The mountain bustled with skiers carving new tracks to the valley below. Ski lifts cranked overhead depositing skiers and skis in a tangle of limbs and bodies. Casey could spot the inexperienced from the experienced based on their landing. Ever since her college graduation six years before, Casey, Teagan, and Shawn had booked flights to Colorado for fresh powder and the cool mountain air. They had been determined to learn how to ski. It was their “family time” full of laughter and adventure and rest. And in that time, Casey had gotten pretty darn good. But after two days of skiing with Micah Richards, she knew she’d met her match in a ski partner. Micah thrived on danger.
He’d rented gear and skis and hit the slopes, starting somewhat easy but quickly dusting the rust from his muscles and hitting the big leagues. And Casey had been crazy enough to go with him. Something about that stupid, charming smile, the permanent five o’clock shadow, and his constant teasing made her stomach weakly flop. No guy had managed to pique her interest since high school, and Micah barely made the cut. Not even mentionable.
But that smile.
It annoyed her.
She could still hear Teagan whispering in her ear when Micah had invited her to ski: “Girl, if you don’t spend the day with McGorgeous, I will.” A sick feeling curled in Casey’s stomach, a feeling she didn’t particularly like. And just like that, she’d accepted Micah’s challenge. Based on his annoyingly cute grin, he’d known she wouldn’t turn him down. Either that, or he’d heard Teagan. She really, really hoped that wasn’t the case.
“You ready for this, Ace?” Next to her, Micah adjusted his multicolor goggles and tugged his floppy red beanie firmly over his ears.
“Keep trying with the nickname, Hotshot.”
“Hotshot, huh?” His warm chuckle melted the chill around her. “I like that one.”
“Well then I guess I’ll have to keep trying.” She bent to check her skis, her heart racing at the sheer drop of the double diamond she’d agreed to.
She straightened. Took a deep breath. She blamed that annoying grin for this suicidal mission. Next to her, Micah whistled. His goggled gaze turned her way reflecting the pinch of her lips and tick in her jaw.
“Hotshot might be a good one for you.”
Casey groaned, his smooth voice doing things to her nerves that she wanted to boycott. “Come up with something original there, Soldier.”
Micah stiffened like a switch had flipped. His grip tightened and vibrated on the poles in his hands. His chest rose and fell in quick heaves. And his focus lasered in on the course before them. Trees dotted the path all the way down the mountain, obscuring the trail from view at certain points. The powder glistened in loose mounds nearby.
Dumb. This was a really bad idea.
“You sure you want to do this, Micah?”
His fingers flexed on the poles, then tightened again.
A sharp nod.
“I don’t quit.”
Sweat trailed down his cheek, despite the chill. “Micah, are you sure . . .”
“I’m good,” he snapped. “I’ll see you at the bottom.” He shoved off, careening out of view.
Something felt . . . off in his response. Nerves were normal. She was shaking in her boots. But Casey had watched Micah face down every challenging course in the last couple days with a wild laugh and “What’s next?” Something had changed today, and she wasn’t at all sure what had triggered the shift.
Casey didn’t know what to think of Micah Richards—handsome, adrenaline junkie, mysterious, confident, kind, protective. And wounded. He felt broken somehow behind the smile and charm. She’d seen it when she picked him up. She’d noticed when some of her comments felt a little digging, something Teagan and Shawn rebuked her for constantly. She’d seen it in the way he spaced out at breakfast over coffee for just a moment, the distance in his gaze when Teagan or Shawn asked him a question about the last few months. Something had hurt her tough warrior.
She shook her head, bringing that rabbit trail to a screeching halt. He wasn’t hers. Definitely not hers. Too much time with this guy the past couple days had developed an attachment she would sever as soon as she jumped her plane back to Dallas tomorrow. But another part of her—the part that jumped in to help her hurting kids—that part wanted to help. Just as much as she wanted to run. Experience, wisdom told her to run.
