“No, I’ve only downhill skied a couple of times during trips for school. I was terrible at it. But Sam raced this pothead climber up the frozen silo and crushed him, so now he won this free weekend at a ski chalet this weekend. Sam said he would take me along and show me how to board.”
Kate just blinks back at me, completely stunned into a rare silence. “I have to write this in a book. Please tell me I have permission.”
“You do not have permission!” I exclaim, heat flaming my cheeks at just the thought of my pathetic-ness being published in a damn romance novel. “I was hoping you could figure out a way to cover for me with Miles this weekend.”
She growls in frustration. “So wait…you’re doing all this to win back your ex? What about Sam?”
“Sam is just helping me out! There’s nothing going on between us.” I state it so defensively that I know Kate isn’t going to let it slide.
Kate’s lips disappear into her mouth before she replies. “If Sam is hiding this from his best friend, that means something is going on. Fess up.”
Now it’s my turn to groan. For Kate being my brother’s girlfriend, she has an uncanny way of irritating me like a nosy sister. “It’s nothing, okay? We may have kissed when we first met, but that was an impulsive accident, and we didn’t even know each other yet.”
“Oh my god,” Kate exclaims. “This just keeps getting better and better! How far did it go?”
“Just a kiss. Would you stop? Sam is just a friend. I don’t want Miles to know Sterling dumped me because Miles will hate him forever. I’m hoping if I show Sterling that I’m more exciting, he’ll want me back, and we can get back together before anyone realizes we ever broke up. I want our original plan. I had our whole life figured out.”
“Which was?”
“I don’t know, the usual…marriage, babies, seeing the world together. Love at first sight is so rare, and I think it’s serendipitous that my parents had it, and now so do I. I already have my wedding toast halfway written in my head.”
“Oh Meg,” Kate says, reaching over and patting me on the head. “You really are a slightly unhinged hopeless romantic, aren’t you?”
“Oh, shut up,” I snap, batting her hand away as I pull into the parking lot of Tire Depot and find a front row parking spot. “I’m just focusing on my dream life. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I kill the engine, and at the same moment, Miles walks out from the big shop door off to the side. He’s rolling a tire over the snow-packed sidewalk toward the front lobby entrance. He’s not wearing a coat, and working outside in his jeans and a Tire Depot T-shirt looks damn cold in this frigid temperature.
“I’m living in my dream life,” Kate replies slowly, her voice taking on a deep, husky tone. I look over just to see her staring hard at my brother and licking her lips like a tigress getting ready to pounce.
“Ugh, you’re going to make me puke.” I look away from her just in time to see Sam come out of the garage next, also rolling a tire. His biceps flex beneath the fit of his Tire Depot polo, and I feel a sharp pang of attraction.
“Admit it,” Kate states quietly. “You think Sam is super freakin’ cute.”
I roll my eyes and groan before pressing my forehead to the steering wheel. “Of course, he’s cute. I mean…if you like that bearded, mountain man sort of look.” I peek up again just as he turns to enter the main part of Tire Depot, and he gives me a shot of his ass in those work jeans of his. “It doesn’t matter, though. I have plans with Sterling.”
“Blech,” Kate mumbles under her breath. “Fine. It’s your life, and you’re entitled to do what you want. So what do you need from me exactly? You want to go away with your brother’s best friend this weekend, and you need to make sure Miles doesn’t know?”
“Yesss,” I reply slowly, hating that she has to throw the best friend part in my face again.
“Okay, let me think…” Her eyes light up instantly. “You know what? Oddly, Miles has been pushing to go see my parents again sometime soon, so I guess I could finally agree to it. That would get us out of the house for the weekend, and he won’t even know you’re missing.”
“That would be perfect, Kate!” I exclaim, grabbing her and pulling her into a hug. “He might see if I can come along, but I’ll fake an illness or something.”
Jiggling her chest into mine, Kate coos, “Oh baby, are you this thankful to Sam, too?”
“Shut up!” I exclaim and shove her away. “You’re such a perv!”
“I’m told it’s my best quality.” She winks and hops out of the car.
With a heavy sigh, I follow her into Tire Depot for some complimentary coffee, cookies, and a free oil change from my brother. Gosh, I’m liking Boulder more and more every day.
When Kate and I walk into Tire Depot, I do a quick scan of the shiny lobby area for Sam. I just need to know where he is. As long as I’m not surprised by him, I can school my features to be cool and collected. Miles is wiping off a display tire that he’s hung up on a rack with several other tires when he sees us coming.
“There are two of my favorite girls!” he beams, hitting us with a pearly white smile. “Ready for the Tire Depot experience, Meg?”
“Sure!” I state cheerily and wiggle my keys at him. “Here you go.”
Miles gestures for us to follow him over to the counter. “We’ll get you checked in here first.”
As we approach the counter, someone’s head pops up from beneath the bar height countertop, and as soon as I realize it’s Sam, I bump into Kate.
“Ouch!” Kate exclaims, turning to rub the back of her ankle. “Walk much, Meg? Or just read about it?” She giggles and winks at me, clearly pleased with her little joke.
Miles looks over at me with concern. “Are you feeling okay, Meg? You look kind of flushed.”
He moves over to feel my forehead, and I shake him off as Sam’s eyes dance with mirth the entire time. He waggles his brows at me playfully before resting his elbows on the counter to enjoy the show.
“I’m fine, Miles. Can we just get my oil changed, please?”
“Sam?” Miles says.
Sam holds his hands back. “I’m afraid I can’t help you today.”
My expression falls. Is he about to out us?
Then Sam gestures over at a small girl standing beside him whose chin barely clears the counter. Sam does a quick maneuver, evidently moving his step stool over, and this little strawberry-blond girl climbs on the stool.
“Is this your kid?” I bark out without thinking, sounding even more psychotic than I intended.
Sam does that heart-melting shy smile thing again as he turns his face away from me. “No, this is my niece, Kinsley. Kinsley, these are some of my friends. You know Miles. This is his girlfriend, Kate, and his sister, Maggie.”
“What can I do for you?” Kinsley states, pushing her pink glasses up on her nose. “Are you in need of a rotation today?”
Her serious face has me smiling like a loon as my gaze moves from Sam to her and the adorable little connection they clearly have together as he leans on the counter next to her.
Kate elbows me, and I jump forward, realizing that everyone was waiting for me. “I need an oil change and probably a tire rotation. I’ve put a lot of miles on my car recently.”
“Can do,” Kinsley states, her voice deep as though she’s playing a character. “What’s the make, model, color, and year of your car?”
I giggle and tell her all those things. She takes ages to write it all down in her notebook, but Sam doesn’t rush her one bit. He just smiles affectionately down at her as she lowers her face to her notepad and sticks out her tongue in concentration.
When she’s finished, she looks at her little watch. “It’s going to be about an hour. Will you require a shuttle service today? Or would you like to enjoy our exceptional customer comfort center?”
My smile is permanent now. “Customer comfort center, please!”