My dad rested his hip against the counter as he nodded in satisfaction. “Tate’s a good man. That’s his side gig. He’s been buying up real estate here and there. He’s one of the investors in the new ski place because he bought the property at auction.”
“You’ve heard about that, haven’t you?” my mother asked as she poured a cup of Dad’s hot cocoa and added some coffee.
“I haven’t. What’s the deal?” I asked.
“The Last Frontier Lodge in Diamond Creek is going in on a joint investment with Fireweed Industries to renovate the defunct ski lodge here. They plan to get it up and running in the next few years. You should ask Tate about it. The ski trails are still there. I’m sure you could use them, even if they don’t have the lifts operating yet.”
“Back in the day, when I was a kid, they had rope tows to get to the top of the slopes,” my dad commented. “There was no lodge or anything like that to make it fancy. With Fireweed Industries back in town, they’ve got the money to invest in the community. With your background, you might be able to get involved.”
I rolled my eyes as I shrugged.
“You won a gold medal in the Olympics before you got injured, honey,” he said. “You’re the biggest thing Alaska has when it comes to skiing.”
“And you’re still skiing,” my mom chimed in.
“I know,” I said. My heart always felt a twinge of pain when I thought about my former glory days. It wasn’t the easiest thing as a serious athlete to come to terms with a career-ending injury. I’d gone to therapy and everything. For the most part, I was at peace with it, but it still hurt a little. I wished I’d ended my competition days out of choice and not because of an injury. I loved skiing, and I always would.
“A ski resort will be a good thing for Willow Brook. When I was training, I remember thinking I wished somebody had maintained those trails.”
A sharp knock on the front door preceded Kayla’s parents walking in. Kayla’s dad, Fred, caught my eye first. “Bring it in, Josie-girl,” he boomed.
I hugged him quickly. Meanwhile, Marion smiled, but the lines of tension around her eyes didn’t fade. We were friendly, but ever since everything had gone down with Kayla, there’d always been a hint of tension with her. I didn’t feel responsible, but I’m pretty sure she did, and I still wondered if she wished I could pretend nothing happened and Kayla and I were still friends. Therapy helped me learn I couldn’t fix other people’s feelings. I gave her a hug and stepped back.
“We heard you were moving home,” Fred said warmly.
I nodded. “I’m home!”
I sat down for a little while and enjoyed some hot cocoa while we all caught up. Just as I was getting up to leave, there was another knock, and the door swung open. My favorite cousin, Beck, peered around the edge of the door. As soon as his eyes landed on me, he cracked a grin.
“Hey, hey!” Striding into the room, he gave me a hug.
“Hey, Beck!” I stepped back. “How are the kids and Maisie?”
“Good, good,” Beck replied. “I heard you were moving back, but I didn’t know when you’d be getting here.”
I held my arms out. “Here!”
Beck chuckled. He glanced over toward my dad. “I was just dropping off that miter saw I repaired for you. It’s out in the garage.”
My dad gave him a thumbs-up. “Thank you.”
“Love you, Mom and Dad!” I called as I left a moment later with Beck.
“You staying here?” he asked as we walked out.
“I’m renting a place from Tate. I’m headed over there right now.”
“Nice! He’s a smart kid when it comes to seeing those real estate deals.”
“He’s a kid?” I teased.
Beck shrugged. “You guys are about five years younger than me. Back when we were kids, that seemed like a lot.”
“He works with you now since he’s a firefighter,” I pointed out.
“I know. And you’re an Olympic gold medalist. You’ve definitely achieved more than I have in this lifetime,” he said with a brow waggle.
I rolled my eyes and gave him another quick hug before hopping in my car and inputting the address Tate had texted me into my phone’s GPS. Butterflies tickled my belly during the short drive there, and anticipation buzzed in my veins.