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Tara glanced at Liv with a smile. “You guys need to stop worrying about me. I’m a grown woman. It’s my job to worry about you two, not the other way around. And, Sam.” He met his mother’s eyes as she continued. “Someone leaving isn’t the worst thing that can happen. Sometimes, it’s for the best.”

They both looked at him for a moment, and he sensed that comment was some sort of intervention. One he didn’t feel ready to hear. Instead, he nodded and let go of their hands, turning back to his food and telling himself that was because it was getting cold.

Sam waved at his colleague Rowan as he took off his ski helmet. The cool air soothed the heat that had built up inside, and he tipped his face up to the sun, appreciating that he got to be out on this mountain every day and even got paid for it.

The sound of someone carving through the powder made him turn, and there was no mistaking Maya’s form approaching down the black run he’d just completed. No mistaking to him anyway. His brain sure had imprinted every detail of her to a worryingly exact degree.

She slowed, glancing over through her goggles and doing a small double take as she realized he was standing there. He knew he should probably ski away now rather than risk any tense conversation on the slope in front of the students, but for some reason his legs were stuck and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Coming to a stop, she removed her goggles and helmet and shook out her hair, the sun catching it and creating a glossy sheen that made him want to reach out and touch it.

This was their first meeting since the fallout after the interview at the Tavern, him having gotten another lift in with Ben that morning.

She looked at him, and despite the lack of a smile, it still sent a firebolt into his core. He swallowed, trying to think of something neutral to say, but all coherent thought exited his brain, slamming the door as it went.

After a couple more seconds of empty-brain syndrome, he opened his mouth. I should thank her for getting my car towed to the garage.

Just then, something—or someone—whacked into Maya from the slope side, throwing her forward into him with such a force that he went flying onto his back.

It took a few seconds to compute what had happened, and as he tried, it became apparent that he was on his back with his ex lying right on top of him, her face buried in his neck.

The mayday signal was sounding loudly in his brain as it associated every touch of her body with the visual from the steam room. And that was even through skiwear.

He became aware of someone shouting, “Sorry!” as their voice faded into the distance and he saw an out-of-control skier completing their chaotic course to the end of the run and going into the soft barrier at the end, where Rowan was on hand to check on them.

He turned his attention back to the sensation of Maya’s warm breath on his neck and the scent of her soft hair scattered across his face. The feel of her made his skin crackle with electricity, and the memory of her pressing against him in the boot room surfaced—as real and delicious as if it were yesterday.

His heart was beating so forcefully in his chest that he was afraid she might feel it in hers. “Okay?” he managed to ask in a gruff voice.

Maya shifted on top of him. “Yeah.” She lifted her head, avoiding his eyes and appearing mortified. “Sorry. I didn’t see them.”

He shook his head. “Me neither. Are you hurt?”

She was pushing herself to her feet, having planted a hand at either side of him. Sam realized that both of their skis had unattached with the impact. “I’m fine,” she told him, standing up and giving him a glance. “You?” She held out a hand to help him up, which he declined because making contact with her again felt like too much when he was already overwhelmed.

He got to his feet. “Fine.”

She eyed him, and he got the distinct impression she’d taken his decline of her hand as a slight. But before he could say anything more, she turned to grab her skis and clomped off through the snow.

Cat tugged him closer to rest his head on her chest, pulling the fleecy blanket over them as they watched TV.

Sam put his arms around her waist, appreciating the coziness in the living room against the backdrop of the cold winter night outside. If it could just be like this all of the time, or if Cat could be this version of herself for at least half the time, he’d be so happy.

Perhaps now, it was going to be different. He’d thought her familiar pattern of behavior had been recurring, but then it hadn’t. She’d surprised him. It might be that her surprising him would continue, in a good way.

She stroked his hair. “How was work?”

It was nice that she was showing an interest in his job too. “Fine, thanks.” He closed his eyes, the movement of her fingers through his hair making him content and sleepy.

“Did you get a lift with Ben today?”

“Yeah.” He felt as if he might drift off to sleep.

“Bet that was a relief, not to have to travel with Maya.”

That comment threw off his sleepy groove a little as he tried not to remember the feel of Maya lying on top of him in the snow earlier. “Mm-hmm.”

She kissed the top of his head. “At least the garage is working on your car now. Soon you won’t have to see her at all, once that’s back on the road and she returns to her snooty career.”