Where was his ever-present smile? He looked so lifeless. I hit his chest with my fists. Why wouldn’t he respond? His heartbeat was strong.
I had been about to start mouth-to-mouth when he finally coughed.
“Let’s try getting him on his side,” Skip said in obvious relief.
I lifted off of him and helped Skip turn him on his side. Sanders threw up water and coughed out such a ragged gasp for breath, my own throat felt raw from sympathy. He lay back up and looked up at the sky, getting his bearings. He blinked rapidly as a few raindrops leaked through the branches and hit his face. I leaned over him to block them from falling on him. The moment I did his entire face transformed. His eyes widened and a huge smile revealed his goofy teeth.
I’d never been so grateful for a smile in my whole damn life.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi,” he said back.
I gently pressed my hand to his icy cheek. “I’m gonna kill you.” My voice shook with emotion I hadn’t expected.
“With kindness?” he asked.
A laugh-cough broke out of me. My own watery smile split my face at the sight of his. I couldn’t help it.
His gaze moved to my mouth. He closed his eyes with a sigh and dropped his head back to the table. “Totally worth it.”
Hands pulled me off him as two EMTs got to work checking on him.
As I moved back, it was like the rest of the world reappeared. It had been complete tunnel vision since the moment I saw Sanders fall. It felt like years of my life had passed but it could have only been a few minutes.
Skip came to stand at my side.
“He’s gonna be fine.” I said it to him as much as I did to myself.
Skip nodded. “He always is.”
Tension lined his gaze. I realized this wasn’t the first time Skip had experienced this level of fear for his best friend.
Skip and I followed the stretcher as the EMTs carried it back to the Lodge.
Sanders was fully conscious and already charming the pretty EMT with thin braids that stretched down to her lower back. “Just felt like going for a quick dip,” he said.
Skip and I exchanged a look.
“Yeah, I think he’s gonna be just fine,” I said.
I’d been pushing him away since the movie night because of the fear of losing the life I’d built for myself. Within a few horrible minutes, I understood there was way more at stake than my career.
Chapter 12
Roxy
Afew hours later, Skip and I sat under separate plaid blankets, sipping tea, and chatting by the great fire in the main lodge. Or what would be the great fireplace. Right now it was still a regular fireplace that matched the rest of the art deco vibe of the Lodge. If Diane Donner had her way, the whole place would soon resemble a modern-style cabin. The Lodge kept the fire going year-round because it added to the aesthetic. It made for a cozy setting, set off from the main lobby.
We were waiting for Sanders to come back down after he showered. He had a goose egg on his head and a nasty bruise forming on his ankle, but all things considered, he was fine. Surprisingly fine for how terrifying the whole experience had been. On my end, incident reports had been filed and the EMTs sent on their way. I’d cleaned off in the staff shower and changed into backup clothes I kept in my locker. My body felt warm and borderline high with a post-adrenaline buzz.
Skip was good company. Just like in Denver, we chatted like old friends catching up. He didn’t drain me of energy like some people. His beardy ruggedness should make him so much more my type than Sanders. And yet any feelings I had for Skip weren’t even comparable to the buzz I felt around Sanders. Skip was like slipping into your favorite sweatshirt. Sanders was like … Sanders was like nothing I’d ever felt. How I imagined it felt to have a couture silk gown slide off my body until I stood naked in nothing but Louboutin heels and a wicked grin.
“I’m good on excitement for a while,” I said to Skip taking a sip of the steaming tea before setting it on the coffee table.
He chuckled from the other end of the brown leather couch and I glimpsed his bashful smile before he ducked his head. He was the definition of Colorado beautiful. He wore flannel authentically, his beard was full and brown, and he was built like someone who could actually chop wood and rescue five children under each arm. A grizzly bear with a marshmallow soul.
“You’re probably used to this though with the corporate adventuring,” I said. “Saving lives, no biggie.”
