Chapter 38 - Ski Lodge
Jon managed to keep up with the boys for a couple of days before he had to take a break. He was in pretty good shape, but he couldn't match their endless teenage energy.
On the third day, he sent them off to enjoy the slopes without him, and he ordered a hot coffee and sat down in the lodge. Maybe he'd join them later. Maybe he'd just let them enjoy. Either way, they'd be back in at lunchtime.
Jon needed the downtime. They all did. Shawn had still shown no signs of what must have been excruciating lingering pain, but it was like the Matthews had said—Shawn was always like that. From the moment he'd turned up on Jon's doorstep, starving and exhausted but showing none of it until he inhaled Jon's leftovers and fell asleep on his couch.
Shawn deserved this trip. He deserved to be happy and having fun with his best friend out on the Swiss Alps. The thought made Jon smile to himself.
"What's so funny?"
Jon looked up from his coffee. The pretty girl who had helped them with their skis the day before stood beside the couch where he'd stationed himself. She spoke with a light French accent.
"Ah. Nothing, just . . . long-needed vacation."
"It's a nice place for it. So you're hanging out at the lodge alone all day?"
"Guess so."
"Mind some company?"
He gestured to the couch across from him, and she took a seat.
"Where are your sons?"
It took him a half second; he was almost tempted to answer her question without correcting her. "Oh, they're not my sons. The trouble maker's my foster son, the curly haired one's his best friend. They're out on the slopes."
"And you?"
"Figured they could use some time just the two of them." It wasn't completely a lie. Old habits died hard; he didn't quite feel comfortable confessing to a pretty girl that he was too old to keep up with teenagers.
"I'm sure they're loving that."
"Yeah."
"I'm Mandy, by the way."
"Jon."
She smiled. "How long have you been doing foster care?"
"Just this past year," he said, then wondered if he should be counting the time before.
"Just . . . by yourself?"
"Yeah, but just for Shawn. He was my student."
"You're a teacher?"
"Yeah," he said. "On summer break."
"I teach during the school year. What do you teach?"
"English lit. And kickboxing," he added, though he hadn't actually been doing the kickboxing classes for a while. "You?"
"World history."
"No kidding."
After that, Jon lost track of time. They chatted about their teaching jobs, about their schools, about their curriculum, and about their students. They talked about how schools differed in Switzerland compared to the US, and they laughed at each other's stories. She told him about her job at the ski lodge—today was actually her day off—and he talked a little about how he'd come to take care of Shawn, though he was careful not to go into too much detail.
The boys came back around one, and Jon bid Mandy farewell to go eat with them, but when he came back to his seat, she was still there on the couch across from him.
"You're still here," he said, half surprised.
"I was thinking," she said. "There's a restaurant down the street. It's a lot better than the lodge food."
"Oh! Yeah, I'll let the boys know."
She breathed in to speak, then stopped herself, then she gave him a look.
"Oh." Suddenly, the past few hours were cast into a completely different light. He could have kicked himself for missing it. "Mandy, I'm flattered, and I've enjoyed talking with you, really, but . . ."
"You have a girlfriend."
"No," he said, too quickly. This would have been one of those times when a half truth would have saved both of them a lot of trouble.
"Then..."
The words tumbled out. "I'm engaged."
She blinked a few times. "Engaged?"
"Yeah." He couldn't quite back down from this one now. "Uh, girl from my hometown."
"What's her name?"
"Ashley Enns. She's a nurse."
The girl sighed. "Of course she is."
"I love her." He looked her in the eyes. "That's the honest truth."
Those words had come out far too easily.
"I know. The second you said her name . . ." She nodded and looked down. "The best ones are always taken."
He didn't know what to say to that. He felt like he should apologize, but there was nothing to apologize for.
"I'll leave you alone," she said, and she picked up her things and left.
Jon shifted awkwardly in his seat. When he'd come in, he'd been happy to sit alone, to sip coffee and read a book and maybe doze off. Now it just felt weird.
He ordered another coffee anyway, but this time he felt like eyes were on him. He knew it wasn't possible, that he was just self conscious, but he felt every minute of the next hour pass.
He was just about ready to strap on his skis and go find the boys, even if it meant he'd be exhausted, when Shawn came into the lodge, breathing hard.
"Hey." Jon stood and hurried over to him. "You okay?"
"Yeah!" He beamed, cheeks flushed, and Jon sighed in relief. "Just kinda tired."
"Your leg doesn't hurt, does it?"
"Nah. I mean, yeah, but I'm sore all over. And Cory found some girl on the last lift."
"Isn't he dating Topanga?"
"Like every other week."
"This week?"
Shawn threw up his hands. "I've lost track, man."
Jon laughed, though he knew he probably shouldn't. "Well, I'm guessing he'll be a while. Anything you want to do?"
"I could kinda go for dessert."
"There's a restaurant nearby."
Shawn shrugged. "Okay. Let me get changed out of my ski boots."
Jon smiled.
Jon and Shawn ordered enormous pastries at the restaurant—Shawn actually went through two—and then they both relaxed in the lodge until Cory came in, moping about the girl ditching him. Jon let Shawn handle that one.
They spent the rest of the night in the cabin, playing card games. Jon had to tell them several times they weren't betting money, but he realized Shawn had just been trying to annoy him—he switched to telling stories about ski tricks he'd tried on the slopes. Jon would have been panicking if he weren't so certain that Shawn was lying. He was competent on the slopes; he wasn't amazing. Still, Jon was thankful he hadn't been there for any of it.
"Where are we going next?" Shawn asked.
Cory looked over at him. "Wait, you don't know?"
"I told Jon to surprise me."
"Do you want to know now?" Jon asked.
"Well, we're leaving Switzerland in a couple days. I'm about to find out anyway."
"We're going to Disneyland!" Cory blurted out.
Shawn looked up at Jon. "In Paris?"
Jon nodded.
Pure joy filled Shawn's face. "And Ashley's coming, too?"
"Just for this week, it'll be all four of us."
Shawn's eyes lit up. "You realize you're taking your girlfriend to Paris."
Jon didn't have the heart to correct him. "And you're gonna be a perfect gentleman and not stick your nose where it doesn't belong."
"Hey, I wouldn't dream of it. I've got you guys where I want you!"
Jon rolled his eyes, but Cory laughed.