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The laughter was a welcome comfort, and my fear was replaced with an overwhelming sense of relief.
Eric would be so pissed off if I let anything happen to his little sister, but I found my intense desire to protect her stemmed from somewhere deeper. It was as if each laugh, each smile, awakened something primal within me—a need to stand guard against anything that could harm her.
With Zoey’s laughter still ringing in the air, I extended a hand to help her up from the snowbank. Her fingers interlocked with mine briefly, sending a jolt of warmth through me that had nothing to do with the winter chill, especially since we were wearing gloves.
“Thanks for the rescue,” she said, her smile lighting up her face as she regained her footing.
“Anytime,” I replied, unable to suppress the grin that tugged at my lips. “This will be our little secret. Bodhi and Mason are probably waiting for us at the bottom by now.”
Zoey’s eyes met mine with a spark of camaraderie. “Thanks. I’ve been embarrassed enough since you guys arrived.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, pausing before we continued on our way.
She brushed a strand of golden hair away from her eyes that had escaped from her green hat. “I was dumped. I was fired. I just ran into a snowbank—with all the elegance of a newborn giraffe, I might add. It’s safe to say that you’ve all arrived at the worst time of my life, and it’s slightly mortifying.”
I squeezed her arm in a gesture of gentle reassurance. “If it’s any consolation, you wear the ‘newborn giraffe’ look quite well.” She laughed, and I continued with a serious edge to my tone. “Your ex is a complete fucking moron—letting go of the best thing to ever happen to him. The same goes for your ex-boss. There’s a spark in you that's hard to miss. Anybody would be lucky to have you in their life.”
Zoey’s fingers lightly touched her lips, and her eyes glistened, reflecting the brightness of the snow. “Thank you, Liam,” she said, her voice carrying a soft, sincere cadence.
I nodded and reached for her hand to give it a gentle squeeze.
Grabbing her poles splayed out on the snow, I handed them to her. I grabbed my poles as well.
We set off again, our skis gliding through the powdery snow as we navigated the remaining part of the slope. The conversation shifted to lighter topics: shared interests, travel stories, and even the charm of small mountain towns during the holiday season.
As we approached the mountain base, Zoey turned to me, her expression a mixture of contentment and something more difficult to define. “Thank you, Liam. I didn’t expect the day to be so much fun.”
“I’m sorry to hear that your expectations for spending time with me were so low,” I replied jokingly.
She put a hand to her chest. “I’m serious. You really cheered me up.”
Bodhi and Mason made their way over to us.
“It’s about time,” Mason said. “You guys ready to go again?”
I waited for Zoey to respond to follow her lead.
“I’m going to grab something hot to drink,” she said. “You guys go ahead, and I will meet you in the lodge whenever you’re done.”
“I’ll join you,” I responded, and then I said goodbye to my friends as we all went our separate ways.
Zoey and I unstrapped our skis and made our way into the lodge. We each got a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and a chocolate chip muffin. I paid for our meals, and we took a seat in two brown leather chairs in front of the fireplace.
“Eric tells me that you own a travel adventure company,” Zoey said.
I took a sip of my hot cocoa, but it was too hot, so I set it on the table in front of me to cool off. “Did Eric really tell you, or have you been stalking me on social media?”
Her smile faltered, her eyes widened, and she looked down quickly, indicating I was right. She was embarrassed again, and it was adorable.
My chest swelled with excitement at the thought that she had been following me.
She regained her confidence quickly, though. “Well, you do lead a much more exciting life than I do.”
“You could come along with me anytime, you know.” I took a bite of the sugary muffin. “Of course, I don’t personally go on all the trips. I have over thirty travel guides working for me. But I’ll tag along on a trip if you have something particular in mind, or I can take you on a private tour.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? I’d love that.”
I didn’t expect her to take me up on that. “Really? You want to go on a trip with me?”
