“It is, but I’d still be there alone. I guess there are some people in the office, but...”
“But this was supposed to be a vacation.”
“Yeah.”
She moved to the door, grabbing her coat off a chair as she went. “I don’t remember when I last took a vacation. Any time it’s high travel or tourist season, it’s also high wedding season.”
“Understandable.” He picked up a glove that had dropped from her coat pocket onto the floor and handed it to her. “But how about playing hooky? Do you ever do that?”
She laughed. “Not really. It’s not my style. I just tend to take Sundays off.”
“After the wedding, time to recoup?”
She nodded, shoving her arms into the sleeves of her coat.
He stepped closer. “Play hooky with me tomorrow. I know it sounds crazy,” he added. She’d snapped her head up in the middle of zipping the zipper, surprised at his offer. “I want to go skiing and I don’t want to spend the whole day alone. You do ski, don’t you?”
She did, and hadn’t gone more than once all season. But a day with Dan? She laughed. “What, today’s emotional roller coaster hasn’t been enough for you?”
He smiled again. “I know. It’s weird. But it might be nice to spend some time together without either being angry or apologizing for something. No strings, Delly. Nothing heavy. Just a day on the slopes. The weather’s supposed to be good and it’s midweek. Shouldn’t be too crowded. At least I’d have someone to talk to on the lifts.”
It was tempting. Very tempting. She’d made it out once in December and that was it, which was a travesty considering the world-class hills all around her. And he was right. It wasn’t like they’d actually talk much, except on the lifts back to the top.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. Either Sunshine or Lake Louise.”
Her two favorite hills.
But this was Dan. The man she’d once considered to be The One. The man whose presence had tortured her for nearly a week now.
But also an old friend. And they’d used to enjoy the outdoors together.
“Okay. One day of skiing, only because I haven’t been out all month. But that’s all the time I can afford to take off. And only because it’s sad to think of you doing that all alone.”
His smile widened.
“I knew you’d take pity on me. Do you want to take the shuttle bus? I know it leaves from the lobby entrance in the morning.”
She shook her head. “No, let’s take my car. I’ve got a rack on the top. I can pick you up around nine if you want.”
“Sounds perfect.”
He held open the door for her and she stepped into the hallway. “I’m glad we talked, Dan. It feels so much better.”
“Me too. It was hard. Hard for you and hard to hear. But I’m starting to understand. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She walked down the hall, a sense of unease following her. Maybe he was starting to understand, but she wasn’t sure she was. Because this afternoon seemed to change a lot of things, and she didn’t quite know how to feel about it.
* * *
Adele arrived at the hotel a few minutes before nine, her skis strapped to the top of the car and her poles and boots in the back. She waited out front, wondering if she should text Dan that she’d arrived when he strode out the door, looking like an ad for winter sportswear. Her pants and jacket were good quality, but Dan’s were top of the line. He held a cardboard tray with drinks in his hand, a small pa
per bag nestled between them. A pair of goggles rested on the top of his hat and a string bag was slung over his shoulder. When he saw her car, a smile brightened his lips.
Her heart thumped in response. Not in a million years had she thought she’d be spending a day on the slopes with her ex. It just went to show that life was unpredictable.
He opened the car door and slid inside. “Perfect timing. I saw you pull up just as I was getting coffee.” He handed her the tray to hold while he fastened his seat belt. “Thought we could use it for the road. Where are we going?”