hardly believe this place is for real. You’re so fortunate to live here, West. I’d happily become a caretaker to live here.”
He laughed. “Well, who knows, maybe we can find you a position. And speaking of position, let’s get you ready to get off this thing.” He told her to slide to the edge of the chair and how to hold her poles. “When your skis come in contact with the snow, you will stand up and let the chair gently push you. Then just keep going.”
“Okay.” She took in a deep breath then did as he said, and once again it worked. “This is easier than I expected.”
He adjusted his goggles. “Well, it’s about to get a little harder, but I have a feeling you’ll manage just fine.”
She looked down the hill and slowly nodded. “Okay. Remind me what to do next.”
“Stay relaxed. Keep your skis parallel—until you need to slow down. Then just snowplow like we practiced. In fact, you should probably start out with a little snowplowing. Just to give you a feel for the slope. It’s surprising how a slight incline can really get you going. You want to control it.”
“Yes . . . control it.” Like she hadn’t been trying. “I think I’m ready.”
“I’ll just ski behind you. That way I won’t distract you.”
“Okay, if you think that’s best.”
“Yep. Take off when you’re ready.”
Following his instructions, Emma started out with the snowplow position and then slowly let herself go faster . . . and then faster. It was incredibly fun—and exciting. Until she saw a couple of kids straight ahead of her. “How do I turn?” she yelled as she tried to slow down by snowplowing. She heard him yell something, but it was too late—she splatted onto the snow with skis and poles all over the place.
“Are you okay?” He stopped fast right next to her, leaning down.
“Other than my hurt pride, I’m fine.” She chuckled. “That was fun. Not the falling part. The skiing part.”
He helped her up and back into her skis, then explained a bit about turning. “It’s all about the weight of your body and your leg strength.” Standing in place, he demonstrated how to lean right and left. “Follow me over to this gentle slope and we’ll practice it together.”
She followed him, and after a few runs and one small tumble, she thought she was getting the hang of it. By the time they got down the hill, she was ready to go up again. “Do you mind hanging with me on the beginner slope?” she asked as they rode the lift again.
“But I know you must want to do some more challenging runs. I mean, that’s why you’re here, right?”
“Sure, but I can do that anytime. I promised you a lesson, and you’re going to get it. You don’t think you’ve graduated West’s Beginner Ski School, do you?”
She laughed. “Not hardly.”
For the next couple of hours they went down the beginners’ slopes, and when West insisted it was lunchtime, Emma felt like she’d gotten the hang of it. “That is the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” she said as they walked over to the lodge. “Seriously, I love skiing.”
“I was right. You’re a natural. I’m guessing before it’s time to go home to Arizona, you’ll be taking on some of the challenging runs.”
“And then I won’t want to go home.”
“Aren’t there ski areas there?”
“I guess so. I think Harris or Grant mentioned a ski area. I just never thought much about it before.” She pointed ahead to an outdoor dining area. “Speaking of Grant and Harris, I think I see them over there.”
“Did you want to join them?”
“Not particularly.” She held her head down, hoping they wouldn’t notice her, but it was too late. Grant was already standing and waving. She held up her hand in a lackluster wave.
“Come here,” he called.
Emma braced herself as she introduced West to the guys, careful not to mention he was the caretaker. “West is the best ski instructor ever,” she bragged as they sat down. “He had me skiing just like that. And I’ve only fallen down a few times.”
“And after lunch she’ll graduate to an intermediate chair,” West told them as he waved down a waiter.
“Sounds like you’re doing better than I am,” Grant said glumly. “At the rate I’m going, I’ll probably be crippled by the end of the day. Maybe I should take lessons from West too.”
“There’s an idea,” Harris said. “How about if we do a swap. West could take you on some beginner runs and I’ll see how well Emma does on an intermediate run.”
Before Emma could object, the guys seemed to have put together a plan. As she perused the lunch menu, she wondered what Grant would think when he discovered it was the caretaker giving him skiing lessons. Hopefully, West wouldn’t mind. And who knew? Maybe it was just part of the caretaker’s job to care for the guests on the ski slope too.