Jill Weatherholt - A Father For Bella

“So how long have you been skiing?”

She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, not with an eligible bachelor. Was he single? There was no ring on his finger. But with his good looks he probably had women throwing themselves at him. What did she care anyway? “All of my life. When you grow up in Whispering Slopes, they slap skis on your feet as soon as you start to walk.”

He laughed as he scanned the view. “It’s spectacular up here. When I was a kid, I always felt like I was riding to Heaven when I went up on the chairlift.” He paused and looked up toward the sky. “I remember thinking God could hear me better since I was up higher.”

Faith had felt that way once upon a time, but not anymore. Not since God took away the only man she’d ever loved.

The chair stopped with a jerk despite being only halfway to the top.

Great.

This wasn’t how she’d planned on spending her morning. Stuck on the slopes and talking about God. With another abrupt movement, the chair continued its climb. She released a sigh of relief.

Joshua turned and flashed a crooked smile. “Phew. For a minute there, I thought we’d be up here for a while and forced to continue this strained conversation.”

Reaching the top of the mountain, they disembarked and waited for the others. Since everyone was an advanced skier, she’d brought them to the Black Bear’s most difficult slope, the Matterhorn.

With the group gathered in a circle, Faith adjusted her goggles. “The report said the trails are a little icy this morning, so everyone use caution. If you choose to break off from the group, make sure you check in with me when you return to the inn, so everyone is accounted for. Even though you’re all advanced, I think you’ll find the Matterhorn to be quite a challenge. Be safe, but most important, have fun.”

Faith watched as the couples headed down the slope, breaking off as she’d expected.

“You ready?”

She flinched at the sound of his smooth voice and the smell of sweet peppermint. “Ready?”

“Yeah, unless you plan to stand here admiring the view for the rest of the day. What do you say—wanna ski together?” Joshua suggested as he adjusted his goggles.

The sooner she got down to the bottom and away from him, the better. “Sure, let’s go.”

She dug her poles in the ground and pushed. The cold air exploded in her face as she glided down the slope. This was where she was happiest. Swishing down the slopes, she felt as though she was leaving all of the hurt and pain behind. Too bad it always waited for her at the bottom.

Several minutes into the run, she spied Joshua off to her left. He whooshed down the hill with the ease of a professional. Her stomach lurched when she hit an icy spot and almost took a spill. Seconds later, she watched as Joshua’s poles went flying into the air and he was suddenly tumbling down the slope straight toward a cluster of trees. She made a quick turn with her skis. A wave of snow swooshed in the air before she came to a dead stop. She pushed forward in his direction—but it was too late. Joshua had hit the trees and was lying motionless in the snow.

Crouching by his side, she removed her skis and dropped to her knees. “Joshua! Can you hear me?” Her heart pounded through her jacket. She reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone to call for help.

“Black Bear Inn, can I help you?” Thankful Mrs. Watson answered on the first ring, Faith struggled to catch her breath.

“Mrs. Watson—it’s Faith. There’s been an accident up on Matterhorn at marker five. Can you call Doug? He and Jerry will need to bring the stretcher. And please, hurry. Mr. Carlson is unconscious.”

Faith ended the call and stuffed her cell into her pocket. She reached toward Joshua and carefully removed his goggles, not wanting to move him the slightest bit. “Can you hear me?” His eyes remained closed.

Within minutes, the rumble of the approaching snowmobile echoed up the slope. “Hang on, help is coming.”

She rubbed her wet glove across her forehead. Why had she allowed him to come without seeing his ability as a skier, first? She’d been out with the others in the group and knew they were qualified to ski a challenging run. She held her breath as Doug and Jerry gently lifted Joshua and placed him on the stretcher.

Thirty minutes later, she was pacing the floor at Valley Memorial Hospital. The fluorescent lighting buzzed overhead, triggering her memory. She had to get out of here. And fast. Beads of perspiration surfaced on her forehead. She took a sip of the bitter coffee and grimaced. Everything about this place made her stomach queasy.

“Faith!”

She turned and spotted Mrs. Watson racing down the hall. For a sixty-eight-year-old woman, she was in great shape.

“I got here as fast as I could. How’s Mr. Carlson?”

Amazingly, she wasn’t even out of breath. “He’s with the doctor now. They’re doing a CT scan.” Faith had been relieved once Doug and Jerry got Joshua to the bottom of the slope and the ambulance had been waiting. “He regained consciousness on the way here. Hopefully he’ll be okay.”

Mrs. Watson pulled off her coat and flung it on a nearby chair. “So what happened?”

All the way to the hospital, Faith had recalled the last few minutes on the trail. “I’m not sure. One minute he was skiing like a professional, and then he went down. He must have hit some ice.”

“Well, thank God you were with him. What if he’d been up there by himself?”

Faith had the exact thought. That trail didn’t get as much use as the intermediate and beginner’s slopes. Who knows how long he could have lain up there? She shook off the negative thought.

The two women paced the floor for the next thirty minutes. They both turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Hello, Faith, Mrs. Watson.” The tall, slender red-haired man smiled before slipping his wire-framed glasses on.

“Hello, Dr. Maxwell,” they responded in unison.

He extended his hand to Faith. His grip was firm. “I understand Mr. Carlson is a guest at your inn.”

“That’s correct. He checked in with us yesterday. Is he going to be okay?” It had been four years since she’d been in this hospital. Her knees weakened. The sooner she could get out of here the better.

“He’s regained consciousness and gave us his father’s number, but we weren’t able to reach him. Mr. Carlson said it was okay if we talk with you about his condition, since his father probably wouldn’t call back.”

Faith lifted an eyebrow. Odd. What kind of father wouldn’t return a phone call concerning his injured son?

The doctor skimmed the papers on his clipboard. “He’s very fortunate he didn’t sustain any broken bones. He’s got a mild concussion and will need to be monitored closely for a day or two.”

“Oh, no problem whatsoever, Doctor. Faith and I can take care of him.”

What? Why was Mrs. Watson so quick to volunteer her services? If she wanted to care for him, fine, but there was no way Faith would play nurse. She had enough on her plate. “Uh...can’t he stay here? Things are really hectic right now.” Her world was about to turn upside down if she didn’t figure out a plan to place a bid on the inn. She couldn’t lose it...it was all the security she and Bella had in their life.

Mrs. Watson stepped forward. “Nonsense, Faith. With your medical background, we can handle the inn and Mr. Carlson. After all, it’s the least we can do for a guest who’s planning such a long stay.”

“Exactly what I was thinking. With four years of medical school under your belt, you’re more than qualified,” Dr. Maxwell said. “Besides, he’s contributing to our local economy and it’s important we give special attention to our out-of-town visitors. We want to keep them coming back, don’t we?”