Andri
“Goodasnew!”Theobject of my obsession twists her foot, toe pointed like a dancer.
Daphne’s ankle is, for all intents and purposes, healed. The past few days of being her own personal porter, carrying her everywhere she needs and keeping her close against my body, have been amazing. I haven’t let it go further than that, because I’m sticking to the wholenot taking advantage of a broken heartplan.
But that plan made so much more sense when I had an excuse to hold her. Even though it was a fairly chaste act, it made the growing ache in my heart a whole lot easier to handle.
“I’m so glad you’re feeling better.” I force a smile.
“Me too! And now there’s no excuse why I can’t help out around here!” Between her ankle and her ex checking out once the road cleared, Daphne has been in an amazing mood.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I remind her for the second time today.
“And what? I don’t expect you to take care of me for the rest of my life—”
I would in a heartbeat.
“I feel like a bum, and I know you need the help. I see how stretched thin you are taking care of the lodge.”
Despite having quite a large staff, most of them work on the instructor, pro shop, and ski guard side. While the lodge portion of Hallow Hill Resort is small, it’s important to me that it makes visitors feel like they’re a guest in my home. But she’s right, I run myself ragged to keep it that way.
“Okay!” I put my blue palms in the air. “I will let you work the front desk four days a week. You’ve gotta promise me that you’ll devote three days to something besides work, though.”
“And what, pray tell, did you have in mind?” Her brow arches.
“What do you want to do?”
“I…” She looks torn.
“I assume it won’t be skiing?” I joke.
“Your assumption would be right…also, are you sure you don’t hate that I don’t want to learn?” Worry creases her brow.
“Why would I care? There’s plenty of other things I like about you…and besides, you would have been quite the challenging student.” I wink in her direction.
“I will give you that, I am not apt in the physical fitness department,” she chuckles, and the corners of her eyes crease. God, she’s beautiful when she’s laughing.
“I’m sure you’ll find it, whatever your ‘thing’ will be.” I hype her up, but really hope thatthingwill be me.
“I mean, I do miss my studies. I don’t know if I’m ready for the classroom. Maybe I could take a few credit hours online?” She looks at me, like she’s asking for my permission.
“I think that’d be a really awesome thing to work toward—hell, I don’t have a degree. But if I’m being honest, you seem the smarter of us both.”
“You’re being nice,” Daphne says, giving me that crooked little smile that’s half pity, half charm. “Because we both know my whole situation’s been a romantic train wreck. Would I really be begging you for a job if I’d taken the smart route in life?”
She puts her palm on top of my hand. Just a small, casual touch—but it knocks the air right out of me. The blood in my veins turns to static.
“You’re a good guy,” she says softly. “And I’m so thankful for your help—I just need you to know that.”
“I’d do anything for you,” I blurt, because apparently my mouth is done consulting my brain.
Daphne pauses, like her brain’s buffering. Then she pats my hand. Twice.Politely.
“See, you’re the nicest,” she says with a bright, awkward smile, grabbing a magazine like it’s a parachute out of this conversation.
I nod like an idiot, pretending my face isn’t on fire. My hand’s still sitting there on the table, rejected and useless, while she flips through skincare ads like they might save her life.
I am melting. Literally. Emotionally. Spiritually.
