This winter, though . . .
She darted a glimpse over her shoulder to see Audrey a few feet behind her, wearing a fuchsia parka and black ski pants. Just as quickly, Michelle yanked her gaze back to the slope. This was no time to get distracted, and looking at Audrey wasalwaysdistracting, in the very best way.
They were two weeks into the spring semester, and as February approached, she and Audrey were closer than ever. They’d spent most of the winter break together, enjoying a low-key but romantic New Year’s Eve and many quiet afternoons while Michelle wrote and Audrey worked on her ceramics.
As of last week, the first draft of Michelle’s book was complete, and when she read it over, she was surprised to realize how much she liked what she’d created. She was wary of getting overly confident, but she thought the book had promise. In fact, she already had ideas for a few more like it, each a work of fiction detailing the life of a real female artist.
She wasn’t naive. These books weren’t going to sell overnight ... if they sold at all.A Light in the Stormneeded a lot of revision before she could even think about submitting it to literary agents, but that was the eventual goal. She hoped to see it published, and her dream was to eventually earn a living writing historical fiction, allowing her to quit her job as a professor.
That reality was at least five years away. But in the meantime, it gave her something to work toward, and that had made a real difference in her attitude. She still felt that her days as a professor were numbered, but she’d begun the spring semester with a new outlook in place, and she could already see the difference in the way her students responded to her.
Now that she was less miserable, less caught up in her own head, her students treated her with more respect. They paid more attention in class. And she felt like a fool for not realizing how much her behavior had influenced their attitude before.
She deepened her crouch as she popped over a little mogul in the snow, catching air for a weightless second before she returned to earth. Her heart was pounding, exhilaration fizzing through her veins by the time she made it to the bottom of the mountain, spraying snow beneath her blades as she cut around to face the slope, stopping her descent.
Audrey pulled in beside her, expression hidden behind the balaclava that kept her face warm, but her eyes were smiling behind her goggles. “So much fun.”
“Yes. Want to go again?” They’d been here all day, and while Michelle’s thighs were beginning to burn with fatigue, she wasn’t quite ready to leave. She and Audrey had—unsurprisingly—made perfect ski partners.
“One more time from the top,” Audrey suggested. “And then we’ll go back to your place to have supper, because I’m starving, and maybe use that amazing Jacuzzi tub of yours.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Michelle and Audrey made their way over to join the lift line. Luckily, this late in the day, the wait was almost nonexistent, and they were soon seated on a lift, headed back up the mountain. Though it wasn’t quite four o’clock, the sun already hung low in the sky, dangerously close to dipping behind the summit. Winter in Vermont was a dark time in the most literal sense. Sometimes, the lack of sunshine depressed her, but not this winter.
“That’s so pretty,” Audrey said, watching the way the snow glistened from the reflection of the setting sun.
“It is.”
She gave Michelle a playful nudge. “Not as pretty as you.”
Michelle rolled her eyes, knowing every inch of her skin was currently covered. “You can’t even see me in all my gear.”
“No, but I know what’s behind that balaclava ... and the jacket ... and your pants.”
“Audrey,” she said with a startled laugh. She’d never been with anyone who talked so frankly about sex. It still caught her off guard, although she was starting to like it. It was refreshing to know that Audrey said whatever was on her mind ... and that Michelle could do the same.
“I’ve seen every inch of you, and it’s all gorgeous. Just accept it. You’re hot, and I’m never going to stop telling you so.” Audrey’s eyes were smiling again, and Michelle knew hers were too. At least the balaclava hid her blush.
“Never?” Michelle’s heart clung to that word because it hinted at the kind of future she wanted more and more with each passing day.
“As long as you’re here for me to tell you.”
“That could be a long time.” Michelle looked down at her skis where they dangled above the snow. “Because I’ve been thinking ... I’m not going to apply for any more positions in the UK.”
“What? Why not?” Audrey’s eyes had widened now, her gloved hand gripping Michelle’s.
“Because I think I like it here in Vermont after all.”
“But . . .”
“I know what I said before. Moving here wasn’t my choice. I felt trapped, and my job didn’t help things. Tenure felt like another tether keeping me from going home.”
“Then you shouldn’t stop applying for jobs in the UK. You deserve to be where you want to be. You’ve waited a long damn time.”
“But that’s the thing ...” She looked into Audrey’s eyes, wishing she could see more of her face. “Iamwhere I want to be. I don’t feel trapped here anymore. On the contrary, when I was in London over the holidays, all I wanted was to come home to Vermont.”
Audrey blinked. “What are you saying?”
