Page 70 of Just Let Go

Turns out, a lot harder.

Sara was an athlete, so rollerblading and every other sport came easily to her. Quinn supposed that was why she took off down a hill like it was no big deal.

“Come on, Quinn!” she yelled over her shoulder.

In retrospect, Quinn should’ve probably gotten down on all fours and crawled to the bottom of the hill. Or maybe taken the skates off and met Sara on flat ground. Neither of those things were what she did, of course. In a rare moment of bravery, she inched over the top of the hill and started racing down.

Somewhere in the middle of the slope, she picked up speed. Seconds later, she realized she had no idea how to stop and the end of the incline would put her right in the middle of oncoming traffic. She panicked. Arms flailing, scream escaping, she practically dove to the ground, skinning not just her knee but her entire leg, her hands, and her elbow on the cement underneath her.

Most of those wounds had healed, but she still had a scar on herelbow to remind her what happened when she stepped outside her comfort zone.

Skiing felt a lot like that, and suddenly, looking at the lodge in front of her, Quinn thought perhaps a day inside by the fire was a better idea than trying her luck, even on the bunny hills.

Grady parked, and they all got out. Of course, Grady and Jaden both had skis and boots and goggles and helmets, while Quinn and Carly had borrowed coats, ski pants, and little else.

“Are those the only gloves you brought?” Grady squinted down at her.

“These are perfectly acceptable for my usual outdoor activities.” Quinn glanced down at her puffy pink gloves. Underneath, she had a thin cotton pair on. She thought that would be fine.

“Yeah, they’re not acceptable for skiing.” Grady sounded so put out, Quinn wanted to roll her eyes and walk away.

“Well, it’s not like I had a ton of time to plan for this little excursion. If you’ll remember, I didn’t want to come in the first place.”

“Oh, I remember.”

Smug. That’s how she’d describe him right now. Like a school principal who couldn’t wait to issue detentions.

“Guess I’ll have to stay inside,” she said. “I brought some work, so that’s just fine with me.”

Grady opened his trunk and pulled out a giant bag. “I have an extra pair.”

“Of course you do.” Her sarcasm was in full effect.

He handed her a pair of big black gloves with a tag that readBowman.

Her mind raced back to the night in her apartment when he’d confessed the truth about his sponsor. A Google search told her he’d been exclusively working with Bowman practically since the beginning of his career. Amazing how that simple memory could warm her toward him, even for a moment. Despite how it seemed, she knew even professional athletes had their share of troubles.

He slammed the hatch and slung the bag over his shoulder.When they turned, they found Jaden and Carly both staring at them.

“You two good?” Carly asked, that miserable smirk on her face.

Quinn straightened. “Fine.”

“Good; let’s go.” Jaden started off in the direction of the lodge, where the ski rental was located. Grady fell into step beside Jaden, and while Quinn was a few steps behind, she swore she heard her nephew say, “I can’t believe I’m going skiing with Grady Benson.”

“I don’t know if I’ve seen Jaden this excited since he got all the Ninja Turtle figures in fourth grade,” Carly said, coming up alongside her sister.

“It’s something, isn’t it?”

Carly groaned. “You have that look.”

“What look?”

“You get this line in your forehead when you’re worried.” Carly mirrored Quinn’s furrowed brow with one of her own, but put on an extra-grumpy expression to prove a point.

“I’m shocked by how much insight can be gained by looking at my forehead,” Quinn said.

“You’re not hard to figure out,” Carly said. “Plus, you’re worried 90percent of the time.”

---