Wanting You, page 21
“I’ll talk to Tanner,” she murmured while silently cursing herself. “Thanks, Susan. And again, I’m so sorry for being so awful.”
Susan studied her for a long moment. “You haven’t been quite like yourself for the last several weeks. Is everything okay? I know your mom had the accident and all, but…”
“She’s doing much better, but there’s been a lot of…personal issues that I’m trying to deal with.”
“Like breaking up with Tanner?” she quipped before her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh! Now I’m sorry! That sounded very catty.”
But Chloe just waved her off. “Not at all, and yes. Breaking up with Tanner was a huge part of it.”
“I honestly think that’s why he didn’t reach out to you about the field trip. He didn’t want to make it awkward. I know the students should come first, but it’s not worth it if the two of you are going to be that uncomfortable.”
“It shouldn’t be this hard,” she said miserably. “And I hate that it is. We work together and should be able to put those personal feelings aside. I know my students would love to go up to Summit Ridge and learn to ski.”
“I looked up Tanner online and saw a lot of videos of him when he used to compete. He’s really impressive.”
“Yeah, I have too. Especially lately.”
“The man looks good in a ski suit,” Susan said with a wink. “I’ll bet a lot of women wouldn’t mind getting a skiing lesson from him.”
And that’s when inspiration hit.
“Susan, I’m not going to talk to Tanner about this. I mean…I will, but not to ask his permission. Can you print me out permission slips and email me everything I need? I’d like to send out an email to all the parents this afternoon and send reminders home in everyone’s book bags today. Just tell me what I need to do, and the date and time of the field trip and count us in!”
Susan’s smile grew. “Going to fight for your man, aren’t you?”
It wasn’t a question.
“I’m certainly going to try.”
“I’m emailing everything right now, and good luck!”
“Thanks! I think I’m going to need it.” With a quick wave, she rushed out of the office and back down to her classroom. As much as she would have loved to talk to Tanner right now, she didn’t want to interrupt his class. Plus, it would be better for her to look over everything about the field trip and take it from there.
At her desk, she pulled her laptop out of her bag and quickly logged into her email. And what she read was…amazing.
Tanner had managed to pull together an incredible opportunity for not only the students but to benefit the school as well. For every family that used the ski school between now and the end of the year, Summit Ridge would donate a percentage of the sales for school supplies. It was the most selfless thing he ever could have done.
And she loved him for it.
The gasp was out before she could stop it.
Love? Did she love Tanner?
“Oh my God…I do!” she whispered. “I really, really do!”
That was immediately followed by a wave of self-loathing because she had made a serious mess of everything where they were concerned. In the past, if an obstacle seemed too hard to overcome, Chloe’s go-to was to just give up.
And…sometimes hide.
“Not this time,” she murmured. This time, she was going to do exactly what Susan suggested. She was going to fight for her man.
Just…in her own way.
Feeling energized, she quickly put together an email that included all the pertinent information about the field trip, attached the permission slip, and sent it out to all the parents in her class. Then she emailed Susan to thank her and ask if she could print out copies of everything for her so she could send physical copies home as well. By that time, she needed to pick up her students. Her plan was to speak to Tanner after school.
She just hoped she’d be able to wait that long.
Of course, the rest of the day dragged on and by the time her last student was picked up, Chloe quickly gathered her things and ran next door to Tanner’s room and…
It was dark.
He was gone already.
Drats.
Okay, all hope was not lost. She could call him. And as she walked out to her car, she pulled out her phone and did just that.
It went directly to voicemail.
“O-kay…” She didn’t leave a message because she decided to go to his house on her way home. The urge to stop at Books & Beans and grab some snacks was tempting, but she was a little too eager to talk to him.
But, because she seemingly had crappy luck, he wasn’t home when she got there. It was possible that he stopped somewhere on his way home, but she wasn’t desperate enough to sit in his driveway and wait.
Now what do I do?
Her mind was filled with questions about the field trip. Were all the students going to get one-on-one attention? Were the parents going to be able to take part or just watch? Would she have to get on skis or a snowboard?
And while that last one filled her with a bit of dread, it also filled her with a great idea to pass the time.
After driving the two blocks to her house, she ran inside and changed her clothes. Wearing a pair of leggings, a bulky hoodie, and a pair of UGG boots, she grabbed her coat, purse, and keys and was back out the door. It was possible that she should have called Summit Ridge to see if it was too late in the day for a lesson, but she’d rather talk to someone in person. And if they couldn’t help her today, then she’d reserve a spot for either tomorrow or Sunday.
Excited, she turned on the radio and sang her way all the way up the mountain. At the lodge, she parked and practically jogged inside. She had no idea where the indoor facility was, but figured anyone at the front desk could point her in the right direction.
“May I help you?” a young man with a bright smile called out as she walked toward him.
