Haley's Hangdog Holiday Read online

  “Come on—we’re up,” Jonah pushed his way through the gate to the express chair lift.

  The clock on the lift read exactly 3:30. One of the attendants moved the ropes to close the lanes behind them.

  “You guys go on. I’ll wait here for Gavin.”

  “Nope, you’re coming with us.” Liam shoved her toward the gate. “Gavin will meet us at the base.”

  “Hurry up, guys!” Jonah cried.

  “Okay, I’m coming,” she said, sliding up to the line between them, both of whom topped her five feet seven by three or four inches.

  But Gavin is a little taller.

  “Stop it,” she muttered to herself as the bar came down and she arranged her skis on the footrest.

  “Stop what?” asked Jonah.

  “Nothing.” Ducking her face to hide the flush in her cheeks, she spotted a flash of burnt orange coming out of the trees. “Look—there’s Gavin!”

  Twisting around, she tracked his route as he hurtled toward the lift line. But it was too late. Nothing but empty chairs followed them up the slope.

  “A guy could get a complex, you know,” Jonah remarked. “I mean, the way you keep worrying about Gavin. Do you two have a thing going?”

  “No! No way!” Haley felt her cheeks burning. “We’re actually more like arch enemies—we compete against each other at UT.”

  “Oh, so you’re that girl,” Liam said, nodding his head. “I’ve heard about you.”

  “Gavin talked about me?”

  “He said there was only one person who posed any real competition in his class, and he said that person was a girl. So I assume he was talking about you.”

  “I’m surprised he even mentioned me. Honestly, for all he joked about trying to get my attention all semester, he’s never really spoken to me before.”

  “He probably knew it was doomed to fail.” Liam shrugged his shoulders. “I can see why it wouldn’t work for the two of you to have a relationship.”

  “Why’s that?” she asked, feeling slightly insulted.

  “Because you’re both so competitive, and only one of you can win,” said Liam. “One of you would be mad and the other would be gloating—all the time. You’d be better off with a guy in an entirely different field of study... like medicine.”

  “Ha!” Jonah reached over her head to knock a gloved hand on the back of Liam’s helmet. “He says that because he’s pre-med.”

  “It’s still true.” Liam crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Listen, Haley. You don’t want to date someone who’s planning to go to medical school,” Jonah declared. “He won’t have a real life for at least another ten years, maybe more. An engineer would be a much better fit—a five-year program just like yours.”

  She chuckled, covering her face with her gloved hands. “You guys are too much. Stop teasing me.”

  “Who says I’m teasing?” asked Jonah. “Now Liam—you can figure he’s teasing 99.9 percent of the time. But not me. I’m laying my heart out here for you to take and cherish... or trample on the ground. It’s your choice, so please be gentle.”

  Though his words were spoken with earnest devotion, Haley’s first impulse was to giggle. She couldn’t read him.

  “You don’t even know me, Jonah. I don’t think you should risk having your heart trampled by a complete stranger. Besides, I’m not dating anyone until after I graduate. I don’t need the distraction.”

  “Don’t you still have two years before you graduate?” asked Liam, looking decidedly skeptical that she would continue her dating hiatus for such a long time.

  “Yep, I’m on the same graduation track as Gavin—two years from this December.”

  “That’s a long time not to date at all.” Jonah kept his eyes on the mogul run under the lift. “And the right guy would be an asset, not a distraction.”

  “And you think you’re that guy?” Liam threw his head back and laughed.

  “Better than you,” Jonah retorted.

  “I say we race—all the way down Riva Ridge, from the top of the lift to the slow-banner at the base.” Liam lifted the bar, preparing to exit the chairlift. “Whoever gets there first wins Haley.”

  “Are you crazy? I am not a prize!” Haley yelled, clenching her hands on her ski poles.

  “And the loser has to buy the engagement ring,” Jonah added.

  “No! I can’t believe this! You guys are insane!”

  She knew the boys were bantering with her, but she also knew they would use this as fodder for even more teasing. She couldn’t let them get away with it.