She rolled her shoulders, shaking her muscles out as she peered down the mountain trail before her. A patch of evergreens sat farther down the course to the right. Ski marks dented the snow in front of her. Her skis hung over the edge, ready for the plunge. She rotated her neck, her side braid tickling her exposed skin. She shifted her toboggan. “Alright. If Hotshot can do this, so can I. You can do this, Casey. Just don’t,” she placed her skis in place and took a deep breath, “overthink it.”
With that, she pushed off. Powder kicked up on either side of her as she wound down the mountain at what felt like a near drop. Brisk air whistled past her, ringing in her ears. The sound of vacation. The sound of a challenge. “Whooo!” she shouted to the mountain, loving the freedom that zipped through her as she controlled every motion. Micah swerved into view below her, his leg swinging out wildly. “Reign it in, Soldier,” she muttered. She sped past a tree, looking for obstacles and a red ski cap.
A yell. Then a thud.
She rounded a sharp twist in the trail and skidded to a stop. Micah lay crumbled and curled up near a tree. Skid marks tracked in the normal pattern until the snow split and gaped where he had landed, flipped, and rolled.
“Micah? Micah!” She pushed out of her skis and shoved them into the snow. Powder flew around her as she stumbled to Micah. She dropped at his side.
“I’m all right, Slugger,” he groaned, shifting to lean on a tree. “Just an old muscle injury that flared up in my leg.” Acid laced his voice. “I’m usually a much better skier.”
“I bet you are.” She did a quick scan. No blood. No protruding bones. His pride appeared more bruised than anything she could physically see. There was that haunted look again but only a flash before it disappeared. It was a mystery that tugged at her.
Don’t go there, Case. She resumed her physical assessment, steering clear of any hidden scars.
Micah grabbed her searching hands. “Casey.”
He waited until she stilled.
“I’m fine.”
She pulled her hands into her lap. “Does this injury tend to have bad timing?”
“Story of my life. At least since high school. For some reason it has acted up ever since my . . . accident almost a year ago now.” He tripped over the words, averting his eyes.
Another secret. Casey bit her lip. She was used to asking the tough questions. Her kids back home needed her to ask, even when they didn’t want her to. But Micah? She had a feeling he was the kind of guy who, once he opened up, would demand that vulnerability in return. And she wasn’t willing to share that. Casey’s past, her secrets, were in a lock box marked “do not disturb” and buried deep underground. Never to be touched. Ever. Period. No, Micah’s secrets were better left alone. They would go their separate ways soon.
Casey shook her head and pushed to her feet. “Let’s get you up.”
Micah waved her off as he leveraged the tree at his back. “I don’t think you can carry me, Rocky.”
“Yo, Adrian.” She popped both hands on her hips. “I may be tiny but I am fierce.”
“I have no doubt about that.” His molten chocolate eyes could melt snow. “And when did I become Adrian in this equation?”
“The second you called me Rocky. Don’t be a macho male.” She put her arm around his back and tugged. “Let me help you.”
“Casey, don’t.” His weight tipped. She fought for traction but met only air. Casey landed in the snow, Micah sprawled sideways across her stomach. That scruff. Now it was close enough. He was close enough. He smelled like mint and forest and cold. Her wall fissured. Just the tiniest bit.
She felt every sweep of those eyes over her face. Deep with flecks of the lightest brown, now focused on her lips. Her breath caught. She wondered if he would make a move. Wondered if he would take advantage of the moment and be just like every other guy who had forced an opportunity. But he held still. Just watching her, the weight of his body felt unnaturally safe. No pushing. No demanding more.
“You okay?” Breath puffed against her cheek in the frigid air, but all she felt was warmth.
Too warm.
No, no, no. She wasn’t going to be fooled again. She couldn’t be.
But something about Micah made a small part of her want to be . . . desired. Protected. Cared for. That was her role, though. Her lot to be the protector. Never the recipient.
She didn’t mind the sacrifice. Not really. It kept her safe.
She shoved a layer of steel against the wall and pushed against Micah’s chest, rolling him into the snow. Cold air rushed over her again. For the first time, she felt the chill seep through her ski pants, numbing her back and legs.
“Would you like to go to dinner with me?
