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Authors: Jill Shalvis
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yeah.”
They all gathered beneath the operating ski lift, staring up at it as the rain came down.
“I don’t hate paperwork at the moment,” Jo decided.
Chance nudged her forward. “Guess who’s first?”
“And to think I told Ally what a charming boss you were.”
“I am charming.” Not that Ally would agree, which of course was how he wanted it.
He’d dreamed about her, which had really fried him. He’d dreamed about how she would have tasted if he’d given into temptation, if he’d hauled her in his arms beneath that moonlit night and kissed them both to hot oblivion. “Let’s get cracking,” he barked, furious at himself for letting her get to him.
“Ever thought about becoming an officer in the army?” Brian asked, huddled beneath the steel lift with the rest of the staff. “You’d be good at it.”
“Yeah, right. Military.” That’s the life his older brothers had chosen, not him. He ran his own life, always. “And why are you here? I thought you already worked your hours for the week.”
“I did.”
The kid’s light cotton clothing was inappropriate for this weather, and he was already soaked to the bone, dammit. “So if you already worked,” Chance said as patiently as he could. “Why are you getting wet for no reason?”
Brian muttered something beneath his breath and lifted a negligent shoulder.
“Speak up, would you?”
“He said he wants to make ski patrol.”
Ally stepped into the clearing. She was bundled from head to toe today, which amused him. She looked…amazing, which didn’t amuse him. She wore sleek black leggings tucked into boots. Her parka was nipped in at the waist, and her hood completely covered her hair, and nearly her entire face, so that all he could see of her were her eyes. They matched the stormy sky. “Well, at least you’ve got your own jacket,” he noted.
“I try not to make the same mistake twice in a row.” She met his gaze evenly, which surprised him. So did the dare he found glowing there. “Brian wants to be a part of this.”
He started shaking his head before she even finished her sentence. “He’s too young for ski patrol.”
“Yes, but the training would be good experience.”
“Hey, I’m already experienced.” Brian straightened with a show of bravado that completely belied the uncertainty in his eyes, and the definite expectation of being rejected.
Damn, but something twisted inside Chance at that. No kid should look like that, no matter how irritatinghe was. “You want in when you’re old enough, then you’re in. If you’re not in any trouble.”
“I won’t be.”
“Whatever you say, Slick. But you have to be able to pass the Emergency Medical Technician course and keep up on the slopes.”
Brian had gone utterly still. “I can do that,” he said very seriously.
Chance was sure he would, or die trying. Still, he had to admit, it was nice to see that something meant so much to the kid that he’d forgotten to scowl. Everyone needed something to be passionate about, and being busy as hell just might keep him out of jail. “Then I guess you can consider this pretraining. Do you ever dress right?”
Brian looked down at himself. “This is all I have.”
Ah hell. Why him? “Run up to the office and grab one of my rain gear sets.”
Ally shot him a look of bright hope and affection, and deepening his scowl, Chance turned away from her. They spent the next half hour setting up the mock exercise. All but two of them would get on the running lift, then the two left on the ground would put the evacuation into effect. They’d take turns with that role, removing everyone off the lift, until each of them had the procedure down.
Through the set up, Ally remained on site, standing there in the rain. Chance ignored her. He went through the different possible scenarios with the staff, then spent some time demonstrating what to do in each of those instances.
And still Ally stayed.
And still he ignored her.
They
They all gathered beneath the operating ski lift, staring up at it as the rain came down.
“I don’t hate paperwork at the moment,” Jo decided.
Chance nudged her forward. “Guess who’s first?”
“And to think I told Ally what a charming boss you were.”
“I am charming.” Not that Ally would agree, which of course was how he wanted it.
He’d dreamed about her, which had really fried him. He’d dreamed about how she would have tasted if he’d given into temptation, if he’d hauled her in his arms beneath that moonlit night and kissed them both to hot oblivion. “Let’s get cracking,” he barked, furious at himself for letting her get to him.
“Ever thought about becoming an officer in the army?” Brian asked, huddled beneath the steel lift with the rest of the staff. “You’d be good at it.”
“Yeah, right. Military.” That’s the life his older brothers had chosen, not him. He ran his own life, always. “And why are you here? I thought you already worked your hours for the week.”
“I did.”
The kid’s light cotton clothing was inappropriate for this weather, and he was already soaked to the bone, dammit. “So if you already worked,” Chance said as patiently as he could. “Why are you getting wet for no reason?”
Brian muttered something beneath his breath and lifted a negligent shoulder.
“Speak up, would you?”
“He said he wants to make ski patrol.”
Ally stepped into the clearing. She was bundled from head to toe today, which amused him. She looked…amazing, which didn’t amuse him. She wore sleek black leggings tucked into boots. Her parka was nipped in at the waist, and her hood completely covered her hair, and nearly her entire face, so that all he could see of her were her eyes. They matched the stormy sky. “Well, at least you’ve got your own jacket,” he noted.
“I try not to make the same mistake twice in a row.” She met his gaze evenly, which surprised him. So did the dare he found glowing there. “Brian wants to be a part of this.”
He started shaking his head before she even finished her sentence. “He’s too young for ski patrol.”
“Yes, but the training would be good experience.”
“Hey, I’m already experienced.” Brian straightened with a show of bravado that completely belied the uncertainty in his eyes, and the definite expectation of being rejected.
Damn, but something twisted inside Chance at that. No kid should look like that, no matter how irritatinghe was. “You want in when you’re old enough, then you’re in. If you’re not in any trouble.”
“I won’t be.”
“Whatever you say, Slick. But you have to be able to pass the Emergency Medical Technician course and keep up on the slopes.”
Brian had gone utterly still. “I can do that,” he said very seriously.
Chance was sure he would, or die trying. Still, he had to admit, it was nice to see that something meant so much to the kid that he’d forgotten to scowl. Everyone needed something to be passionate about, and being busy as hell just might keep him out of jail. “Then I guess you can consider this pretraining. Do you ever dress right?”
Brian looked down at himself. “This is all I have.”
Ah hell. Why him? “Run up to the office and grab one of my rain gear sets.”
Ally shot him a look of bright hope and affection, and deepening his scowl, Chance turned away from her. They spent the next half hour setting up the mock exercise. All but two of them would get on the running lift, then the two left on the ground would put the evacuation into effect. They’d take turns with that role, removing everyone off the lift, until each of them had the procedure down.
Through the set up, Ally remained on site, standing there in the rain. Chance ignored her. He went through the different possible scenarios with the staff, then spent some time demonstrating what to do in each of those instances.
And still Ally stayed.
And still he ignored her.
They
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