“And he doesn’t have a father,” Gracie continued, clearly ready to let out some things that had been working on her heart. “There are no men around the lodge, he has no male figure in his life except for Red.”
Nicole rubbed her arms, thinking about some of the cryptic—and weirdly hopeful—things her mom had said when they had coffee in the ski shed this morning.
“You never know…” she said in a slightly sing-song voice. “There might be a man around here.”
Gracie looked up, fast enough to almost mess up. “What? Who? What don’t I know? Did you meet someone?”
Nicole laughed and reached over to start on her red velvet Santa. “No—well, actually, maybe I did, but that’s not what I mean. My parents are…” She lifted her eyebrows and wiggled them.
Gracie abandoned the cake and stood straight. “So, we’re not imagining it, are we?”
“We?”
“My mom and I have been talking about how great they are together. Mom is obsessed with how they are the couple that should never have broken up. I thought maybe it was her typical wishful thinking.”
“I know Aunt MJ loves my dad,” Nicole said. “I don’t think this is her wishful thinking. I’m pretty wishful about it, too.”
Gracie reached for a tray of evergreen sprigs, ready to attack the cake’s second layer. “What does Aunt Cindy say about it?”
“Not a lot, but I know she’s terrified of getting hurt again. I mean, she hasn’t told me point blank that she’s still in love withhim, but I know her well. She protects herself.” Nicole took a bite of icing and cake, and moaned, closing her eyes. “Are you kidding me?” she asked around a mouthful.
Gracie smiled. “I never kid about cupcakes, Nic. But your mom. Do you think she’s going to get hurt again? I love having Uncle Jack around, but I do not want her to go through losing him a second time. It was all the same year that Sam ditched my pregnant self and…” She shook her head. “I say it’s better to be safe than have your heart destroyed.”
“I don’t know,” Nicole said.
As she tried to take her time with the cupcake, Nicole studied her cousin, who, at thirty-five, was beautiful, accomplished, kind…and protected her heart the way she protected Benny from the world. But then, she’d been hurt by Sam Sutton, and spent the last ten years building a business and raising a son.
Gracie looked up from a sprig she was placing on the second layer. “I will say this. Everything at Snowberry just feels better when Uncle Jack’s there.”
Nicole smiled, nodding in agreement. “He does bring the spirit, but it’s Christmas, so…”
“He makes things lighter,” Gracie said. “And ever since he got there, it’s been good. The sleigh rides are running, guests are happier, and your mom doesn’t seem quite so focused on the business. I can’t remember the last time we had so many dinners in that big kitchen, the whole table just full of family. He’s like a human magnet, your dad.”
“He’s special,” Nicole agreed, affection welling up. “Look, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the idea of a second chance for those two. They’re my parents. In my mind, they belong in the same house, in the same room, together. And they do still love each other. A blind man can see that. But I guess sometimes love isn’t enough.”
Gracie finished a sprig and reached for another. “What’s this about a new guy you mentioned?”
“I did?”
“Slipped it right in there and said ‘maybe I did’ when I asked if you’d met someone.” She pointed the evergreen at her. “Did you think I was going to let that slide by?”
“Of course not. He’s…just a ski patrol dude I bumped into both times I made the massive and horrible mistake of trying to get down Deer Valley’s itty-bitty green run and failed.”
Gracie sighed, angling her head to look at Nicole. “I know it’s hard for you, Nic. It’s understandable.”
“Is it? Because I don’t understand it,” Nicole admitted. “I get out there with all the desire and motivation and determination and ability that a daughter of Flying Jack Kessler would have on skis and, wham! Frozen. In fear, not in snow.”
Gracie took a few steps closer, nothing but love and sympathy in her blue eyes. “Girl, you have every right to be frozen in fear.”
“Nineteen years later?”
Gracie just looked at her. “I was there, Nic. I was on that mountain when Uncle Jack saved your life. I didn’t see you fall, I didn’t see him dig you out of that tree well, and I wasn’t down there suffocating with you. But I saw you come down at the end and, honey, you have every right to be afraid to ski again.”
“Thank you for saying that.” Nicole reached for her. “I’m so tired of feeling like a failure because I’m scared.”
Gracie took her hand and squeezed. “It’s understandable, but you can conquer that fear.”
“What if I don’t want to?” Nicole closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Never mind. Forget that. Of course I want to. I miss skiing like other people miss breathing. I love it up there. I love the feeling of sailing down a slope, in control, in nature, bold and fast and thrilled by every turn. I miss the views, the sky,the feeling of being connected to that mountain. It hurtsnotto ski and it hurts to try.”
