Page 52 of Yours Temporarily

As soon as we’d arrived at the cabin, I was eager to check out the skiers before my first try on the slope. But Jeremy suggested the best way to learn was by being on the slope rather than observe. So I took Hope and Gavin’s suggestion for an instructor. This way creates less friction between Jeremy and me should I get frustrated during the strenuous lesson.

“Remember to bend your knees as you climb further.” Lena’s words float over the distant laughter and the ski lift’s unending hum.

I bend forward, finding my balance in the snow, and follow her instructions.

Then with a deep breath that does little to steady my heart, I push off. My descent is anything but graceful. The series of clumsy stumbles culminates in an undignified sprawl in the snow.

“You got this, Zee!” Jeremy shouts from below as I stand, and his encouragement motivates my brief, embarrassed laugh.

Then Lena reminds me to adjust the angle of the skis to the slope. Using her skis, she instructs from beside me, shifting side by side with practiced ease.

“Now climb further using the duck technique we practiced at the beginning. If you start sliding, fold your knees toward the snow.”

Every tumble’s more demoralizing than the last. A child glides by, making me feel like a failure. And then, as if summoned by my growing frustration, Sonya sails past in a pink ski coat and pants. “Zuri, still in the same spot?” she taunts, her athletic figure disappearing down the slope. She’s a pro skier, so she’s only on the intermediate hill to stay close to Jeremy.

Every bit of me deflates.

“I’m not cut out for this.” The fight drains from me as I brush the cold wetness clinging to my face, hot tears threatening. Clumsy, soft, and awkward, I’m as out of place as a marshmallow in a salad.

“You’re doing great.” Lena motions toward the ski lift. “Everyone starts somewhere. Let’s try a longer stretch this time.”

Her proposal seems absurd given my current track record, but she dismisses my doubts with a simple laugh. “You’ll find your rhythm.”

Another lift slides by as I repeat the same exercises, but I gain more confidence with each attempt. When Lena, at last, tells me I’m ready for the lift, a thrill courses through me.

Although anxious, I let the strange, uncovered ride scoop me up. Then I lower the metal bar to secure myself in place, Lena’s assurance of the lift operators at the beginning and top of the slope comforts me.

Once we slide off the lift, we stand higher this time. The resort below sparkles, a constellation of life and light against the fading daylight, and our ski cabin is a distant shadow in the tree silhouettes beyond the lodge. I take in the steep slope. My chest constricts, and blood slams my ears.

“Focus on the feeling, not the fear,” Lena whispers, clearly having dealt with nervous students like me a lot.

Empowered, I steel myself for the descent. The sooner I conquer this hill, the less opportunity Sonya will have to weave her way closer to Jeremy. With this newfound resolve, I push off once more to prove to myself that, short and awkward and all, I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to.

“Only use the skis to control your speed forward.” Lena’s words float behind me, carried by the breeze as adrenaline, confidence, and excitement empower me with every graceful arc and controlled slide. This is fun. I want to do this all day tomorrow.

“Great job, Zee!” Jeremy’s unmistakable pride propels me forward. Through the crisp mountain air, his figure crystallizes—Sonya at his side fades into insignificance when his smile, bright and unreserved, captures my focus.

As I reach him, something inside me swells. “I’m getting the hang of this!” I exclaim, toss aside the poles, and fall into his open arms.

“You crushed it.” He holds me at arm’s length, and those blue eyes gaze at mine. “I’m so proud of you!” His warm words envelop me, and in a heartbeat, his lips find mine. He’s finally kissing me again! While the first kiss was loaded with emotion and hesitancy, this one is slow, deliberate, and maybe double emotion. It anchors me to the moment.

A groan of annoyance has me pulling back. Right, Sonya’s here. I see her turning away. Her departure slices through the enchantment.

“Ready to call it a day?” Jeremy’s casualness belies the moment we’ve just shared. Was his affection a performance to provoke Sonya? No, surely not. The sincerity of his kiss proves otherwise. “Care to have some hot chocolate?”

There’s a promise in his question.

“That sounds perfect.” My arms find their place around his waist as I seek the warmth of his presence. His dark ski coat and mine create a slight barrier between us, but I savor the warmth of his gaze ensnaring me—making the world stand still. Time to probe the boundaries of his act. “I reckon Sonya bought into our little act.”

“We do make a convincing duo.” He seals the statement with a kiss atop my head.

Then Lena slides down to us. A cloud of vapor puffs from her mouth. “Zuri, your progress is astounding.”

“I’m still struggling with confidence on the slope.” I shift to stand beside Jeremy.

“If you still want, we can meet again tomorrow.”

“She’s skiing with me tomorrow.” Jeremy’s strong arm secures me against him, and a protective certainty wraps around me like a warm blanket.

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