Page 11 of On the Slopes of Tahoe
Wes
She’s pretty amazing. I’m glad she’s able to help. I wish I could.
I can’t wait for the snow. Less than two weeks and I’ll be shredding that powder right alongside you.
I chew my lip, wondering if I should tell Wes that his sister is doing too much. That she has a life of her own, and I can do this… but I’m beyond exhausted. Saying no to the help she’s offering feels almost irresponsible at this point.Bluey’s soft end-credit music drifts through the room and I’m out like a light, my mind blissfully clear in a way it hasn’t been in weeks.
A persistent knocking draws me out of sleep, and when I reach for my phone, I discover it’s been two hours. I scrub a hand across my face feeling the day’s stubble scratch my palm.
The knocking continues.
Shit.Rory.
“Coming!” I holler, and Willow startles awake next to me. “Sorry, Willow Bear.” I lean down and kiss her head before extricating myself from her lanky limbs.
I swing the door open and Rory stands there, a walking Target ad, loaded down with an absurd amount of bags.
“Bloody hell. Did you buy the whole store?” I ask incredulously, reaching out to grab as much as I can. “You haven’t been standing out here long, have you? We passed out on the couch.”
“Not too long,” she says, but her cheeks are bright pink like she’s been standing in the cold for a while. They match her lips perfectly.
I should not be looking at her lips.
I clear my throat and glance away. “Come on inside and warm up. Want a cup of coffee or something?”
“Sure, that sounds great.” I swear I see her teeth chatter around the words.
“Rory!” Willow’s excitement levitates her off the couch and she tackles her in a big hug. Rory bends to pull her in, rubbing a palm down her back, likely trying to syphon her warmth.
“Hey. Wait until you see all the fun stuff I got you.” She glances up from where she’s crouched and winks at me. “Your daddy gave me his credit card and I went all-out.”
Willow giggles, and a laugh bubbles up in me as well.
“Do you take milk in your coffee?” I ask, moving into the kitchen. “And do you mind if its reheated? Or I can make a fresh pot.”
“Reheated is fine and milk’s great, thanks. Okay, Willow, let’s get to the good stuff.”
She grabs a bag and starts pulling out item after item. Fleece-lined pants and jeans, sweaters and thermal tops, hats, gloves, heavy socks. Even flannel pajamas. Then there’s the snow gear. A pair of snow bibs and snow gloves that she somehow was able to match to the heavy jacket I bought for Willow. There’s flower prints and unicorns, pinks and purples and blues, sparkles and sequins. I couldn’t have picked out a more perfect wardrobe for Willow, and Rory’s only known her for a day.
“Daddy! Look!” She grins at me from beneath a pink hat with furry poof ball ears. My Willow Bear.
“Well, if that isn’t perfect for you, I don’t know what is. Did you thank Rory for picking everything out for you?”
“Thank you, Rory!” She jumps into her arms again and Rory laughs, her turquoise eyes landing on me.
Thank you, I mouth, and she nods, everything in her face softening.
I’ll never be able to thank her enough for being here. It’s only been two days and I feel like I can breathe again—like maybe, just maybe, Willow and I will be okay.
CHAPTER SIX
Rory
Afire crackles in the hearth next to my table in the base lodge of Empyreal, keeping the chill of sitting by a window at bay. My laptop sits open in front of me while skiers and snowboarders meander through on their way to the slopes. I work outside the office as often as I can because where’s the inspiration in staring at a blank wall or out a window—no matter how great the view is? I’m constantly on the hunt for a new angle, a new image, a new idea that’ll drive traffic from socialmedia to our website and draw more people to this mountain I love so much.
The days I’m on the slopes, camera in hand, are the days I relish this job. I get to partake in some of my favorite activities all in the name of “work,” and that never gets old. But then there’s all the days in between. The days when I’m knee deep in TikTok trends or Instagram reels when I’d rather be knee deep in the snow. Those are the days I feel an itch in my palms to reach for my camera and not let go.
I look over the top of my screen and spot a couple snuggled up in the corner in their ski gear. The dwindling snow falling just beyond the window, light filtering through just enough to highlight their smiles before they kiss… I know I could capture it perfectly behind the lens. I look back to my laptop and, ignoring the work I should be doing, click open the Photoshop tab. Pictures of the elopement I shot last weekend fill my screen. We’d gotten a dusting of snow the night before, so the sparkly layer of white that meets me in the images is mesmerizing and ethereal.
