Never Been Snow Lucky (Snowed Inn Romance)

Chapter 7

7

IRIS

I ’d only been staying in my suite for a day before Jack joined me, but somehow my things were already spread all over the place. So while he left to take care of stuff, I got organized. I also dug through all of the food my mom had ordered and discovered there were lots of dishes I could make. My mom’s relationship with my dad wasn’t all that great, but I still trusted at least one piece of her advice when it came to guys. Only because it was a well-known one—the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.

I wasn’t the best cook in the world, but there were a few recipes I made really well. And my mom must’ve been planning to put me to work in the kitchen because I had all of the ingredients I needed for two of them. Or she figured the odds were good that I’d be on my own for the first part of the trip, even though it was so close to Christmas, but I refused to think about that because it would just bring down my high spirits.

Deciding on spaghetti and meatballs since it made for great leftovers, I pulled everything I needed from the fridge and pantry. By the time Jack returned a little more than an hour later, the meatballs were simmering in the sauce, garlic bread was ready to pop into the oven, and the noodles just needed to be tossed into the pot of boiling water on the stove.

“Something smells good.” He peeked over my shoulder and hummed in approval. “Looks even better.”

“I made plenty.”

He gently lifted my arm to peer at my wrist. “Hope you didn’t overdo it.”

“I was very careful and even took a break to ice my wrist,” I reassured him with a smile. “I’ve worked with lots of injured athletes, so I understand how important it is to know your limits.”

“What kind of work?” he asked.

While we finished getting the food ready and piled pasta onto our plates, I explained to him about how I’d gotten my Masters in Applied Sports Psychology and was close to completing my thesis to finish my dual degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. “I probably won’t need the second Masters, but I was thinking about going for my PhD, and doing a thesis will improve my odds of getting into the best program. It was only an extra year since the programs have so much overlap, but now I’m second-guessing if I really want to further my education or just get a job using one or both of my two degrees. I’m already a Certified Mental Performance Consultant because my first Masters prepared me for the exam, so finding a position somewhere shouldn’t be too hard.”

“That’s fucking impressive, angel,” he murmured as we carried everything into the living room. Jack hadn’t asked me out for dinner, but sharing a meal with him on the couch with a fire roaring in front of us felt very much like a date.

“I’m not quite out there saving lives like you do.” I bumped my knee against his. “Which is even more impressive.”

He shared a few stories about unusual situations he had encountered on the mountain, my eyes growing wider with each tale. When he told me about using dynamite to trigger avalanches, I gasped.

“As much as I love the job I’ve trained for, yours seems way cooler. I mean…you get to play with explosives?”

“It isn’t playing, angel.” He shook his head with a deep chuckle. “After assessing snow conditions, sometimes we need to trigger controlled avalanches to keep skiers safe.”

“What kind of training did you need to do to learn how to use explosives?”

He chuckled. “I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as much as you did for your degrees, but I got a fuck ton of on-the-job training from my boss in addition to my certifications. Plus, I do recurring education each year to stay on top of everything.”

The lights flickered, and I scooted closer to Jack. “Do you think the storm will knock out the power?”

“Absolutely.”

His quick, affirmative answer surprised me. “Really?”

“Yeah, but you don’t need to worry. The inn has a fuck ton of generators to keep shit running, even during the worst blizzard,” he explained. “Raven and Colin have done a great job of making sure their guests are comfortable, no matter what obstacles are thrown in their way.”

“I can’t imagine being any cozier than I am right now. Here, with you.”

“Neither can I, angel.”

Butterflies swirled in my belly at his confession. “I have to ask…why do you call me angel?”

“How can I not when you tried making a snow angel after your fall yesterday?” Shaking his head, he chuckled. “It was so fucking cute, how you did that with a sprained wrist.”

“Thanks.” Cute wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of my sexiness, but I’d still take the compliment. And it was better than calling me the hot mess that I’d been on the bunny slope when he rescued me.

I was enjoying my time with Jack, but I was still trying to catch up on sleep and had worn myself out today trying to snowboard before the snow got too bad. So I couldn’t stop the yawn that crept up on me.

“I didn’t realize I was that boring,” he teased.

“You’re not,” I insisted, my cheeks filling with heat. “I’m just on vacation time, I guess.”

“The adrenaline rush from your fall earlier today probably didn’t help.” He got to his feet and jerked his chin toward the bedroom. “Don’t worry about me. Go get some much-needed sleep.”

I darted a skeptical gaze toward the couch. With how tall Jack was, I couldn’t see him being comfortable there all night. “I don’t think I’ll be able to rest, knowing you’re out here unable to sleep because your long legs are hanging over the armrest.”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured me, nudging me toward the door.

As I passed him, I tugged on his wrist with my good hand. “You’ll be even better if you share the bed with me.”

There was no missing the desire that flared in his dark gaze, but he didn’t act on it. “Not gonna turn you down, but are you sure you’re good with that plan?”

“It’ll make it easier for you to check on my wrist through the night.”

My pain and swelling had already improved, but I’d already learned that Jack liked taking care of me. He didn’t question my decision when I put it that way. Grabbing the tote bag he’d brought back with him, he followed me into the bedroom.

It didn’t take long for us to get ready for bed, and I giggled at the snowman pajama pants he wore when he padded out of the en suite bathroom.

Lifting the blanket to slide onto the mattress next to me, he grumbled, “I didn’t have anything to sleep in, so I asked Raven to grab something for me from the gift shop.”

“I figured it was something like that.” Curling my good arm around my pillow, I smiled at him while carefully placing my injured hand on the mattress between us.

I didn’t think that I’d be able to sleep with Jack only inches away, but my tiredness quickly overcame my awkwardness at this new experience, and I drifted off. I conked out so hard that I didn’t even realize that I invaded his side of the bed, cuddling into his muscular chest as he wrapped his arms around me while I slept like a baby.