are you doing? Are we almost done?â
With a quick hush, Derek led them over to where the girls had gone. The big drop was the tallest, steepest section of the Hill. It was frequented by teenage boys and snowboarders looking for a little more of a thrill. Kids were known to use it too occasionally, but it certainly wasnât as popular with them. Derek suspected many parents prohibited their kids from going down it, although there wasnât anything truly unsafe about it. He and Tanner usually saved it for last, since you always wiped out at the end and left with snow shoved into every available crevice.
He wasnât really certain why Lindsey was taking the girls over there. Didnât really seem like their kind of gig considering she and Claire had both started out a little fearful.
Derek and Tanner followed them and came up behind where they stood watching a few boys do tricks on their snowboards.
âYou gonna try it?â he asked.
Lindsey jumped and jerked her head around. âI need to put a bell around your neck.â
Derek couldnât help chuckling. He stepped around to face her. âThat would take all the fun out of things.â
Lindsey gave him a sidelong glance before finally dropping her shoulders. âClaire and Bailey want to go down this hill. Claire on her own sled. Is it safe?â
âI go all the time. Uncle Mike took me when I was three.â Bailey put a hand on her hip. Lindsey and Derek looked at each other, and for just a moment he thought they might almost laugh together. But she collected herself.
âI donât doubt Mike did that,â Derek said. He knew his friend well.
âHe did!â Bailey continued. âClaire and me can go by ourselves. It will be so fun.â
âPlease, Lindsey,â Claire whined before turning to look up at Derek. âWill you record it again and send it to Mike? I want him to see me do it, too.â
The girls nearly bounced in their boots with anticipation. Not for the first tim, Derek was a little grateful he didnât have girls. They were a handful, and he was certain that Claire was a little jealous because Bailey had gone down the steep hill with her soon-to-be-stepdad and she hadnât.
âIâm gonna have to leave this one up to Lindsey,â he said in response to Claire.
Lindsey eyed him for a moment and then glanced around him to look at the drop.
âI just donât knowâ¦â she said, her voice hesitant.
âPlease, Lindsey?â Claire begged.
âIâm gonna call your mom and ask her.â Lindsey quickly pulled her phone from a zipped pocket inside her coat, stepped to the side and briefly spoke to Anne. After a second she came back, her face twisted in uncertainty.
âOkay, she said yes, but you have to wait till she can get to the bottom on this end before you go,â Lindsey said. She put up a finger and wagged it as she spoke. âAnd you have to stop yourself at the end otherwise youâll coast toward the creek.â
âI will,â Claire said.
âNo worries there,â Derek couldnât help interjecting. âThey probably wonât even make it that far. Not heavy enough. Even Tanner and I usually wipe out after that bottom run.â
Lindseyâs head tilted to the side as she looked at him wide-eyed. âAre you trying to make me change my mind?â
Derek grinned. âJust giving you all the facts. Theyâll be fine.â
They all watched in silence as Anneâalong with Mikeâs sister Erinâmade their way across the field below and stood toward the bottom of the hill in front of them. Anne gave a wave and then Lindsey looked down at Claire.
âAll right, please be careful.â Lindsey dropped the sled onto the snow. While she got the girls situated, Derek quietly motioned for his son to go ahead and descend also. Tanner nodded and sat down on his disc sled. If he and Lindsey were here together
With a quick hush, Derek led them over to where the girls had gone. The big drop was the tallest, steepest section of the Hill. It was frequented by teenage boys and snowboarders looking for a little more of a thrill. Kids were known to use it too occasionally, but it certainly wasnât as popular with them. Derek suspected many parents prohibited their kids from going down it, although there wasnât anything truly unsafe about it. He and Tanner usually saved it for last, since you always wiped out at the end and left with snow shoved into every available crevice.
He wasnât really certain why Lindsey was taking the girls over there. Didnât really seem like their kind of gig considering she and Claire had both started out a little fearful.
Derek and Tanner followed them and came up behind where they stood watching a few boys do tricks on their snowboards.
âYou gonna try it?â he asked.
Lindsey jumped and jerked her head around. âI need to put a bell around your neck.â
Derek couldnât help chuckling. He stepped around to face her. âThat would take all the fun out of things.â
Lindsey gave him a sidelong glance before finally dropping her shoulders. âClaire and Bailey want to go down this hill. Claire on her own sled. Is it safe?â
âI go all the time. Uncle Mike took me when I was three.â Bailey put a hand on her hip. Lindsey and Derek looked at each other, and for just a moment he thought they might almost laugh together. But she collected herself.
âI donât doubt Mike did that,â Derek said. He knew his friend well.
âHe did!â Bailey continued. âClaire and me can go by ourselves. It will be so fun.â
âPlease, Lindsey,â Claire whined before turning to look up at Derek. âWill you record it again and send it to Mike? I want him to see me do it, too.â
The girls nearly bounced in their boots with anticipation. Not for the first tim, Derek was a little grateful he didnât have girls. They were a handful, and he was certain that Claire was a little jealous because Bailey had gone down the steep hill with her soon-to-be-stepdad and she hadnât.
âIâm gonna have to leave this one up to Lindsey,â he said in response to Claire.
Lindsey eyed him for a moment and then glanced around him to look at the drop.
âI just donât knowâ¦â she said, her voice hesitant.
âPlease, Lindsey?â Claire begged.
âIâm gonna call your mom and ask her.â Lindsey quickly pulled her phone from a zipped pocket inside her coat, stepped to the side and briefly spoke to Anne. After a second she came back, her face twisted in uncertainty.
âOkay, she said yes, but you have to wait till she can get to the bottom on this end before you go,â Lindsey said. She put up a finger and wagged it as she spoke. âAnd you have to stop yourself at the end otherwise youâll coast toward the creek.â
âI will,â Claire said.
âNo worries there,â Derek couldnât help interjecting. âThey probably wonât even make it that far. Not heavy enough. Even Tanner and I usually wipe out after that bottom run.â
Lindseyâs head tilted to the side as she looked at him wide-eyed. âAre you trying to make me change my mind?â
Derek grinned. âJust giving you all the facts. Theyâll be fine.â
They all watched in silence as Anneâalong with Mikeâs sister Erinâmade their way across the field below and stood toward the bottom of the hill in front of them. Anne gave a wave and then Lindsey looked down at Claire.
âAll right, please be careful.â Lindsey dropped the sled onto the snow. While she got the girls situated, Derek quietly motioned for his son to go ahead and descend also. Tanner nodded and sat down on his disc sled. If he and Lindsey were here together
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