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“No, I’m not an alcoholic,” he admitted, although the steamy brew slid down his throat in a way that was a little too comforting. He took one more long pull and then set it aside. He wasn’t going to switch one habit for another.
Miranda studied him for a few seconds. She started to say something then the instructor who’d been watching her from across the room appeared beside the table. “You headed back for the slopes, Mira? If so, I’ll ride up the lift with you.”
The guy pointedly ignored Jack, which was fine. He had no intention of stepping in between these two.
“I think I’ll go back to my room and read instead. And I can catch up on some reports, while I’m there.” The chill in her voice was unmistakable.
“Mira—”
She held up her hand. “I’d rather not do this right now.”
The man’s lips thinned. “You can’t avoid me forever, you know. We both live here. Eventually, we’re going to have to sit down and talk.”
Jack’s glance went to where her left hand gripped her mug. No ring. But there was a definite indentation there.
That’s why he’d been staring at her. These two had been involved at some point. Married? An affair, maybe?
Whatever it was, it was none of his business. In fact, maybe it was time for him to take his pity party somewhere else and let these two go at it in private.
Mira beat him to it, standing up, her chin angled at a dangerous height. “I don’t see what we have to talk about.”
“How happy do you think your father is going to be once he hears about all this?”
She gave a hard smile. “You’re right, Robert. I imagine he won’t be very happy at all.”
Jack was surprised to see the other man’s face drain of color.
So that’s how it was. The jerk had done something. Something bad enough to make her want to avoid any contact with him. A dark thought came over him.
When the guy reached out to take hold of her arm Jack rose to his feet, no longer trying to remain impassive. He held the man’s gaze for ten long seconds before “Robert” backed down.
“I’ll catch you later,” he said to Mira.
“Don’t think so. Let’s just stick to our own sides of the slopes.”
With an irritated roll of his shoulders the man spun away from them and stalked toward the nearest exit.
Mira dropped back into her seat. “Well, it looks like we’re even. I rescued you. You rescued me. Thanks.” She sighed. “Sorry you had to witness that, though.”
“No problem. Ex …” He had no idea why he gave that leading sentence.
“Fiancé. But that’s neither here nor there.” She pursed her lips. “You shouldn’t go up on that slope again without another lesson or two. Next time you could really get hurt.”
If she was worried about her ex pulling something, she needn’t bother. He could take care of himself. “I’ll do that.”
She must have sensed he was just handing her a line. “No, I’m serious. Robert’s not going to be a happy camper, so I wouldn’t count on him playing nice.” She eyed him. “I could give you some pointers if you want. Make sure you stay out of trouble.”
That was pretty much impossible. He’d stayed in trouble in one form or another for the last four years. Maybe he should have asked for the beachfront condo vacation despite his earlier thoughts. At least surfing was something he was actually proficient at.
“I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I think I can manage.”
“Like you did today? Come on. I really do want to show my appreciation.”
It was either accept graciously or be a jerk about it. “Did I look that bad out there?”
She laughed. “You want honesty or a gentle lie?”
He found himself smiling back. “Hmm … I’d take the lie, but I think it’s already too late for that. Okay, I’ll accept the pointers, but I don’t guarantee I’ll show much improvement. I’m a beachside kind of guy.”
“So you’re better on the surf than on the turf?”
His smile grew. “No, the turf I can handle. It’s cold, slippery surfaces that I struggle with.”
“Interesting. So, are we on?”
Why did that seem like a loaded question all of a sudden? But unless he wanted to make a big deal out of what was probably an innocent offer, it was better to let it slide on by. “Yep.”
“Great!” She paused to wave at someone across the room. A blonde grinned and held up five fingers.
Mira nodded.
They must be meeting up in a few minutes or something. That was his cue to leave. “What time were you thinking tomorrow?”
“Does tennish work for you?”
“Sounds perfect.” He stood. “Thanks for the hot chocolate.”
“No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With one last smile she picked up her cup and headed over to where the other woman was standing. And heaven help him if he didn’t watch her hips bump and sway for a couple of beats before forcing himself to turn away.
It’s not a date. She hadn’t even used that word.
Why he needed to explain that to himself he had no idea. All he knew was that his heart rate had just kicked up a notch and a zing of anticipation was edging through his veins, picking up momentum as it went.
This could be bad.
Very, very bad.
Unless he nipped it in the bud right here. Right now.
The only question … was how.
“Where did you get your goggles?”
Mira peered into her patient’s red, streaming eyes as he sat on the exam table in her tiny clinic. Around twenty-two years old, he was here for a week with several buddies. Yesterday evening, after coming off the slopes, his eyes had begun burning. When he’d looked into the mirror that morning, he’d been shocked to see his lids were swollen and his eyes looked terrible.
“I picked up all my gear at a second-hand store right before coming. It was a bargain.”
And like any other bargain, sometimes you paid the price later on. Mira had found that out the hard way when it came to relationships.
She clicked off her penlight and leaned back to check out the eyewear lying beside him. They had the customary reflective surface, but there were no markings that indicated the UV protection the lenses offered. “Your goggles and skis are two pieces of equipment you really shouldn’t skimp on. This is why.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ever hear of snow blindness?”
Her patient scrubbed moisture from his cheeks. “Snow blindness. Doesn’t that only happen to people who are stranded in the snow?”
“Nope. I see it fairly often up here. It’s basically a sunburn of your corneas.”
He blinked, squinting one eye to look at her. “Can you treat it?”
