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“I’ll come with you.” She glances at Madison who has just appeared. “I think maybe you need to come with us first.”
“I’m fine. Took Tylenol and drank about two gallons of water before I dropped into bed.” She shrugs and smiles. “No headache.” She winces. “Although I keep needing to pee.”
Chuckling, I grab Rachel’s arm and gently pull her around and away from the others. Without a second thought, I wrap my arm around her neck and smile when her arm slips around my back.
“Do you really need more coffee?” she asks, her face fresh from the cold.
“I need waking up.”
She rolls her eyes. “How can you not be awake after the way I woke you up this morning … and the shower.”
Groaning, we enter the coffee shop within the village. “We have to go back to the others so let’s not start something we can’t finish until later.” I kiss her forehead quickly before placing our order. “Although, I have to say, I’d be in agreement to going back to the room—”
She smacks my arm away from her waist laughing. “It’s our last day to ski.” Intertwining our fingers together, she pulls me over to one side. “I don’t want to go back to college.” She groans.
My eyes snap to hers and that’s when I notice the tears hovering on her lashes. I cup her face and gently brush the tears away with my thumbs. “I thought you were nearly finished—done after the Italian trip.”
“I am, but I have to go back tomorrow while you go back to Lexington,” she admits.
Unable to find words, I pull her against my chest and hold her tight in my embrace. We stand together until our names are called when our coffees are ready.
Making sure my glasses are secure, I glance at two of my cousins, Ryan and Joshua, who are beside me, raring to go. The black run Ryan chose would be a challenge, but nothing we can’t handle or complete. But for it being a black run we would normally race to the finish line—so not going to happen right now.
Getting ready to push off it suddenly starts to snow. One minute it’s a trickle, and the next full blown, thick flakes. We look between us and Joshua indicates we need to make a move or we may get stuck on the mountain.
My heart pumps in my chest as I get into position and shove off down the slope. Adrenaline kicks in as I pick up the pace. Weaving in and out of trees, spotting my cousins doing the same, parallel to me. We’ll pace each other because it’s dangerous up here especially with visibility gradually decreasing.
The whoosh of my skis in the soft snow holds my concentration as the minutes tick by. Curving to the left, then back to the right before the three of us enter the main slope down to the base of the mountain and the ski resort below.
Fishtailing at the end to stop, my breathing is heavy as I turn to Joshua and Ryan, all of us grinning like idiots. The heavy snow has followed us down the mountain, and looking around I can’t see anyone I recognize—especially my beautiful woman.
Grabbing up my gear, we trudge toward the lodge and stepping inside a blast of heat hits me in the face, followed by Madison. She nearly knocks me over when she throws her arms around my neck, and starts crying. It takes me a few seconds to register something is wrong as I look between Joshua and Ryan who just shrug and frown.
I wrap my arms around Madison, and ask, “What’s wrong?”
“Rachel,” she sobs and I still at hearing her name.
“What?” I push her away from me. “Where’s Rachel, Madison?”
“Hospital.” She hiccups.
My panic rising, I look at Joshua for help, and without fail he steps in.
“Madison, breathe and calm down. We need to know what’s happened, now, not tomorrow, okay?”
Madison sharply inhales and then slowly starts to calm down. “We were skiing, minding our own business, when someone who shouldn’t have been on the mountain lost control and Rachel couldn’t get out of the way in time. She went down.” She puts a shaky hand to her forehead. “I volunteered to wait here and tell you.”
Madison holds my gaze. “She’s bruised and she has a slight concussion. She wanted you.”
“I need to go to her.”
“We need to go to her,” Joshua says, his eyes going to Ryan and Madison.
“Just help me get to her, I don’t care about anything else right now.”
Madison and Joshua talk together and then we’re on the move swiftly towards the cars. “She’s at Copley, which isn’t too far.” Joshua pauses, and leaning in, whispers, “Hold it together. I’ll have you there in ten minutes.”
Sinking into the seat beside Joshua, I try not to panic. A head injury can be serious, but surely not a slight concussion. I close my eyes and try not to think about the reaction of my family when I dash to Rachel.
