Page 21 of Love Worth Gold

Matthias glanced up from the tablet in his hand, and his eyes scanned Reto’s face the way he scanned weather reports. He set the device down. “What happened?”

“At breakfast, Isa was off. Distracted. Her eyes kept drifting to the Team USA table.” Reto kept his voice quiet.

Matthias’s expression didn’t shift, but his jaw clenched a fraction. “Blaire Hollis.”

“Probably.” Reto crossed his arms. “She muttered something about ice queens and enemies when I asked how her night was. I know her personal life is none of our business, but when it bleeds into race life, we have no choice but to pay attention.”

The words landed exactly as bluntly as he’d meant them to.

Matthias exhaled slowly through his nose. He glanced toward the nearest tech, confirming they were out of earshot, then back to Reto. “How long do you think something has been going on?”

“St. Moritz, maybe?” Reto shrugged. “She’s been cagey since then. Too cheerful when Hollis’ name comes up. Too stone-faced when the American doesn’t pay her any attention.”

“St. Moritz.” Matthias repeated the name like he was filing it under a category labeled complications. “She beat Blaire in that race.” He said it as if he were reminding himself.

“She did.” Reto nodded. “And then she came here and started walking around like someone with stars in her eyes every time the American walks by.”

Matthias’s hands settled on his hips. He stared at the row of skis propped against the wall—Isaline’s race pair amongthem, edges gleaming, bases pristine. “Blaire Hollis is the best downhiller in the field. Maybe ever. And she’s also—”

“Someone who doesn’t stick around,” Reto finished. “I’m well aware of her reputation.”

“Then you know what this could cost.” Matthias’s voice stayed quiet, but the weight underneath it pressed harder. “Isaline has spent ten years getting here. Two injuries. Two missed Olympic bids. She has no margin for error.”

Reto looked down at his boots. “I know.”

“This isn’t about judgment.” Matthias’s tone softened, but only slightly. “It’s about timing. If she’s chasing someone who won’t be there when the race is over, she’s handing away focus we can’t afford to lose. Blaire is a veteran, and she knows how to get into younger skiers’ heads. I don’t know if this is a tactic she is using against her tough competition or what.”

Reto nodded slowly. “You want me to talk to her?”

“She’ll hear it from you before she hears it from me.” Matthias picked up his tablet again, fingers tapping a rhythm against the edge. “You know how to say it without making her feel like she is being parented.”

“And if she doesn’t listen?”

“Then I’ll have a chat with her.” Matthias met his son’s eyes. “But it won’t sound like a suggestion.”

~~

Isaline was halfway through rolling out her IT band when Reto’s shadow fell across the mat. She didn’t look up, just kept the foam roller pressed against muscles that still carried the memory of too many months in physio.

He dropped onto the mat beside her with his legs stretched out and his back against the wall. For a moment, he just watched her work through the same routine he’d driven her to a hundredtimes when her knee wouldn’t bend right and her ACL wouldn’t hold.

Then he nudged her calf with his boot. “I saw you distracted at breakfast.”

She paused mid-roll. “Congratulations. You have functioning eyes.”

“You looked at Hollis in a different way than if you were just clocking what the top skier eats for breakfast.”

Isaline pulled her earbuds out and sat up. “I wasn’t focused on her.”

“You were.” He leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “And I get it. She’s attractive. She’s brilliant on skis. She probably made you feel like the only woman in the room when she wanted to.” He tilted his head. “And let me guess, she probably ghosted you in St. Moritz after you beat her.”

Heat flushed her cheeks. “I didn’t beat her because of anything that happened between us that distracted her.”

“I know.” His voice stayed steady. “You beat her because you’ve spent ten years clawing your way back from injuries that should have ended this twice. You beat her because you earned it.” He paused. “But you’re sitting here now, staring at her across the dining hall like you’re waiting for her to notice you the way she did in bed.”

The bluntness landed like a slap.

“That’s not—”