“Yes, but there’s an uptick around opening day. People tend to be too excited to listen to their bodies and they overdo it.” He lifts hisshoulders sheepishly, as if to say that’s the way of life around here. It probably is.
“I suppose you don’t live in a place like this if you’re inactive.”
“You sure don’t. The injuries I’ve seen…” He shakes his head back and forth with wide eyes. “We’ve got our fair share of amateur athletes around here, and they’re constantly pushing their limits.”
“You must be busy, then.”
“In a good way. I like helping people get back to doing what they love. I’m betting we’re alike in that way.” Usually, I bristle when I hear statements like that—far too many people like to believe they do things for others when really they do it for personal gain, or they’re mandated to like my charity case—but Sloan’s candid expression tells me he’s sincere.
I relax enough to lean back in my chair. “How’d you get into physical therapy?”
“My sister. She got injured as a kid and I would tag along to her rehab and bug the therapist with my questions. You?”
“Same. Well, it was my cousin, and he was blind, but skiing gave him something to look forward to and inspired him not to give up.”
“I knew it.” Sloan beams.
“Knew what?”
“That we’d have that in common. Carter said you and I have similar qualities.”
I wonder if he’d still say that if he knew what I wrote in my email. Somehow, I can’t imagine Sloan calling his boyfriend a misguided philanthrope with a delusional sense of propriety.
“So, you work on the mountain, too?” I change the subject before we can walk any further down the brotherhood path. Not that I don’t appreciate Sloan’s friendliness, I’m just still a little miffed at his boyfriend.
He shakes her head back and forth. “My office is in town. Speaking of, we usually do a business owner’s lunch once a month at our friend Lennon’s restaurant. You should come to the next one. It’s in a few weeks.”
“Your boyfriend is the owner of this business, not me.”
“But you’re the guy in charge of this program, right?”
“For now,” I mumble.
Sloan has the decency to ignore that comment. “Being in charge counts in our book. Besides, we’re pretty lax on the whole business owner criteria. Beck’s in training to be a manager for one of Lennon’s locations, so not technically in charge of anything yet, and Carter almost never comes since it’s hard to drag him away from the resort. At this point, it’s mostly just an excuse to get together.”
While meeting some other locals sounds nice, I’m feeling too overwhelmed to take time off. “Thank you, but I’m not sure I’ve got time to…”
“Don’t say you have too much work,” he interrupts. “We all do, but we still need to eat, and you need to meet people. I’ve been in your shoes and I know how easy it is to fall into work rather than getting out. I didn’t let Carter pull that shit, and I won’t let you sit at home alone because you don’t know anyone.”
If he’s not afraid to give me or his boyfriend orders, maybe he would call Carter a misguided philanthrope with a delusional sense of propriety.
“I’m not saying I’m not interested. Lunch is just a high traffic time here. Morning sessions are ending and afternoon sessions beginning, so it’ll be hard to get away during the busiest time of day.”
Sloan seems to chew on his lip as he considers my objection. “Maybe we’ll shift lunch to happy hour.”
“You don’t have to change plans on my account.”
“Honestly, that might work better for some of us. Plus, alcohol. I’ll ask around. In the meantime, do you need anything?” He looks around the room with a slight grimace, no doubt noticing how bland it is. “Some pictures or something? No offense but this room is just plain sad. I hate the idea of you sitting in here.”
Sloan seems so genuinely concerned I can’t help but laugh. “It is pretty awful, but I’m so busy I barely even notice the room anymore.”
“Okay.” He digs through a messenger bag as he rises to leave, pulling out a business card and dropping it on my desk. “If you think of anything, here's all my information. I’ll let you know about happy hour.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for stopping in.” I follow him to the door, stopping mid-stride when he abruptly turns around.
“I was the new guy not too long ago. I mean, my sister’s here so I wasn’t completely alone, but it’s still nice to have a group of people around you, and I’ve never met a better group. I know you’ll love it here.” With a cheery wave he turns and heads out, and I realize despite the ire I have for his boyfriend right now, I do feel better. It gives me hope that I made the right decision coming here. And as long as Carter’s charity project doesn’t make too much trouble, I’m sure I’ll get through that just fine.
Chapter five
