His gray eyes focused on her face, scanning every millimeter as if he were searching for the key to unlock her thoughts, making it impossible for her to hide.

“Andy thinks maybe you’re one of the reasons his lawyers are having trouble with the prosecutor. I told him you wouldn’t do that. I know he’s not your favorite person, but you didn’t go to the prosecutor and insist they play hardball, did you?”

“No.” Grey stepped back, his expression disheartened. “I told you from the beginning, I’m not out to hurt anyone. Especially not someone so important to you. The only things that matter to me are you and my business. Seeing your brother rot in jail isn’t going to do squat for my bottom line, and it sure wouldn’t make me someone you’d want to spend time with, would it?”

Even though she’d known in her heart Grey wouldn’t seek vengeance, hearing him confirm it lifted her spirits. She hugged him tight. “Thank you.”

His arms locked around her waist. “Listen carefully, Bambi. I’ll never intentionally hurt you or the people you love. No matter what.” He kissed her head and then nuzzled against her neck. “Feel better?”

She nodded, inhaling the scent of his skin. Funny how his scent settled her so quickly. If her stomach hadn’t growled, she could’ve stayed locked in his embrace all day. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

“Okay.” He used a spatula to plate the food to reheat in the microwave. Although he’d just been cuddling her and making promises, his furrowed brow indicated discomfort.

“You seemed preoccupied.”

He waved it off. “Nothing, just thinking about stuff.”

“Stuff? Did something happen this morning, or last night with Trip?”

“Both, actually.” He grabbed silverware from a messy drawer and set it on the counter. Rubbing one hand over his face, he sighed. “I heard from my lawyer this morning about a settlement offer from the OS. It’s not as much as I’d been counting on.”

“Oh.” She waited, afraid of saying the wrong thing. Of course, Grey’s anxious expression proved they both realized this news could affect her entire family down the road.

“If I knew for sure I’d be skiing again—this year or, at the very least, next—I’d take your brother’s insurance money and call it a day. But I might not be able to lead out-of-bounds teams again, ever. If that’s the case, I need a lot more compensation because then this injury truly screws with my life—personally and professionally. Between my dyslexia and lack of college education, I’ve got no plan B. So, I can’t settle until I know about this knee—or win the lottery.” He accompanied the deadpan delivery with a quirk of one side of his mouth. “I asked Donner for a prognosis, but he won’t make any guarantees, just like you never would.”

The microwave beeped, so Grey retrieved their lunch and took a seat. His posture, slumped over the plate, warned her to tread lightly. Avery sat beside him, absorbing his last remarks in silence.

Her brother had screwed up Grey’s life. Deep down she knew there was a possibility his knee might never handle skiing his way. Setting aside Grey’s professional concerns, how bitter might he become if he couldn’t pursue his passions? How much might he come to resent Andy, her family, and possibly her?

Her stomach now churned with a fresh wave of doubts, so she barely picked at the lunch she’d been craving minutes earlier. She glanced at Grey, who was shoveling giant bites into his mouth.

“This is great.” He squeezed her thigh with one hand. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” She placed her hand on his forearm. “Grey, I know you’re frustrated. But as I told you in March, you should expect nine to twelve months of recovery and therapy before you’ll be able to truly test your knee. You’ve got to be patient and keep working. I believe in my gut that you will ski again—even in the backcountry—although I’ve got to tell you, I’m not keen on you putting yourself in the middle of avalanche danger on a regular basis.”

He grinned, cupped the back of her neck, and pulled her into a kiss made spicy by the lunch he’d devoured. “Thanks, Bambi.”

“Sure. So now tell me what happened last night? Did a posse of angry women chase you and Trip out of all the bars?”

“Nope.” Grey chuckled. “Beer and pool, just like I promised.”

“So what was the problem?”

He set his fork down and sighed. “Your ex was bartending. Seems he’s planning on sticking around for a while.”

“Oh, brother.” Avery waved her hand in the air. “He’s clueless.”

“He’s pretty convinced everything’s not dead between you two. I need you to tell me straight up if there’s any part of you that still cares about him.” Grey reflexively twisted his bracelet around his wrist, subconsciously turning to Juliette whenever he felt discomfort. “I’d understand. I know you can’t always get over loving someone just because you want to. And I’m willing to fight for you, but I need to know exactly what I’m up against. Don’t sucker punch me later with the fact that he still means something to you.”

She met Grey’s even gaze, her breath catching in the face of a man so straightforward. So open. So sincere.

Being jealous of Grey’s enduring affection for Juliette’s ghost wouldn’t help Avery move forward. She had to choose to see it as a positive sign of his capacity for love rather than fearing it as something she could never match. To earn his love, she needed to be honest.

“I’m grateful he’s been a friend to Andy now, when so many others have shied away, and I remember some good times. However, what I once thought we had was never what it should have been. It was comfortable, but it wasn’t true.”

“Okay.” Grey pushed his plate aside, tugged her close, and wrapped his legs around her hips. “I feel better.”

“Me too.” She wound her arms behind his neck and kissed him.

“Can we take this to my bedroom?” he asked.

She glanced at her watch. “T-minus twenty minutes.”

“I can work with that.”

Chapter Nineteen

“You’ve had that slaphappy look on your face for the past few weeks now. If I didn’t know you better, I’d swear you were stoned.” Trip shook his head and tossed his hat aside. “Let me guess, you were just talking to Avery.”

Grey shook his head and reached into the bottom desk drawer for a grape Tootsie Pop.

Trip glanced at his watch. “It’s only ten o’clock. Can’t you wait until after lunch before chain-eating those things?”

“I’m celebrating.” Grey smiled and grabbed another lollipop to hand to Trip, eager to share his good news. “Care to join me?”

“For later.” Trip tucked the Tootsie Pop in his front pocket before sitting down. “What are we celebrating?”

“I just hung up with the president of Denver’s Daring Denizens.” He leaned forward and drummed his hands on the desktop for emphasis, only to be met by Trip’s puzzled expression.

“Who or what is the triple D?” Trip shifted in his seat, raising crossed fingers while joking, “Please say it’s a group of strippers.”

Grey shook his head. “You think my candy habit’s a problem, but your sex-capades will cause a lot more trouble—for your health and your sanity.” Grey stretched his hands over his head, cracking his knuckles. “‘Triple D’ is a group of adrenaline addicts living around Denver. They organize all kinds of adventures for their membership of twenty-five hundred and growing. Backtrax is now on their list of certified program providers. They’ve just booked three large groups for September climbing trips with a promise to plan several winter ski trips, too. If I keep tapping into these kinds of groups, I can build a solid following by word of mouth. Repeat customers, that’s the key.”