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But there was something in the back of her mind, something that was keeping her from answering Florence right away. And that something was Snowy Pine Ridge. She was just beginning to get used to the place, feeling like she was only beginning to scratch the surface of all the things that she had to learn here. She didn’t think that she was ready to leave just yet.
“When is the audition?” she asked, terrified that Florence would tell her it was in just a few days.
“December twenty-eighth,” Florence said. “They’re not making any moves until after Christmas, since half of their staff is scattered all over the country spending time with their families between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And look, Val, I know you’re on this journey of self-discovery, blah blah blah, but at least promise me you’ll think about it.”
Valerie’s heart lifted slightly. If the audition wasn’t until after Christmas, that meant she had plenty of time to make a decision, to find herself here within the snowcapped mountains and find out what it was she truly wanted.
“All right,” Valerie answered finally. “I’ll think about it.”
She and Florence made idle chitchat for a few more minutes before the two of them said their goodbyes, and when Valerie finally disconnected the call, she heaved a sigh of relief. She was glad that she didn’t need to make any type of decision tonight.
It was weird for her to think that this news was causing such turmoil within her. Two weeks ago, she would have immediately jumped at an opportunity like this. But now? After talking to Evelyn, after meeting the people here in Snowy Pine Ridge, she was beginning to see that maybe there was more that she had to offer than just acting. Maybe there were things that she would find even more fulfilling than being on the silver screen.
Valerie wasn’t sure what she wanted to do about the audition just yet. But the one thing she did know for sure, was that no matter what her decision ended up being, she still had quite a lot of life to live. And she intended to live it to the fullest.
* * *
Shelley pulled the soft, fuzzy blanket tighter around her, snuggling even further into her couch as she swiped once again on her iPad. Earlier that day she and Rudolph had set down and sketched out a few of the things for the showcase, using pictures of the actual rink to make marks and insert pictures of their ideas. And now Shelley was working on fine tuning it all.
The sound of Matthew and Brandon chatting excitedly in the kitchen floated out to her, warming her heart. Her two fellas had disappeared into the kitchen a few hours ago with promises of Christmas cookies to follow, and she could scent them in the air.
“For you, my dear.” Matthew’s voice came from behind her, and Shelley turned to face him.
He was smiling at her, his bright blue eyes sparkling as he held out a full glass of mulled wine out to her with a flourish.
“Thank you so much,” she gushed, reaching forward to grab the stem of the wine glass.
She swirled the liquid around as she moved herself, making room for Matthew to join her on the couch. They sat side by side, with him throwing his arm over the back of the couch, pulling her into his side.
Shelley nestled into her boyfriend, appreciating the solid feel of him as her mind was pulled in a thousand different directions. She brought the glass to her lips, allowing the deep, rich flavor to seep into her, warming her from the inside out.
“What are you working on?” Matthew asked, peering down at the screen that she held in her lap.
“Stuff for the showcase,” Shelley answered before she began pointing to all of the mockups that she and Rudolph had worked on. When she had finished, Matthew’s face was lit up with admiration.
“I knew you guys had big plans,” he murmured, his tone filled with awe. “But this is really going to be something.”
Shelley shrugged one shoulder. “Rudolph came up with a lot of it. He has an amazing mind for things like this. He was absolutely filled with ideas.”
“Which I never would have expected from him.”
She chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “Me either.”
There was a brief pause where the two of them continued to sip their wine, listening to Brandon as he sang in the kitchen before Matthew began speaking again.
“Are you still worried about him?”
Shelley nodded. “He is withdrawing more and more every day. It’s like some kind of switch has been flicked off inside of him. He had been doing so good with coming out of his shell, warming up to the kids and even to me. But now it’s just the same old Rudolph. Except now he might be even crankier.”
Matthew’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“Neither did I.”
“You know you didn’t do anything wrong, don’t you?”
She turned her chin, glancing at Matthew. Her heart swelled with love as she looked at him, taking in his handsome, chiseled face, sandy brown hair, and blue eyes that so frequently danced with mischief. Now, however, they were filled with concern as he studied her.
“I know,” she answered honestly.
