Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Alex’s face whips up to mine, his eyes big and hopeful, and I immediately know that today is going to be just fine.
“Can I, Mom?”
“I don’t—”
“I have a helmet for him,” Seth assures me, giving me a smile that must have every girl in the high school losing their damn minds. “And I won’t go too fast.”
“Can I? Can I?”
“Yes, but please be careful.”
“You bet,” Seth replies and leads Alex out back.
“Alex is safe with Seth,” Cara assures me with a serene smile. She’s a petite blonde, with curves in all the right places. She’s happy and welcoming.
“We got Seth a new four-wheeler for Christmas because he outgrew the last one,” Jillian adds. Where Cara is fair, Jillian is dark. The two women are yin and yang, and the best of friends. “He’s in an adult size now.”
“He’s tall,” I agree, nodding. “I’d say he’s almost as tall as his dad.”
“It kills me,” Jillian says, shaking her head. “My boy is growing up.”
“And he’s a good kid,” Cara adds as she shifts a child from her hip to a high chair. “We’re going to hang out in here with the little ones, but you’re welcome to go out with everyone else. Enjoy the sledding for a bit, then come back in here for a hot toddy.”
“That actually sounds really good. I never get to play outside. But I bet I’ll be tired of it in fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll have something hot to drink ready for you,” Cara assures me. I follow where the guys went, out behind the house where about eight four-wheelers are parked along a fence-line as if they’re cars parked at the mall.
“This is interesting.”
“In the summer, those are horses,” Zack says with a wink.
“You’re with me,” Max says as he swings a leg over one of the vehicles. “Ready?”
“Hell, yes,” I murmur as I climb on behind him and hold on as he drives us through the snow, following the others. The ski hill for today is about a mile from the house, nestled in the trees. The mountains are beautiful, covered in fresh snow.
Noah and Gray have already developed a pull-system, using two of the four-wheelers to pull the kids on their sleds up the hill so they can sled down without having to hike up.
“Seems like cheating,” I say to Max, who just shrugs and wraps an arm around my shoulders.
“I don’t want to hike up that thing.”
“Good point.”
“Mom!” Alex calls, waving at me as he’s towed up the hill. “Watch me, okay?”
“I’m watching!” I call back. Seth is at the top of the hill and gives Alex instructions before giving him a gentle push down.
“Yeah!” Alex yells as he sails down the hill, but just as he reaches the bottom, he topples off the sled. Assuming he’ll pop up with a laugh, we wait.
But he doesn’t.
He pops up, gasping for breath, and Max and I run to him. Noah’s already there.
“Hey, buddy,” Max says, taking Alex by the shoulders. “Calm down and take a deep breath.”
“What’s going on?” I demand.
“Just got the wind knocked out of him,” Noah says with a wink.
“You’re okay, Alex,” Max croons. “Take another breath.”
Finally, Alex breaks down and cries and clings to Max’s jacket.
“I know it’s scary,” Max says and kisses Alex’s head, making me swoon. “It totally sucks, but you’ll feel better in just a minute.”
“I’m done,” Alex says, angrily swiping at the alligator tears. “I want to go home.”
“You just got here,” Seth says as he joins us.
“I’m done,” Alex repeats, standing and walking in the direction of the house.
“Alex—” I begin to chastise him, but Max holds up a hand as if to say, “give me a minute.”
“That’s not how we do this, buddy,” Max says, making Alex stop in his tracks. “When you fall, you have to get back up and do it again. Otherwise, you’ve let the scary thing beat you, and I know you’re not a quitter.”
Alex frowns, looking down at his boots and then back up at Max.
“Do you think if my dad didn’t die, he would have gotten back on the skis?”
I hold my breath, surprised by the question.
No, not surprised.
Shocked.
“Yes, I do,” Max says. “He would have gotten right back up and skied down the hill.”
Alex thinks about it for a second, then walks back to Noah.
“Okay, I’m ready to go again.”
“Let’s go, then,” Noah says, but looks at both Max and me with sober eyes. He starts the four-wheeler and pulls Alex behind him.
“Well, damn,” Zack mutters when Alex is out of earshot.
“He’s never asked about his dad like that,” I say softly so only Josh, Zack, Ty, and Max can hear me. “Never.”
“He’s growing up, and he’s curious,” Josh says.
“And he’s around Max more,” Ty adds. “Maybe that’s making him think more about his dad.”
Max and I share a look.