Page 23 of Broken Bridges

She spun her head around. “Oh. Hi. I didn’t think anyone was here.”

“The guys are still boarding. I got a blister.” I grabbed the first-aid kit off the top of the fridge and sat on the opposite end of the sofa. “Where’s Sutton?”

“She wanted a mani-pedi, so she’ll be at least another hour. I hate sitting still for that long. It drives me crazy.” She wriggled her socked toes on her outstretched legs.

“You really don’t like being pampered?”

She dropped her cell phone beside her hip. “Not really. I tolerate the salon when I have to go to events. That’s it.”

“What do you do to relax?” I opened the first-aid box. Ointments and dressings and tweezers sat neatly in position like none of the items had been used before.

“I’m not much of a relaxer. Not even since being injured.” She fidgeted with the cuffs on her sweater.

That was obvious. “You need to learn to chill.”

“I try to.” She stared out at the snow-covered hills. Sadness clouded her eyes. “But I’d much rather be out on the slopes.”

My stomach sank. Her injury had affected her more than she liked to let on. But she didn’t have to put on a tough front for me. I’d been through some rough shit in my life. Music had been the only thing that had helped me through. I wouldn’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t play anymore. I could only try to understand what she was going through after having to give up the job she loved.

I threw her a mischievous smile. “It was great out there. Great powder.”

“Okay. You can shut up now.” She picked up a cushion and threw it at my head.

“Ow!” Laughing, I grabbed the cushion and tossed it back to her. Maybe I could help a fraction by showing her things she could do. Having fun was the best medicine. “You may not be able to ski or board, but you can ride, right? Tomorrow, we’ll take that snowmobile out back for a spin and cruise around the trails.”

She slumped deeper into the sofa. As she watched the fire flicker, worry etched her brow. “Nah. I’m good. I don’t want to break my other leg. Idon’t want to get hurt again.”

Was that her main concern? I could understand that.

“We can go steady. I promise.” It’d require restraint not to gun the snowmobile over the mountain, but I could behave when necessary.

“No thanks. I’m fine.”

She wasn’t. I’d have to think of something else she could do. Something that involved everyone so I wasn’t alone in the same room as her. Like I was then. Just the scent of her perfume made my head spin.

But my blister stung, pulling me to a halt.

I hooked my ankle up onto my other knee and re-examined my sore. The red raw flesh and flap of broken skin looked worse than before. I grabbed the antiseptic cream and dabbed it on. Oh shiiiit! Clenching my teeth, I flopped back against the sofa. I closed my eyes and rode out the burn and sting.

Tia puffed air through her nose. “Wuss. It’s a tiny blister.”

“It fucking hurts.” I grimaced, relieved when the pain subsided.

Sitting forward, I sifted through the box of various sized Band-Aids and dressings, looking for something big enough and suitable to cover the tear on my skin.

“You want some help?” Tia asked.

“You know what I should use to cover blisters?”

“Absolutely.” She shuffled to sit beside me.

Hmm. I scanned her shapely legs and arms. She made sweatpants and a matching Tommy Hilfiger hoodie look like couture. I should’ve put more than two inches between us, but I didn’t. Couldn’t. Crap.

Grabbing the box, she sorted through the packets of gauze, bandages, and dressings. “Fixing wounds was sometimes a daily requirement at my last job. We were always ripping our hands on ropes, touching cables that were hot, cutting ourselves on props.”

“Occupational hazards?”

“Yeah.” The light in her eyes disappeared.

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