Page 73 of Counting Down To You

After Gabriel leaves the kitchen, I whirl on Leo. “He’s taking the gondola,” I repeat.

“Yessss,” Leo agrees slowly.

I shake my head, pulling a hand through my hair. “I thought you could only get here by skiing in and out.”

“Well, that’s the way you’re supposed to do it. But they need access in the night, and a way for staff to get in and out if they need to, without skiing all the way.”

“So…so I could have got here, without skiing?”

“Well, you could have, yes. But you were being a good GRM. Besides,” he adds, the corner of his mouth lifting, “would you really have wanted to miss it?”

I stare at him, then huff out a laugh. “No. I suppose not.” And isn’t that something?

“What do you reckon—shall we take a beat?” He jerks his head toward the door not to the dining room, but back to the living room. “They’re all fine in there and I think they’d appreciate a bit of time without supervision.”

I bite my lip as I look around at all the clearing up left to do.

“We can sort it later,” Leo says, reading my thoughts. He steps toward the kitchen door. When I don’t immediately follow, he reaches back, takes my hand, and laces his fingers through mine. “Come on,” he says. “There is no way I’m letting you leave this place without trying out the swing.”

And with that statement I laugh and let him lead me through the living room and out onto the porch.

Chapter

22

Leo grabs both our coats on the way and I slip mine on as we step outside, feeling the bite of the evening. The wooden decking has been kept well—I manage to walk without slipping as I follow Leo to the large, two-person swing.

I laugh as I sit down on the cushion next to him. “I can’t believe this place has a swing.”

“Oh, it’s famous, this swing,” Leo says, starting to rock us gently. “I swear they charge an extra hundred a night just because it’s here.”

I snort, though I wouldn’t exactly put it past somewhere like this. Everything about skiing seems expensive.

I sigh, content and sleepy from all the food—and from the comedown of adrenaline, perhaps. From here you can see lights from a village or resort in the distance, while moonlight skitters across the white snow. We are the only ones around for what feels like miles. Hence the exclusivity of the place, I suppose. It is quiet, peaceful.

“Thank you for coming,” I murmur into the dark.

“Of course. Couldn’t have it fall through after all your hard work.” I wonder if that’s the only reason he came and try not to feel disappointed at the idea. He keeps rocking the swing gently, feet never leaving the decking. Inside, there is the sound of Betty or Louisa laughing.

“So,” Leo says, “how did you leave things with Adam?”

I frown, my brain catching up. “You mean the other night?” He’d been there. He’d seen Adam leave.

“Yeah. Or, well, after. Has he been in touch? Or tried his hand at being a stalker again?”

I snort quietly. “No, to both.” I hadn’t even got a “nice to see you” message after he’d showed up at the hotel—or any acknowledgment that what he did was in any way overstepping the mark.

“Good,” he says with a nod. I feel my lips twitch as he glances at me. “Or, I don’t mean good, sorry.”

I give in to the smile. “No?”

He runs a hand through his hair. “Okay, maybe I do. If he was a dick to you, then better he’s out of your life.”

“Yeah. I think you’re right about that.” But I sigh. “It’s just…it’s so classic of him. Only being interested in me now that he thinks he can’t have me. And, what, he thinks he’d just swan on over now that the ugly stages of grief are over and I’d fall back into his arms?” I wonder if that was what he was hoping, or if he just wanted some sense of validation. I wish Robyn was here to talk about it. She’d know what to say, to make me feel better.

“Maybe he was just questioning breaking up with you at all,” Leo says evenly, as we rock gently back and forth on the swing. Then, more quietly, “You’re a lot to lose, Ali.”

The way he says it has my insides tightening. I glance over at him, moonlight dancing over his face. “Thanks.” Thanks?! It’s Robyn’s voice, piping up for the first time in a while. Thanks! Ali, come on, you can do better than that.