Snowbound with Dr Delectable

“Night, Baylie.”

The way he said her name made her think of chocolate melting in her mouth.

The next morning Kyle pushed through the door of the patrol building. He wasn’t any more enthusiastic about the prospect of being on the slopes again this morning than he’d been the day before. What Kyle did find interesting was that he looked forward to seeing Baylie. The small, gutsy live wire was interesting. Gave as good as she got. She piqued his curiosity.

For a few minutes the night before they had spoken to each other as if they could be friends. He liked her intelligence and practical manner. If he was staying longer, which he definitely wasn’t, and she wasn’t such a control freak, which she certainly was, and if he wanted to ski again, which he didn’t…Heck, who was he kidding? They really had nothing in common.

Kyle stepped farther into the room. Baylie stood behind the counter, handing out assignments with a smile and an occasional laugh.

“Morning, Baylie.” He smiled at her.

Her face sobered. “You’re on the beginner slope again today. Would you mind teaching a group in ski school?”

Had he misread their amity the night before? Why was she treating him less warmly than the others? “What does it entail?”

“You’ll have about six students. All you have to do is show them the basics, let them take a couple of runs down the slope and then bring them in for hot chocolate.”

He didn’t say anything right away.

“I’m terribly short on help today.” Her voice held a hint of desperation.

“I can handle that.” He gave her his best syrupy smile. The day before he wouldn’t have been anywhere near as confident.

Baylie blinked twice as if she was unsure what she’d heard or seen. At least she hadn’t asked him to patrol the main slopes. She’d surely have demanded an explanation if he had refused. That, he wouldn’t give. He certainly wouldn’t admit to being afraid.

Suddenly Baylie looked over his shoulder, squealed and circled the counter. Crossing the room in quick steps, she threw herself into the arms of a tall, lanky guy. He picked her up and swung her round. When he stopped, she slid back to her feet. Others came up and slapped the man on the back calling, “Congratulations.” Seconds later, Kyle could no longer see Baylie for the throng of people with voices raised in excitement.

Who is this guy?

One of the volunteers who had been in the back room passed Kyle and he asked, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, that’s Derek Lingerfelt. Local hero. Just back from winning the national downhill race out in Colorado. People around here hope he’ll go further. Maybe even the World Games.”

That old familiar feeling of disappointment jabbed him. “So what’s he doing back here?”

“Aw, Derek can’t stay off the slopes so when he’s home to visit his parents, he helps us out. Even runs a class for some of the visitors. Good PR, he says.”

Kyle’s sponsors had encouraged him to do as much PR as possible. People had wanted to join him on the slopes—mostly women. Looking back on it, he’d really enjoyed having his ego stroked. But now he found similar satisfaction in seeing a patient improve and go back to playing a game they loved.

Derek still had his arm draped over Baylie’s shoulders. There was a broad grin on her face as she craned her neck to look up at Derek. Kyle shook his head. Wouldn’t it be nice to have her smile up at him with the same fondness? That was certainly an irrational idea. Baylie didn’t mean anything to him. She could smile in awe at anyone she wished.

The whole scene rubbed Kyle up the wrong way. Turning his back on all the admiration, he snatched up his jacket. It was time to leave.

“We need to get to work, folks,” Baylie called, breaking up the crowd of well-wishers.

When Kyle brushed by her on the way outside she gave him a quizzical look. was his displeasure with the scene that obvious?

Less than an hour later he was so caught up in giving little kids skiing lessons that he pushed thoughts of Baylie away. As he worked with the children, showing them how to stop, start and approach the lift, he remembered the passion he’d had when he’d learned something new, he’d pushed further. What he wouldn’t give to have that feeling again. First he’d done it with downhill skiing, and when that had no longer been possible, he’d turned the same determination toward medicine. He loved medicine, and had risen to the top of his field.

“Laura, you follow Mikey,” he told the girl in the pink and purple suit. “Move back and forth like a snake.”

The girl pushed off with a look of determination on her face. When she stopped where the class had been instructed to, she beamed up at him.

Kyle returned her smile, giving her a thumbs-up.

“You’re good at this,” Baylie said from where she stood just off to his left.

He couldn’t help but be pleased with her praise. It was something he’d never expected to receive, and it gave him a lighthearted feeling, as if he’d accomplished something outstanding.

“We could use you every weekend.” For once she didn’t have that I-have-to-get-along-with-you-because-I-need-you look. She seemed truly impressed.

“Thanks. Are you checking up on me again?” He turned back to his group. “Okay, Jimmy, your turn,” Kyle said to the last boy in his group as he started off.

“Just a little. So don’t get a big head. It’s part of my job,” Baylie replied, before she skied over toward another group of pupils with their teacher.

That figured. She gave him a compliment then cut the legs out from under it. He’d sent the last skier in his group downhill and was preparing to follow when a child of about eight came flying by from out of nowhere, barely missing him. The boy’s arms windmilled as he screamed, “Help!”

Without thought, Kyle pushed off, going after the boy. As the child grew closer to the advanced slope, Kyle leaned forward, moving faster. His adrenaline was already pumping when he saw the boy wobble one way then the other. If Kyle didn’t catch him soon, the boy could be seriously hurt. Kyle pushed hard, picking up even more speed. As he closed in on the child, Kyle stuck his arm out and wrapped it around the boy’s waist, jerking him to his chest. Cutting hard into the snow, Kyle slowed just before the slope turned steep. He took a deep breath of relief. He’d plucked the boy up just in time.

“Hey, buddy, you all right?” Kyle asked the boy suspended under his arm. The child’s skis waved back and forth, hitting Kyle’s shin. “Hang on a sec and I’ll put you down.” Kyle moved toward the side of the slope so that they’d be out of the way of the other skiers. He’d let the boy down but was still holding his arm to steady him when Baylie approached.

“You guys okay?” Her voice sounded calm but her eyes said something different.

She’d been as afraid as he that the boy was going to be hurt. Kyle looked at the child and gave him a reassuring smile then looked back at Baylie. “Yeah, I think we’re fine.” Kyle kicked off his skis and kneeled down to eye level with the child. “So how’re you doing?”

The boy’s eyes were wide and his face lacked color. He nodded he was okay.

“Good. Why don’t we go get on the lift and see if we can come down the slope a little slower the next time?”

“I don’t—” the boy started in a fearful voice.

“Hey,” he said to the boy. “Why don’t we ask Baylie…” he pointed toward her “…to watch us and see how we do?”

Kyle wasn’t sure that the boy was going to answer but he finally said, “Okay.”

“I don’t think—” Baylie started.

Kyle looked over the boy’s head to meet her gaze and shook his head.

For once Baylie accepted without argument. He took the boy’s hand and towed him to a spot where it was flat enough that he could stand without being afraid he would slide down the slope. Baylie followed.

“Will you stay with…?” Kyle looked at the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Levi.”

Kyle turned back to Baylie. “With Levi while I get my skis?”

“Sure.” She put a hand on the boy’s shoulder as if she was afraid he might get away.