Casey sat up so fast, her braid slapped her on the cheek, strands sticking to the chapstick coating her lips. She swiped at the strands. “Now?”
Micah chuckled and tossed an arm over his eyes where he reclined in the snow. “Sure, now’s good, Ace. Anything out here look particularly appealing? Maybe we could find a rabbit. Apparently, they are good eats.”
She shoved to her feet. “Did you want me to say yes? Because you are . . .”
“Casey.” She stopped talking and stared down into those eyes again. “I would like for you to come to dinner with me. Please say yes?”
“I . . .I don’t date.” The dull roar of a motor edged into the silence before a snow patrol pulled into view.
“You two okay here?” A man in a red jacket unloaded and shoved his goggles onto his head.
“Yeah, man.” Micah hobbled to his feet, his foot extended in front of him. “Banged up a weak muscle a bit. It should be fine with a little ice and elevation, but I don’t think I’ll make it down the rest of the trail. Could you give us a lift down?”
The man wrapped Micah’s arm around his shoulder, his jacket swishing in the quiet. Casey watched, still trying to wrap her mind around Micah’s questions. He’d passed up on kissing her but asked her out?
He probably didn’t mean anything by it. Just a hang out.
He didn’t want to eat alone.
Yeah, that was it. That had to be it.
“Casey, did you hear what Greg said?”
She shook her head, clearing the argument. “No, I must have missed it.”
“He can only give one of us a lift down the mountain. Are you good to finish the course?”
She walked to her skis and started punching her feet in place. “Absolutely. I’ll see you at the bottom.”
“Hey, Ace, about dinner.”
She checked her gloves and waved in his direction as he straddled the snowmobile. “Dinner. Great. No problem. We both have to eat. And Teagen and Shawn want to go dancing again, so it all works out.” She adjusted her goggles as the engine roared to life again and drowned out his next words. In seconds, they were gone and Casey was left alone.
Wind whistled through the tall pines. A few needles drifted down around her skis. The air smelled crisp, cold, with the hint of cedar.
She’d said yes to an almost date. With a guy she barely knew. What was she thinking? The cold mountain air must be getting to her. She just needed to get back to Texas. Back to normalcy.
She pushed off the snowy mound, navigating the steep angles with care as she raced to the bottom, the adrenaline a welcome rush from the anxiety. She only had one more night before heading home. Only a little longer until retreat. It had never sounded so good. And so wrong all at the same time.
Dinner had been the smoothest non-date she’d ever been on. Heck, it’d really been the only non-date she’d ever been on as an adult, barring that catastrophe she’d agreed to to make Shawn happy. After her date knocked her dinner into her lap and then tried to take her home afterward, she’d never let Shawn recommend another guy. But with Micah, she’d laughed until she almost cried. She didn’t remember the last time that had happened. Time with him felt easy for the most part. Easier still, because away from the responsibility of her kids and launching this sports league, in this place full of good memories, she felt a little freer.
Hot chocolate warmed her hands and marshmallows danced on top. Micah grinned next to her on the couch telling another story of his Navy SEAL team in his glory days. “Then Jay lost control for half a second, and Colt tossed him under the waves and kept pushing him under until he came up swearing he would never substitute shaving cream for whipped cream on Colt’s coffee again.” His laughter bounced off the beams in the corner of the sitting area of the hotel lobby. A few people shooting pool turned and grinned in his direction. Casey smiled into her mug and took another sip.
“Are they all back in California?”
Micah nodded, a heaviness shuttering the joy that had sparked in his eyes only moments before. “They’re still there. Training. Working.” He smirked. “Antsy to surf, I’m sure.”
She poked at a marshmallow and studied him over her mug, trying to pinpoint the darkness he kept hidden just below the surface. Maybe it was only a figment of her imagination. “Do you miss it?”
“Miss what?”
“Your team? The ocean?”
He took a big gulp from his mug, avoiding the chip on the rim. “I miss the ocean.” Longing coated his face, a longing she envied. “I miss the sound of the waves. The way they rush in and then foam and smooth out on the shore. I miss the way the water cools my skin on a hot day. I miss days in the sun surfing with the guys. I miss the way I can feel the power in each wave, the way it washes through you. And I like that you never know if the wave will win or if you will, but you try to beat it anyway.”