Swiveling around to her desk, she pulled her prescription pad forward and started writing. “I’m going to give you a prescription for some eyedrops, but you need to stay off the slopes for the next couple of days. Believe me, your eyes aren’t going to want to face any light, much less what you’ll find up there on the mountain.”
“But we’re only here for a week.”
She felt for him, really she did. “I know. I wish there were a quick treatment, but it’s just like any other sunburn. You have to stay out of the sun for a while.” She glanced up. “Oh, and make sure you see an eye doctor when you get home.”
The man swore a couple of times before finally nodding and taking the slip of paper. He then took his goggles and dumped them in the trash. “I guess I won’t be needing those any more.”
She smiled. “We have some regulation eyewear at the rental kiosk. Make sure your friends are covered, so they don’t wind up in the same boat.”
“I will. Thanks, Doc.”
“You’re welcome.”
Once he left, she locked up the clinic and headed up the mountain to meet Jack. It was still a little early, but she wanted to make sure she arrived before he did so she could prepare herself.
Man number five.
Okay, so the guy was cuter than the other men she’d met for drinks or a quick trip down the slopes. In fact, she’d been with one such guy yesterday on the advanced slopes. She had finished on the bunny slope in order to cool down—like she’d told Jack—but only because guy number four had seemed to have hands that never stopped finding excuses to touch her in little ways. Add him to the guy she’d been with two nights ago, and she began to wonder about the wisdom of her resolution. How did serial daters go about avoiding the creeps … and worse?
She needed to be a little more careful about picking these guys. She certainly didn’t want to get in over her head. Ellory had forced her to put her cellphone number on speed dial, so Mira could reach out with the touch of a button in case she got into trouble.
She didn’t plan on that happening. So far it had just been the two weirdos. Of course, since she’d only been out with four guys in all over the last several weeks, that wasn’t much of a track record.
And what about Jack? She’d never been out with a surfer dude before. Although the serious guy who’d sat across from her at the table yesterday did not match her image of a California beach bum.
Just look at the way he’d stood up to Robert.
Yeah, that had been a little heady. She hoped seeing her with Jack had drilled it into her ex’s brain that she was moving on—whether it was true or not. Robert had blown it. She’d learned the hard way not to give people second chances.
That included him, and it included her father.
This might be her dad’s resort, and he technically might be her boss, but that didn’t mean she was going to fall all over him. He’d hurt her mother badly. And even though her mom had been the one to convince her to come back to the lodge and work after she graduated from medical school, she didn’t forgive him for his transgressions any more than she’d forgive Robert or her two other exes.
It was exactly why she’d sworn off men. And if she could just get past man number five and move on to the next guy, she’d officially win her bet with Ellory.
Should be a snap.
She leaned on the rail and surveyed the line of chairs on the ski lift.
Speaking of bets, she spied Jack about halfway up the mountain. His safety bar had not been pulled down, making her frown. She’d have to add that to the lesson.
She sucked down a deep breath as he drew closer. She’d just about convinced herself that he wasn’t as good looking as she’d thought he was yesterday. But he was. Even from this distance. With streaky brown hair that was in need of a cut and those broad shoulders, he pretty much filled the chair. She’d have to tuck herself under his arm to fit on there with him if they ever rode up together.
The image made her swallow. Silly. You’re here to teach him to ski and put a notch in your … Hmm, what should she notch, since she had no intentions of sleeping with him or any other of her dates?
Her skis, that’s what. Okay, so he’d be one more notch in her skis.
He slid off the chair with lithe grace that had been lacking yesterday when he’d smacked the ground and slid to a halt. How that must have cost him in the ego department. Except he just stood there.
“Slide over here.”
He glanced over and saw her then eased down the hill to meet her, a little less shaky than he’d been yesterday.
She had a feeling he’d be a quick study when it came to skiing. Well, whether he was or wasn’t, it didn’t matter. This would be his one and only lesson with her—a favor for saving her from Robert’s pestering. Tomorrow he’d be on his own.
“Hi.” He pulled a hat down over his head, juggling his poles as he did so.
At least he’d remembered to put his skis on before getting on the lift. She checked out his eyewear, nodding at the item in his hand. “Did you get those here at the resort?”
He glanced down at them. “Yes, why?”
“Just wondering. Don’t want you to get snow blindness.”
His brows went up, but he didn’t question her comment.
“You ready?” she asked.
“I have to admit I thought about standing you up.”
Interesting. He had seemed a little skittish at the bar yesterday.
“Yeah? Well, I’d have had to come and track you down.” Ellory had spied Jack from across the room yesterday after her encounter with Robert and claimed that this time she was going down hard. This one was just too yummy for her to resist.
Oh, she could resist him all right. He was just one more guy. In fact, it was quite liberating to be with a man and know there was no future in it. She didn’t have to worry about whether or not she’d have to watch her words or get all prettied up.
The time she’d spent in front of the mirror this morning had been strictly about personal grooming. She’d do that for anyone. No need to send people scurrying for the nearest exit with her morning rat’s nest and dark undereye circles. And her lips were chapped from the cold, so of course she’d had to put on something to soothe and protect them. The fact that it had a little dab of shine was just a coincidence.
He smiled. “I guess it’s a good thing I showed up, then.”
“Absolutely.” Luckily, Robert was off this morning, so one of the other instructors was working with a small group of newbies. She could have sent Jack to the class, since her professed reason for meeting him was because her ex might do or say something she would end up feeling badly about. But since she’d told Ellory he was man number five …
Really, who would know she didn’t meet him?
Ellory, for one.
