. . . and pom-poms?”
“On that note, I’m taking Shaman out for a walk.” Grey pushed out of the chair. “See you in a while.”
Normally his walks with Shaman cleared Grey’s head. Not today.
Today he kept focusing on how his knee ached from the dankness. How worried he was about his future. How pretty Avery looked in her pink fleece earlier. How impossible it was to see her and not want to stay close to her. How grateful he was that Andy had turned out to be her brother instead of her boyfriend.
When he and Shaman entered the apartment, Trip was lying on the sofa watching golf on television and drinking a beer.
Grey tossed his keys on the coffee table. “You locked up downstairs?”
“Yep.” Trip chugged another gulp.
“Any calls or new climbing tours booked?”
“Nope. But we had a visitor.” Trip shot a look toward the corner of the room, to where the Volkls Grey had admired earlier now sat propped against the wall.
He blinked. It had to have been Avery, but it couldn’t have been her. But it had to be. His heart thumped hard against his ribs.
“Pretty sweet gift from your therapist.” Trip sat up. “I tried to grill her a bit, but she didn’t say much. Something you want to tell me?”
Grey shook his head as he walked over to the skis and tested the flex again. “ I don ’t understand.” He twirled back toward Trip. “Avery bought these? For me? ”
“Bingo.” Trip turned down the television. “Seems you’ve been holding out on me.”
“No. I’m as shocked as you. Aside from the rainy day she drove me home, I’ve only seen her at the clinic. She’s very strict about the whole ethics thing.” For one minute, all the crap he’d been thinking about vanished, making room for a surge of hope and happiness.
Closing his eyes, he pictured her in that tent, imagined her debating the idea and defiantly grabbing these skis. For him. She’d done it for him, which made him feel like he’d just won a freestyle-skiing gold medal.
“Not so strict, it would seem.” Trip came and stood near Grey, retrieving a small envelope from his pocket. “Helluva great set of skis, though. She left you this note.”
Grey’s heart pounded harder as he withdrew the small notecard from its envelope, straining, as always, to read the loopy scrawl.
Grey,
I ’ ll do everything in my power to get you back on big-mountain terrain. I won ’ t give up as long as you don ’ t.
Avery
He felt his nose tingle, so he coughed and stuffed the card back in the envelope before slipping it into his own pocket. She hadn’t made him a promise, but the skis proved she thought it possible.
Of course, he wanted to believe there was more behind this gift. That other feelings motivated her generosity. But that leap might only be wishful thinking. Wishful thinking that would probably result in heartache.
In either case, he couldn’t let her spend that kind of money on him. Even if they were becoming friends, it was too much. And he didn’t like the idea of her pity. “I can’t keep these.”
“ You can ’t return them. Final Sale means final.” Trip slapped Grey on the shoulder. “You two are quite a strange pair. This is going to be an interesting off-season, no doubt about it.”
Grey placed the skis against the wall before he walked back to his room and closed the door. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. Several minutes later, he dialed Avery.
“ Hello, ” she answered. Just the sound of her voice made his heart speed up again.
“You never told me you moonlighted for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.”
Her soft laugh made him wish she were sitting beside him so he could see her dimples.
“I guess you got my surprise.”
“I did, thanks.” He hesitated. “Much as I love them and appreciate your generosity, I can’t keep them, Bambi.”
“You have to keep them. I can’t take them back.”
“ Then I ’m going to have to repay you somehow. I don’t mean to step on your
“On that note, I’m taking Shaman out for a walk.” Grey pushed out of the chair. “See you in a while.”
Normally his walks with Shaman cleared Grey’s head. Not today.
Today he kept focusing on how his knee ached from the dankness. How worried he was about his future. How pretty Avery looked in her pink fleece earlier. How impossible it was to see her and not want to stay close to her. How grateful he was that Andy had turned out to be her brother instead of her boyfriend.
When he and Shaman entered the apartment, Trip was lying on the sofa watching golf on television and drinking a beer.
Grey tossed his keys on the coffee table. “You locked up downstairs?”
“Yep.” Trip chugged another gulp.
“Any calls or new climbing tours booked?”
“Nope. But we had a visitor.” Trip shot a look toward the corner of the room, to where the Volkls Grey had admired earlier now sat propped against the wall.
He blinked. It had to have been Avery, but it couldn’t have been her. But it had to be. His heart thumped hard against his ribs.
“Pretty sweet gift from your therapist.” Trip sat up. “I tried to grill her a bit, but she didn’t say much. Something you want to tell me?”
Grey shook his head as he walked over to the skis and tested the flex again. “ I don ’t understand.” He twirled back toward Trip. “Avery bought these? For me? ”
“Bingo.” Trip turned down the television. “Seems you’ve been holding out on me.”
“No. I’m as shocked as you. Aside from the rainy day she drove me home, I’ve only seen her at the clinic. She’s very strict about the whole ethics thing.” For one minute, all the crap he’d been thinking about vanished, making room for a surge of hope and happiness.
Closing his eyes, he pictured her in that tent, imagined her debating the idea and defiantly grabbing these skis. For him. She’d done it for him, which made him feel like he’d just won a freestyle-skiing gold medal.
“Not so strict, it would seem.” Trip came and stood near Grey, retrieving a small envelope from his pocket. “Helluva great set of skis, though. She left you this note.”
Grey’s heart pounded harder as he withdrew the small notecard from its envelope, straining, as always, to read the loopy scrawl.
Grey,
I ’ ll do everything in my power to get you back on big-mountain terrain. I won ’ t give up as long as you don ’ t.
Avery
He felt his nose tingle, so he coughed and stuffed the card back in the envelope before slipping it into his own pocket. She hadn’t made him a promise, but the skis proved she thought it possible.
Of course, he wanted to believe there was more behind this gift. That other feelings motivated her generosity. But that leap might only be wishful thinking. Wishful thinking that would probably result in heartache.
In either case, he couldn’t let her spend that kind of money on him. Even if they were becoming friends, it was too much. And he didn’t like the idea of her pity. “I can’t keep these.”
“ You can ’t return them. Final Sale means final.” Trip slapped Grey on the shoulder. “You two are quite a strange pair. This is going to be an interesting off-season, no doubt about it.”
Grey placed the skis against the wall before he walked back to his room and closed the door. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. Several minutes later, he dialed Avery.
“ Hello, ” she answered. Just the sound of her voice made his heart speed up again.
“You never told me you moonlighted for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.”
Her soft laugh made him wish she were sitting beside him so he could see her dimples.
“I guess you got my surprise.”
“I did, thanks.” He hesitated. “Much as I love them and appreciate your generosity, I can’t keep them, Bambi.”
“You have to keep them. I can’t take them back.”
“ Then I ’m going to have to repay you somehow. I don’t mean to step on your
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