  “Sounds rad.” Liam kept up the chatter as he coasted off the lift on his snowboard. “But the winner gets to pick the ring.”

  “Shut up! This isn’t happening!” Haley skied off the lift, following the two boys to the side, where they both clicked their boots onto their boards. She waved her hands in front of them. “Hello? Are you listening? I’m not getting engaged to either one of you! And I don’t appreciate being ignored, either!”

  Jonah’s shoulders began to shake, and he let out a chortle. Then he lost it, bending over and hooting with laughter.

  Liam snorted, slapping his thigh. “Haley, teasing you is better than shredding the gnar.”

  “As long as you both admit you were kidding.”

  “Of course we were.” Jonah flashed a completely unrepentant grin.

  She blew out a relieved breath.

  “We were definitely kidding you,” Liam hopped his board until he was pointing downhill. “But I never actually said we weren’t racing to win you...”

  “What do you mean?” asked Haley, as her pulse rate picked up again.

  Liam looked back over his shoulder, his expression as mischievous as the one Haley’s brother wore when he hung her underwear from the flagpole. “I’m saying there’s only one way to make sure one of us doesn’t win you—you’d better beat us to the bottom.”

  “What does that even mean?” she demanded.

  But he was gone.

  She turned to confront Jonah, but he zipped past her, hot on Liam’s trail.

  “No way!” Haley skated downhill until she picked up speed, dropping into a racer’s tuck.

  Gotta win this race. Biggest stakes ever!

  Chapter Four

  As Gavin paced at the base of the mountain, he squinted up at the ski trails descending toward him, expecting to see the trio skiing down at any time. Groomed blues flanked a steep and icy black diamond run, Riva Ridge. Knowing his thrill-seeking friends, he expected them to return on Riva.

  He used his waiting time to formulate a plan. As long as he kept the speech and actions between Haley and him playful, Liam and Jonah would assume he was merely flirting, a pastime at which Gavin was known to excel. But casual female friends were fair game, and either of his friends might try to snag Haley for himself. On the other hand, if his buddies knew Gavin was truly interested in Haley, they wouldn’t make a play for her. But they would tease him unmercifully.

  I can’t screw this up—this may be my only chance.

  His best bet would be to find a way to spend time alone with her, away from his buddies’ prying eyes. But how would he pull that off? Especially when they had an entire lift and run to build up more camaraderie with her?

  Haley certainly appeared to have her guard down, here on the slopes, though she’d been downright unapproachable at school. Her measured indifference toward Gavin all semester had both irked and intrigued him.

  Unlike his girlfriends of the past, Haley wasn’t a social butterfly. Her clothes, while stylish enough, seemed more of an afterthought. She sported thick lashes and freckled cheeks, which he’d never seen adorned with makeup, except for the two occasions when she was giving a presentation.

  Arguably the sharpest student of their class in the iMPA program at UT, her intelligence was even more attractive to Gavin than her thick red hair that begged to have his fingers run through it, or her mesmerizing blue eyes so clear and guileless he felt compelled
to protect her from harm.

  Her girl-next-door beauty brought a smile to his face each time he saw her in class. He even liked the little furrow that appeared on her forehead when she was concentrating. Yet it was something other than those superficial qualities that drew Gavin to her like a magnet to steel. It was the first time he heard her sing.

  Even now, he got chills, remembering her ethereal voice and the raw emotion she evoked. Skipping his usual church one Sunday, he had visited another worship service with a friend from school. Gavin was surprised to see Haley singing in the worship band. As she’d always been a bit of a mystery, he hadn’t realized she was a believer—a welcome revelation. When the music turned soft and serious, she stepped forward and sang a haunting tune with only a piano accompaniment.

  “In the night,

  When I can’t see the light,

  My soul calls Adonai.

  Do You care?

  When it hurts too much to bear?

  Abba, are You there?

  Abba, are You there?

  You are my shepherd.

  I am Your lamb.

  Abba, my Father,

  The great I Am.

  You are my shepherd.

