King Sized Beds and Happy Trails (Beds Series) (7 page)

“Did everyone find their itineraries?”

Mr. Miller holds up his laminated copy and points to it
like we’re a bunch of first graders. A mumbled groan comes from all the seniors.

“Excellent!”

He must be programmed to hear the opposite emotion of students.

“
All right, Group A will have the slopes from ten to one, and Group B from two to five. The rec room is available to Group B while Group A is on the hills, and vise versa.” He points to Misty’s parents, who are making kissy faces at each other in the corner, and Josh’s parents, who are standing with pool cues. “Your chaperones will be keeping an eye on you. And there are plenty of employees and ski instructors on the slopes. Please be safe. I don’t want anyone coming back with a broken anything.”

Another mumbled groan as I see Kaylee and Lex walk into the lobby.
Kaylee’s not shooting me any gossip eyes, which means Lex told her what they walked in on was nothing. My shoulders slump a bit, and my chest tightens.

“Stay with a buddy and have fun! Meet you all for lunch at one.”

And just like that, the crowd splits. Group B bolts to the rec room to grab the best tables, some grab their boyfriend’s hands and make their way back to the cabins, and Lex, Kaylee, Nate, and I zip up our coats and head for the slopes. Sean right ahead of us.

Great.

The bus takes us up there, since it’s too far on foot. Kaylee and Lex take the seat right behind Sean and Luke. I guess Ski Resort Barbie is in Group B. Or she didn’t want to ski. Either way, I can’t figure out if I’m happy or disappointed she isn’t here. And my chest keeps tightening the farther we get up the mountain.

Nate and I don’t talk on the way up. He starts pulling out handkerchiefs from his sleeve and making them disappear and reappear.
I pound on my chest to try to get rid of whatever is making me so edgy.

The bus comes to a stop
, and we all wait for our chaperones to say something, but they’re making googly eyes at each other in the back. Misty buries her face, and she’s the first one off the bus and on the ski lift.

“I wanna do King’s Ridge
.”

Lex points to the ski lift to the right
as she hops out next to me, the one that heads up, up, up, and looks like it’ll never go back down.

“Hell, no.”

“Come on, Ry.” She sticks her bottom lip out. “I heard Sean say that’s where he’ll be.”

“Then you go by yourself. I decided I don’t want to be witness to the pheromone swapping.” I shift in my skis, ready to jump on the lift that goes to Ice Cove. I know that it sounds like it’s for babies, but that’s because it is. I’ve skied twice in my life, and I’m man enough to admit it’s not something I… uh, excel at.
“And I’ll probably run into a tree, get knocked out, and stuck in the snow, and you’ll be too busy flirting to save me from hypothermia.”

“Bu
t I need someone who’s been skiing at least
once
to help me.” She tugs my arm. “Puh-lease?”

“You’re gonna hurt yourself. And if you’re looking for someone w
ho’s experienced, it’s not me.” I chuckle and motion toward the tamer slope. “Come on. This one is more our speed.”

Her lip goes out again
, and I’m tempted to grab and pinch it between my fingers, but I stop my hand. I can’t touch her as much as I’m used to. I was
this
close to kissing her this morning. Like, split second away from mashing my lips against hers and freaking her out. And Kaylee and Nate walked in and saved me from my own stupidity.

If I keep touching her, I don’t know if I’l
l save myself next time. I knew sharing a bed was a bad idea.

Though, if she keeps having those freaky dreams, I’m not leaving her alone.
Does she expect me to leave her just like every other douche in her life? Because that’s not going to happen.

And there goes my chest again.

“Hey, Bestie, I’ll go with you to King’s Ridge,” Kaylee says as she adjusts her goggles. “We can watch Nate and Ryan fall on their butts any time.” She grabs her skis and pulls Lex to the death slope.

“Babe, you be careful!” Nate calls after
them. He turns to me. “We really going to Ice Cove?”

I
shake my head, watching Lex and Kaylee hop on the ski lift. “You really think I’m going to let her go on that hill when she’s never skied?”

He shrugs, b
ut hops on the ski lift with me, right behind the girls. Nate doesn’t have anything to worry about. He’s been skiing as long as he’s been putting on magic shows.

“Okay, I’m going to say it…” Nate scoots as far away from me as he can. “
What’s up your ass?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“You’ve been grumpy all morning.”

I shrug. “It’s nothing.”

“Dude, just say it so I don’t have to be around your pissy butt all day.” He shrinks farther to his side, like I’ll punch his nose in if he says the wrong thing. “
Did
we walk in on something this morning?”

“Nah, you didn’t walk in on anything.” I laugh and shake my head, pointing at the girls in front of us. “I just don’t like her going after that dick.”

His shoulders relax as he lets out a breath. “Ah, this is about Sean. I hear you on that one. I’ll never understand girls.”

“
I’m pretty sure no one will understand girls… even girls themselves.”

We laugh, and I’m finally starting to feel the tightening in my chest loosen.

“You know, if you just tell her how you feel about him, she’ll listen.”

Yeah, right.
“When has Lex ever listened to me?”

He grins and pulls his goggles down. “Due to your history, and how long you’ve known each other, the probability of her doing what you say, even if it’s
only on a subconscious level, is over seventy-eight percent.” The lift bar rises, and he hops out, me stumbling after him. “And the fact that she secretly wants you, man, the percentage goes up to ninety-two.”

I nearly fall over as I try to hit him upside the head. “You’re making up stuff so you sound smart.”

“Is it working?” He winks through his goggles.

“No.” I look across the snow to Kaylee and Lex, who’s trying to get Sean’s attention about twenty feet away. “But thanks for the pep talk.”

He laughs. “Come on. Let’s show them how awesome we are by following them up to the mean scary hill.”

