Page 18 of Against All Odds

I hated how easily she said it, like she was used to brushing off how much she’d missed out on. “Your husband skis?”

Her smile wavered. “Ex-husband, and yes.”

“Sorry.” I felt like an idiot now. “Alexa keeps saying husband when she talks about me, and I keep correcting her, and now I did the same thing to you.”

“Not a big deal.” She held her skis the way I’d taught her. If nothing else, Sable was a quick learner. “Jack skied with friends and…,” she paused as if recalling an unpleasant memory, and then making her peace with it, she finished, “he thought it was embarrassing I didn’t already know how. I did think about doing it without him, butI just didn’t.”

She didn’t because the son of a bitch had made her feel ashamed. I fucking hated that asshole. “Well, I’m glad you’re here now. And for the record, you’re not bad at it. With a little practice, you might even make the locals jealous.”

She snorted. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

But I saw the way her face softened. She needed someone to tell her she could do things because, all of her life, people had told her she couldn’t. I was no knight in shining armor, or at least, I never had been, and I didn’t think Sable needed saving—but it felt fucking awesometo take care of her, give her what no one else had, including that jerk of an ex-husband of hers.

We lined up at the top of the bunny slope, her skis, as most beginners had, in the shape of a pizza, the front ends pointed in toward themselves.

“You ready?” I adjusted her stance.

“I’m not surereadyis the right word, but this time” —she gave me a determined look— “I’m not gonna let gravity win.”

“That’s the spirit.” I felt my chest puff up with pride for her. Sable had a core of steel. That was what had gotten her over all the crap life had handed her. “Now, Bambi, just let the snow do the work.”

“And if I crash again?”

“Then you’ll get back up,” I told her. “That’s how it works.”

She blew out a breath and started forward, gliding more steadily this time. Her movements were still a little stiff, but as she picked up speed, I could see her begin to loosen up, her body moving with the skis instead of fighting them.

“I’m doing it!” she called, her voice full of exhilaration as she slid past me.

“You’re skiing, Bambi!” I yelled after her, skiing slowly to keep pace.

She made it halfway down the slope without a wobble, then, at three-quarters of the way, her face lit up with pure joy. It was the kind of smile that made you forget everything else.

When she reached the bottom without falling, sheturned to look at me, her arms flung in the air like she’d just won a gold medal. “I did it!”

“You did!” I called back, laughing as I reached her. “You’re practically a pro, darlin’.”

She was grinning ear to ear, her cheeks pink, and her dark hair spilling out from under her helmet. “Okay, I can see why people like this. That was amazing.”

“It’s addictive, isn’t it?” I couldn’t help myself and leaned down to kiss her nose. “Just wait until you try the bigger slopes.”

“I’d like to wait for that…a long while,” she warned, laughing, but I could tell she was as proud of herself, as she should be.

“You want to try again?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

She nodded, already turning toward the towrope. “Hell yeah. I’m not stopping while I’m on a roll.”

By the time we finished a few more runs, Sable was gliding down the bunny slope with confidence. Watching her find her rhythm, her joy, was special…becauseshewas special.

At the bottom of her last run, she turned to me, breathless but beaming. “Okay, I’ll admit it—you’re a decent teacher.”

I pretended to look wounded. “I give you the gift of skiing, and all I get isdecent?”

She smirked. “Fine. You’reawesome. Happy?”

“Very.” I ran a finger down her cold cheek. Her skin was smooth, flushed, and healthy. I wanted her. “But you’re the onewho did the work.”

Her smile softened, and she looked at me for a moment like she didn’t quite believe what I’d said but wanted to. “Thanks, Heath.”

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