Page 53 of Rise After Fall

“You’re lucky the debris didn’t puncture your cornea. It looks like it just scratched it. Keep that bottle of steroid drops and use it again before bed, but if it gets worse, you need to go see your eye doctor.”

“Aye aye, Captain.” I take the bottle and drop it into my jacket pocket and stand.

“You’ll have to stay off skis for a few days, but I think you’ll live.”

“A few days? I have a full schedule.”

“I’ll get one of the others to fill in for you. You can pick your lesson back up on Tuesday.”

“Come on, Zoey.”

“You act like a wayward child who got put in time-out,” she says.

“What about tonight?” I ask.

“What about it?”

“Night skiing with everyone,” I remind her as I follow her out into the snow.

“That’s up to you, but I’d skip it tonight. Visibility will already be difficult up there in the dark, and if the forecast is correct, there could be thick snowfall. Do you want to be going uphill in that with one eye?”

I know she’s right.

“To be honest, I’d prefer everyone wait until next weekend,” she continues.

“I can talk to them,” I offer.

“I’d appreciate that.”

She walks ahead of me.

“Zoey,” I call.

She stops and turns to me.

“You looked like you were having fun out there today.”

“That’s because I was.”

“Maybe we can ski the diamond together one day. Figure-eight it,” I suggest.

She smirks. “You think you could keep up?”

“I do.”

“You could try.”

She turns on her heel and walks away.

Sexy.

I take off in search of Tweedledee and Tweedledum so I can convince their asses to stay off the mountain tonight. I have a feeling I’m going to have to come out of pocket for food and a keg to get them to agree.

Morris

Isomehow manage to talk the crew into postponing their uphill plans for a bonfire party in the snow.

Clay and I shovel the area around the firepit while Joanna and Zoey take my truck into town to pick up paper products and snacks.