“Sorry! C’mon, let’s get you back to the room.”
Attempting to push myself off the ground, I put weight on my left foot, and the searing pain in my ankle shocked me back to the ground.
“Oh my God, you’re really hurt. Stay there. I’ll find help.”
“Sir, are you okay?” the mom of the ski prodigy asked. “Do you need me to get help?”
“That won’t be necessary, thank you—”
“Yes, please,” Lyra said, interrupting me. “He can’t walk.”
The woman pushed off on her skis toward the lodge.
I leaned on my elbow, determined to get my ass up and out of the snow.
“Stop, Dev, seriously. You’re just going to make things worse.”
The five-year-old made his way over to me, crouching down to rub my back. “Shhh,” he said with his tiny elflike voice. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Thanks,” I deadpanned, but secretly I was touched.
Sweet kid.
“Why didn’t you make a pizza?”
“I don’t know, little dude.” I shook my head. “I just don’t know.”
His mom returned a minute later, and she wasn’t alone. Two guys dressed in black-and-red coats with white crosses on their chests approached quickly.
“Sir, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” one asked while the other studied my face as if trying to place me.
It was Craig Wickham.
Yeah, jackass, we know each other. Could this day get any fucking worse?
“Dev? Dev Modi, right?”
“In the flesh,” I nodded, extending my other hand. “How are ya, Craig?”
“Well, doing a little better than you are at the moment, I guess. C’mon, let’s get you into the lodge. Then we can take a look a better look at you.”
Craig and the other ski patroller counted to three before lifting me. I put my arms around each of their shoulders, and they helped me into the lodge. Lyra carried my poles and skis. The warm air from the crackling fires in the three stone fireplaces surrounded and comforted me.
But I still felt like a jackass. A big one.
“I’m Craig,” he said to Lyra, who smiled a little too wide considering my ankle was on fire.
“Lyra. Is he gonna be okay?”
“Oh yeah, we’re gonna get him to the on-site clinic—it’s just down this hallway.”
“How do you guys know each other?” Lyra asked, and before I could answer, Craig did.
“We used to work together.”
“Used to?”
“Yeah, I left the company about two years ago…just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t sit behind a desk all the time. I wanted more.”
Gee, thanks, asshole.
“It’s not for everyone,” I said, attempting to balance out his slant on my job. I loved my freaking job and had no intention of letting Craig make it sound boring. It wasn’t. The truth was, little Craig just couldn’t hack it. But if I said that, I’d be an asshole.
“So, do you do this full-time?” Lyra asked as the guys eased me onto an examination table, paper crinkled underneath me.
“Nah, just weekends and holidays. I’m an EMT.”
“Oh wow,” Lyra said, looking impressed. And it irritated me more than I expected it to.
“Lyra, you don’t have to wait with me. And I’m sure these guys need to get back outside. I can wait for the doctor or whatever.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to leave you alone. You’re hurt.”
I’m not an injured puppy, for God’s sake.
The other ski patroller guy seemed to get the message. He nudged Craig. “We should probably get back out there. You take care, okay?’
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
Craig extended his hand and I shook it, even though I didn’t want to.
“Good to see you, Dev. Sorry for the circumstances.”
“I’m fine. It’s no big deal. Good to see you too.”
“And Lyra,” Craig said, “a pleasure. Hope you guys can salvage your weekend together.”
“Oh,” Lyra said, looking back and forth between us, “we’re not together.”
“Oh?” Craig asked.
“No, no, no, no, no,” Lyra said rapidly with a laugh while tucking her hair behind her ear. “We’re just friends, right, Dev?”
Ouch.
“If that,” I said, feeling bitter.
“Exactly,” Lyra said, smiling at Craig.
“Well, then, maybe I could, uh…get your number? So I can check on Dev.” He always did have a charming smile that the ladies couldn’t get enough of.
Fucking Craig.
“Oh, sure, but, um, I don’t have my phone with me.”
Oh darn.
“But Dev does.”
“No, I don’t,” I deadpanned.
“Don’t be silly. Peter called you while we were outside. You talked to him for, like, five minutes.”
“Not even close.”
“Okay, whatever, that’s beside the point. Get your phone out, Dev.”
For a moment I did nothing and the tension between the three of us was ridiculously thick. Finally, unable to stand it anymore, I reached into my coat pocket to grab my phone.
“How’s the patient?” a new voice said. A tall and perky woman in a white lab coat entered the room. Her name tag said Ashlynn.
Saved by the doc.
“Looks like an ankle sprain, Ash,” Craig said.
“Most of those tricky runs should be closed today.”
“They were on the bunny hill,” Craig said, holding back a laugh.
Asshat.
Dr. Ashlynn smiled. “It happens. Thanks for bringing him in, guys.”
Craig reluctantly followed his partner, raising a hand to wave goodbye. I peered at Lyra to detect disappointment on her face, but I couldn’t really tell. Really, she just looked concerned.
“Look, Lyra, you can go back to the room. I’ll be fine with Dr. Ashlynn here.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re going to need help getting back to the room.”
“What? Like you can help me?”
“We have wheelchairs,” Dr. Ashlynn smiled.
“See? I can roll myself on out of here. No big deal.”
“Stop it,” Lyra said, taking my hand. “I’m staying. Besides, you still owe me some cocoa.”
I stopped arguing. Instead, I closed my mouth and nodded. “You’re right. I do, don’t I?”
“And I want extra marshmallows.”
“Of course you do.”
Chapter 6
LYRA
“Thank goodness I always pack Advil. You’re gonna need it,” I said, leaning against Dev’s doorframe. He was laying in his bed with his ankle elevated on a pillow I brought from the couch.
“Dr. Ashlynn gave me the good stuff,” Dev said with a goofy grin. His Percocet was kicking in nicely.
“Right…for the first two days, then you’re on your own. Believe me, you’re gonna need it.”
“I’ll be okay,” he said with that grin threatening never to leave his face. “Are you gonna be my nurse?”