Page 55 of Snap Shot

My head tips back as I fix the askew goggles atop my head. A clear, azure sky and the cool temperatures turning my breath into clouds refreshing my mind. Tipping back a little too far has one ski slipping. I regain balance with the support of a pole.

“Careful,” someone cautions behind me. “You could fall and get hurt.”

I cringe at the sky, cursing my luck—what happened to staying out of each other's way? —before glowering over my shoulder at Landon. “I can handle myself, thank you very much.”

“Prove it.” He lines up beside me, a bright, toothy grin shining in the morning light in contrast to his all-black jacket and snow pants. “Race me.”

“What are you, a child?” I lower my goggles, rolling my eyes underneath them.

“It's okay to admit you’re slow.” He sniffs. “Tell you what, I'll go easy on you.” Landon flashes me another glittery smile.

“Really? You'd do that?” I fake a grateful tone. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. At least not physically. He could benefit from an ego injury.

“Of course, Indi. I'm a nice guy.”

I crouch into position, keeping steady and straightening my skis. “Countdown or ‘ready, set, go?’”

“I'll countdown,” he starts. “Three, two, one and on ‘go’, we'll—hey!”

His protest fades behind me as I boost ahead. I whoosh forward, the wind whipping against my frame while I pick up speed.

“Indi, you cheat!”

I laugh out, not daring to look back and risk falling. He may be a professional athlete, but I love to win.

My limbs pump harder and harder, quads burning as I swerve side to side. A group of skiers lollygag on my left and I vine around them to hit the last leg approaching the lift at the bottom. I skid to a stop, shooting a gossamer of powdery snow to one bank and turning full circle to face the sore loser himself.

“What the hell was that? You hustled me!” He pants and rips off his goggles. “I want a redo!”

“No takesies backsies, Landon. I won, fair and square.” I squint towards him, the sun in my eyes. “Will you leave me alone now?”

“Double or nothing.” He breaks into an effortless smile, poking a playful tongue into his cheek.

I shake my head and hop on the lift.

Landon follows and gets in behind me. “That wasn't fair.”

“Sounds like something a loser would say.”

“You cheated.”

“You said, 'go' and I went.” I drape a relaxed arm over the bench.

“Fucking lawyers, man.”

“Don't be a sore loser, Radek.”

“I'm not a sore loser!” The pitch of his tone lifts to the next octave.

I snort. “Fine. One run.” Hopping from the lift, I motion to the spot where we started before. “I'll let you do your little countdown, and we'll see who wins.”

Landon puts his goggles back on. “We'll see.”

I make it down first. Again. He throws his poles and gloves into a snowbank with a roar. Tears freeze on my cheeks from laughing so hard.

When he's done with his hissy fit, he refocuses on me. “Best two out of three?”

The man doesn't want to accept defeat. Admirable, but also stupid.

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