Page 32 of Just Curious

“Yeah, I’m cool. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page. Also, it’s not like we're dining in some fancy la-di-dah private club. The guests here will no doubt be on the younger side.”

“And considering what they’re here to do, they’re probably pretty adventurous,” Jackson added.

With that decided, they wandered through the small, and surprisingly sophisticated, town. They admired local and indigenous artwork at a gallery. Casey couldn’t resist purchasing a few pieces that he had sent back to his business, saying, “I know just where these would look great. I’ll call my clients about them as soon as we get back.”

They looked at some hand-carved scrimshaw that was interesting, but not anything that particularly grabbed them, so they moved on. The town also boasted no less than three very busy ski shops and a bakery that smelled like heaven. Finally, they found their way into a cozy, colorful tavern and ordered Irish coffees to warm up.

“Are you guys here to do some heliskiing?” their waitress asked. When they all smiled and nodded, she added, “Awesome. The rest of the week is going to be sunny and around four or five degrees. Perfect conditions.”

“Still sounds pretty cold to me,” grumbled Casey.

“Celsius,” clarified Jackson. “You’re in Canada, remember?”

“Oh… yeah. Duh. Sounds nice!” He winked at the waitress who smiled seductively at him and sashayed away to get their order.

After their hot drinks, they meandered back to the lodge, stopping to let the front desk know they’d be having dinner in the dining room, and the proprietor assured them their table would be ready. As they exited through the back door and headed to their cottage, snowflakes were beginning to fall.

Looking at the sky, Jackson mused, “I wonder how deep the powder is on these slopes. This is going to be so great.”

Dinner was magnificent. The dining room was intimate; they were close to the rest of the guests, but the acoustics were designed so that they couldn’t overhear anyone else’s conversations. There was a roaring fire warming the room, and the décor was decidedly mountain chic. Willa thought she could hear Casey’s wheels spinning as he took in ideas for decorating this kind of space.

They did garner some curious looks from a few of the other guests. Trying their best to ignore it, the two men got rather mulish looks on their faces when a couple who’d finished their dinner approached them. Right away, the woman told them, “We’re sorry to bother you while you’re eating, but I had to know, you’re Willa Camden, aren’t you?”

“I am,” answered Willa warmly.

“I have to tell you that I’ve read every one of your books and they changed our lives.” She looked a bit embarrassed, but continued, “I used to be so closed off to the idea of, um, certain things, but after reading your books, I learned to relax and enjoy… things… with my husband. So, I want to thank you for saving our marriage.”

Her husband, although red in the face, said, “I know romance writers sometimes get criticism for not writing more serious stuff, but you’re doing a service to readers everywhere. Thank you.”

“No, thank you! I’m thrilled to hear I could provide some helpful entertainment.” Willa addressed the man, “Do you also read the books?”

“We read them to each other,” explained the wife. “Especially… certain parts.” She blushed even more. “Anyway, we didn’t mean to disturb you, but I wanted to say hello and thank you. Enjoy your stay here; it’s really a terrific place. And, well… have fun skiing.” She took her husband’s hand and they left. Just as they reached the doorway, the husband dropped his wife’s hand and grabbed her butt. They could hear her giggling her way into the lobby.

They all looked at each other and tried not to snort.

“That was nice,” Willa said. Her eyes were glowing from the couple’s complements. “They were private people, you can tell, but they thought to come and talk to me.”

The next person to stop by their table that evening was their guide Lorne. He introduced himself and said, “I didn’t want to wait until breakfast to meet you all in case you had lots of questions.” Just as advertised, he was a handsome, jovial young man who seemed to have a ready answer for everything and filled them with confidence. By the time they were done talking with him, they were all chomping at the bit to get out there and ski some deep powder.

Chapter 20

The snow was really coming down when they left the main building that night, but by morning, the sun blazed in the clear sky, making the world look magical and pristine. They were just finishing up their breakfasts when Lorne appeared like an excited puppy.

“Nearly ready to go? It’s going to be an awesome day!” he announced happily.

Willa had never been in a helicopter before. Her first impression was that it was noisy, and the view was unbelievable. When the pilot took them over the crest of a mountain and immediately dropped their altitude, Willa’s stomach dipped. It felt as if she were in a falling elevator. “Whoa!” she laughed. She grabbed Jackson’s arm, and he looked at her with amusement.

“You’ll get used to it,” Lorne said cheerfully. “Stefan is an amazing pilot, but he loves to show off a little for the guests.”

Willa thought she could do with a little less of a show.

Soon Stefan dropped them off at the top of a mountain that was so white and perfect, it looked like heaven. There was an open bowl for them to ski down above the tree line.

“We’ll start with this and see how you all navigate the powder,” said Lorne as they exited the helicopter and stepped into their ski bindings. “It’s deep here, but there aren’t any obstacles to get in the way. It’s the best place to warm up, in my opinion.”

He spaced them out evenly so they could ski down almost side-by-side. Then he pointed to an area way below them and explained, “Stefan will meet us there with the chopper.”

The hours that followed were some of the most exhilarating of Willa’s life. They were waist-deep in fluffy powder and, except for them, the world felt completely silent. She and the three men slalomed their way down mountain after mountain, whooping and laughing with complete abandon. Feathery snow flew around them as they glided through it, covering their bodies with white.

---