he hadn’t said anything about competing again.
“And... growing up wasn’t the happiest of times either for them.” Tana shook her head. “Losing both parents is a blow even if you’re wealthy. And trust me—I did not grow up wealthy.” Tana sighed a little. “My parents were comfortable, but home was nothing like this.” She gave Anna a sheepish grin. “I shouldn’t be speaking for the guys, but I’ve never heard Chase complain about his younger years.”
“Their grandmother loves them,” Anna said softly. No matter how high her standards were, she could see that love in Elin’s eyes whenever she looked at her grandsons.
“She does.” Tana sounded a little choked up, but when she spoke again, it was in her regular voice. “You know, I think their grandparents tried to make up for the loss of their parents by being close.”
“Strict, though.”
“They had high standards,” Tana conceded. “But there was a lot of love, too. There still is. It’s what matters here.”
Tana’s words were a blow to her heart. Love was not what had mattered when she was growing up, and as for high standards…that was a fat zero. Her past was rife with poverty and criminal activity. Anna had worked hard to leave the stigma of that behind, but she still felt like it clung to her no matter where she went. It would mean that she was always the odd one out at a place like the Elk Lodge, and maybe everywhere, if her ex had been any indication of her place in the world.
Anna came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, cheeks burning.
“Are you calling it quits?” Tana asked, coming to a stop next to her, a wide smile on her face. “You did an awesome job. First lesson, too.”
“It was wonderful.” Anna smiled back. “I just need a few minutes to warm up inside the lodge.”
Tana offered to take her skis back to the rental building. Anna unclipped them and handed them to her, more than ready for a break. “They’ll be waiting for you at the rental building if you want to come out again,” Tana said with a wink as she folded them under her arm. “Any time, okay?”
“Perfect.” Anna clomped inside the building, her ski boots making it awkward. They were so heavy when she wasn’t actually in skis, dragging her down again and again. But she relished the struggle of picking up her feet every time. Her life had been like that once. She had fought for every step. Now, all she had to do was take off these boots...if she wanted. She was strong enough to make it back to the room.
It was good, in a way, because she had to walk slower and process her feelings about the ski hill conversation. Anna would never fit in at the Elk Lodge. That was true. But that didn’t mean she had to feel bad about it. She could still hold her head up high. Lift your chin, lovely. She did.
Back in the suite, she found Gabe sitting on the sofa, one hand along the back. He’d gone completely still, but the air around him crackled with unreleased energy. It sent a shiver over her skin. He wasn’t in a good mood. Anna couldn’t describe how she knew, except that they’d worked closely together for weeks. It was the way he sat, she decided—it telegraphed everything.
Gabe turned his head to the side as she worked her ski boots off her feet and lined them up on the floor. “I’m glad you’re back from your lesson,” he said, sounding flat. The tone didn’t surprise her. She’d heard this one, too, and it was the tone he used when he was trying to hide his irritation. Better to get it out in the open now. The meeting—it had to do with the meeting. He’d been fine when they got out of the tub, and now he wasn’t.
“How was your meeting with Jonas?” Anna padded through the room and fell into the spot on the sofa next to him. She didn’t miss the way he inched closer, or the way his shoulders dropped a little. Gabe still wore an expression that was somewhere between anger and resignation. Anna followed his gaze out toward the slopes and traced the path of a figure in a purple coat coming down in a series of lazy curves. It looked good. She probably hadn’t looked that good, but at least she’d tried.
“My brother had other ideas about what