Page 10 of Never Been Snow Lucky

“What kind of work?” he asked.

While we finished getting the food ready and piled pasta onto our plates, I explained to him about how I’d gotten my Masters in Applied Sports Psychology and was close to completing my thesis to finish my dual degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. “I probably won’t need the second Masters, but I was thinking about going for my PhD, and doing a thesis will improve my odds of getting into the best program. It was only an extra year since the programs have so much overlap, but now I’m second-guessing if I really want to further my education or just get a job using one or both of my two degrees. I’m already a Certified Mental Performance Consultant because my first Masters prepared me for the exam, so finding a position somewhere shouldn’t be too hard.”

“That’s fucking impressive, angel,” he murmured as we carried everything into the living room. Jack hadn’t asked me out for dinner, but sharing a meal with him on the couch with a fire roaring in front of us felt very much like a date.

“I’m not quite out there saving lives like you do.” I bumped my knee against his. “Which is even more impressive.”

He shared a few stories about unusual situations he had encountered on the mountain, my eyes growing wider witheach tale. When he told me about using dynamite to trigger avalanches, I gasped.

“As much as I love the job I’ve trained for, yours seems way cooler. I mean…you get to play with explosives?”

“It isn’t playing, angel.” He shook his head with a deep chuckle. “After assessing snow conditions, sometimes we need to trigger controlled avalanches to keep skiers safe.”

“What kind of training did you need to do to learn how to use explosives?”

He chuckled. “I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as much as you did for your degrees, but I got a fuck ton of on-the-job training from my boss in addition to my certifications. Plus, I do recurring education each year to stay on top of everything.”

The lights flickered, and I scooted closer to Jack. “Do you think the storm will knock out the power?”

“Absolutely.”

His quick, affirmative answer surprised me. “Really?”

“Yeah, but you don’t need to worry. The inn has a fuck ton of generators to keep shit running, even during the worst blizzard,” he explained. “Raven and Colin have done a great job of making sure their guests are comfortable, no matter what obstacles are thrown in their way.”

“I can’t imagine being any cozier than I am right now. Here, with you.”

“Neither can I, angel.”

Butterflies swirled in my belly at his confession. “I have to ask…why do you call me angel?”

“How can I not when you tried making a snow angel after your fall yesterday?” Shaking his head, he chuckled. “It was so fucking cute, how you did that with a sprained wrist.”

“Thanks.” Cute wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of my sexiness, but I’d still take the compliment. And it was better thancalling me the hot mess that I’d been on the bunny slope when he rescued me.

I was enjoying my time with Jack, but I was still trying to catch up on sleep and had worn myself out today trying to snowboard before the snow got too bad. So I couldn’t stop the yawn that crept up on me.

“I didn’t realize I was that boring,” he teased.

“You’re not,” I insisted, my cheeks filling with heat. “I’m just on vacation time, I guess.”

“The adrenaline rush from your fall earlier today probably didn’t help.” He got to his feet and jerked his chin toward the bedroom. “Don’t worry about me. Go get some much-needed sleep.”

I darted a skeptical gaze toward the couch. With how tall Jack was, I couldn’t see him being comfortable there all night. “I don’t think I’ll be able to rest, knowing you’re out here unable to sleep because your long legs are hanging over the armrest.”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured me, nudging me toward the door.

As I passed him, I tugged on his wrist with my good hand. “You’ll be even better if you share the bed with me.”

There was no missing the desire that flared in his dark gaze, but he didn’t act on it. “Not gonna turn you down, but are you sure you’re good with that plan?”

“It’ll make it easier for you to check on my wrist through the night.”

My pain and swelling had already improved, but I’d already learned that Jack liked taking care of me. He didn’t question my decision when I put it that way. Grabbing the tote bag he’d brought back with him, he followed me into the bedroom.

It didn’t take long for us to get ready for bed, and I giggled at the snowman pajama pants he wore when he padded out of the en suite bathroom.

Lifting the blanket to slide onto the mattress next to me, he grumbled, “I didn’t have anything to sleep in, so I asked Raven to grab something for me from the gift shop.”

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