Page 10 of Crashing into Love

“You haven’t been here in three years?”

Drew shook her head and said, “No. I think it might be closer to four now. I’ve been meaning to get back, but I haven’t had the chance.”

“Well, welcome back, I guess. I should get back to work. Enjoy the cookie.”

“Okay. Bye, I guess. I feel like you’re trying to avoid me, Selma.”

When Selma had seen Drew’s name on the guest list for that day, she’d prayed silently that it wasn’t that Drew Oakes, but she’d known that that wouldn’t be her luck. She’d hoped that maybe Drew would cancel or not show up or that Selma just wouldn’t run into her at all, but that had all been ridiculous because the lodge wasn’t that big and she lived here now.

“That’s true,” she admitted.

“Well, at least you’re honest,” Drew replied and put her headphones back into her ears. “You can go, if you want. I usually have hot chocolate when I come in, but I’ll be back in my room soon, and I’ll be on the mountain most of the time. So, unless you want me to check out and go somewhere else, I’ll keep to myself, and you won’t have to see me. Although, I do think that of the two of us, I’m the one who shouldn’t want to see you, but whatever.”

“It’s not like that. I–”

“Excuse me. Selma?” David said as he walked over.

“Yes?”

“Olivia needs you at the desk.”

“See you later,” Drew said.

Selma watched her press play on her music and resume scrolling on her phone again.

CHAPTER 5

If someone were to describe Drew, they definitely wouldn’t call her an introvert. She was often the life of the party – or, at least, was at the party – but since arriving at the lodge, she’d gone downstairs exactly once to get a mug of hot chocolate and listen to some music on her phone, which was usually her custom when she got here. She supposed that this time, it was a little different. Still, she’d also wanted to catch a glimpse of Selma again. She didn’t understand why. She’d seen Selma around over the years, both before and after the Olympics debacle, so it wasn’t the first time she’d laid eyes on the woman who was the reason she hadn’t made it out of her first race. Drew had been injured, though, so she hadn’t been on the recent tour, and when she had been, she’d noticed Selma racing better. She’d gotten on a few podiums and had even won a couple, from what Drew had remembered.

Drew had done the same, but in the past, she’d always been on the podium. Well, not always, exactly, but once she’d gone pro, she’d gotten up there more often than not. In fact, before her inconsistent boarding slump had started, she’d been about to break some US records for wins and had planned on boarding for as long as she could at this level to not only break them but make it that much harder for someone else to break them in the future. Drew wanted to be a snowboard legend. That had always been part of her goal.

What Drew loved about boarding, besides being on the board itself, was the community of people she’d been given just by riding around with a waxed-up board strapped to her feet. It was similar in skiing, too. Drew loved that community. They could talk about their sports, yes, but she also got to know the people. Not all of them, of course, and often not many of her competitors because keeping that distance from the people she was going to race against helped her in competitions, but the other people surrounding them and the people she’d met at ski resorts and lodges over the years were her kind of people. They could talk about diamond runs, how tightly the snow was packed, runs to avoid for any reason, and which brands were the best in the business these days when it came to their equipment. They all spoke the same language and understood each other in a way Drew didn’t get anywhere else.

She knew that was why she’d first started dating Andy and probably one of the main reasons they’d worked for as long as they had. Yes, Drew had loved Andy, but being with her had also been easy. Andy knew boarding. She knew skiing and winter sports in general. She also knew about the travel, life on the road, how intense competitions and races could be for someone like Drew, the pressure she’d be under, and that sometimes, Drew would need space in order to focus. Andy understood that because she had to do the same things. It also helped that they both generally traveled to the same places and could share a room and have some time together even when they weren’t at home. Because of that, though, Drew should have noticed that they were wrong for each other sooner than she did. She didn’t, though. She liked how easy things were with them before the Olympics, which had ruined a lot of Drew’s life, including her relationship.

Trying to date again after Andy had been a nightmare, but not because Andy was the one who got away. It was because no woman she’d come across had understood the same things that Andy had, and that had made Drew less interested. After all, if it had been that easy with Andy and they couldn’t make it work, Drew wasn’t sure how she’d make it work with anyone who wasn’t part of this community she’d spent more than her entire adult life building for herself.

“Fuck it,” she said to herself.

She was tired of lying around in this room. She’d come here to ski and board. She’d even brought her own skis when, normally, she only brought her board with her. She wanted her normal resort experience. That had been the whole point of coming here. She couldn’t help that Selma Driscoll was Grandma Ruth’s granddaughter and worked here now. Selma hadn’t kicked her out, and Drew was paying for her stay, so she was going to enjoy herself. She hadn’t gone on the mountain that day, and that had been a mistake, but she wasn’t about to miss her chance to hang out downstairs as everyone returned from their runs.

She dressed in her typical chilling-at-the-resort flannel shirt with reds and blues and a white Henley under it. It would be cold down there, with the doors being opened and closed constantly as people came in. She put on her jeans and her boots, grabbed her phone, wallet, and room key, and headed down the stairs in a decent-paced walk, trying to test her knee a bit instead of taking the elevator. It hadn’t hurt at all, which was good, but she still wanted to be careful. Contrary to what her coach thought, Drew wasn’t reckless. She was just impatient.

Opening the door to the main lobby off the stairs, she smiled instantly because the room was packed, just how she liked it. There was a group of people with their skis in bags lined up at the front desk, getting checked in. One of them was enjoying a cookie, and Drew knew she shouldn’t have another one because they had far too many calories, but they were just so good. She decided she’d go over after the line died down to get another one and eat half of it tonight and half tomorrow to make it not as bad for her. The fireplace had comfortable sofas and chairs around it, with a table in the middle filled up with coffee and hot chocolate mugs. The sofas were all occupied with people who were still in their gear, their faces red from the wind and the sun. Drew wished she was one of them today, out enjoying that wind and sun, and the snow, too, but she’d been trying to avoid Selma, who gave her a cookie peace offering last night.

Selma’s face, though, had told Drew that the woman hadn’t wanted her here at all, and Drew had thought that strange since Selma had been the one to crash into her. Still, when Selma had gone to take care of something at the front desk, Drew had taken advantage of the opportunity to flee, and she hadn’t left her room since, like a coward instead of a guest at this place who should be able to walk around and enjoy herself.

“Drew?”

“Holy shit! Becks?” Drew walked around the fireplace to the tables and noticed an old friend standing with a drink from the bar in her hand around a group of people.

“Yeah, hey. What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you here in years.”

“It’s my first time back in a while. I’ve been busy. Just needed a break and thought I’d come here. You still come here every year?"

“A few times a year, yeah. We only live two hours away, so it’s easier for us.”

“Us?” Drew asked.

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