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“No, Dad showed me a few tricks in the barn with Uncle Owen.”
I giggled at the mental picture of two grown men showing an eight-year-old tricks on a snowboard in the barn. Especially one that had become an instant father when he married Phoebe’s mom, Chloe. I’d never imagined when they got married in the garden behind my café that it wasn’t real, that they weren’t madly in love with each other.
“Mom says you’ve gotta beat a bunch of women. Is that why they’re all here? Are you gonna do it here?”
“Shh, Phoebe.” I crouched down and eased her into a sitting position on the snow. “I’m not beating anyone. What are you talking about?”
“I dunno.” She shrugged. “I just heard mom talking with Aunt Evie about how you had to beat all the women for somebody named Flynn. Is that him over there?”
I hung my head and closed my eyes, trying to figure out how to explain her misunderstanding.
“I sure wish I could call Chloe,” I said under my breath. “I think you misheard your mom and Aunt Evie.”
“Nope. She said you had to beat them. Those words.”
“You know how we sometimes have races down the hill on tubes?”
Her eyes widened, a huge grin spreading across her face. “I love tubing races.”
“Okay, so that’s the kind of beat she was talking about. There can only be one winner, and that person beats everyone else.”
“Ohhh. That makes a lot more sense. You don’t seem mean enough to beat anybody the other way.”
“I needed to hear that today. Thanks, Phoebe.” I gave her a quick squeeze and laughed, feeling more like myself than I had in days. I’d never admit it to anyone, but being on the mountain gave me almost as much peace as flowers or my kitchen. Flynn was the only person I knew that understood that connection.
“You two look like you’re having fun. Want to introduce me?”
I froze, completely unprepared for Flynn. Last I’d checked, he’d been off with a group of kids and other women.
“This is Phoebe.” I tipped my head up to look at him, shielding my eyes from the sun.
“Miss Harper has been teaching me to snowboard.”
“Has she now?” His eyes landed on mine, twinkling with laughter, before he shifted his attention to Phoebe. “She’s probably a pretty great teacher.”
“Yep! I’ve only fallen twice today. Way better than last week.”
“Last week?” His voice lifted, his surprise obvious as his eyebrows raised.
“I come out here once a week to work with the kids—sometimes twice. It depends on my schedule. Of course, I guess that’s all going to change for a while.” I hadn’t considered my volunteer time when I’d agreed to the show, and I hated that I couldn’t tell them I’d be gone temporarily. I’d find a way to get word to the organizer before we left today. The last thing I wanted was for them to feel like I’d left them high and dry.
His attention was warm on me, but I refused to look at him. I didn’t trust my emotions. Something about this show was mixing everything up.
It was one thing to know he was popular with the ladies, quite another to watch him doing it. Let alone with women I temporarily lived with.
“Can I do it again?” Phoebe chirped, tugging on my coat. I focused all my attention on her and the joyful spark in her eyes.
“It looks like I’m here for a while, so I vote we practice until your time is up.”
“Can I pull you over here?” Flynn asked her, interrupting us. “Sorry. Harper, do you mind?”
I waved my hand in ano problemgesture, butterflies flapping in my belly. I’d never seen him work with kids, and the prospect stirred something deep inside.
“Sure!” Phoebe wiggled around excitedly, eager to get more time on her board.
“You look like a marshmallow,” he replied, amused.
She giggled, dancing for attention in her bright pink ski suit. “That’s what my mom always says when she helps me.”
