4. Wade

The incessant tweeting of birds in the trees above was enough to keep me as focused as I realistically could be. Some of the land would need to be cleared. Not too much, and definitely not enough to ruin any of the natural ecosystems, but there would still be work to be done. I was already doing the mental math to figure out how much extra it would cost on top of the land itself.

"In terms of wildlife, there are a lot of, uh… elk that live on the property. They've never been an issue before, but it might be something to keep in mind if you're going to have people in the woods," Silas said, his voice echoing off the trees. He turned to me as I tripped over a fallen log, my right knee screaming in agony. Fucking flare-ups. "I wouldn't suggest displacing them, though. You'll need a lot of permits, the cost is astronomical, and you'll probably have some very upset environmental activists on your hands."

"I figured as much," I sighed. I leaned forward, lifting my leg as casually as I possibly could. I rubbed at my knee, internally cringing when my fingers passed over a screw. "We could fence off the courses to keep them out and keep the cyclists in."

"That's a great idea," Silas chimed.

Of course it is. He would agree to anything I said—he just wanted me to buy the property. It had been on the market for years, and considering my resort bordered the land, I'd had my eye on it for nearly as long as it had been available.

The idea was simple. When the snow melted, our prices dropped to almost a quarter of their regular rate during the resort's downtime. Adding extra land that wasn'tfor the purpose of skiing or snowboarding but instead for a more practical seasonal sport would elevate our income significantly, allowing us to keep people in the resort year-round at a good rate. It also meant fewer seasonal staff and more full-time year-round employees. Our staff wouldn't need to look for other jobs from late spring to late fall.

Mountain biking seemed like the perfect option; exciting enough for extreme sports enthusiasts like myself yet calm enough that we could set up easier routes and beginner courses for first-timers and kids. I just need to find an investor.

"Is the owner flexible on the price or is it a hard line?" I asked. The pain flared again as I stepped wrong, my leg turning ever so slightly unnaturally on the not-so-smooth snow.

"Flexible to an extent. We're on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park, as I'm sure you're aware. There's always going to be a higher price wanted for that reason alone."

Silas continued speaking, but the words fell flat before they reached me. The pain in my leg was getting worse, my ability to hear or focus on anything else falling to the wayside.

I held up a hand to let him know I needed a moment. I leaned against the nearest tree, the alpine bending slightly to hold my weight, and rubbed harder at the tender, scarred skin beneath my jeans. There was only so much I could do during a flare-up, only so much pain I could control.

My knee is the reason why I don't ski professionally anymore. Each time the pain comes back, it comes back with a fury, bringing me to a screeching halt.

I could still ski on my good days if I wanted to, I could still compete. I could still win. But I never know when the pain will get so bad that it will put me on my ass for a few days. The few times it unexpectedly flared while going down the slopes had put me in near life-or-death situations. It was worth it to ski, but I know my competition time is over, as much as it always hurts to admit that to myself.

"Do you need some help?" Silas asked, his words slowly filtering back in. "I can call someone."

"No," I sighed. I blinked through the pain, cursing my past self for fucking up as grandly as I did nearly seven years ago. "I'll be fine. I can make it back to the resort if you want to head off."

"Oh, okay." He adjusted his clipboard, stuffing it under his shoulder. He looked almost defeated, disappointed that I'd not had it in me to walk the entire property line. Probably just upset he hadn't gotten a surefire sale. "Would you like me to tell the owner that you're interested?"

I leveled my gaze at him, shrinking him immediately. A twig of a man. "Obviously. I just need to see if I can get an investor before putting in an offer. Don't look so disappointed that I'm not falling at your feet and begging for the property right now."

Silas's mouth opened, his eyes widening as he appeared flustered. "I'm not?—"

"You are. I get it. You're going to make, what, twenty percent off of this? Maybe more? For a fifty-one-million dollar deal, I'd be itching to sell too."

The color drained from his face as he shifted from foot to foot in the snow. "I'll… I'll let them know you're interested."

————

With an ice pack on top of my knee and a heating pad below it, I winced as Holly adjusted the cushion holding my leg up. "Have you made a decision yet?" she asked.

"I'm going to put in an offer soon."

She pursed her lips in annoyance and stood up straight. "I meant in terms of who to hire. It's been days, Wade. You need a new assistant as soon as humanly possible."

"I feel like it can wait," I joked, flashing her a little smile.

"You realize I'm doing two jobs right now while we look for a replacement, correct?"

"And you'll be paid for two jobs."

"It's not about the pay. It's about the stress." She crossed her arms over her chest, cementing my position as an inconvenience yet again. Stop thinking about that. Seven years is a long ass time ago. "I can't do it all by myself."

I already knew that. I didn't wanther to be doing as much as she currently was, and I didn't wanther to be running around like a chicken with its head chopped off. I also knew there was only one candidate who had shown up that was a perfect fit for the role. Anyone else would cause a headache for me, Holly, and every other member of staff who would have to interact with my assistant.

But that would mean hiring Blunder Bunny.

"I know you can't do it all yourself." I winced as another barrage of pain shot through my leg. Painkillers. I need painkillers. "I'll sort it. Okay?"

She hesitated as she looked at me, a mixture of irritation and pity flashing across her face. "Fine."

"Can you fetch me some Ibuprofen?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'll be back in a minute." She moved to the door with the only kind of grace someone of her age and stature could. "You really need to start doing your physiotherapy again."

I reached for my phone the moment the door closed, grunting from the agony as my leg shifted. I scoured my desk, flicking through paper after paper of realty fliers and info packets until I found what I was looking for.

The resume of Raylene Harleson.

She was the only option. And in fairness, I wanted to hire her, wanted someone nearly as fiery as myself to bounce off of. It would be fun to see her flustered and out of her wits, and considering she definitely didn't think she'd be getting an offer, it would be that much more satisfying to do it myself. Might as well make her squirm as much as I was.

Mouthy little bunny.