Montana Match

Mortified, she scrambled to her feet with the help of Parker and several bystanders. When she was standing upright, she wished she had somewhere to hide. Did she dare look at him? He was probably wishing Heather hadn’t suggested he spend the afternoon giving ski instructions, especially with a klutz for a student. Finally, Brittany drummed up enough courage to glance up. A little smile played at the edges of Parker’s mouth. She supposed he was trying not to laugh.

“I’m okay.” Brushing snow off herself, Brittany wished everyone would quit fussing over her. She hated being the center of attention, especially this kind of attention. “Let’s go.”

“If you’re sure everything’s okay.”

“It is.”

“Good. Follow me.” Parker slowly skied ahead of her to the beginning of a trail.

Brittany followed and tried to remember what she’d learned in her lesson. “Are you going first?”

“No. You go, and I’ll ski behind and watch.” Parker stopped at the top of the trail and glanced her way as he pulled his goggles into place.

Oh, great. He was going to watch her. Just what she didn’t need. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the goggles, but she feared they were probably still full of laughter. Letting out a harsh breath, she put on her goggles.

“Okay. Here I go.” Her voice sounded strained even to her own ears. She pushed off with her ski poles and glided across the packed snow. She skied from side to side on the trail so she wouldn’t pick up too much speed.

“Hey, you’re doing great!” Parker’s voice sounded over the shush, shush, shush sound the skis made on the snow.

Brittany tried to ignore the way his praise made her pulse quicken. She tried to convince herself that her reaction had nothing to do with the fact that he was a handsome man. After all, her experience with Max had taught her that planning her life around a man had been a mistake. His inattention had broken her heart. She’d had it with men. So why did her first encounter with another handsome man have her feeling this way?

She shook away the question and focused her mind on her technique. If she wasn’t careful, she’d wind up face-first in the snow again. She had to give her full attention to skiing and forget about men.

When she reached the bottom of the trail, a true sense of accomplishment brightened her thoughts. Parker joined her and smiled. His smile took her breath away. Or was it the sudden gust of wind?

“Hey, that was a good job. Ready to go again?”

“Sure.” The triumph of her first downhill trip had made her forget the embarrassment at the ski lift. Now another ride loomed before her. She wasn’t going to let a ski lift intimidate her, and she certainly wasn’t going to let Parker sense any of her fear. Straightening her shoulders, she headed back to the ski lift, determined to get in and out of the chair without falling.

“Hey, wait up.” Parker skied up beside her. “You’ve taken to skiing very well.”

Brittany basked in his praise, then wondered why. She shouldn’t need his approval. Moving closer to the lift, she tried not to think about it. “That was fun.”

“Ready for another ride on the lift?”

Brittany joined Parker in the line that waited to take the lift to the top of the ski run. “Yeah, I think I’ll get it right this time.”

While they waited, Parker made very little attempt at conversation. She worried that he was bored silly being with her and skiing on these easy slopes when he could readily conquer the difficult runs. She wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to hang around with her, but she feared he would take it the wrong way.

So she spent the rest of the afternoon skiing on the easiest trails, either following Parker’s lead as he showed her something or having him follow as he watched her. Occasionally, he gave her a simple tip or complimented her on her progress. She had to admit that he managed to keep a perfect balance between instruction and praise. Heather was right. He was a good teacher.

At the end of one of their runs, Parker stopped her as she headed for the lift. “You’re going to wear yourself out. Don’t be surprised if every muscle in your body is sore tomorrow.”

“Really?”

Smiling, he nodded. “You’ll discover muscles you didn’t know you had.”

“That doesn’t sound very encouraging.”

“Just letting you know what to expect.” He glanced toward the lift. “It’s almost four o’clock. They close the trails on the mountain at four, so we ought to head back to the lodge.”

“Sure.” Despite her worries, Brittany had enjoyed herself.

When they reached the lodge, Brittany began removing her skis and boots, all the while keeping an eye out for Heather. As Brittany unbuckled her boots, her cell phone buzzed, indicating a text message. She pulled it out and glanced at it. Max. She’d completely forgotten about him. Heather’s plan was working.

Max wanted to know where she was. Too bad he hadn’t been that concerned these past couple of years while they’d been dating. He’d been too engrossed in his studies to bother with her. Now he didn’t seem to get the message that their relationship was over. Maybe he’d finally figure it out if she didn’t respond. Frowning, she shoved the phone into her pocket.

When she glanced up, Parker was staring at her. “Problems?”

Brittany sighed, wishing Parker hadn’t noticed. “Yeah. Someone I didn’t want to talk to.”

Parker’s brown eyes studied her face. “That old boyfriend?”

Brittany nodded and lowered her gaze, hoping to avoid any other questions about Max.

“I didn’t mean to pry. It’s none of my business, but I couldn’t help noticing your frown.”

“That’s okay.” Brittany shrugged. “Thanks so much for spending your afternoon with me. I appreciate your help.”

Parker gave her a wry grin. “You’re welcome. I enjoyed our afternoon together. You have the makings of a good skier.”

“Thanks, but I don’t plan to take up skiing, especially since I don’t have a regular job.” Brittany wondered whether Parker was just being polite, or whether he’d really enjoyed her company. What difference did it make? After this weekend, she’d probably never see him again. For some reason that thought made her sad.

“You can head to the lodge to meet Heather, while I pick up Rose and Jasmine.” Parker gathered his boots and skis. “Tell Heather that you guys can go ahead to the house. I’ll see you there.”

“Okay, thanks again.” Brittany made her way to the lodge while she contemplated meeting the mysterious female duo.

When Brittany arrived, Heather was already waiting. She hopped up from her chair. “Did you and Parker have a good time?”

Brittany shrugged. “We survived.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means that I managed to stay upright most of the afternoon, and Parker tolerated boredom while skiing on the easy trails.”

“I’m sure he had a good time. He loves to teach.” Heather gave Brittany a cheesy grin.

“You’re right. He was very patient with a bumbling beginner.” Brittany tried to ignore Heather’s speculative grin. “He told me we should go ahead to the house while he picks up Rose and Jasmine.”

“Okay.” Heather opened the door and headed toward the parking lot. “You’re going to adore them.”

As Brittany followed, she decided the time had come to ask Heather about them. “You keep talking about them, but you’ve never told me who they are.”

Stopping, Heather looked at Brittany. “I haven’t?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry.” Heather shook her head. “I don’t know why I thought you knew. They’re Parker’s six-year-old twin daughters. To tell you the truth, those little girls are all that keeps him from completely turning his back on the outside world.”