Page 17 of To Her

Geri

T he next few days passed in a blur. I had to learn how to clean, which I thought I knew how to do, but apparently, I didn't. I had to learn to make a bed again—I thought mine was good, but it turned out I had been doing it wrong my whole life.

There was this thing called "hospital corners," and it made me think of the army.

In fact, the lady who owned the resort reminded me of a drill sergeant and ran the place a lot like an army camp.

The thought brought Matt to my mind, and I secretly wondered how he was doing.

I had wondered about him a lot and had stalked his socials a few times.

Con told me that Jamie had broken it off with Matt after he had told her about me, and that Jake had seen him at a going-away party at his parents' place without a girl on his arm.

It had, in fact, felt good to think he had ended up leaving without anyone to string along.

I hadn't heard from him at all, and I liked it that way. Or so I thought.

Waitressing in the restaurant that was in this hotel was also hard, nothing like what I was used to.

I had waitressed in cafés and high-end restaurants before, but this place was mean and nasty.

The owner was horrible, and the staff were just as bad.

It had brought me down a little at the start, being surrounded by people who were a bit cruel, but my roommate was a gem.

She was one of the chefs in the restaurant and was super nice.

She told me it was like this every year and to just give it some time—half the staff would leave by halfway through the season, and we would be left with only the good ones. I was holding out for that.

Con had taken me up the mountain to ski every day since I got here, and I had, in fact, skied without any issues.

It had been over a decade since I had done it, but I had taken back to it like a duck to water and was having a blast. Con was brilliant at snowboarding—he could do jumps and tricks—but he never rode off on me.

He always went slower so I could catch up and even hung back to make sure I was good.

His brother had arrived yesterday, and Con had introduced us.

His brother was mean; not gonna lie, he had intimidated me from the moment I met him.

They looked a bit alike, but his brother had this "I'm better than you" aura that just put me off.

I knew I would avoid him in the future. I liked Con's aura—he was so easy to talk to and get along with, and I trusted him.

I, in fact, trusted him more than anyone I had in the past, except for James. I loved that man more than life.

"You're getting better," Con said as we rode the chairlift back up the mountain for our third run of the day. It was my day off, and we were making the most of it. The sky was a perfect blue, the snow was pristine, and for once, the biting cold didn't seem to bother me as much.

"You think?" I asked, adjusting my goggles. "I still feel like I'm going to face-plant every time I hit a bump."

He laughed, the sound carrying across the mountain air. "That's part of the fun. Besides, you haven't fallen once today. That's progress."

I smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. It was a small thing, making it down a beginner slope without falling, but it felt good to be improving at something. To be learning and growing.

"So," Con said, breaking into my thoughts, "how's the job going? Still dealing with the dragon lady?"

I groaned. Mrs. Harrington, the hotel owner, had earned that nickname among the staff for her fiery temper and impossible standards. "She made me remake a bed three times yesterday because the corners weren't tight enough. Three times! I swear she gets off on making people miserable."

"She's like that with everyone," Con assured me. "Last year, she made one of the housekeepers cry because there was a single hair in a bathroom she'd just cleaned."

"Charming," I muttered.

"But the tips are good, right?" he asked, nudging my shoulder with his.

I had to admit they were. The guests at the resort were mostly wealthy families or couples on romantic getaways, and they tipped generously. "Yeah, the money's decent. And my roommate, Lily, is cool. She's been showing me the ropes in the kitchen when Mrs. Harrington isn't around."

"See? Not all bad," Con said with a grin.

We reached the top of the lift and slid off, making our way to the start of the run.

The view never failed to take my breath away—mountains stretching as far as the eye could see, the valley below dotted with tiny buildings, the world quiet except for the occasional shout of joy from a fellow skier.

"Race you to the bottom?" Con challenged, his eyes twinkling behind his goggles.

"You'll win," I pointed out.

"Probably," he agreed with a shrug. "But it'll be fun watching you try to keep up."