  I am Your lamb.

  I will rejoice

  And follow Your voice.

  I am Your lamb.”

  As the song ended and her voice lingered on the final note, Gavin felt a magnetism like nothing he’d experienced before. Though the thought crossed his mind that God might be speaking to him concerning Haley, he figured the pull was more likely a combination of her attractive appearance along with a deep spiritual experience.

  Nonetheless, from that moment on he’d been almost obsessed with her, attempting multiple times to engage her in conversation after class or persuade her to attend a study session. He’d even asked her to help clarify a concept that he already understood—anything to entice her to interact.

  Not that it ever worked. Always lost in her own world, she never gave any indication she’d heard him. The only time she seemed to notice him was the day his name was revealed as the winner of the summer internship referral, a feat that earned him a glare of hatred.

  But then, God presented him a gift... in the form of her momentous wipeout and subsequent rescue. Finally, Gavin had an opportunity to spend time with Haley, who was even more amazing than he’d thought, from her sharp wit to her incredible skiing prowess.

  Gavin dug out his cell phone to check the time. When he glanced up again, he saw a compact form fly over the ridge at the top then plummet straight down Riva Ridge without turning to slow the pace, passing all the other skiers on the slope as if they were standing still. Crouching low, the skier flew dangerously fast toward the slow zone at the bottom. Half way down, Haley’s blue jacket stood out, and his heart jumped up into his throat. Would she be able to stop in time?

  He held his breath, but his worry was unfounded. She made a few turns and threw up a wall of snow, sliding to a stop in perfect control just above the slow sign. Waving, he attempted to get her attention, but she was already looking back up the slope, where both Jonah and Liam had just appeared.

  He watched as the other two rode down to join her, falling back in the snow in apparent exhaustion. In animated conversation, Haley waved her hand about, pointing up the hill as she chatted with his two former friends. As of yet, none of the three had even bothered to look for him.

  Wow, they really feel bad that I missed the last run... Not! I can’t let them find me standing here like a loser, as if I was simply pining away waiting for them.

  He snagged his board from the rack and strode into the crowded plaza, quickly securing a spot on a bench outside the locker room. As he opened the email on his phone, he pretended to read while keeping a surreptitious eye out for the trio. Several minutes later, he finally spotted the three approaching from the corner of his vision.

  “Hey, Gavin. You missed it, man!” Jonah collapsed onto the bench beside him. “Haley really showed us up. She is either crazy or fearless... or both!”

  Gavin nodded, keeping his gaze on his cell phone screen. “That’s great.”

  “If we hadn’t had a head start it would’ve been even worse,” Liam added, throwing an arm around Haley’s shoulder. “Haley, you realize the decision is in your hands, don’t you?”

  “What decision?” Her voice was wary, but Gavin couldn’t see her eyes through her shaded goggles.

  “Which one of us do you want to be with? Me or Jonah?”

  Gavin’s jaw gritted so hard he heard his teeth grinding inside his head.

  “Like I already told you,” Haley retorted, “I don’t intend to date anyone until after I graduate. You don’t listen very well.”

  Ha! At least these two jerks are getting stiff-armed along with me.

  “But you won the race.” Jonah took off his helmet, tucking his goggles inside. “I think that means you have to choose one of us.”

  “As I remember the terms, I win myself, and the losers have to buy me a ring. I like tanzanite, so you’d better start saving up.”

  Both guys groaned, and the sound brought a genuine smile to Gavin’s face. “It’s too bad I wasn’t there. There’s no way I wouldn’t have won, with a prize like that hanging in the balance.”

  “Ha! You didn’t see Haley rocket past in a tuck,” said Liam. “Of course, she had an unfair advantage on the flat trail, since she was on skis.”

  “I had already passed you by then,” Haley argued.

  “But still, it was skis versus boards,” Jonah said. “Maybe we should try again, and this time Haley has to ditch the skis and ride a board.”

