Page 43 of Finding Love on the Slopes

“Am I late?” she asked, slightly out of breath from rushing.

“No, not at all. Come, sit down,” Enrique instructed, pulling out her chair. As soon as she was seated he pulled out his chair and sat beside her. They ate quickly and in relative silence both being extremely hungry and enjoying the improved flavors over the MREs they had been surviving on for the last few days.

He inquired how her bath was and if everything was to her liking. This led to a comment on the owner’s or management company’s obsession with roses. He chuckled and admitted that he had brought the vanity basket with him from home and that it came preselected. He solicited her opinion on a better selection, and she suggested fruit over flowers as they tend to smell a little less intensely. Most people ate fruit, whereas not everyone enjoyed sniffing rosebuds. He appreciated her insight and nodded to his housekeeper, who had just entered the room, to make the adjustment.

The meal progressed quickly, and before she knew it, Leigh was tucked into the amazingly soft sheets with freshly brushed teeth, a full belly, and sweet dreams stretching out before her.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Leigh awoke to rays of bright sunlight shining on her face. She had slept like a baby. Reluctantly crawling out of her cozy down cocoon, she made her way into the bathroom and prepared herself for the day. When she returned to the bedroom, she saw that shopping bags had been slid just inside her door. She took them to the bed and opened them, feeling like a kid on Christmas, as she pulled out fresh clothes from a boutique in Aspen. Someone had gotten up very early to drive all the way there and back before she got up. Looking at the bedside clock, she realized she had slept rather late, so maybe whoever did this hadn’t been put out too badly.

Dressed in designer jeans, fluffy double-layered socks, fresh underclothes that would look at home in a Victoria’s Secret catalog—which she only ever thumbed through thanks to theirexorbitant pricing—and a cashmere color block sweater, she headed downstairs in search of food. The scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafted from the kitchen, and she hoped they were available for her morning meal.

Her foot hadn’t even hit the last step when Mrs. Ellis approached and led her to the breakfast room. Her place was already set, and once her preferences were made known, Mrs. Ellis hurried off to prepare a tray. Not five minutes later, Leigh was diving into a plate of sticky buns, scrambled eggs, sliced strawberries, and a steaming cup of Lady Grey tea.

Throughout her meal, she took in the views of the mountains just outside the large picture windows and noticed how still and quiet the chalet was. Enrique was nowhere to be found, which was interesting. Dining alone was not a new experience, but she never dallied if there wasn’t anyone to talk to or work to be done while she ate. So, after fifteen minutes at the table, she was on her way to find a cozy spot to video chat with her brother. He texted that he would be available in ten minutes when she reached out to schedule their morning catch-up session, so she had time to look around.

She settled for an overstuffed loveseat in an alcove upstairs that overlooked the side of the house. From this vantage point, she could see the lush forest, with evergreens draped in freshly fallen snow.

No sooner had she gotten comfortably tucked into the corner of the small couch and tucked a chunky gray knit throw overher legs than “Brother” started to play on her phone, alerting her that Curtis was calling.

Tapping the accept button, she turned the camera to face her and smiled.

“Hello, Angel mine.” For the first time in days, his face and voice were clear, and tears sprang to her eyes. Man, she had missed him.

“Hello, brother mine,” she responded, resuming a communication tradition he had started when he woke her up for school when she was still a toddler. It had stuck, and every time they had a regular, relaxed conversation, this was how they began.

“You look well, happy. Tell me everything. Don’t leave out a single detail, or I’ll know.” He was smiling, too; he had been waiting anxiously for the opportunity to catch up on things with Leighann.

For the next fifteen minutes, she told him all about her experience with Enrique starting from the moment they met. He didn’t interrupt, but his nostrils flaring at certain points during her retelling told her he was annoyed with his best friend. When she had finished the lengthy tale, she took a deep breath and waited.

“I’m sensing some undertones here. What have you not shared?” he asked knowingly, his eyes going squinty in the corners like they always did when he was searching for the missing piece in her stories.

“I, well.” Leigh tucked her long blond hair behind her ear and stared out the window for a moment. She wasn’t sure she was ready to share her feelings for Enrique. They were too new, and they weren’t even really a thing.

“Spit it out. What are you hiding?” Curtis rarely got frustrated with her, but he hated it when she kept things from him. He worried.

“I’m not hiding anything. It’s just that I’ve developed feelings for the big lout. I’m not sure how I feel about that idea or what to do with them. I believe he is a good man with a hard outer shell, like you warned me. I believe he is a reformed bad boy with a good heart and the desire to be different... more loving and less callous. But at the same time, I’m not sure I am ready for a relationship given my current commitments or that I want to ever be in a relationship, period.” Leigh stared into the small screen of her phone, wishing she was having this conversation with her brother in person.

“Ah, he got to you, did he? I knew he would work his magic. It is impossible not to like the man once you get to know him. You’re right; he has a good heart, and I can tell you from experience that once he decides to let you in and share his heart with you, he is loyal. I understand your reservation given the childhood you had. But I also don’t want to see you close yourself off from the wonderful possibilities of love just because of how Mom handled her loss. Don’t overthink it. You have good instincts. Trust your gut on this. Some things don’t need to go under your microscope and be analyzed for years for theright course of action to be clear. I’ll pray that the Lord guides you and gives you peace. You have my support no matter what happens.”

A loud whup whup whup caught Leigh’s attention, and the trees before her began to sway with a new source of wind, “What in the world? Is that a helicopter?”

Curtis started to chuckle, “No doubt Enrique needed to go somewhere this morning and is getting dropped off.”

“In ahelicopter?” Leigh asked incredulously.

“Yeah, well, his brother Gabe has a jet, but it’s kind of hard to land those on the top of a mountain.” A knock sounded, and Curtis turned to address Gina, who had entered the room. “My guests just arrived. I gotta run. I’ll be unavailable for five days. If you need me, call the Sat phone. Remember to enjoy the journey. I love you, Kiddo.”

“I love you too.” They both blew kisses and then disconnected the call.

Leigh couldn’t see anything from this location, so she returned downstairs to see what was happening. Sure enough, Enrique was entering through the front door, and a helicopter could be seen in the large yard. Within minutes, the rotors had spun back to full speed, and the obnoxiously loud machine took off. It disappeared behind the mountain, but the chuf chuf chuf could be heard for several minutes.

“Well, I have a clean bill of health. Bruised ribs, not cracked. It’s too late for stitches, so a plastic surgeon will have to fix my face after it heals. The doctor said I could resume skiing as soonas I felt ready, but other than taking another dive off the side of the mountain, I should be just fine. I was thinking tomorrow, if the slopes are cleared, we could try again. What do you think?”

“That sounds fine with me. As long as you listen, and we can ski together. It is more fun that way,” Leigh agreed, leaning her hip against the back of the couch, appraising him as he approached, his hands full of shopping bags.

“I promise. I see Mrs. Ellis did well. You look warm and comfortable. Do you like her selection?”

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