Saving Sandy

Chapter 21 - Hunting for Some Swiss Christmas Trees

Arnold gave the go-ahead to chop a couple of small firs down for Sandy's and my respective suites. First, though, it was ski lesson time. As predicted, Sandy arrived on the practice slope about an hour after I did, at around eight in the morning on Christmas Eve. I saw him up on the top of the hill when I was at the base. He saw me as well and I watched him ski down the hill, using all the moves he learned and mastered the day before. He avoided that rock.

"Good morning!" he greeted me as soon as he was down the hill, and he gipped his ski poles. He was decked out completely in his thick winterwear of a black coat, pants, boots and his fur hat.

"Hey, I was right! I was here before you."

"Only because us men like to sleep in."

I laughed. "I like to sleep in, too, but I just wanted to get some recreational ski time in before your official lesson today. And by the way, Merry Christmas Eve!"

He grinned. "Indeed!"

"I talked with Arnold this morning before coming to the slope and he said we're good to cut a couple small fur trees down. Peter begged to come along. I couldn't say no to him."

We both looked up the hill and saw a little person skiing down, but then stopping. He went back up, most likely to his father who was up there as well. "He is a bright, talented young man. He was very interested in the oxygen apparatus."

"Yeah, you two went on and on about that thing. He seemed to understand what you told him when a lot of it went right over my head. My smarts are more on being outdoors and in the mountains, not fixing things."

"We all have our areas of expertise."

"I agree."

"I would also say that another one of yours is being so dreadfully beautiful no matter what you do."

I planted my hands on my hips as he made a quirky smirk. "Oh, and I would say that another one of yours is charm... and falling on your arse!"

"Hey, that was only yesterday! I think that should be one that you acquire!"

He ran his pole against the back of my legs, and I fell on my backside into the snow. He roared with laughter. I did the same thing to him, and he fell down, too. We sat there in the cold know, laughing, and my belly ached from it.

"If you two are done flirting with each other, I think we should get to the lesson!" Arnold called as he skied up to us, Peter in tow. "Lord, you two should be called the two lovebirds of Murren!"

Sandy and I grinned at each other and stood ourselves up. He apparently couldn't help himself—he rammed his pole on the back of my legs again, and I fell on my back. "Sandy!"

"What? Now you can be called the Human Avalanche."

"You better watch your back today, mister."

His brows rose. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, now help me up."

I extended my hand, and when he took it, I pulled him down, and he fell into the snow, toppling his fur hat this time. I laughed, and so did he and our audience.

"Alright, you two," Arnold said in laugher. "Enough of that and let us head back up."

He left us, shaking his head and muttering, "What characters."

Sandy put his hat back on and we helped each other up. I went on ahead of him and Peter slid himself next to Sandy and they ascended the hill side-by-side.

"I am so very jealous, Sandy," said Peter. "I want to be like that with a girl."

"You will someday."

"Too bad I have no chances with Katie since you two are so loony for each other. I would have to be ten years older, too."