“Shut up,” I say under my breath as he pushes his way to the girls.
It’s not like I’m a pussy, just don’t want to bust my leg open.

“Couldn’t stay away from me, huh?” Kaylee says as she grabs Nate around the neck and gives him a major tongue
r in front of everyone. I groan and make my way to Lex. She laughs and bends down to make sure her boots are tight.

“You sure you want to do this hill?” I gaze over the edge. “It’s not exactly for beginners.”

I hear someone swish up behind me, sending snow all over the back of my legs and my butt.

“Actually, this one isn’t so bad. If you stay to the right, it’s pretty much a straight shot to the bottom.”

I turn around, and douchebag is looking Lex up and down, giving her a grin I’m ready to punch right off his face. Her cheeks go crimson and a little giggle comes out her lips that sends my breakfast up my throat.

Maybe I should’ve gone to the baby hill.

Sean steps between me and Lex, knocking me over backwards into the snow.

“Sorry, man.”

Normally, this would be the part I swipe him down with my ski pole, or jab it into his calf, but Lex—for whatever reason—likes this kid, so instead I extend my arms out and say, “Little help?”

Nate and Lexie help me up, and I’m not sure if she realizes it or not, but she wipes me off. Back, butt, legs… then shoots upright, cheeks blazing as she mumbles, “Uh, you okay?”

She’s so damn cute. Her brown hair, peeking out of her hat as her cheeks melt the small amount of snow she’s got on her face. I’m tempted to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, but again, I keep my hands to myself.

“Of cours
e.” I smile and shove my way back next to her, looking at Sean. “It’s not like it was a hard hit or anything.”

His top lip curls up
, and he extends his hand out for Lexie. “Hey, I’ll help you down, if you want.”

She smiles, but it’s not one of her
“happiest” smiles. At least there’s that, but still, when she takes his hand, heat shoots up the back of my neck, and even though I downright suck at skiing, I follow them.

“Hey, Ryan!” Nate y
ells from behind me. I wait for him to tell me to leave them alone, but I should give him more credit, because he just smiles and says, “We’ll meet you at the bottom.”

I know I said I didn’t
want to be witness to all the gag-worthy flirting, but some other—much stronger—emotion is pulling me toward the two of them. I want to say it’s to protect her, keep her from tumbling down the hill, but that’s not it since I’ll probably be tumbling right along with her. It’s more about keeping her heart from breaking as dumb as that sounds. Though so far, I’m doing a lousy job. I really should take Nate’s advice and just tell her I think this whole operation is stupid, and she can do so much better, and he’s a dick who’s going to hurt her. Because isn’t he dating someone else
right now
? Yet, he’s up here on the hill running his hands all over my best friend. But knowing Lex, she’ll translate whatever I say to: “It’s ‘cause you think no one will stick around because I’m not worth it.”

Now I’m wishing I was back in the cabin. Ju
st me and her, and no other shit to bug us.

“Okay, beautiful,” Sean says to her as I sidle up.
She melts into him as he puts his hands over hers and talks some crap about gripping. He moves her from side to side, and it looks like he’s pressing his junk into her back. All I hear is the grinding of my own teeth.

“I think she’s got it.”

They both jump, as if they didn’t realize I’ve been here the whole time. Lex shoots me an evil look, and the flush in her cheeks flares up again. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.

“Okay… then let’s all go together.” Sean glances at me and chuckles. “You re
a—”

I shove off before he can finish. Lex lets out a tiny yelp
when she takes off too. She passes me within seconds. Whoa, she’s pretty good, especially for her first time. I’m trying to keep my legs together, and she’s swerving left, right, left again, tagging a flag with her pole.

“Did you see that?” she calls. “I hit the flag thingy!”

I want to give her a thumbs up, but my death grip won’t let me. Sean skis right up next to her and flashes his dickhead smile. Flattening my back, I try to speed up, catch up to them, but I lose my footing and my legs go into the splits.

Holy freaking shit
!

Moving my ass
back and forth, I attempt to jump back into position, but it just makes it worse. If my legs go any wider, I’m going to tear off a ball. Lex and Sean are so far ahead of me now, I can’t see them. I take a deep breath and jump. Shit, I better land on my…

Face.

I biff it, face in the snow, then I roll. Roll, roll, roll, over small bumps, and I swear the snow is made of rocks. And I’m screaming like a damn girl. Just when I think I’m about to lose my breakfast, I come to a stop, slamming my nose into a twig that I think is supposed to be a tree.

“Holy crap, Ry!”

I sit up, take the snow covered goggles off my face and blink a few times. Lex is running across the snow, skis abandoned by the chair lifts. Did I really roll to the bottom of the hill?

“Are you okay?” She slams down to her knees
in the snow next to me. “Oh yikes! Your nose.”

Taking off
my glove, I swipe under my nostrils. It stains my finger bright red.

“Look at that.”
Maybe I left my brain on the hill, since that’s the genius line that comes out of my mouth.

“Here…” Cold needles jab me in the face as Lex shoves a snowball up my nose and holds it there.
“Okay, how is everything else? Anything bruised? Broken?”

I chuckle as she tilts my head back and rests it on her lap. “Just my pride.”
My eyes close. “Did Nate and Kaylee see?”

She laughs, taking my hat off and running her fingers through my hair. She does this all the time because she knows it’s my
“off” button. I forget about pain when she’s massaging my scalp. I involuntarily groan.

“Nope. They were already on their way back up when Sean and I got down here
.” She stops rubbing my head for a minute to pat it. “Does that mend your pride a little bit?”

I open my eyes and connect with hers. She’s smiling
a two dimpled smile. And I’m lying here in the snow with a snowball shoved up my nostrils.