Page 2 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

“Sammy tried to do it on his own and ended up falling down and breaking his arm before we got to go on the bunny slope. Dadda had to take him to the doctor and then we had to go home because he had a cast that covered his whole arm. He promised he’d behave this year.” She frowned at her brother who was now looking decidedly uncomfortable.

“Oh Sammy. That’s dangerous, as you found out.” Tana sat back and put on her best thoughtful expression. “How about this…” She paused, waiting to make sure she had their full attention. “How about you pick up that cup you tossed on the ground and put it in the trash over there where it belongs. Then, once the others arrive, I’ll teach all of you how to ski down the bunny slope. Deal?”

Joanie was already nodding her head and making small noises to get her brother to agree. Tana was worried that they’d end up in a standoff and he’d refuse. He surprised her when he picked up the cup and tossed it in the trashcan before agreeing to the deal.

“Good choice, Sammy.” As Tana tightened the buckles on her boots, she could hear the excited chatter of her other students headed their way. “Now, come on, let’s go meet the others and get our skis on.”

* * *

Tana stood tall on her skis at the top of the bunny slope, her students now all arrayed around her in a ragged semicircle. The clear, sunny morning made everything look like an ad in an adventure magazine. The bunny slope might not be an adventure toher,but it sure was for the kids in the beginner group for the five- to eight-year-olds.

“Okay,” she called, watching five pairs of eyes behind goggles in a rainbow of colors snap up to meet hers. Green. Red. Pink. Blue. Purple. It was a sight to see against the white snow. “Let’s remember to do big curves on the way down,” she said, demonstrating by moving her hips side to side. “If you want to slow down, what do you do?”

“Make a pizza!” The children shouted out the answer with a wild enthusiasm that made her heart beat faster. A few of them pointed the tips of their skis together to show her.

Giving them a thumbs up, she knew they were ready to go. “That’s right. Let’s head out.”

Tana waited for the gaggle of children to get level with her before she tipped forward and pushed off with her poles. They were catching on quick, but nottooquick. One of the girls shot out ahead of the pack and Tana reacted without thinking. She straightened her skis and sped down the hill. It was a very long hill—the longest bunny slope she’d ever seen—but the first lesson she tried to teach the kids was tostay in control.

She came up alongside Sadie, who didn’t look uncomfortable in the least. Her poles were pointed straight back, and with a perfect bend in her knees, the girl continued down the hill.

“You’re doing awesome, Sadie,” Tana called. “Now show me your side-to-sides.” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “If you ever race, you’ll have to know how to do the slalom. Side to side.”

It worked.

The little girl slowed her pace and made a wide loop to the left.

Tana stopped and looked back up the hill. The other four kids in the group were cautiously making their way down through the snow. Plenty of proper pizza stances. It had been, all in all, a good lesson. Joanie, as the youngest in the group, was moving the slowest, and Tana was surprised when Sammy slowed down to ski next to his sister.

She waited for them in the middle of the hill where she could also keep an eye on Sadie. Man, she’d luckedout.Taking the ski instructor gig at Elk Lodge had put her right where she needed to be to make a better life for her daughter. And she didn’t mind the work—another bonus. She liked the kids and most of their parents, the pay was decent, and the hours were good.

But Tana wanted more. And this winter, she just might get it.

Elk Lodge was hiring a new ski program director, and Tana had put her name in for consideration. The new position was on her mind as she turned and went down the hill with the last of the group. Speculating on what might happen wouldn’t do her any good, but she couldn’t help it. The director job would bea perfect fitfor her. And she would be so great for it. With the full-time salary and benefits, she’d finally be on the right track.

She came to a gentle stop with the kids on their skis chattering happily around her. “Great job, everybody. Remember—make big turns, side to side, and make a pizza. Those three things will get you down the hill when you’re out on the slopes with your parents, okay? What should you remember?”

“Side to side and make a pizza!” The kids shouted the phrases in a burst of glee.

Grinning, she watched them scatter in different directions. Their parents stood in various places by the entrances, most of them waving enthusiastically as their children approached. The job definitely had more highs than lows.

Tana pushed forward with her poles and moved smoothly toward the lodge. She’d make sure all the kids met up with their parents or nannies and then take her break. With another lesson coming up in an hour, there was just enough time to get a cup of cocoa and take her boots off for a few minutes. As much as she loved teaching ski lessons, itwastaxing on her body. Another silver lining—she’d be in great shape when she got the program director’s position.When,not if. That was the attitude she needed for this application.

A flash of color out of the corner of her eye brought her up short as she watched a man approach. He crunched through the snow on winter boots, the sound reminding her of her daughter Lindsey chomping on cornflakes with an open mouth.

“I’m Ace,” he called out when he got closer.

3

CHASE

Chase’s grandmother sat behind her desk, head bowed over a massive ledger. Even at work, she was the picture of elegance—silver hair swept back in a neat bun, a cream sweater that looked soft enough to fall into, and her favorite string of pearls. Thanks to his brother Gabe’s insistence, everything was computerized now, of course, but there were some things Elin Elkin still liked to do by hand. One of those things was keeping track of the staff.

Chase watched the swoops and falls of her pen across the paper while he lowered himself carefully into one of the antique chairs across from her. His left leg still felt stiff this morning, and he could hear his physical therapist in his head reminding him that injuries as bad as his took time to heal. Rubbing his leg, he bit back a sigh and took a sip of his coffee instead. Being back at Elk Lodge reminded him of everything he’d lost because of his accident. Not lost, merely postponed, his PT would have told him, but that wasn’t true. Even if he was healed enough to compete professionally again, his chances of returning to the US Olympic team were zero.

He waited without speaking for his grandmother to acknowledge him. This, at least, didn’t hurt his feelings. She’d always been focused on keeping Elk Lodge functioning at its best. When Chase was little, he’d learned to sit quietly and wait. But now sitting quietly reminded him that he didn’t quite fit here anymore, like clothes that had gotten too small. Who was he, if he wasn’t a skier?

Where else was he supposed to go? When he’d returned home after he’d been released from the rehab hospital, it was to find that his then-girlfriend had dumped him and moved out, cleaning him out in the process. He was thankful that in her haste to find someone who wasn’t broken, she’d neglected to find the engagement ring he’d purchased with the intent to propose to her after he returned from the Olympics. He’d at least dodged one bad decision. Then things got worse. With the bottom having fallen out of his skiing career, the brands that had contracted with him for celebrity endorsement began canceling their contracts. One by one, and without apology, they disappeared. The final straw was when his agent informed him they would no longer represent him.

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