and let these two go at it in private.
Mira beat him to it, standing up, her chin angled at a dangerous height. “I don’t see what we have to talk about.”
“How happy do you think your father is going to be once he hears about all this?”
She gave a hard smile. “You’re right, Robert. I imagine he won’t be very happy at all.”
Jack was surprised to see the other man’s face drain of color.
So that’s how it was. The jerk had done something. Something bad enough to make her want to avoid any contact with him. A dark thought came over him.
When the guy reached out to take hold of her arm Jack rose to his feet, no longer trying to remain impassive. He held the man’s gaze for ten long seconds before “Robert” backed down.
“I’ll catch you later,” he said to Mira.
“Don’t think so. Let’s just stick to our own sides of the slopes.”
With an irritated roll of his shoulders the man spun away from them and stalked toward the nearest exit.
Mira dropped back into her seat. “Well, it looks like we’re even. I rescued you. You rescued me. Thanks.” She sighed. “Sorry you had to witness that, though.”
“No problem. Ex …” He had no idea why he gave that leading sentence.
“Fiancé. But that’s neither here nor there.” She pursed her lips. “You shouldn’t go up on that slope again without another lesson or two. Next time you could really get hurt.”
If she was worried about her ex pulling something, she needn’t bother. He could take care of himself. “I’ll do that.”
She must have sensed he was just handing her a line. “No, I’m serious. Robert’s not going to be a happy camper, so I wouldn’t count on him playing nice.” She eyed him. “I could give you some pointers if you want. Make sure you stay out of trouble.”
That was pretty much impossible. He’d stayed in trouble in one form or another for the last four years. Maybe he should have asked for the beachfront condo vacation despite his earlier thoughts. At least surfing was something he was actually proficient at.
“I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I think I can manage.”
“Like you did today? Come on. I really do want to show my appreciation.”
It was either accept graciously or be a jerk about it. “Did I look that bad out there?”
She laughed. “You want honesty or a gentle lie?”
He found himself smiling back. “Hmm … I’d take the lie, but I think it’s already too late for that. Okay, I’ll accept the pointers, but I don’t guarantee I’ll show much improvement. I’m a beachside kind of guy.”
“So you’re better on the surf than on the turf?”
His smile grew. “No, the turf I can handle. It’s cold, slippery surfaces that I struggle with.”
“Interesting. So, are we on?”
Why did that seem like a loaded question all of a sudden? But unless he wanted to make a big deal out of what was probably an innocent offer, it was better to let it slide on by. “Yep.”
“Great!” She paused to wave at someone across the room. A blonde grinned and held up five fingers.
Mira nodded.
They must be meeting up in a few minutes or something. That was his cue to leave. “What time were you thinking tomorrow?”
“Does tennish work for you?”
“Sounds perfect.” He stood. “Thanks for the hot chocolate.”
“No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With one last smile she picked up her cup and headed over to where the other woman was standing. And heaven help him if he didn’t watch her hips bump and sway for a couple of beats before forcing himself to turn away.
It’s not a date. She hadn’t even used that word.
Why he needed to explain that to himself he had no idea. All he knew was that his heart rate had just kicked up a notch and a zing of anticipation was edging through his veins, picking up momentum as it went.
This could be bad.
Very, very bad.
Unless he nipped it in the bud right here. Right now.
The only question … was how.
“Where did you get your goggles?”
Mira peered into her patient’s red, streaming eyes as he sat on the exam table in her tiny clinic. Around twenty-two years old, he was here for a week with several buddies. Yesterday evening, after coming off the slopes, his eyes had begun burning. When he’d looked into the mirror that morning, he’d been shocked to see his lids were swollen and his eyes looked terrible.
“I picked up all my gear at a second-hand store right before coming. It was a bargain.”
And like any other bargain, sometimes you paid the price later on. Mira had found that out the hard way when it came to relationships.
She clicked off her penlight and leaned back to check out the eyewear lying beside him. They had the customary reflective surface, but there were no markings that indicated the UV protection the lenses offered. “Your goggles and skis are two pieces of equipment you really shouldn’t skimp on. This is why.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ever hear of snow blindness?”
Her patient scrubbed moisture from his cheeks. “Snow blindness. Doesn’t that only happen to people who are stranded in the snow?”
“Nope. I see it fairly often up here. It’s basically a sunburn of your corneas.”
He blinked, squinting one eye to look at her. “Can you treat it?”
Swiveling around to her desk, she pulled her prescription pad forward and started writing. “I’m going to give you a prescription for some eyedrops, but you need to stay off the slopes for the next couple of days. Believe me, your eyes aren’t going to want to face any light, much less what you’ll find up there on the mountain.”
“But we’re only here for a week.”
She felt for him, really she did. “I know. I wish there were a quick treatment, but it’s just like any other sunburn. You have to stay out of the sun for a while.” She glanced up. “Oh, and make sure you see an eye doctor when you get home.”
The man swore a couple of times before finally nodding and taking the slip of paper. He then took his goggles and dumped them in the trash. “I guess I won’t be needing those any more.”
She smiled. “We have some regulation eyewear at the rental kiosk. Make sure your friends are covered, so they don’t wind up in the same boat.”
“I will. Thanks, Doc.”
“You’re welcome.”
Once he left, she locked up the clinic and headed up the mountain to meet Jack. It was still a little early, but she wanted to make sure she arrived before he did so she could prepare herself.
Man number five.
Okay, so the guy was cuter than the other men she’d met for drinks or a quick trip down the slopes. In fact, she’d been with one such guy yesterday on the advanced slopes. She had finished on the bunny slope in order to cool down—like she’d told Jack—but only because guy number four had seemed to have hands that never stopped finding excuses to touch her in little ways. Add him to the guy she’d been with two nights ago, and she began to wonder about the wisdom of her resolution. How did serial daters go about avoiding the creeps … and worse?
She