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Authors: Cindy Kirk
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solid shore of what she’d always known to a place where she could be over her head in an instant. The moment the thought tried to take hold in her mind, she rejected it. What a ridiculous, fanciful thought.
“Please, Rachel,” Mickie said.
“Please, Rachel,” Derek echoed.
Rachel settled her gaze on Mickie. She was doing this for the child, she told herself. Not for any other reason. “It looks like you get your wish. Today you’re going to learn to ski.”
Mickie let out a whoop.
“Shh—” Rachel said, but her smile took any sting from the admonition.
“I’m glad you’re coming,” Derek said softly, his gaze widening to include Mickie.
“Thank you for inviting us,” Mickie said.
“I don’t think we gave him much choice,” Rachel laughed.
“He wanted us to come with him, didn’t you, Mr. Rossi?”
“I did.” Derek shot the child a wink, though his gaze remained focused on Rachel. “After all, what man wouldn’t like to spend the afternoon with two beautiful women?”
Chapter Seven
R achel stood at the bottom of the bunny slope at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and concluded that for someone who hadn’t been around little girls much, Derek was doing a good job making Mickie happy. Right now the child stood at the crest of the small mound of snow, awkwardly positioning her skis, ready to give the downhill experience one more try.
They’d spent a good couple hours picking out clothes and equipment. Mickie had groaned when she’d insisted on a helmet, but Rachel hadn’t budged.
Derek had wanted to be the one to teach Mickie to ski, but Rachel convinced him that it would be good for the little girl to be around other children. Thankfully when they’d dropped her off at ski school, the other children in her class had also been wearing helmets.
They’d hung around for a while and watched. Mickie hadn’t been lying when she’d said she had zeroexperience on skis. In fact, she’d been the worst in her class. But her tenacity impressed them both and eventually she’d mastered the basic skills of stopping, turning and getting up from a fall.
While she and the other children were practicing, Derek and Rachel were able to get in some ski time of their own. It was an exhilarating experience. Rachel had always been much better than Tom, which meant that when they skied together it had to be on slopes that were too easy for her. She and Derek had headed straight for the expert slopes. She’d been having so much fun that she could have skied all afternoon. But all too soon they’d had to get back to Mickie.
“Watch me, Mr. Rossi,” the child called out. “Rachel, watch me.”
Once she was confident their eyes were on her, Mickie pushed off with her poles and skied down the small slope for the first time without falling.
“Woo-hoo,” Derek yelled, giving her a big thumbs-up.
Rachel snapped another picture. Derek had grabbed a camera out of his glove box and presented it to her on their way to the village. She’d put it immediately to use, taking candid shots of Derek and Mickie in the Escalade. Then, when they’d stopped to shop for ski clothes and equipment, Rachel had taken pictures while the child shyly modeled the latest fashions. She and Derek had wanted to stay during the practice session and get a few photos, but Mickie had said it would make her too nervous.
“This was super fun,” Mickie said when they met her at the bottom of the hill. “I want to come here again.”
“Definitely,” Derek said. Rachel could tell he was pleased by the child’s enthusiasm. “In fact, you’ll probably be sick of this place by the time January comes.”
“Never.” Mickie’s eyes shone. “This was the best day of my life.”
They waited while Mickie sat on a bench and removed her skis, then headed to the parking lot. On the way, another family joined them. Rachel recognized the daughter from Mickie’s ski class and the two girls chattered happily all the way to Derek’s
“Please, Rachel,” Mickie said.
“Please, Rachel,” Derek echoed.
Rachel settled her gaze on Mickie. She was doing this for the child, she told herself. Not for any other reason. “It looks like you get your wish. Today you’re going to learn to ski.”
Mickie let out a whoop.
“Shh—” Rachel said, but her smile took any sting from the admonition.
“I’m glad you’re coming,” Derek said softly, his gaze widening to include Mickie.
“Thank you for inviting us,” Mickie said.
“I don’t think we gave him much choice,” Rachel laughed.
“He wanted us to come with him, didn’t you, Mr. Rossi?”
“I did.” Derek shot the child a wink, though his gaze remained focused on Rachel. “After all, what man wouldn’t like to spend the afternoon with two beautiful women?”
Chapter Seven
R achel stood at the bottom of the bunny slope at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and concluded that for someone who hadn’t been around little girls much, Derek was doing a good job making Mickie happy. Right now the child stood at the crest of the small mound of snow, awkwardly positioning her skis, ready to give the downhill experience one more try.
They’d spent a good couple hours picking out clothes and equipment. Mickie had groaned when she’d insisted on a helmet, but Rachel hadn’t budged.
Derek had wanted to be the one to teach Mickie to ski, but Rachel convinced him that it would be good for the little girl to be around other children. Thankfully when they’d dropped her off at ski school, the other children in her class had also been wearing helmets.
They’d hung around for a while and watched. Mickie hadn’t been lying when she’d said she had zeroexperience on skis. In fact, she’d been the worst in her class. But her tenacity impressed them both and eventually she’d mastered the basic skills of stopping, turning and getting up from a fall.
While she and the other children were practicing, Derek and Rachel were able to get in some ski time of their own. It was an exhilarating experience. Rachel had always been much better than Tom, which meant that when they skied together it had to be on slopes that were too easy for her. She and Derek had headed straight for the expert slopes. She’d been having so much fun that she could have skied all afternoon. But all too soon they’d had to get back to Mickie.
“Watch me, Mr. Rossi,” the child called out. “Rachel, watch me.”
Once she was confident their eyes were on her, Mickie pushed off with her poles and skied down the small slope for the first time without falling.
“Woo-hoo,” Derek yelled, giving her a big thumbs-up.
Rachel snapped another picture. Derek had grabbed a camera out of his glove box and presented it to her on their way to the village. She’d put it immediately to use, taking candid shots of Derek and Mickie in the Escalade. Then, when they’d stopped to shop for ski clothes and equipment, Rachel had taken pictures while the child shyly modeled the latest fashions. She and Derek had wanted to stay during the practice session and get a few photos, but Mickie had said it would make her too nervous.
“This was super fun,” Mickie said when they met her at the bottom of the hill. “I want to come here again.”
“Definitely,” Derek said. Rachel could tell he was pleased by the child’s enthusiasm. “In fact, you’ll probably be sick of this place by the time January comes.”
“Never.” Mickie’s eyes shone. “This was the best day of my life.”
They waited while Mickie sat on a bench and removed her skis, then headed to the parking lot. On the way, another family joined them. Rachel recognized the daughter from Mickie’s ski class and the two girls chattered happily all the way to Derek’s
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