Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
I paused for a heartbeat.
“I’ve been here a few years now. Long enough to put the timeline together. Your mom died,” she said softly.
My gaze flew to hers, and I would have snapped that it was none of her business, but there was only compassion there. Hell, Callie knew what it was to lose someone—she’d buried Sutton’s father.
“And I know Reed and Ava met at college in Vermont...” She lifted her brows, her tone indicating she wanted me to finish that sentence for her.
Too bad. I reached around her and took down two glasses. Sutton was big on orange juice in the morning.
Callie sighed with obvious frustration and angrily sipped her coffee. And yes, after living with a woman for a month, I was realizing there was an angry way to sip coffee. There was also a contented way, a happy way, a tired way, and a flustered way. I wasn’t a big fan of the anger being directed at me.
“I stayed behind after I graduated to help with Crew.” I poured two glasses of orange juice. “He was fourteen when Mom died, and our father decided drinking was more important than parenting, or cooking, or cleaning, or generally showing up.” I shook my head. “Anyway, Crew was still a kid and pretty much lost both his parents, so I stayed.”
“Because he needed you.”
“Whether or not he’d ever admit it.” Crew was his own force of nature. “And I don’t regret staying for those two years. Never. It was hard giving up competitive skiing and the whole go-away-to-college experience, but I’d do it all again for Crew. I just…” There really wasn’t another word that didn’t make me sound like a petty asshole, but maybe I was a petty asshole. “I just resent the hell out of Reed for getting to ski off to college and meet his Ava, I guess. Our entire family fell apart, and he just wiped his hands of it.”
“And then he called and said he needed you to abandon your new life for the good of the family resort after you’d already given the first,” she said softly.
I shrugged. We both already knew the answer.
She held my gaze for a breath or two, and then nodded. “I’d be pissed at Reed too,” she said quietly as footsteps skipped down the stairs. “Good morning, sugar!”
“Hey.” Sutton wiped the sleep out of her eyes. “Ooh, is that orange juice?”
I grinned and slid the glass across the island to her as she took a seat.
“Thank you.” Sutton lifted the glass to her face and sniffed just like her mom did with coffee.
“So, when did our little rule list become a contract?” I asked, noticing our ground rules on the refrigerator had three signature lines. Callie had signed one and Sutton the other.
“When Sutton decided it would be fun to practice my signature.” Callie stared her daughter down.
“I already told you I was sorry,” Sutton argued. “And look at how well I did!” She grinned sheepishly. “I’m getting better.”
“It’s not going to help you get out of trouble the next time you land in the principal’s office, young lady,” Callie chastised, taking one of the plates to Sutton.
I laughed, and they both looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Sorry. It’s just something Crew would have done.”
We sat down to breakfast and ate, then cleaned up in a rhythm that was becoming second nature.
“What are we going to do today?” Sutton asked, peering out the window. “Are the runs open?”
“Nope,” I answered. “Reed thinks we’ll have some open this week and a full opening day next weekend.”
“Yes!” She threw her fist in the air. “I can’t wait to get back up there!” She spun, her hair flying out in a circle around her head. Then she halted, her eyes going big as she looked at me. “Wait, opening day means you won’t be here much, huh?”
I shrugged. “Depends on how many weekend trips we book. But I’ll probably be flying or guiding. It’s hard to start up a new business. Takes a lot of nights and weekends.”
Sutton’s face fell.
I glanced out the window at the sky. Crystal blue. No ceiling. I looked at Callie and smiled. “I have an idea of what we should today. Grab your camera.”
“This is so cool!” Sutton yelled through her headset as we passed over the resort.
“You don’t have to shout. We can hear you.” Callie had ahold of her seat cushion with both hands, her eyes huge as we flew up the mountainside. “This is insane. Pure insanity. Certifiable.”
“Sorry, but look how cool this is!” Sutton shouted, the sound nearly overpowering the rotors but not quite.
I grinned, fully in my element. My hands were steady on the controls, my attention on the horizon, the trees, and the gauges all at once.
“I know how cool it is, and if you take off your seat belt, I’m going to make Weston land this helicopter!” Callie argued.