Page 25 of Mountain Trial

He cleared his throat, giving himself a moment to stamp down on his jealousy. “That’s a half-cab quadruple backflip.”

That asshole’s likely to win, even if he can’t land anything else right.

“Were you ever that good?” Scott asked.

“I can’t remember,” Luc lied, remembering exactly what it had felt like to fly through the air on his board―the weighted pressure on his knees as he landed a trick just right. What he wouldn’t give to feel that pressure again now.

“He’s still a jerk,” Scott said with finality.

Luc grinned at his friend. “Come on, get ready or we’ll end up riding the chairlift back down the mountain.”

A few feet before they reached the top, they raised the safety barrier. The attendant saw them and ran back inside the hut to slow down the lift for them.

Luc shimmied forward to the edge. He waited for Scott to jump off before digging his outriggers into the snow and pushing off as well, letting the chair continue its journey.

Together, they skied down to find Coach Legrand.

At lunchtime, Luc picked up an apple and a banana and wheeled himself to one of the tables outside, on the snow. He wasn’t that hungry yet, but the smell of the hot, cooked food was a temptation he didn’t need.

He’d only just taken the first bite of his apple when he saw Kat, skiing down towards him in her black and navy blue PGHM uniform. She could make even a snowsuit look sexy. Luc swallowed the bite of apple, his mouth suddenly dry.

Kat made an elegant stop next to him, taking off her helmet and ski mask and running her hand through her red curls in a vague attempt to tame them. Her eyes were as blue as he remembered them.

“Luc,” she said, in a throaty voice. He’d known she’d be out here helping with today’s event, but hadn’t expected to run into her directly.

“Hi Kat, how are you?”

“I came by your place to see you a couple days later,” she said. “But you weren’t there. I figured you were busy training.”

“Coach has been pushing us hard,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. He wondered if it was as obvious to her as it was to him that he’d been avoiding her. She didn’t look mad, though, and it suddenly occurred to him to wonder whether she’d been avoiding him as well.

“When is it your turn to jump?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Luc looked down at his watch. “In a little over two hours.”

A group of snowboarders appeared in the distance. She recognized Helmet before he did―it was the sudden tension in Kat’s body that tipped him off, long before the man’s expression became visible.

“You have good eyesight,” he remarked, taking another bit of his apple.

She laughed, taking her eyes off the approaching group. “I’ve been tested at 20/10,” she agreed.

Helmet was surrounded by people, as always, but seemed to be staring straight at Kat.

“I’d offer to beat him up for you,” Luc said, his voice serious, “but I think you’re able to do that yourself.”

Kat forced her frown into a small smile. Luc took it as a victory. “He’s not worth it.”

“He’s not,” Luc agreed easily, though he’d love to rearrange the man’s face, just for putting that worried, fearful frown on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she said, bringing her eyes back towards Luc. “You probably need time to prep for the event. Jacques always needed―”

Jacques.

Luc filed the name away for future reference.

He shook his head. “I’ve done all the training I can. Now it’s all down to the moment. You’ll wish me luck?”

She nodded, suddenly looking shy. “Good luck. I’ll be cheering for you. I have to go back to the aid station. Jens will be wondering why I took so long.”