Page 58 of Love Me Reckless

“What’s this teacher’s name?”

He grins. “Harold Frey, and yes, we teased him about it. He just laughed it off. Said if you can’t laugh at yourself then you were signing up for a lifetime of suffering.”

“So that’s what you’d do? Teach?”

He shrugs. “The idea of being inside the walls of a high school makes me wanna hurl. But sometimes, I think about the kids who could use someone to believe in them.” He sighs heavily. “Kids that were like me.”

The emotions swirling inside my chest prick slowly over my skin, making goosebumps rise. “Is it something you could see yourself doing?”

“Maybe,” he says with a half-grimace. “Not sure I could qualify though.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t look so good on paper.” His tone is light, but it’s easy to read his discomfort.

“Would Mr. Frey hire you?”

He shoots me a quick smile. “Yeah, I think he would.”

“Then maybe whatever’s on paper doesn’t matter.”

He nods, but I don’t think I’ve convinced him. “Maybe.”

I don’t have a right to poke further, but my curiosity is peaked. For someone who oozes courage, what from his past could hold him back like this?

Chapter Fourteen

SAWYER

It snowsall day Sunday and by nightfall, it’s at least a foot deep. It’s pretty, but in my experience, snow is not something to get excited about. Snow in coastal Alaska is wet and heavy. Like living in a wet sponge. And people drive like idiots. Yet from how Carson and Brody are behaving, I think I’m supposed to be stoked.

They spend the afternoon waxing their skis on the workbench in the garage and organizing their ski gear. They chatter nonstop over the spaghetti and meatballs I make for dinner.

“It’s supposed to dump all week,” Carson says.

“We might be open by Thanksgiving if it keeps up,” Brody adds.

Carson points his fork at me. “Be sure to bring your goggles for work tomorrow.”

“And extra gloves. Liners too, if you have ‘em,” Brody adds. “Soup in a thermos is awesome at lunchtime.”

“Hot drinks are a good idea also,” Carson adds.

They launch into what I’ve been calling Tower Lore, or the Shit That Goes Sideways while working on the lifts. The brutal winds. Icy temps. Stubborn mechanical parts that refuse to work like they’re supposed to.

I follow along while my mind wanders to the secret ski lesson Kirilee has set up at Bear Mountain in a few weeks. I’ve thought about canceling a hundred times. What if I make a fool of myself? What if I break my leg? What if the guys find out?

But I’ve set this ball in motion. I have no choice but to keep it rolling.

And no way am I canceling time with Kirilee.

We shared a quick goodbye at her place after the drive home from Darby, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about her nonstop.

Like when I spoon-fed her that bite of paella and her little sigh of contentment lit my hair on fire.

More, please, she begged.

Is she putting that little toy she bought in Luxe & Lush to use? I haven’t forgotten that little comment that made my dick throb.What makes you think I don’t already know what I like?

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