lived here. It meant impending winter, and winter meant ski season. The Adirondacks got colder sooner than the rest of the state, and most years, she could get a head start on her runs. Fall meant school, but it also meant practice, and on the slopes was where teenaged Emerson could be found eighty percent of the time from October through April. There was nothing quite as breathtaking as flying downhill on manmade powder seeing those bursts of color fly by because the leaves hadn’t all fallen from the trees yet.
Emerson inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her childhood—the earth, the leaves, the water—and remembered what it was like to live here. Just as quickly as the sense memory hit, so did flashes of flying snow, of snapping skis, of blinding pain. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, willing away the recollection of everything this godforsaken town had taken from her.
“Enough,” she said aloud, and steered the bike off the trail back into town, her throat suddenly as dry as tissue paper and feeling just as brittle. She needed to stop, to breathe, to get something to drink, and to focus on what the hell she needed to do to get out of here and back to L.A. As soon as she possibly could.
***
Cassie was a huge supporter of small, local business. Obviously, as she was the owner of a small, local business herself, and that’s how she helped keep the town thriving and her local friends working. Lucky for her, the only local coffee shop in Lake Henry had closed its doors for good over a year ago. No so lucky for the owner, Cassie understood, but at least she didn’t feel layers of guilt upon her as she stood in line at Starbucks. And they really did have the best coffee on the planet.
Jonathan had gone a little heavy on the cologne today. She was normally a big fan of most of his scents, but this one was a bit cloying, even well into the afternoon, and she tried to be subtle about keeping a few feet between them. As she maneuvered slightly away from him in line and turned to look out the front of the shop, she saw Emerson pull up on a bike.
“What are you grinning at?” Jonathan asked, following her gaze. Then, “Oh, goodie. The Ice Princess is here.”
Cassie shot him a look. “Stop calling her that.”
Before he could defend himself, the cashier asked for their orders. Cassie ordered a simple Blonde Roast with room for cream.
“I’ll have a grande caffe espresso frappuccino, please,” Jonathan said sweetly. “But could you make that with soy milk? And hold the whipped cream. But add extra of that chocolate drizzly stuff.”
Cassie shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You are so complex.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
They paid, Cassie took her coffee, and they moved down the counter to wait for Jonathan’s order. Cassie saw Emerson enter the shop, bike helmet in hand, and gave her a quick wave. Emerson waved back, then took her place in line.
“I’m going to go say ‘Hi,’” Cassie told Jonathan.
“You just did say ‘Hi.’”
“I’m going to go talk to her,” Cassie said with a sigh. “I’ll be right back.”
Emerson’s cheeks were flushed a healthy pink, and her blonde hair stuck out in the back from where she’d removed her helmet. “Hi there,” Cassie said as she approached.
“Hi.”
“You got a bike.”
“I did.”
“I’m glad.” They moved up in line together, taking one step at the same time. When Emerson said nothing more, Cassie dove in to break the awkward silence. “So, things going okay?”
With one nod of her head, Emerson replied, “Yeah. Fine.”
Jesus. Talking to her is like pulling teeth. “Are you bored out of your skull yet?”
Emerson turned to look at her then, her ice-blue eyes almost startling Cassie. Then, much to Cassie’s surprise, one corner of Emerson’s mouth lifted slightly. “God, yes.”
Cassie hoped her sudden laughter didn’t sound as relieved as it felt. “I bet. You should come over to the rec center
Emerson inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her childhood—the earth, the leaves, the water—and remembered what it was like to live here. Just as quickly as the sense memory hit, so did flashes of flying snow, of snapping skis, of blinding pain. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, willing away the recollection of everything this godforsaken town had taken from her.
“Enough,” she said aloud, and steered the bike off the trail back into town, her throat suddenly as dry as tissue paper and feeling just as brittle. She needed to stop, to breathe, to get something to drink, and to focus on what the hell she needed to do to get out of here and back to L.A. As soon as she possibly could.
***
Cassie was a huge supporter of small, local business. Obviously, as she was the owner of a small, local business herself, and that’s how she helped keep the town thriving and her local friends working. Lucky for her, the only local coffee shop in Lake Henry had closed its doors for good over a year ago. No so lucky for the owner, Cassie understood, but at least she didn’t feel layers of guilt upon her as she stood in line at Starbucks. And they really did have the best coffee on the planet.
Jonathan had gone a little heavy on the cologne today. She was normally a big fan of most of his scents, but this one was a bit cloying, even well into the afternoon, and she tried to be subtle about keeping a few feet between them. As she maneuvered slightly away from him in line and turned to look out the front of the shop, she saw Emerson pull up on a bike.
“What are you grinning at?” Jonathan asked, following her gaze. Then, “Oh, goodie. The Ice Princess is here.”
Cassie shot him a look. “Stop calling her that.”
Before he could defend himself, the cashier asked for their orders. Cassie ordered a simple Blonde Roast with room for cream.
“I’ll have a grande caffe espresso frappuccino, please,” Jonathan said sweetly. “But could you make that with soy milk? And hold the whipped cream. But add extra of that chocolate drizzly stuff.”
Cassie shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You are so complex.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
They paid, Cassie took her coffee, and they moved down the counter to wait for Jonathan’s order. Cassie saw Emerson enter the shop, bike helmet in hand, and gave her a quick wave. Emerson waved back, then took her place in line.
“I’m going to go say ‘Hi,’” Cassie told Jonathan.
“You just did say ‘Hi.’”
“I’m going to go talk to her,” Cassie said with a sigh. “I’ll be right back.”
Emerson’s cheeks were flushed a healthy pink, and her blonde hair stuck out in the back from where she’d removed her helmet. “Hi there,” Cassie said as she approached.
“Hi.”
“You got a bike.”
“I did.”
“I’m glad.” They moved up in line together, taking one step at the same time. When Emerson said nothing more, Cassie dove in to break the awkward silence. “So, things going okay?”
With one nod of her head, Emerson replied, “Yeah. Fine.”
Jesus. Talking to her is like pulling teeth. “Are you bored out of your skull yet?”
Emerson turned to look at her then, her ice-blue eyes almost startling Cassie. Then, much to Cassie’s surprise, one corner of Emerson’s mouth lifted slightly. “God, yes.”
Cassie hoped her sudden laughter didn’t sound as relieved as it felt. “I bet. You should come over to the rec center
Similar Books
