Page 80 of Stuck on the Slopes

Aswediscardedourfood, Juniper announced he needed to take Sasquatch out. Drew offered to go with him, stating he wanted some father-son time, even if for a brief moment. Veronica and I saw them to the lobby where Juniper gave me an apologetic look before they departed from the front door. Veronica and I watched in silence as a few stray snowflakes flurried in from outside. The cold air came with it, hitting my nose first. I suspected they’d be a few minutes; Sasquatch preferred to relieve himself back behind Juniper’s room, so they’d have to wrap around that half of the resort.

“It’s truly amazing what the two of you have done,” Veronica said.

I smiled at her, hoping it was an olive branch. “Thank you. I think I speak for both of us when I say it’s our pride and joy.”

“So, what is it you want from him, hmm?”

I blinked as I processed her words. At first, I thought I had misheard her. “I’m sorry?”

“It must be his money. He certainly can’t get you any fame you may be looking for.”

“Oh!” It took all my willpower to not let my jaw drop to the floor and plaster on a fake, corporate-approved smile. If there was any time to put those skills to use, it was now. “Oh, no, no, nothing like that. At the risk of sounding ignorant, I didn’t even know who he was when I moved here.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

Just like that, my fake smile vanished. I forced myself to maintain at least a neutral expression, not wanting my annoyance at her accusations to raise any suspicions. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel vindicated because she’d pushed my buttons in the right order.

“It’s true. I’m from Florida and never even went skiing before coming here, so winter sports were never on my radar.”

“Interesting. So then why take the job?”

Her words tore open an old wound, the one where I struggled to feel like I fit in here. From the way Veronica held her head high, she knew it, too. But I didn’t want to be the girl who ran and hid anymore. I didn’t want to be the girl who was too shy to stand up for herself. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. “It felt like it was meant to be.” I briefly explained my previous work situation to her, not getting too into it since I didn’t trust she wouldn’t twist the details, and then said, “So, I left to come here and start fresh, beat burnout, and the rest is history.”

“And once you moved here and learned who Junebug was?”

I shrugged. “Nothing changed between us once I knew. We both had a common goal and focused on it, and we got to know each other along the way. That’s all.”

“Okay. So, now that you know him, what’s your price?”

No longer able to control my expression, I frowned. “Like the last girl he dated, yeah? Listen, I heard about that. And I can assure you, ma’am, I’m not like that. I don’t have a price.”

“So, then, help me understand your aim here. You don’t want fame or money. Junebug isn’t exactly known for being the sweetest guy alive, and certainly not the tallest—”

“Oh my God, no wonder he’s so hard on himself,” I blurted. The last remaining parts of the old me were aghast, but as the shock registered on Veronica’s face, I felt no regret. Maybe Juniper had even more of an impact on me than I’d realized. “I hope you don’t say these kinds of things to his face.”

“Excuse me?”

It would seem it was Veronica’s turn to be dumbfounded.

“You know, I’m seeing now why he didn’t want to tell you he can’t snowboard anymore.” I leaned against the counter with my hip, taking a casual stance that showed I wasn’t going anywhere. “What happened those four, five years ago really messed with Juniper, a lot more than he leads on today. But the fact he has a bad hip or can’t snowboard again doesn’t make him any less capable. And sure, he can come off abrasive at times, but you know what? After years of dealing with fake niceties and corporate politics, it’s refreshing to not have to play any guessing games.”

Veronica stared at me in silence. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it as she thought over her next words. Her face was hard to read, and there was a high chance I’d deeply offended her, but if it meant defending Juniper, then I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I pushed some of my hair back with my fingers and said, “I’m sure you’re protective of him after what happened four years ago. His ex-girlfriend and friend selling out his hospital stay was horrific, and I hope karma finds them if it hasn’t already. But he’s already got enough self-loathing for the whole state of Colorado without any additional snide comments.” I sighed. “I’m protective of him, too, I guess.”

“You really love him, don’t you?”

Even though neither of us had explicitly spoken the words to each other—knowing his history, I wanted Juniper to say them first so he could feel comfortable—I didn’t hesitate when I answered. “Yeah. I do.”

As Veronica shook her head, not a single strand of hair moved out of place. It was like her hair had Botox done, too. “That’s too bad. I don’t think you’ll last out here. In Colorado, I mean, with the tabloids and dating a celebrity. I wouldn’t have left Florida if I were you.”

My grandparents did not flee eastern Europe for this shit. It was about time I had the chutzpah to stand up for myself. I shrugged a shoulder at Veronica as I said, “My family has survived worse. Much, much worse. Flashing cameras and tabloid gossip is nothing compared to Nazis, and I’d like to think I inherited their strength. I’m sure I’ll manage.”

We both stopped at the sound of shuffling footsteps and light laughter: Juniper and his father from the sounds of it. Sasquatch trotted along right beside Juniper, and it was Sasquatch’s furry face I saw turn the corner first. What a relief.

“There you both are,” Drew said.

The three entered the lobby, and Juniper reached for me with one arm as he approached the front desk I was still leaning against. My heart all but melted in my chest at the gesture, our fingers interlocking as he stepped in to stand beside me. Juniper placed a kiss on my temple.

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