Page 77 of Stuck on the Slopes

“It’s not like they know my room number,” I said as I shifted how I sat, spreading my knees so my hips would be more comfortable. My hip popped in the process, and I couldn’t help the groan of relief. “And people hunt me down with cameras no matter where I live, so I don’t see a difference either way. I’ll let Rachel speak for herself, though.”

“We took the rooms out of the inventory count and can always factor them back in if we move out once things calm down for us. But for now, it’s fine. I’m actually really glad Juniper let me stay here since, as he said, it was one less thing to worry about.”

“I’m glad you’re here, too,” I said, softer than I was moments ago—a softness reserved for Rachel andonlyfor Rachel. “You’ve definitely left your mark on the place for the better.”

Mom’s lips tried to contort in a frown, but she’d had too much Botox done for it to have the effect she wanted. “I mean, it’s great you have an employee here to help, Junebug. But you have an entire career waiting for you to come back to. You can get a cute apartment, leave this behind, and get back to it. Rachel seems smart, so she’d be able to either take over or find work easily if she had to.”

Under her breath, Rachel said, “As a bookkeeper, I’m sure.”

I placed a hand on Rachel’s thigh, hoping it reassured her. “Do you even hear yourself? That would be awful. Besides, wherever I go, she’s coming with me.” I glanced at her to shoot her a wink. She smiled in response, a blush overcoming her cheeks as she cast her gaze on her plate.

My mother wasn’t having it. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

Mom rose a brow. “Are you saying she’s your girlfriend?”

I didn’t skip a beat. “Yeah. She is. Was that not abundantly clear?”

Mom leaned back in her chair, no longer interested in her food—not that she ever was. “Is this why you bought the lodge? To settle down and take it easy?”

“What? No. And even if I had, this isn’t exactly a cakewalk.”

“Listen, Junebug—”

I groaned and ran my hand over my face, feeling like I was walking on a tightrope that was ready to snap at any moment. “Jesus Christ, enough with the Junebug.”

“I’m just saying that it’s been, what, almost five years now? Maybe you should focus on your snowboarding career again.”

As I redid the half-bun my hair was in, my brows furrowed, and the frown deepened on my lips. All the tension gave me a headache. “There is no more snowboarding career.”

“It’s not too late to get back on, sweetheart.” She replied so quickly it was like she hadn’t even heard me. “I’m sure everyone would welcome you back with open arms.”

“I’m never getting back on.”

She tutted her tongue. “There’s no need for that.”

More firmly, I repeated, “I’m never getting back on. Do you not hear me? I nevercanget back on a board. Doctor’s orders. If I do, I can kiss the progress I made in physical therapy goodbye.”

The silence hung over the room, seeping into all of my pores. I couldn't tell if Mom was enraged, confused, or both. “What?”

“Sorry, Mom, but your son is disabled. You’ve had four years to get used to that now. It’s time to come to terms with it.”

My mother looked like someone shot her in the heart. “Don’t say that, Juniper.”

“What, disabled? Why not? I didn’t realize it was a dirty word. Sure, it sucks I’m in some sort of pain more often than not, and I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. But just because I can’t snowboard anymore doesn’t mean my life is over.”

My eyes glanced at Rachel next to me before returning to my plate, where I speared a lone piece of broccoli with my fork with a bit too much force; the fork clanged against the plate. Rachel caught the look and responded silently, placing her hand on my knee. The weight of her touch and the warmth of her palm through my jeans grounded me in my chair and reminded me she was here and by my side. I moved my hand on her leg to place it on top of her own hand, holding it in place. Soon, Sasquatch joined the party, propping his head up on my leg.

“I have this place and Rachel and Sasquatch. All of them need me to some degree, and I gotta say, it feels pretty fucking good to be needed. Legitimately needed. And it’s mutual because I need them too, but there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s the hand I was dealt. It’s about time we all accept it.”

My mother scoffed. “Come on. I bet Rachel would love to see you ride. Wouldn’t you, Rachel?”

Rachel’s eyebrows shot up as she puffed up her cheeks and exhaled. “Absolutely not. Not if it would hurt him. He’s thirty years old, he can do what he wants.” She shrugged a shoulder. “And not for nothing, but I don’t know anything about snowboarding, so it’s not like I have a horse in that race, anyway. If I ever really want to, I’ll go on YouTube. I’m sure there are some compilation videos or something, right?”

I could kiss her right here and now.

“Probably,” I said. “There’s a ton of footage out there.”

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