“Nowthat’swhat I call a celebration! Finn Bradley might need a head injury assessment after that tackle.”
Seb’s chuckle came across in reply, “I don’t think he’s complaining.”
23
Finn
Running his hands through his hair, Finn spun around twice, then stood stock-still as Sam stood on the highest podium, her face alight with joy as her gold medal was placed over her head. The snow had stopped just in time for her moment. She looked amazing, perfect, where she belonged. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was lit up, and everything he knew her to be. Valentina and Davide waved at him, and he ran over to them, his eyes sparkling.
“Look at her!” he called as he approached them. “Isn’t she phenomenal!” He air-punched as he gave a little jump. Cameras flashed around him, but he didn’t notice. Valentina took his face in her hands and kissed his cheeks. She was beaming.
“Ah, Finn, I think you are more dazzled by her than by the gold medal! Who can blame you? Look at her—this is how a champion looks! She is not just victorious, but alive!”
Finn turned to look, again, at Sam where she stood on the podium. He never wanted to forget this moment,how she smiled, the way the crowd cheered for her, the way she searched for him and blew him a kiss making the crowd go crazy. Laughing, he caught her kiss and blew her one back. Hell, she was beautiful when she smiled like that—like a sunrise over the Alps, golden and unstoppable. Unforgettable. He grasped Valentina’s hand tightly as he watched Sam, a lump in his throat. The moment stretched, timeless. His heart pounded just as it did the day he’d first met her. Finn stood, rooted to the spot, mesmerized by her, just as he had been that day—the day that seventeen-year-old Finn had fallen for her without any explanation.
She looked for him again, her green eyes flashing, her blonde hair escaping her braid and blowing into her face. There was something in her that he hadn’t seen in a while—she was glowing, radiant. Strong. She looked like she knew who she was. He took a deep breath. This was the Sam he’d fallen in love with all those years ago. She hadn’t just won—she’d loved every second of it. While others chased medals, glory and attention, Sam chased the feeling—the sheer, breathless joy of it. The wind in her hair, the speed, the thrill of pulling off something new and reckless—because it made her feel alive. And fuck—she looked good. She looked like a goddess.
“She’s unreal,” he said quietly as Sam encouraged the crowd to cheer loudly for Becky as she received her silver medal. “She’s extraordinary.” He exhaled sharply, his chest tightening. What had he done to deserve such an amazing woman? Just as he thought he couldn’t love her more, Sam reached for Becky. Without hesitation, she pulled her onto the podium beside her, wrapping an arm around her like theywere sisters, not competitors. The crowd roared in approval, the cameras flashing to capture the moment. Becky looked stunned for a moment, then emotional, before laughing and hugging Sam back.
Finn shook his head in awe. That was Sam. She wanted a gold medal, but that never meant that she wanted to crush anyone. She’d always lifted people up. Always. She was fierce on the slopes, but off them—she wasthis. A woman who never let the scoreboard define her, who never let winning mean that someone else had to lose. And that was why she was more than just an athlete—she was the kind of person who made him want to be better.
The gold medal gleamed as Sam held it high, next to Becky’s silver. But it wasn’t the medal that Finn cared for. It was just her. He slowly became aware of Davide’s huge, reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“True love, eh?” Davide’s deep voice chuckled in his ear; his hand squeezed Finn’s shoulder. “You are a lucky man, as I am. Not because she loves you—but because you now truly see her for who she is—magnificent and majestic. Like my Valentina.”
“Of course!” Valentina tilted her head and pouted. “And yet, do you tell me this every day, Davide? I think not.”
Davide placed a dramatic hand over his heart. “Tesoro mio, I tell you with my eyes, with my soul, with my … must I say it aloud?”
Valentina rolled her eyes and swiped at him. Laughing, she shook her head. “Men … always thinking silence is romantic and that the thing between their legs makes us forget how silly they are.”
Finn huffed a laugh. “You two are ridiculous.” But his voice was thick with emotion as he looked at Sam.
Davide squeezed his shoulder again, this time firmer. “Jokes aside, Finn, never, ever, underestimate the power of words. Tell her every day. Every single day, as I will—from now on.”
Finn swallowed hard. He nodded. That’s exactly what he intended to do. Starting with the minute she stepped off the podium.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said to Davide and Valentina as Sam stepped down. He turned back briefly.
Valentina gave him a thumbs-up sign then shooed him away.
Crunching over the snow, Finn kept his eyes on Sam. She was surrounded by fans, with Maya hovering nearby. His skin prickled as he walked toward her, longing to touch her. A red jacket caught his eye. Jake Harrington. He stood back, arms folded across his chest, his face blank as he watched his daughter sign autographs and pose for photos. The least he could do was smile; after all, his protégées had taken silver and gold, but he looked like he’d known exactly what they’d do all along, which was a total lie. A slight sneer curled Jake’s lips, an expression that Finn recognized. Jake was acting as if he’d set this all up, like he was the one in control.Like hell he was.
Anger flared up in Finn, and he quelled it as best he could, but it got the better of him.
Changing course, he marched close by Jake, his hands shaking as his coach turned to watch him. Jake stepped in his path; his chest puffed out.
“She had to fight for that gold,” Jake said. “She’d have gotten one sooner if you hadn’t distracted her. I warned you to back off.”
Finn couldn’t help himself. He snorted. Stepping back slightly he took in the older man and shook his head before stepping forward again. “You’ve got it backwards, Jake.” He purposefully dropped the wordCoach, smiling as Jake’s eyes fired up.
“You think you know my daughter better than I do?” Jake growled.
“No, Jake.” Finn met the older man’s gaze. “I think you know her well, but you’ve been afraid to trust her.”
“Who do you think you are?” Jake blustered. “What the hell do you know about …” His voice trailed off as he desperately gestured at the arena.
“I’m the man who truly believed she could do this, from the day I met her,” Finn said clearly. “But she didn’t win because of me—or you. She won because of who she is—because of what she loves. And she loves this, Jake. How did you not notice?”
