Cowboys & Angels by Vicki Lewis Thompson Read Free Book Online Page A

shoulder. “’Fraid so, Jack, old boy.”
    “I was hoping that was just you being cute, Nash.”
    “It is, in fact, the bunny slope,” Elle said. “If any of you graduate from the bunny slope, you might want to rethink your outfit. Wet denim can get pretty uncomfortable.”
    “Which will only be a problem if we fall down,” Jack said.
    Alex, the one who knew better, smiled. “Good luck with that, Jack.”
    Jack gazed at him, his expression serenely confident. “Time will tell, won’t it? When this is over, we’ll compare butts and see who has the dry one.”
    Elle ducked her head so they couldn’t see her expression. If Jack, or any of them, thought they would stay upright throughout this lesson, they were in for quite a surprise. She might have to put on a ski mask so they wouldn’t catch her dying of laughter.
    “All righty!” She glanced around the group. “After you’ve signed the form, go on over to the bench and put on your skis. I’m about to put mine on, so if you want to come over and watch how it’s done, you’re welcome. I’m also sure Alex can help you with that.”
    Alex nodded. “I remember that much, at least. And something about a pizza wedge and a French fry.”
    Jeb peered at him. “Are we skiing or eating lunch?”
    “Skiing,” Alex said. “You’ll get it when we start out. I just remember you never want to French fry when you should pizza wedge.”
    “Very good advice, Alex.” Elle wondered if Trey would follow her as she walked over to retrieve her skis. She was grateful when he didn’t. She wouldn’t mind giving him a private ski lesson, but that would be flaunting their connection, and she didn’t want that.
    Once her cowboys were lined up with their skis and goggles on, she wished she could take a picture. She doubted Serenity had ever seen anything like it. Amazingly, they had managed to get in line without whacking each other’s shins, but it was early yet. “Have any of you gone snowshoeing?” she asked.
    Several nodded, including Trey. She filed that away for later. He might not be ready to ski with her by the end of the weekend, but they could take some snowshoes and trek to a private clearing for some quiet time together.
    “This isn’t like snowshoeing,” she said. “Your skis are waxed on the bottom so they slide over the snow, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether you’re in control.”
    “That’s what we’re here to learn,” Gabe said.
    “It’s the most important thing to learn.” Elle positioned her goggles on top of her head. “Alex is right about the pizza slice and the French fry position. To slow down, put the tips of your skis together and the tails apart. The larger the pizza slice, the slower you’ll go.”
    They all nodded.
    “French fry position means your skis are parallel so you’ll go faster. Keep your knees apart at all times. Pretend you’re holding a basketball between them.”
    “Or a flake of hay,” Jeb said. “I never played basketball, but I’ve tossed around plenty of hay.”
    “A flake of hay, then.” Elle got into a basic skiing position. “And keep your knees slightly bent, like I’m doing now, and lean forward a bit. This is not a time to stand tall.”
    “Can we give it a try?” Nick seemed eager to get started. “The women have started up already.”
    “So they have.” Elle noticed that Jared’s group was on the towline headed for the top of the bunny slope. “Any questions before we follow them up there?”
    Jeb raised his hand. “What about the falling down part? I know Jack doesn’t plan to, but I might.”
    “Excellent question. If you fall, get your skis parallel to each other and below your body. Also, stay sideways to the hill. Use the slope to push yourself up. I’ll be there to help you, so don’t worry too much about it. You’ll be fine.”
    “Count on it.” Jack led off, and as he did, he called out, “Wagons, ho!”
    On cue, the rest started singing the