The Billionaire Athlete’s Christmas Fling - Leslie North Page 0,51

way. Might as well do it now.

He eased himself up into a sitting position and pulled out his phone. Dead. Just great. And he was too far away from the lodge buildings to be able to make it back in his condition. He’d have to wait for the last run of the ski patrol when they checked the slopes for wayward guests.

Chase felt himself spiraling toward a sense of hopelessness. He’d felt this way before, after his accident, and he recalled exactly how he’d wanted to fade away instead of making the decision to get up and go to physical therapy. Not participating in life seemed easier. This situation just wasn’t going to get better.

He had to shake the crappy give-up attitude. “No,” he said out loud. Who would he be if he gave up everything over a bum leg and a little snow? His grandmother was right. Giving up had never been an option and he blinked hard to clear it from his mind.

Chase shoved his phone back into his pocket and put his hands out, ready to brace himself. If he couldn’t walk, he could sort of...slide.

He dug his fists into the snow and tried to lift from the hips. Gravity helped, but only a little. Keep your head in the game, Elkin. He dug in again. Pushed off again. His bad leg hit a rise in the snow, and it felt like a knife had been plunged into his kneecap. He bit back a cry of pain, not wanting to give in to it.

A rumble came from above him that sounded like a snowmobile. The ski patrol.

Chase threw his arms up over his head and waved them, shouting as loud as he could. Getting hit by a snowmobile would be a terrible conclusion to this adventure.

They were getting closer, almost on top of him, and he heard a shout over the sound of the motors. Two guys, two snowmobiles. One of them split off, and the two of them rolled up on either side of him. The man in front lifted his goggles.

“Hey, man. Don’t you know this is a ski hill? You’re supposed to ski back down!” Pete the chairlift operator peered down at him, a confused expression on his face. “What are you doing out here? I thought you weren’t skiing.”

“I’ll excuse your joke, but only because I’m so glad to see you.” Chase’s teeth chattered with cold and a pure shot of relief. “But listen, I’m going to need some help.”

“Yeah. Looks like it.” Pete leaped off the snowmobile and waved for the other guy to help. Chase was embarrassed to only dimly recognize the other employee.

He winced as the two men lifted him to his feet, the pain shooting through his entire leg. It was a team effort to ease him onto the back of the snowmobile.

“Sorry we don’t have a rescue sled,” Pete said as he got back on the snowmobile. “We didn’t expect to find anybody on the slopes since they closed twenty minutes ago.”

“No problem. Hey, would you call down to the lodge and make sure my brother’s around? I’ll need to talk to him, and my phone was dead.”

Pete made the call and drove Chase back to the main lodge. Every bump hurt his leg, but the pain was already beginning to ease—if only a little. His awkward angle sitting in the snow probably hadn’t helped. At the front door, Pete offered him an arm to get off the snowmobile, and Chase found he could bear weight.

“Thanks, man. You’re relieved of duty.”

Pete saluted him and headed back out.

Dealing with the situation probably could have waited until morning, but Chase couldn’t wait another moment to put an end to all the stolen-bracelet nonsense. He hobbled through the lobby to the bank of elevators and went up to the second floor. This guest and his family always booked the largest suite available when they visited. He made it to the end of the hallway and rapped on the door.

A confused murmuring came from inside, and after a few moments, the door cracked open. Emily’s mom, a platinum-blonde lady who he’d never seen without all her makeup, squinted at him in a pair of silk pajamas. “Emily, get back in bed,” she said in a loud whisper. “How can I help you? My husband isn’t here right now if he’s who you were looking for.”

Chase took the bracelet from his pocket and held it in the air so she could see it.