  Haley pulled her goggles and helmet off, hanging it from her elbow. With deft fingers, she unbraided her hair and combed it with her fingers, spilling it over her shoulders like a lush red blanket. So enthralling was the sight, Gavin temporarily forgot his anger with Liam and Jonah.

  “I didn’t bring my board with me today,” she said, unaware of the devastating affect of her innocent act, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t out-ride you.”

  “Seriously?” Liam asked. “You board, too? You told us your family lives in Texas. How did you ever learn to ski and snowboard? I don’t think there’s a single ski resort in Texas.”

  She shrugged. “I might have grown up in Glenwood Springs and skied on the alpine team in high school.”

  “Of course you did,” Gavin muttered.

  Why did God let me meet the perfect girl and then find out she doesn’t want to date? Does He just like to taunt me?

  “Hey, Hotpants!”

  A stranger with a snowboard appeared, sliding his arm around Haley’s shoulder, an action that caused her to jump and let out a surprised yelp.

  Gavin was on his feet before he realized what he was doing. “Get your hands off her.”

  “Whoa!” The guy laughed, taking a step back and lifting his hand in front his face in protection. “What’s up, Haley? Did you hire a security goon? Call him off before he punches me out, will ya? Mom and Dad invested a lot of money in this smile.”

  With a calming hand on Gavin’s chest, Haley stepped between them. “It’s okay, Gavin. I hate to admit it, but this hooligan is my little brother, Tad. And these three...” She indicated the snowboarders standing behind him, “are his roommates at CU—Calvin, Steve, and Nate.”

  “Sorry.” Gavin offered his hand to Tad, as the blood rushed to his face. “I’m Gavin Holiday, a friend of Haley’s from UT.”

  Tad shook his hand, his smile unfazed. “Ha! I’m glad to meet you. I didn’t know Haley had time for friends.”

  “That’s because I’m always studying, Tad.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Believe it or not, some people in college are actually interested in making good grades instead of partying all the time.”

  “Some people can make good grades without studying,” he retorted.

  “Some people can,” she agreed. “But evidently, you’re not some people.”

  “What d
o you mean? I passed all my classes. I even made two A’s this semester.”

  “Yes, in bowling and badminton.”

  “And your point is?” Tad broke into infectious laughter. “Loosen up, Sis. You only live once.”

  “Maybe if you’d studied a little harder, you could’ve been accepted at UT.”

  Tad looked back at his friends, with a twisted expression like she’d suggested he might want to stick his hands in raw sewage. “Why would I want to go there, when I can go to CU Boulder?”

  “UT has a better reputation,” she argued.

  “CU has better ski slopes,” Tad retorted, and his friends nodded in the background. “Eight resorts within a two-hour drive.”

  “He makes a solid argument, Haley. Why do you think I’m going to school at Berkeley? Texas’ ski resorts aren’t too impressive.” Liam chuckled as he leaned in to offer his hand to Tad, brushing against Haley in the process. Gavin’s muscles tightened as his latent security goon tendencies attempted to surface again. Fortunately, no one could see his legs shaking under his boarding pants.

  “I can see I’m wasting my breath arguing with you.” Haley’s eyes rolled to the sky. “Tad, these are Gavin’s friends, Jonah and Liam.”

  “Actually, you and I are practically related. You see, I’m engaged to your sister.” Liam shook Tad’s hand with a mischievous smirk.

  Haley chuckled, shoving ineffectually at Liam’s shoulder. Gavin had an overwhelming desire to help her out.

  “Good luck with that,” said Tad, without blinking an eye.

  “Hey Tad,” his friend Steve interrupted, “I hate to rush you guys, but I need to get back.”

  “Sure. I’m ready to go. Bye guys.” Haley winked. “It was fun beating your butts off today.”

  “That’s why I’m sitting down,” Jonah said, with a pained expression. “I can’t even stand up without my glutes.”

  “I feel your pain,” said Tad. “That’s why I don’t ski with her. She’s not a benevolent winner. Although I think I may be able to beat you on a board this year, Hotpants.”

  “Hotpants?” asked Liam. “There must be a story behind that?”