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We’re talking about babies and kids while walking back to the ski lodge. Everything is all still lit up despite the mountain being closed. It is the best part of doing these events with kids. With the mountain closed, they don’t have to worry about getting run down by some out of control skier.
Max holds the door open for me, and just as we’re about to go in, we both hear it. We look out the door, the noise getting louder.
“That sounds like a snowmobile,” Max says, confusion in his words because the mountain is closed, and we don’t allow snowmobiles up here in the first place. It’s too dangerous with people around and even when the mountain is closed, they’re still prohibited.
“It does,” I say, the snowmobile now coming into view.
“Get in the lodge!” Max screams at me, giving me a shove as he comes in, pulling the door closed, but the snowmobile driver is out of control.
Instead of heading away from the lodge, the person driving crashes right into the door where Max and I are standing. It all happens in slow motion. One minute I’m stepping away from the door, but not fast enough and then next, I’m on the floor with Max on top of me.
“Elissa!” Max screams, his body protecting mine as the glass from the windows and the door shatters all around us.
25
NICK
It’s nearly one o’clock in the morning by the time my plane touches down. I somehow managed to jag a last-minute seat on the last flight out, only just making it with my luggage and everything. It was all such a rush though and then there wasn’t any Wi-Fi onboard, so I haven’t even had a chance to tell Lis I’m coming home.
Still, I kind of like the idea of surprising her, even if it means I’m showing up to her and Judy’s house in the middle of the night. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done that and at least this time, I have a key.
As I stand at the baggage carousel though, switching my phone back on, I’m hit with a million text messages. There’s one from Lis, telling me she’s doing some kid’s lesson thing, but after that they are all from Max.
And they quite literally scare the shit out of me.
Max:Nick, call me asap.
Max: Dude, seriously, I need to talk to you. Please call me.
Max: Doesn’t matter what time, just ring me as soon as you get this.
Max: Nick, where are you?
I realizeI’ve also got five missed calls from him and with shaking hands, I hit redial on his number, my heart pounding in my chest. This can’t be good. Nothing about this feels good.
“Nick, thank fuck,” Max says, answering on the second ring, sounding like he’s wide awake, like he’s been waiting for me to call.
“Is Elissa okay?” I blurt out, knowing this is the only thing I care about.
Max blows out a breath. “She is yeah, but there was an accident, a snowmobile?—”
“What the fuck was she doing on a snowmobile?” I yell, not missing the handful of people who turn to stare at me. I ignore them all, grabbing my duffel off the carousel as it comes past.
“She wasn’t, Nick,” Max says, his voice calm. “Just listen okay, let me explain.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me, as I hold the phone to my ear, trying to take in everything Max is telling me. How he and Lis did the kid’s lesson together and everything was fine. It wasn’t until after the lesson ended, when they were heading back inside, that some drunken idiot who’d stolen a snowmobile, lost control, plowing into the side of the lodge, right where Lis and Max were standing.
“It all happened so fast,” he says, and I hear the way his voice shakes, like it’s still affecting him, even hours later. “I managed to get in front of her, get us mostly out of the way, but she still got knocked over and there was broken glass and shit. But she’s okay, Nick. Elissa is okay.”
“Is…fuck, is the baby…?” I ask, as nausea churns in my gut.
“Yeah,” he says, breathing out. “Baby is okay too. They’re keeping her in hospital overnight, just precaution really, but she’s going to be alright.”
I let out a hard breath, my heart still pounding in my chest, my shaking hand now a clenched fist by my side. “Shit, and are you okay?” I ask, knowing it isn’t just my wife who was injured, but my best friend too.
Max chuckles a little. “Yeah, I’m all good. Got a kickass bruise, but I’ll be fine. Look it’s probably too late to call Elissa now, but if you want to call her in the?—”
“I’m going to the hospital,” I say, cutting him off, just as I see my ski bag come through. I grab it, dumping it and my duffel onto one of the luggage trolleys so I can keep talking. “She at Tahoe General?” I ask.