“Hey,” she said breathlessly when she approached the desk. “My name is Chloe Donovan and my class is coming up here next week for a field trip with the indoor ski school.” She paused for a moment. “And here’s the thing, I can’t ski. It actually terrifies me a little, and I thought if I could come up here and maybe get a lesson or two, I’d feel better about helping my kids next week. I don’t want to look like a baby in front of them.”
He gave her a sympathetic smile. “I think that is awesome, and you are in luck. We have an instructor who has availability right now!”
She frowned. “But…how do you know that off the top of your head? Don’t you have to look it up or something?”
Now he laughed softly. “Oh, he was just up here at the desk. He’s new to the Summit Ridge family and the school, and we were all encouraging him that it wouldn’t be long until he had a student! And here you are! It’s like you were sent here just for him!”
“Um…”
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll walk with you to the indoor summit. There are a lot of twists and turns when you come in from the main entrance here.”
“Thanks,” she said, relieved.
“I’m Ted, by the way.” Stepping out from behind the desk, he came up beside her. “And I think you’re a great teacher to be doing this for your students.”
“Thanks, Ted. I’m hoping there’s a tiny hill for me to start with.” They began to walk. “And I obviously don’t have any equipment. Will that be a problem?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. We’ll provide everything for you, and I promise it won’t be scary at all.”
Yeah, she wasn’t sure she believed him, but there was no way she was going to back out now.
They went down a flight of stairs, down a long hallway, turned and went down another glass-encased hallway, up a flight of stairs, and then stepped outside and walked under a covered, paved path that led to what she assumed was the ski school, talking the entire time about what it was like to be a teacher. Ted opened the door for her and stood back.
“Here you go, Chloe! Good luck!”
“Ted, wait!” she said nervously. “Who am I supposed to talk to? Who’s my instructor?”
He laughed softly again. “Oh, right! Forgot about that.” He stepped inside and looked around before waving to someone. “He’s heading this way now.”
Chloe turned and looked in the same direction as Ted and froze.
“Chloe Donovan, let me introduce you to your instructor, Tanner Westyn,” Ted said cheerily.
“Chloe?” Tanner said in wide-eyed shock. “What are you doing here?”
“Um…”
“Do you two know each other?” Ted asked.
“Um…”
“I need to get back to the front desk, but Chloe’s your first student, Tanner! And go easy on her. She wants to make a good impression on her students.” And then he turned and walked away, completely oblivious to just how awkward everything was.
The door closing sounded incredibly loud, echoing throughout the area.
“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Tanner said slowly.
And rather than stand there second-guessing herself, she embraced the awkwardness. “I hear we’re taking our students on a field trip next week,” she said confidently. “And I’m going to need you to show me how to ski.”
For a moment, Tanner looked around as if this was some sort of prank, because there was no way this was happening. It wasn’t possible for Chloe to be standing here in front of him for any reason, let alone to learn how to ski. It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t…
“Wait, what do you mean we’re taking our students,” he said, now even more confused. “It was just supposed to be my class.”
She nodded. “It was, but my students heard about it and were very upset about being left out. You’re not looking to shun my class, are you? Because if this is your way of one-upping me in your quest to be a better teacher, then let me tell you something, Tanner Westyn! I won’t allow it!” Poking her finger into his chest, she kept getting closer. “We were supposed to be the kindergarten team and you have done everything possible to keep us separate and I’m putting an end to it!”
There wasn’t anything funny about what she was saying, and yet she was kind of adorable when she was riled up.
And it was a bit of a turn-on too.
So not the time, dude…
“Oh, you are, are you?” he asked, deciding to play along. “So you’re just going to tag along on my field trip?”
Crossing her arms, she nodded. “Yes, I am, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I already emailed all the parents and sent home the permission slips in everyone’s backpacks. And since it’s so spur of the moment, I plan on following up with all of them over the weekend to make sure no one misses out.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “I would have thought you’d be completely against this. After all, it’s not part of any lesson plan or curriculum and it’s all about skiing. Something you hate.”
The eye roll was a given. “I don’t hate skiing, Tanner. I never said that. I just can’t ski. There’s a difference.”
“That part I knew, but where me and skiing are involved…”
“Still never said I hated it,” she interrupted firmly. “I didn’t like a situation that I was put in. What you do and the career you had were amazing. I’m not looking to be a part of that—not as a VIP or mindless cheerleader who’s supposed to just stand in a corner while everyone fusses over you. And that doesn’t make me a bad person,” she went on. “I was completely honest with you about how I felt.”
“Okay, I get that, but…I still don’t get why you’d want to be here with me. I get that your students would have been disappointed, but you could have come at another time without me.”
“Absolutely not.” She stomped her foot. “We are the kindergarten team, Tanner. All this separation is over, do you hear me? Over!” Another stomp. “My class and I are coming on this field trip and since you’re the instructor here, I’m going to need you to teach me how to ski right now!”
