AllFreeNovel
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Ten minutes later,Max and I are outside with the group of six kids that have signed up. They’re all checked in and I’ve met their parents and sent them on their way for some kid-free fun.
Max and I have each helped them with their glow stickers and placed the glow sticks around their necks, smiles on their faces.
“Okay, so it looks like all of you know how to ski, which is great,” I say, letting out an over-the-top cheer of excitement that seems to get the kids equally as excited. “We’re going to start by heading over to the bunny hills and while it is small, the tow rope is decorated and so are all the trees around it. It’ll be super fun.”
Each one of them begins to ski over, with only a few needing a push to get started. Max cues the lights and the kids begin to head down the slope. I don’t have to do much, taking out my phone, I get a few pictures of the kids that I can share with their parents.
The lights look great, and the glowing stickers and glow sticks really stand out against the white snow. I watch as the kids use the tow rope like experts, and I can’t help but wonder if they all took lessons here. If they did, I need to commend my staff on doing an awesome job.
Max heads down the slope to help one of the kids who is having a hard time with the tow rope on his second go. It can be hard when you’re little because that damn rope moves so fast, but as soon as Max comes down to help, he gets it.
A few of the kids want me to ski with them and I join in, putting the stickers on my skis as I slalom down the hills, my skis glowing with each over.
“Teach me how to do that!” one of the girls calls out, a huge smile on her face.
“Me too!” another one echoes and soon we’re back at the top of the slope, and I’m adding stickers to their skis.
“Me too!” Max calls out, joining us at the top. He’s so good with kids, something I never would have expected, but after Harper and Sammie walked into his life, he became the best dad.
And Max and I ski, showing off, making a train with the kids, and playing around with my phone to make a video of it.
It’s been so much fun that the two hours pass so quickly that when I check the time, I realize we need to get back.
“Sorry, kids!” I call out, waving my arms to gather them all up. “We need to get back to the lodge. Your parents will be waiting.”
“And hot chocolate!” one of the kids shouts, and the rest join in chanting ‘hot chocolate’ over and over.
“Wow, this is what it’s going to be like when all our kids are together,” Max teases, pulling off his helmet, his hair messy from sweat.
“Yeah, we just need to get Delaney and Alex and Zoey and Ethan in on the baby machine and we’ll have an entire ski team with just our friends and family,” I joke back.
“And we need to get Nick home,” Max replies and all I can do is nod. For those few hours we were out on the mountain, I had forgotten about all my worries, but it’s now come flooding back.
“Let’s get these kids their hot chocolate and let them roast their marshmallows outside the snack shop,” I say, changing the subject, and knowing this is where their parents plan to meet us.
Max helpsme pass everything out, getting mittens tucked into pockets and marshmallows speared onto sticks, the kids are sitting happily by the fire.
Max and I join them, telling stories of skiing and funny things like how we once built a snowman that was twelve feet tall using the ski lift to help us.
With faces covered in sticky marshmallow and smeared chocolate, their parents begin picking them up and as they ask their kids if they had fun, they get a resounding response. All of them answering yes each time they’re asked.
They thank me, handing me tips that I don’t dare count or look at in front of them, but holy shit, this night was so worth it. I feel bad taking money from Abby since I know she’s a college student trying to save money for tuition, but I’m about to be a parent and need the money too.
“How’d you do?” Max asks, as I thumb through the money.
“Two hundred bucks. That’s a hundred an hour. Holy shit.” I shake my head. I know that the updates to Badger Creek have brought in more wealthy people, but this seems ridiculous. “I’m going to split it with you.”
Max’s eyes go wide and without even thinking about it, he barks out a loud, “No.” Shaking his head, he adds, “Not a chance, Elissa. It was my night to cover the event. I’m already being paid to be here.”
“So am I,” I reply, trying to hand him some cash.
“I’m not taking it, so put it back in your damn pocket,” Max nearly shouts, making me laugh as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
“Fine, fine, but just know, I feel really guilty about it. You were out here helping too. Most medics would have just stood by watching and waiting for something to happen. Not you. You were all involved and shit.”
“It’s just how my life is now. I think about how Sammie would want me to be, and I just do that,” he shrugs casually.
“Good way to look at it. I plan to have that same attitude now too. How would I want my kid to be treated?”
