The Billionaire Athlete’s Christmas Fling - Leslie North Page 0,29

sorts lately, and not having been around much, Chase could only attribute it to his grandmother’s health. All the more reason not to keep Gabe in the dark. If only he hadn’t promised his grandmother not to say a word.

He tossed the phone onto the kitchen counter. Things hadn’t gone great with Jonas, who was clearly pissed about Chase’s decision not to sit in on the interviews. He wouldn’t mind getting away from Jonas for a few months. Maybe a few years.

But then there was Tana to think about. He didn’t want to be away from her for even a few minutes. The quickie in her bedroom had been so good he’d dreamed about it last night in the few hours he slept after making the final list of candidates. But with a daughter and a job, did she really want him to stick around?

Chase couldn’t be sure. It felt like a sure thing, somewhere deep in his gut.

He’d thought the same thing about his last girlfriend. He’d been wrong.

Then the job called to him again. A fresh start. He’d be able to make friends and connections through Gabe. He’d been thinking of the new job as an endpoint, but it could be the beginning of his life after skiing. There would be the time before his accident, this strange in-between time, and an exciting new afterward.

Oh, he could almost see it. Strolling in the bright west-coast sunshine after work. Passing by a park with a playground. Lindsey sprinting off toward the swing set. Tana laughing by his side.

Yikes.

Chase pulled himself out of that vision and scrambled for something to do. Anything. Food was always a good answer. He pulled a box of pizza from the freezer. Ice particles clung to it and fell to the counter as he tossed the box down.

Tana wanted a career at Elk Lodge. She didn’t want to uproot her daughter to be with a man she’d slept with exactly once. From the pink in her cheeks and the electric way she’d moved afterward, it had been as good for her as it had been for him. But that wasn’t the same as a commitment to each other.

So much for not thinking about her. He stabbed at the buttons on his stove, setting it to 375 degrees. After sliding the pizza onto a pan, he dropped into a seat at his kitchen table to wait for the oven to preheat.

Focus on anything but a crazy dream of a life with Tana. Except the dream, like weeds in a garden, wouldn’t go away.

Chase stared out the window at the snowy backyard. Several minutes later, a beep alerted him it was time to put the pizza in the oven. He returned to his chair, letting his thoughts drift to life. More specifically, what he wanted from it.

Gabe knew all kinds of people out there—people who didn’t care about skiing or Chase’s past abilities. Before long, he imagined a sprawling house with a balcony, and the sun on his face. In his daydream, his grandmother was still healthy, and the Elk Lodge was still going strong—it just didn’t need him. In the dream, he knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Even more reason to accept the job offer.

The smell of smoke grabbed his attention. He’d forgotten to set the timer on the stove, and now the edges of the pizza were burnt. Chase hustled over, cursing lightly under his breath, and stuffed his hand into an oven mitt. When he dropped the pan on the top of the stove, the pizza didn’t look all that appetizing. Different than expected, but still edible—the burnt pizza was like a metaphor for his life.

Chase shook his head, not wanting to dwell on something so utterly ridiculous.

12

After the burned-pizza incident, Chase needed to get out. To do something. And something other than meet Tana on the ski slopes for her lessons. There was plenty to do in the nearby town.

Stores bustled with shoppers, their boots leaving footprints in the dusting of snow on the sidewalk, their breath freezing in the air against a background of Christmas wreaths with red bows and bright bulbs. The tree in the town square and the decorations in the windows reminded Chase of all the things he used to be excited about when it came to Christmas.

He hadn’t been looking forward to the holiday until it came time to do something special for Tana and Lindsey. If they were together—if they had a