Page 4 of Never Been Snow Lucky

“Go ahead and pop your boots into the board so you can get a feel for it before you meet Lincoln on the bunny hill.”

With both of my feet strapped together on a single board, the weight distribution I needed to balance was completely different from what I was used to on my skis. “This feels weird.”

“Yeah, the single plank stance will probably take a little getting used to. But your experience on skis will give you an edge over most first-time boarders.”

“I’ll take every advantage I can get,” I murmured, shifting my weight between my feet to get a feel for the board.

“Lincoln will coach you through using a single edge to turn and proper fall techniques, but once you get over the mental adjustment to being on a single board, it’ll be a cinch.”

Considering that overcoming mental barriers was my specialty, that was exactly what I needed to hear. The confidence from her encouragement faded as I neared the bunny hill.

“Iris Katz?”

I turned to look at the man who called my name. “Yup, that’s me.”

He lifted his chin in greeting. “Hey, I’m Lincoln Granger, your instructor for the day.”

“I’ve heard good things.”

“Sara does a great job talking me up.” He shook his head, laughing off the compliment. “But you’re the one who’s going to do all the hard work today.”

He proved how right he was over the next hour. I thought I was in pretty good shape, but my attempts at snowboarding had me rethinking that. Lying flat on my back in the snow, I stared up at the blue sky above me.

Lincoln slid next to me, blocking my view as he asked, “Doing okay?”

“The answer to that question depends on your definition of good.” I shook my head with a laugh. “At least I remembered not to try to catch myself when I fell. I’m so used to the bindings on my skis releasing, I keep expecting my snowboard to do the same. I think that’s the only reason I haven’t snapped a wrist yet.”

“You have definitely mastered the proper fall technique,” he teased.

“At least I have one hurdle down.” I shook my head with a soft laugh as I dusted myself off.

“But if I had known that snowboarding was this much harder than skiing, I’m not sure I would’ve signed up for a lesson.”

Stretching his hand out to help me up, he smirked. “But then you would have missed out on all the fun.”

“I have a feeling that watching me fall over and over again is a lot more fun for you than me.”

After we said our goodbyes, I didn’t even bother to try to board to the entrance of the inn. There was enough snow to do it, but I figured it was safer for me to walk.

The lobby was crowded, but I caught the gaze of a man across the space and found it impossible to look away. Something about him grabbed my attention…and piqued a feminine interest in a way that I had never experienced before.

I groaned at my awful timing. My ski pants and jacket were covered in snow, and my hair had to be a sweaty mess from the helmet I had been wearing during my lesson. My cheeks and nose felt as though they were red from being out in the cold forso long, and I had forgotten to put on lip balm, which left them chapped from the wind. Meanwhile, the guy stalking toward me looked as though he had walked straight off the cover of a winter sports magazine.

His dark brown hair was thick and just a touch messy on top, but in a super sexy way—as if he’d just rolled out of bed. His beard and mustache were neatly trimmed and amped up his masculine vibe. The crinkles at the corner of his light brown eyes as his plump lips curved up made me think he smiled a lot.

The grin he aimed my way as he crossed the room sent a sensual thrill up my spine that held me in place until he was standing less than a foot in front of me. His gaze briefly darted toward the snowboard I was holding, and his grin widened. “Have a good time on the slopes?”

“Umm…I definitely got up close and personal with the snow.” His brows went up at my answer, and my cheeks heated as I explained, “I’m a decent skier, but it was my first time boarding.”

“Ahh, gotcha. I’m way better on planks than a board, so I get it.”

Glancing at the white cross on the sleeve of his red jacket, I laughed softly. “You’d have to be better than most to be a member of the ski patrol.”

“True,” he conceded. “If you need any help on the mountain, I’m your guy. Just ask for Jack.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Grinning at him, I added, “If you get a call about a guest in distress named Iris, that’s me.”

“Your name is almost as pretty as you.”

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