He’d stared at her with open desire, but then ducked out after he’d won her full attention.

Was he a tourist? Would she ever see him again?

Hopefully.

“That’s him, guys,” Kelsey chirped. “That’s Grey!”

Emma choked on her sake. “He’s the guy you’ve been crushing on lately?”

“Yes.” A wistful expression swept across Kelsey’s face. “Greyson Lowell. Yummy.”

Crud. Avery couldn’t even consider him if Kelsey called dibs. Kelsey, whom she loved dearly, but who also fell in and out of “love” with all the drama and duration of a winter snow squall.

“Remind me, because I forget. What’s his story?” Avery had stopped listening to Kelsey’s mooning over this guy weeks ago, unwilling to indulge her friend’s habit of pining after someone who didn’t appear to return her affection.

“He moved to town in December after he bought Backtrax. His friend Trip works for him and they have plans to expand into summer mountaineering so it becomes a year-round business.” Kelsey waved her hand. “I met them at On The Rocks one night after work last month. Grey kissed me in the back corner just before closing.”

“Ew, barroom PDA?” Avery scrunched up her nose. “Hmm, I could’ve sworn we’d all graduated from high school twelve years ago.”

“Kelsey, you ho!” Emma teased.

“Sadly, he didn’t give me the chance to be a ho. He left with Trip when the bar closed. But even drunk, he was a great kisser.” Kelsey’s eyelids fluttered. “Really hawt, and sweet, too. Unfortunately, he’s hard to nail down.” Kelsey frowned. “Trust me, I’ve tried every trick in the book.”

“Good gravy, Kels, promise us you’re not stalking this guy.” Avery dipped her spicy tuna roll into the wasabi soy sauce, tuning out Kelsey’s “really hawt” bragging, which had been stuck on auto-replay in her head. She slid a sideways glance at her friend and paused, her chopsticks midair. “You are stalking him, aren’t you.” Avery plastered her palm to her forehead.

“No! Maybe I’ve texted and called him a few times, but he’s really focused on building his business.” Kelsey straightened her napkin and cleared her throat. “If I’m patient and friendly without smothering him, maybe he’ll come around once ski season ends.”

“Well, he’s hot,” Emma said. “I say go for it. Nothing to lose. It’s not like this town is bustling with great-looking, available, self-employed men.”

Kelsey looked at Avery, whose raised brows and soft sigh must’ve spoken volumes. “You disagree?”

“You know my feelings about ski guides and instructors.” Avery squeezed Kelsey’s hand.

“Come on, they aren’t all cheaters like Matt,” Emma interrupted. “Don’t judge every man in the ski industry based on the one who burned you.”

Matt’s duplicity had surprised Avery, but she’d ultimately considered their split his loss, not hers. She’d hardly shed a tear—at least not in public—when he finally left town with the wealthy client who’d stolen his heart.

“It’s not just Matt. I’ve spent my life watching those ego-driven adrenaline junkies—including my brother—preying on the tourists and the rest of us locals.” Avery shook her head, somewhat grateful Grey’s career would lessen any regret she felt about not getting to know him better. “Anyway, it’s not just skiers. The older I get, the less convinced I am that I’ll ever meet a nice guy with a normal job who won’t end up either taking me for granted or trying to change me.

“I get sick when I think of all the little things I started giving up—the compromises I made—just to keep Matt happy. Look where that got me! Dumped and publicly humiliated.” She waved her hand to sweep away the unpleasant memory. “Besides, the absolute last thing I ever want is to turn into my mom. No, thank you.” She sipped her drink and then set it down, sighing. “Flirting is fun. But I like my independence, too. If I’m going to accomplish my goals, I can’t get sidetracked again.”

“With that attitude, I’m surprised you stick around this town,” Kelsey said. “Wouldn’t you have a better shot at opening your own physical therapy clinic in a big city like Denver?”

“Maybe. But for better or worse, this is home.” Avery glanced at the dark silhouette of the San Juans, which was visible through the window. A warm smile spread across her face. “Besides, I could never leave you guys.”

Emma and Kelsey had been her closest friends since middle school, and the bond forged by their differing yet complementary personalities had carried them through fad diets, Emma parents’ messy divorce, the births of Kelsey’s adorable niece and nephew, and more campfire escapades than she could count.

No, she couldn’t imagine life without them. Nor would she want to leave her childhood home, which she and her twin brother, Andy, had bought from their parents a few years earlier. Thinking of him brought a smile to her face. Her playmate, confidant, best friend. The only man who loved her because of her grit, not in spite of it.

“Well, I’m not ready to give up on Grey.” Kelsey nodded in confirmation of her own statement. “I can tell he’s a good guy. Once he settles into a groove, he’ll be more available.”

“You know what my brother always says about reading a guy’s ‘just not that into you’ signs.” Andy had fostered Avery’s no-BS attitude toward the opposite sex thanks to several frank discussions during her high school and college years. Since then, she’d always walked away with her head held high the minute any guy’s interest waned. “Maybe you should consider his advice and back off.”

“But then Grey’ll think I’m not interested.” Kelsey twirled her blond curls around her fingers, pouting. “My sister never played games, and she’s married with kids.”

“Games?” Avery shook her head and looked at Emma for support. “Tell her the truth, Em. Tell her maybe the guy would respect her more if she weren’t so obvious.”

Emma meekly shrugged without confirming or refuting Avery’s claim.

Avery shooed her hand at Em and clucked. “Stop acting like such a politician.”

“Stop being such a pragmatist,” Em shot back.

“Avery, you just don’t get it.” Kelsey looked at Avery, her amber eyes brimming with pity. “You’ve never been a romantic.”

Avery burst into laughter. Oh, Kels, you sweet, starry-eyed thing. “Well, I can’t argue with that, friend.”

Romantic or not, Avery might’ve enjoyed a little flirtation with Grey—Greyson.

Sadly, he’d remain off-limits unless Kelsey fell for some other guy before things progressed. Probably a fifty-fifty shot of that happening within a month. Not bad odds. Maybe she could overlook the ski-bum thing if she were willing to explore a more superficial relationship.

“So, if I can hang on for several more weeks, I’ve got a chance. Come on, help me figure out how to entice him.” Kelsey beamed, apparently convinced her friends could dispense some kind of miracle.

Avery shook her head with a little snort, then sighed. It amazed her that Kelsey could be so driven and savvy with her real estate business, yet so flighty in her personal life.

In any case, clearly Grey wasn’t an option for Avery even though he made her insides tumble and tingle at first sight. In fact, all the better for her not to fall so quickly under some skier’s spell. Last time hadn’t worked out so well.

And, unlike Kelsey, she had never wanted to fall hopelessly in love. Hopeless perfectly described what she’d seen too often: a woman sacrificing more of herself and her ambitions to accommodate a growing family’s needs than any man.

Perhaps some couples balanced those competing goals better than others, but on the whole, traditional gender roles still persisted in Sterling Canyon. Maybe Avery would feel differently if she were more maternal or romantic. Maybe she’d even welcome the idea. But, “for better or worse,” she knew her limitations.