“Sounds like you had a great life there. Why leave?”
He cleared his throat. “I . . .” the phone vibrated on the wooden center table. She’d never seen a man lunge for a phone like that.
“Hey, Hawk.”
The baritone sounds of a man’s voice leaked from the speaker, but Casey couldn’t discern the words. She snuggled into the leather and studied the fire.
“Nick, I’m kinda stranded in Colorado right now.” He paused. “The car broke down and the guy just called. It’s going to be more to fix it than it’s worth. So the car is officially dead. I’ve got to get to Fort Worth somehow, but I’ll figure it out.” Another beat. His hand balled into a fist before he rubbed his forehead. “Come see me, huh? Not sure when I’ll be there, and I don’t think you should come with me.”
More murmuring.
“I’m not going to argue, Hawk. I’ll see you the next time we are all home.” His hand fell limp in his lap. “Tell Kayles I said hi and that I love her. And I guess . . .” This time the pause hung heavy. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”
He ended the call and tossed the phone between them on the couch.
She waited, but Micah only stared into the fire. The joy of the night evaporated. “So no car, huh?”
He shrugged. “There are worse places to be grounded. I’ll figure it out.”
“And Fort Worth?”
This time, he was slow to speak. “My buddy’s family lives out that way. Nick, my brother-in-law, wants to meet me for a visit, but I need to go see them on my own.” He waved her off. “But let’s not ruin our last night.”
And just like that, the charm was back in place, his grin captivating. She sank further into the couch, reminding herself to breathe, have fun, and get ready to run tomorrow.
“So tell me more about these kids you teach at Ellie’s Place.”
Teach was such a loose term. She was protector, coach, counselor, friend, mentor, teacher, a lifeline. Mostly their lifeline. “They are pretty great, although they require a pretty firm hand. Some of the guys love basketball, so we raised enough money to fix the court on the property. Right now, we are about to launch our last fundraiser to pay for a few more things before we start our own sports leagues in the community for kids of all ages. We are planning to start with baseball and basketball since the older guys have football over at the high school with Shawn. He’s been filling in when he can, but coaching is a heavy load, and we need someone totally dedicated to this.
“We also help with their homework until their parents get home. And I run an after school leadership program for some of the kids. This guy, Al Jackson, had the idea for a safe haven for teenagers. He and his late wife couldn’t have kids of their own, but they had a lot of money. He lives in this really ritzy part of Dallas. Story goes that they loved kids but wanted to go where there was a need. Enter in South Dallas. They tend to be forgotten sometimes. But they are incredible people, a lot of whom are caught in a tough cycle.
“This one kid, TJ . . . We aren’t supposed to have favorites, but he’s one of mine. His dad left when he was young. Oldest brother was killed, and his mom . . . Well, she has taken to some unhealthy occupations to put food on the table. He’s trying to help, but he’s only fifteen with a bright future ahead. I’m really worried that he’s going to resort to something terrible just to help make ends meet. Selling drugs or something. He’s the only freshman in my leadership program, and I’m hoping for big things for him and his family. He has two younger brothers. If they watch him succeed, I hope they will want to fight hard for that, too.
“Then there’s Bianca. She’s so talented. She’s in my leadership classes and just blossoming as she leads her cheer team at the high school. I think she could get a scholarship, go to college, and really do well. She loves helping the younger kids with their homework, too. But she’s dating this guy who is not the nicest kid I’ve ever met, and I’m concerned he’s mixed up in some bad stuff.”
She grimaced, aching at some of the things her kids had seen, some that she had seen as a kid. She wanted to protect them. “When Al’s wife passed away, he sold his big house, moved to South Dallas, and bought this run-down, small elementary school. He refurbished it and turned it in to Ellie’s Place. It truly is a safe haven for them. It’s hard, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
“Safe.” That faraway look returned to his eyes, the longing intensified. “Sounds like a great program for the kids.”