Glancing around nervously, he wondered how rude it would be for him to ask one of his new coworkers if they would take Chloe on. There was no way he could do this with her, no matter how much he wanted to. It was entirely possible that he would end up groveling and begging her for another chance, and he wasn’t sure he could handle the rejection again.
“Maybe I can ask one of the other instructors…”
“No,” she said defiantly. “I want you to teach me. You’re the ski pro, Tanner.”
“Yeah, um…”
“Are you afraid to work with me? Do you think I’m unteachable or that you’re not up to the challenge?”
Now he looked at her weirdly. “What’s going on with you? Why are you trying to pick a fight with me? I’ve been respectful, Chloe. I’ve stayed out of your way because I didn’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. Now you show up here and you’re kind of not doing the same for me.”
For a moment she didn’t say anything and he figured he’d made his point. But then she surprised him.
“We’re adults, Tanner. We work together. There’s only so much avoiding we can do. And you know what, it didn’t help anything.” Her shoulders sagged. “I’ve missed you. A lot. So many times I thought about picking up the phone or just going over and talking to you, but…I always chickened out. It’s what I’m good at.”
“Chloe…”
“But I’m trying, okay? I want to try again.”
Wait…was she saying what he thought she was saying?
Taking a tentative step toward her, he asked, “You mean…you want to give us a try? Like…get back together?”
She nodded even as she bit her bottom lip. “I behaved so poorly, Tanner. And bratty. When I heard about this field trip, I was convinced it was a publicity stunt. I got into it with Susan about it, and…”
“I went to extremes to make sure no one took this as a PR thing. At least, not PR for me,” he quickly interrupted. “That’s not why I did it, I swear.”
“I know.”
He explained about how he found out about the ski school and his thought process on why it would make for a fun field trip. “I wasn’t doing it to outshine you or win any popularity contest—real or imagined. This is just a huge part of my life and the thought of being able to combine it with teaching my class…”
“I’m sure your students are going to have even more of an appreciation for all the work you put into decorating your classroom after coming here next week. And when they see you demonstrate everything, they’re going to think you’re the coolest teacher ever.” There was no condescension in her tone. If anything, she sounded genuinely happy.
Like she was proud of him.
“And what about you?” he asked gruffly. “I like the thought of us doing this trip together, but…why come here for lessons? No one was going to make you get up and ski in front of the kids. I would have never let that happen because I know how you feel about it.”
She laughed softly. “I’m not trying to compete, so please don’t think that. I’m doing it because I know some of the kids are going to be scared and I want to be an example. I want to be able to say that I understand and then share how I got up and did it too.” Pausing, she laughed again. “I just didn’t want to have to do it for the first time with an audience in case I failed and fell and made a complete fool of myself.”
Closing the distance between them, he carefully wrapped his arms around her waist. “I promise to catch you if you fall.” Resting his forehead against hers, he added, “And not just while we’re skiing. We can take things as slowly as you want, and I’ll still be there to catch you. Always.”
Smiling, she moved her arms around him as well. “You may regret saying that. My athletic skills are seriously awful.”
“Doesn’t matter. And for the record, I would thoroughly enjoy holding you up as well. It’s not just the catching.”
He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back. “I think if we do that, the lesson is never going to happen,” she told him with a grin. “And it took a lot for me to come up here and do this, so before I chicken out…”
“Ah. Got it.” Taking her hand, he led her over to the area where they had all the equipment. “Come on. Let’s get you fitted with boots and skis.”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything and he could tell her nerves were starting to get to her.
“There’s nothing to fear.” Gently, he turned her toward the ski area. “There are several hill levels. We’re only going to go on the smallest one and that’s only after I get you used to having the skis on. We’ll go over how to walk and move in them and then how to get up off the floor in them.”
“Already planning on me falling?” she asked with a nervous laugh.
Unable to help himself, he hugged her. “Everyone falls. And for the record, everyone gets that part of the lesson. It’s actually one of the first things we teach everyone.”
“Oh. Okay.”
They got her a pair of boots, and Tanner picked a pair of skis for her before taking her over to a bench to sit down. Together, they got her into the boots before he showed her how to get them attached to the skis. “Always listen for the click and check to make sure the skis are on right. I know it sounds silly, but to really be sure, you can jump up and down a few times. Not big jumps, just enough to test that they’re attached.” He helped her to her feet and made her do it.
And she almost fell.
“Dammit,” she mumbled, frantically reaching for him.
“It’s okay. You got this.” Slowly he let her go and explained how to waddle walk in the skis and the best ways to keep her balance with and without poles. Next, he explained some of the positions she’ll be using at the top of the hill.
Glancing over toward the hill, she bit her lip before looking back at him. “Do I have to walk all the way over there from here with the skis on?”
