As I finally gather the courage to ring the doorbell, the door abruptly opens, and I rear back in surprise. I come face to facewith Joe, who looks like he’s headed out – most likely to open up Rock Snow.
He grins. “Well, well, well. Who do we have here?”
During our call yesterday evening, I forgot to mention the arrangement I’d made with his daughter. I was too focused on the relief that was washing over me after I’d apologized to him. He understands my feelings, my reactions, and I’m really thankful that he’s so considerate and open-minded.
If only Coach could be this empathic . . .
I raise my hand in an awkward wave as his wife comes to stand in the doorway, wrapping a blue scarf around her neck. “Hey, Joe. Donna.”
“How are you?” Donna asks sweetly. I don’t see her as often as I see Joe, even though she also owns Rock Snow. Because she has the luxury of working remotely, she prefers staying home. Though that doesn’t stop her from popping in and saying hi at least once a day.
Maybe I could bribe her into hiring me to do her paperwork? That would help me avoid doing all that annoying bullshit I’m tasked to do at the shop.
“I’m okay,” I answer, stepping aside to let them walk out on the porch.
While Donna is locking up, Joe turns to me. “How’s physiotherapy going?”
“Pretty good. I’ve only been to four sessions so far, but Dr Ellis is great.” If all goes well, my recovery will go smoothly, and I’m confident enough to think that I’ll be able to leave sooner than planned. I’ll do everything I can to make my time here shorter.
Dr Ellis is the type of physiotherapist who’s nice and uplifting, but not the type to give me hope just to make me feel better. He’s been fully transparent since our first session, and he thinks it’ll take at least a month and a half for me to recover.
That’s fine. My left eye didn’t twitch at all when he told me that.
If I work hard enough, he’ll notice my progress and, hopefully, he’ll give me the green light to snowboard again.
“He is,” Donna confirms brightly. “Are you here to see Jordan? He has his own place now.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Actually, I’m meeting Alara.” I decide to ignore the weighted look Donna and Joe exchange, and settle my gaze on the beautiful wreath hung on the white door. “We agreed on carpooling to the resort.”
“Good thinking,” Joe says. “It’ll be easier for you to get to Rock Snow in time for your afternoon shift.”
“That’s the idea.”
He claps a hand on my good shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. “It’s good to see you determined, son.” My chest expands at the sound of this word, causing an unwanted lump to build inside my throat. Instantly, I think of Dad and how the last time he called me ‘son’ was a few days before he passed.
Man, I miss him.
Joe and I aren’t extremely close, but I can sense that he’s protective of me for some unfathomable reason. On the other hand, I’ve known Coach Wilson for almost a decade, and our relationship is so drastically different. He appreciates me on his best days, but he keeps me at arm’s length. Stays emotionally distant because he’s my coach, and I’m just his best rider.
So, hearing the clear affection in Joe’s tone makes me realize that I’ve missed having a fatherly figure in my life.
“Keep working hard. You’ll get there,” Joe says.
I nod, taking a shaky breath in. “Yes, sir.”
If he notices the emotion brimming my eyes, he doesn’t let on. “I’ll see you later.”
Donna brushes past me, and I follow her down the steps. “Alara lives in the cabin in the backyard. She wants to beindependent, and since Jordan moved out of there, we figured it’d be good for her to have her own place. We didn’t renovate it for it to be vacant, right? Anyway, just go past the gate and knock on her door. I imagine she’s expecting you anyway.”
“I’m ten minutes early,” I say coyly.
“Good. For some reason, being late is one of her biggest pet peeves.” Donna smiles, opening the passenger-side door while Joe is busy heating up the car. “Have a lovely day, sweetie.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Why do the Bradfords all have to be so goddamn nice and laid back? They make it so hard for me to be resentful, despite knowing they’re all in on Coach’s evil plan.
I knock the moment I’m standing in front of Alara’s cabin, using my unoccupied hand. The cabin is quite big, with icicle lights hanging over the façade, a bench on the porch, and a cute wreath adorning the door. I’m assuming they’ll turn this place into an Airbnb once Alara officially moves out – it would be good business, as the town is apparently welcoming more tourists all year long. I like to think that Colorado is exceptionally beautiful in the winter, but in the summer? It’s breathtaking. I’m not surprised that people travel all the way here to discover its beauty for themselves.
