“Yeah. It was fun.”
Her father came up behind her, and Noah twisted to reach over Hailey to shake David’s hand. “Hey, man, how are you?”
“Great, thanks. Good to see you.”
“You too. Where are you headed?”
“Massachusetts for Slopestyle,” Hailey said, her words slurring through the gap in her teeth.
“Girl, you lost another tooth.”
She giggled. “It was hanging forever, so I pulled it myself the way you pulled my other one at camp.”
A little pang of reg
ret tugged at his heart. “Sorry I missed that.”
“How’s your leg?” she asked, glancing down.
“Much better, thanks to my amazing physical therapist here. This is Julia Quinn.” They exchanged quick hellos, and Noah pulled one of the many business cards he’d stashed in his pockets and offered one to David. “She’s out of San Francisco, working me back into shape for Snowmass. If Hailey ever needs anything, she’d be a great fit.”
“Good to know.” David pocketed the card. “Thanks.”
Hailey’s face lit up like a star. “You’re going to the X Games?” Without waiting for an answer, she turned to her dad. “Oh, can we go, Daddy? Please? I’ve never seen Noah board in real life.”
David laughed. “Then what the heck were you doing in all those clinics?”
“I mean in competition,” she said with that eight-year-old attitude. “And I’ve never been to the X Games. Please?”
“We’ll see,” David told Hailey, then looked at Noah. “Are you running clinics this spring?”
Hailey jumped in before Noah could answer. “Lacy and Summer want to come this year. You promised to take us into the backcountry when we were older”—her grin widened in that sweet teasing way of hers—“and we’re older.”
“That you are.”
The stewardess came up to their row. “I’m so sorry, I’m going to have to ask you to take your seats.”
“Sure.” David shook Noah’s hand again, waved to Julia. “See you soon.”
He started toward the rear of the plane, and Hailey opened her arms to Noah for another hug. “I miss you.” When she pulled away, her big, serious eyes met his. “Come back to the clinics, okay? We all like Finn, but he’s not you.”
Noah ran his hand over her hair and gave her another quick hug. “If I can, I promise I will.” He let her go. “Go on, get out of here.”
With a big grin, Hailey turned and skipped down the aisle.
“She’s cute,” Julia said, her voice sincere. “And you are absolutely freakin’ adorable with her.”
“Only eight, and she’s got the snowboarding world wrapped. That kid’s got as many sponsors as I do.”
“Hard life, though,” she said, leaning her head against the seat, her gaze going distant and a little sad. “At eight, it all seems like fun and games. You get to do all the cool stuff grown-ups do. You get out of school. Everyone treats you like a queen.”
He waited, silent and still, hoping not to tug her out of this trance when she seemed so open, as if she were talking from experience, making him wonder just how good a swimmer she’d been. But when she didn’t go on, he asked, “And then…?”
A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Then you get older, and others start depending on you—for fame or money or their careers—and the pressure increases, and sponsors get demanding, relationships change…” She trailed off, then laughed. “Listen to me, all gloom and doom. I’m sure she’s going to do great. Looks like she’s got her parents behind her, which is always important.” She met his gaze. “Where’d you get my business cards?”
“Stole them from your pocket when you brought them to the house for the guys. How long did you compete?”
She looked away, and for a moment, he thought she wouldn’t answer, but then she said, “Fifteen years—about ten years too long. Drake says you’d like to start a snowboarding school someday, after you step out of the spotlight. You sure seem great with the kids. It would be an amazing life for you.”