I laughed and pushed off, feeling the exhilaration of speed as I carved my way down the slope. Con stayed beside me for a while, offering tips on my form, before shooting ahead with a whoop of joy. I watched him go, admiring the fluid way he moved, the confidence in every turn.

By the time I reached the bottom, he was waiting for me, a steaming cup of hot chocolate in each hand.

"You're getting faster," he said, handing me a cup.

"Or you're getting slower," I teased, taking a grateful sip. The rich, sweet liquid warmed me from the inside out.

"Keep dreaming," he replied with a laugh.

We found a bench and sat, watching other skiers and snowboarders make their way down the mountain. It was peaceful, sitting there with Con, no pressure to talk or be anything other than who I was.

"Heard from Alex lately?" Con asked after a while, his tone casual.

I nodded. "He texts every day. Wants to know when I'm coming back, if I'm having fun, if I miss him."

"And do you? Miss him?"

I considered the question. Did I miss Alex? The sex had been great, and he had been attentive in a way Matt never was. But did I miss him as a person? The truth was, I hadn't thought about him much since arriving here.

"Not really," I admitted. "Is that bad?"

Con shook his head. "Nah. Just means you're living in the moment. That's a good thing."

I smiled, grateful for his understanding. "What about you? Any prospects up here this season?"

He laughed. "There's a new ski instructor who's pretty cute. Might ask her out for drinks next week."

"Just drinks?" I teased. "Not dinner?"

"Hey, I'm evolving," he protested with a grin. "Baby steps."

We finished our hot chocolate and headed back to the lift for another run. As we waited in line, I found myself studying Con's profile—the strong line of his jaw, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, the easy confidence in his posture. He caught me looking and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just thinking."

"Dangerous pastime," he quipped.

"I'm just glad you're here," I said honestly. "Makes this whole adventure less scary."

His expression softened. "I'm glad you're here too, Geri. Resort life is better with friends."

Friends. The word settled comfortably between us. That's what we were—good friends. And for now, that was exactly what I needed.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of skiing, laughter, and more hot chocolate. By the time we headed back to the hotels, the sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the snow-covered landscape.

"Dinner at the pub tonight?" Con suggested as we parted ways at my hotel entrance. "A bunch of us are meeting up around eight."

"Sounds good," I agreed. "I'll shower and meet you there."

Back in my room, I found Lily already getting ready to go out. "Con invited me to the pub," I told her as I peeled off my ski gear. "You coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it," she replied, applying mascara in the small mirror above our shared dresser. "His brother's going to be there too."

I made a face. "Great."

Lily laughed. "Not a fan of the elder Mitchell, huh?"

"He seems... intense," I said diplomatically.

"That's one word for it," she agreed. "But he's not so bad once you get to know him. Just takes himself very seriously."

I wasn't convinced but decided to keep an open mind. After a hot shower that eased my aching muscles—skiing was more of a workout than I remembered—I dressed in jeans and a sweater, applied minimal makeup, and headed out with Lily.

The pub was already crowded when we arrived, the warmth and noise a stark contrast to the quiet, cold night outside. I spotted Con at a table in the corner, surrounded by a group of people I recognized from the resort. His brother sat beside him, nursing a beer and looking as serious as ever.

Con waved us over, his face lighting up when he saw me. "Geri! Lily! Over here!"

As I made my way through the crowd, I felt a lightness in my chest that had been absent for too long. This was good. This was where I was supposed to be. Not pining over Matt, not trying to force something with Alex, but here, in this moment, surrounded by new friends and new experiences.

For the first time in a long time, I wasn't defined by who I was dating or who had hurt me. I was just Geri—waitress, novice skier, friend. And that felt like the most authentic version of myself I had been in years.

I slid into the seat Con had saved for me, accepting the beer he pushed my way with a smile.

As the conversation flowed around me—talk of the day's skiing conditions, gossip about guests at the resort, plans for the weekend—I felt a sense of belonging that had nothing to do with romantic relationships and everything to do with finding my place in this small mountain community.

Maybe that's what I had been searching for all along—not someone to complete me, but somewhere I could be completely myself.