Her phone beeped and Casey checked the text. “Looks like Teagan just got back and needs my help wrapping up some packing. She and Shawn want to get to the airport early in the morning.” She placed her mug on the table and looked at Micah. Time to say goodbye. Yet in that moment, she found she didn’t really want to run.
He stood and held out his hand. She ignored it and pushed off the couch. Micah shoved his hands in his pockets. “I guess this is goodbye?”
She nodded, ignoring her racing heart.
“Can I at least have a hug?”
Casey grinned. “Is that all you want?”
He opened his arms wide. “Wouldn’t want to scare ya with anything else, Buttercup.”
“Buttercup? You call me that and expect me to hug you? You really need some new nicknames there, bud, because . . .”
“Oh just come here.” And with that, he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his chest. “See? It’s not so bad. I’ve enjoyed the last few days, Casey Stewart. Thanks for not running over me.” His words fanned over her cheek.
“It’s not too late.” Her voice was muffled against his jacket. She quickly pulled away.
Micah chuckled and took a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets. Casey shivered. It had to be the cold. It couldn’t be that she missed being in his arms. She’d only known the guy a few days!
“Well, I guess this is it. Take care, Gorgeous.”
She couldn’t remember the last time someone had called her gorgeous. Maybe never. And somehow, she thought Micah just might mean it. “That one is slightly better. But only slightly. You take care of that leg.”
“It just aggravated that old injury. I used an old brace. I’ll be good as new in a few days.” Even now, he favored his left leg.
“Let me know if you make it out to Fort Worth.” She grabbed her jacket from the back of the couch, the chill now seeping into her bones as she took a step away from Micah.
“I’ll figure it out. See ya, Ace.” Sadness raced over his eyes before it disappeared. With a small smile and a nod, he turned toward the concierge desk.
She took two steps. Her heart hammering, her palms clammy. This didn’t have to be goodbye. It needed to be. But . . .
“Come back with me.” It was out of her mouth before her brain could stop it. She froze.
No sound.
Casey didn’t dare turn around to face him. Bad idea, such a bad idea.
“I’m sorry, what?” She heard the muffled scuff of his boots on the rug and felt those eyes boring into the back of her head.
She squeezed her eyes shut and refused to turn around. She could keep walking. Pretend she hadn’t said anything.
Micah’s hand on her arm jerked her from her silent debate. “Casey?”
Time to dig out of a hole.
She could help him and still run. That was it. She could do both. That’s all it was. She just wanted to help. No way was she interested. She couldn’t be. Not to a gorgeous charmer with a southern accent and a protective streak a mile wide. Not to a daredevil who could break her heart. No way. She nearly groaned. Who was she kidding? Fine. She could be appropriately intrigued and not do a thing about it. Just . . . help.
She opened her eyes and squared her shoulders. “Well, it’s only logical.” Think, Casey. What are your options? “You need to get to Fort Worth. You don’t have a car. Renting one sounds crazy. Tickets are cheap. I know someone you could stay with in my neighborhood. We’ve all landed at Mama Rosie’s house at one point or another. Yeah, it all makes sense. You might as well fly back with us.”
“That sounds like a lot of trouble, Case.”
“No trouble, really.” Really, Casey? Lots and lots of trouble if this kind and handsome man is in the same state, let alone the same block. What are you thinking?
“I guess that would work. If you really don’t mind. It might be good to find an odd job or something in the meantime. Just while I figure things out. And a car.”
“I’m sure Shawn could help with all that.” Shawn. Right. Not her. Because that would be a bad idea. But she could volunteer Shawn. He owed her anyway.
“Okay. Okay, yeah this could work. I guess let me see if there is a spot open on your flight.”
Within minutes, Micah Richards was booked on her Southwest flight in the last open seat bound for Dallas. And Casey wondered if she’d just made the second biggest mistake of her life.
One look at Micah’s face, and she wanted to step into his arms and run all at the same time. She needed to get home and fast. To normalcy. To responsibility. And to her fortress where she could lock her heart up again and just focus on protecting her kids and her sister.
Emery needed her. Her kids needed her.
And she couldn’t need anyone.