Chapter 2

The next day, I was feeding the sled dogs when Amelia dragged me out the door.

“Vera, quit moping around the house all day. Come skiing with us!”

Vittorio stood in the yard and handed me a set of gear. “Don’t be upset anymore. I’m taking you out to clear your head.”

Once again, Vittorio and Amelia’s gear matched like a couple’s, the same style in the same color. Their skis were covered in scratches from use. The brand-new skis in my hands looked out of place by comparison.

Before I had even finished putting on my gear, Amelia grabbed Vittorio’s hand tightly.

“Vittorio, you’d better stay with me out there. What if I fall?”

“Got it. Don’t worry.”

Vittorio shook his head, resigned.

I was taken aback. Just last winter, Amelia had excitedly told me how she flew down the black diamond runs. Now she was acting like a beginner who could not manage without Vittorio.

The sight of them so close together sent my thoughts back three years.

Back then, once Vittorio’s injuries had improved, he came along on one of my mountain patrols and discovered that I could drive a dogsled with ease but had never tried skiing.

He offered to teach me himself. He stayed by my side and showed me step by step how to control my speed, turn, and stop. Every time I was about to fall, he was the first to reach out and catch me.

Eventually, I learned to ski, and the first person I shared that joy with was Amelia.

Amelia lived next door and had grown up with me. After my parents died, the village kids loved to call me the orphan nobody wanted, and every time, Amelia would plant herself in front of me, furious.

“I won’t let you talk about her like that. I’m her family!”

That was why, as soon as I learned to ski, I could not wait to bring her to the slopes and teach her everything I had learned, one step at a time.

Now the two of them stood close together, and there was no room left for me.

“Let’s see who makes it to the bottom first!”

Amelia let out a cheer and took off first.

Vittorio looked at me. “Amelia’s competitive. Go easy on her.”

With that, he chased after her. By the time I had adjusted my gear, the two of them were already far down the slope.

A tourist beside me laughed. “They’ve got to be a couple. They’re so sweet together.”

I gripped my ski poles tight, pushed off hard, and sped down the run.

When Amelia spotted me, she laughed and stuck out her ski pole to block my way. “Vera, how are you so fast? You didn’t cheat and take a shortcut, did you?”

I frowned and tried to go around her, but she stayed glued to my side and kept cutting me off.

A turn was coming up fast. Panicking, I swerved hard to the side.

Amelia tried to follow, but her skis caught on the edge of the turn. She screamed and lost her balance.

“Amelia!”

Vittorio sped toward us, wrapped an arm around Amelia’s waist, and pulled her protectively against him. As he turned, his shoulder slammed hard into me.

Caught off guard, I was thrown forward, and my knees struck the hard-packed snow.

“Vittorio...” I sucked in a sharp breath from the pain and managed to lift my head.

He heard me and instinctively started toward me. Then Amelia suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

“Vittorio, ow! My ankle really hurts.”

Vittorio stopped in his tracks at once. Looking anxious, he scooped her up into his arms.

Amelia’s eyes were red. “I was just trying to joke around with Vera. I never thought she’d...”

Vittorio frowned at me. “Vera, I told you to go easy on Amelia.”

I froze. “She blocked me first...”

Before I could explain any further, Vittorio cut me off without a moment’s hesitation. “Vera, you’re a guide. You know this mountain. Get yourself back home.”

I fought through the pain. “I’m hurt too.”

He sighed, and the disappointment I knew so well appeared on his face. “Can you be a little more reasonable? Amelia has a job next week. I have to get her to the hospital right away!”

With that, he left without looking back.

I dragged myself out of the snow and limped home, cold, aching, and humiliated.

When I peeled back my clothes, my knees were covered in bruises and bloody scrapes.

I was in the middle of putting ointment on them when Vittorio pushed the door open and walked in.

There was a red mark on his forehead, and I instinctively started to hand him the ointment.

Before I could say a word, Vittorio spoke, his voice full of disappointment. “Vera, Amelia kept making excuses for you. She said you didn’t mean it. I warned you before we left, so why did you still have to race her down the slope?

“You know that if she gets hurt, it throws off the whole family’s plans. You don’t have anything important going on. You can just rest at home for a few days.

“I know you’re still mad about the wedding, but if you have a problem, take it out on me. There’s no need to go after Amelia!”

In his eyes, my time and my body were expendable, as long as it was for Amelia.

I clenched my jaw, lowered my head, and kept treating my wounds. The ointment stung so badly that tears blurred my vision.

Vittorio was silent for a moment. Then he took the ointment from me and carefully dabbed it onto my swollen, black-and-blue knees.

“How did you get hurt this badly?

“Amelia has joined the family now, so she’s one of us. You’re going to be my wife. You need to learn what matters most.

“I only postponed the wedding one time. It’s not like I called it off. How long are you going to keep this up?”

I stared at him and spoke slowly. “It wasn’t just one time.”

Vittorio opened his mouth, but in the end he only closed the first aid kit, turned, and left.