Page 117 of Just Let Go

With the wind beneath him, he started to feel it, that loss of himself, that surrender to something greater.

Turn right. Jump.

Midair, he did something he never did—he exhaled.

Another turn. Another jump. Another exhale.

Something bigger than him. It was here, on the slopes, everytime he went over a hill. He’d always looked at it as cheating death—daring whatever it was that had been out there that day with him and Benji to come back and finish the job. But today, here, it all felt different.

He rushed through to the finish, same way he had so many times that day, but this time, a crowd had gathered, just as Jaden said. They cheered as he streaked by, but he didn’t care.

He bent at the waist as he slid to a stop. He’d given everything on that last run, left it all on the slopes, exactly like his coaches had told him to. For years, he thought he’d done that, but he’d always been holding back.

“You gotta ski with your heart, Grady,”Happy had told him.“That’s where the good stuff is.”

He got it now. Give up control and just ski. The rest was out of his hands.

He stood up and moved toward the crowd, most of whom were still watching him, some waiting for photos or autographs.

But before he could sign or pose, he heard someone shout, “We need help up here!”

He looked over and saw a guy who’d just barreled past. He called out again. “Can we get some help?”

Grady’s heart dropped.Oh no. Jaden.

“What’s going on?” He rushed over to the guy.

“There’s a kid up there. Crashed. I left my buddy up there with him so I could come get help.”

“Blue ski coat?”

“You know him?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Quinn had just finished setting the table when Carly’s cell phone rang. She’d left it on the table and run outside because she forgot her purse in the car. Quinn thought almost nothing of it until it stopped and her own phone started ringing almost instantly.

She pulled it out and saw Grady’s name on her screen.

“Hey.” One word and she could tell something was wrong.

“What is it?”

“Are you with your sister?”

“Yeah, she’s outside. What’s going on?”

“Quinn, it’s Jaden,” he said. “There was an accident.”

Bad things always happened around Christmas. Didn’t it seem that way? Or maybe accidents simply seemed worse because of the time of year. This one sure did. Tomorrow, they were supposed to celebrate Christmas Eve at her dad’s. Instead, they’d be lucky if they were home from the hospital.

The drive up north felt like a nightmare. Their dad drove with Beverly riding up front and Carly and Quinn in the back.

Quinn was feeling downright irate with Grady for taking her nephew skiing in the first place and with Carly for letting him go. She wanted to scream, “I told you so!” like a dutiful (but annoying) little sister, but of course she didn’t.

She held her tongue. Because it wasn’t the time. And because Grady had given them almost no information as to what happened or how Jaden was doing or if he was going to be okay.

Quinn stared out the window, mind racing with horrifying possibilities.

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