Page 78 of Wright Kind of Trouble

“Yeah, but…you were twenty-five or whatever when you were dating him.”

“Great. So, I was a fully developed adult and still making horrendous decisions.”

“Do you think it’s a horrendous decision to be into him?”

My heart pitter-pattered in my chest. I hadn’t had anyone to talk to about Chase all this time. For the first time, I wanted to divulge it all. Word vomit the years of turmoil and desire and pain and pining.

“It’s a complicated one, considering your family’s history with them. I’m afraid I made some of it worse.”

“Arnold did that,” I reminded her. “Not you.”

“But now, the Wrights all hate them so much more,” Eve said with a sigh.

“Don’t you hate them?”

“Maybe Arnold. But Chase isn’t his dad.”

“No. He’s not.”

Eve smiled sadly. “I only mean be careful because those Sinclair men are snake charmers. They weave their way in and steal your heart. Before you know it, you’re ensnared, and there’s no way out.”

Too late.

A few years too late.

“But I think you know that,” Eve said. “You’ll make the right decision.”

I sure hoped she was right. Because at this point, I didn’t even know what that was.

20

Chase

January

The powder was fresh on the mountain.

It had snowed all last night, to the relief of everyone who had appeared at Holliday Ski in New Mexico. The weather was always finicky. One year, it hadn’t snowed until early January despite wave after wave of promised snow.

I, for one, was glad that I’d let Blake Holliday cajole me out of Lubbock, which still had some ridiculous temperatures in the seventies for a ski weekend. The Sinclair family chalet was free, and even if it hadn’t been, Blake’s family owned the resort. We’d grown up together on the slopes, and he would have put me up.

“Race to the bottom?” I asked as he scooted his snowboard toward my location.

“You know I’ll fucking kill you, Sinclair.” Blake grinned the daredevil smile that he was known for. He’d started skiing and snowboarding as soon as he could walk. I’d watched him fall face-first into every sport he could master…and then just as recklessly through women.

I hopped my board an inch forward. “Not today. I’ve got you.”

He laughed. “Have a head start then. I’ll see your ass at the lodge.”

It wasn’t even bravado. He was that good. He could have probably gone pro, if his family hadn’t been more set on him taking over the resort. We were alike in that way.

Then, I tipped my board forward and plummeted down the double black diamond. I’d boarded this so many times that I knew precisely the route to take. Unfortunately, Blake had grown up on the slopes. He could have done it blindfolded. I was nearly to the bottom when he zipped past me, flipping me two birds.

I chuckled. I’d known it was coming anyway. When I pulled up next to him at the lodge entrance, he was already hopping off his board and whistling.

“Took you long enough.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

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