Chapter 146
The keychain was a small pink cat-shaped bag with a white kitten nestled inside, that made it appear so delicate and yet unique. It looked almost identical to the one Liora had attached to her backpack zipper a while ago, just in a different color.
To Elodie, she felt that Harry often spent time with Daisy, and Dante too for that matter, so it wasn’t surprising that they might have similar tastes in these little trinkets.
Elodie paused for a moment, her thumb brushing over the smooth surface of the crystal, but she didn’t ask any questions. She smiled warmly at Daisy. “It’s beautiful. I really like it. Thank you, Daisy p>
Daisy’s entire face lit up, and she tugged eagerly on Elodie’s hand, practically bouncing with excitement. “Auntie, let’s go skiing p>
“Okay p>
Seeing them walk ahead, Harry fell into step beside Elodie and asked, “Have you had breakfast? We brought some extras if you haven’t eaten yet p>
Elodie glanced over at him. “I’ve already eaten. But thank you p>
“Good p>
After getting dressed and putting on their goggles, they headed out onto the slopes.
Daisy wasn’t very skilled yet, wobbling slightly as she tried to find her balance, but Elodie had been skiing for years. She stayed close, guiding Daisy patiently, her voice was very calm and encouraging.
On weekends, the ski resort was packed, and Harry stayed nearby, keeping a protective eye on them in case someone accidentally bumped into them from behind or lost control on the slopes.
Unfortunately, the crowd was dense. After skiing for just over an hour, two girls came barreling down the slope, clearly moving too fast for their skill level.
One of them clipped Daisy, but the little girl managed to stay upright. Elodie, however, wasn’t as lucky. She lost her balance and went tumbling forward, straight into Harry’s chest.
He reacted instantly, his arms wrapping securely around her waist and pulling her firmly against him to steady her.
Suddenly pressed up against his broad chest, Elodie froze, her breath catching. She felt the solid warmth of him through the layers of fabric, the way his grip was strong but careful, and for a second, she didn’t know what to do.
She tried to pull away, but the moment she shifted her weight, a sharp pain shot through her ankle.
Harry didn’t let go. His voice was calm but it was edged with concern. “Did you twist your ankle p>
“I think… yes,” she admitted, wincing.
Harry immediately called a staff member over and asked them to keep an eye on Daisy. Then, without warning, he bent down and scooped Elodie up into his arms.
She thought he’d let the staff help her to the medical station, but when he suddenly lifted her like she weighed nothing, she was caught completely off guard. Her hands instinctively went to his shoulders, resisting. “Put me down, I can p>
“The doctor’s already waiting,” Harry said without budging, adjusting his hold on her. “Let’s get your ankle checked first p>
Elodie hesitated, then stopped struggling.
There was no point arguing when he clearly wasn’t going to listen.
Once inside the medical station, Harry gently set her down on the examination table. The waiting doctor checked her ankle carefully, pressing along the bone and asking her to flex her foot.
After a quick assessment, the doctor said, “Just a mild dislocation. Nothing serious.” With a swift motion, he adjusted it back into place.
Elodie winced but didn’t make a sound.
Harry asked, “Do you want to keep skiing p>
Elodie tested her weight on the ankle, then nodded. “I’m fine. We can continue p>
She’d come all this way. She didn’t want to ruin the day for Daisy or for Harry, for that matter.
The doctor confirmed her leg wasn’t actually injured, so Harry didn’t refuse her.
Meanwhile, across the resort p>
“Sophia? What are you staring at p>
Sophia squinted toward the medical station entrance, her brow furrowed. “I think I saw someone I know p>
The side profile of the man she’d just seen really looked like Harry Becker.
But he’d been with a child and a woman, so… it probably wasn’t him.
Still, curiosity nagged at her.
When she tried to take a couple of steps forward to get a better look, the person had already put on a hat and sunglasses and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Sophia frowned, uncertain.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been him.
And if it was p>
Who was that woman?
______________
Elodie’s POV~
For the next hour or so, Daisy and I bumped into people twice more on the slopes, but fortunately, neither of us got hurt.
When Harry reached out to steady me, his hand that was already warm, went firmly around my wrist, I gently pulled away. “I’m fine. Thank you p>
Harry nodded and then finally let go.
At noon, we left the ski resort and headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch.
Harry handed me the menu, gesturing for me to order whatever I wanted.
I was scanning the options when Daisy suddenly perked up, looking at me with those wide, curious eyes. “Auntie, what’s your name p>
I smiled at her. “Elodie. My name is Elodie Miller p>
Daisy nodded seriously, testing it out. “Aunt Elodie p>
I reached over and gently patted her cheek, warmth spreading through my chest.
Probably because skiing had worn her out, Daisy started nodding off halfway through her meal, her little head drooping forward.
Harry carefully picked her up, cradling her against his chest as he wiped the oil from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
I’d nearly finished eating too, so I set down my chopsticks and said, “Should we wrap it up for today p>
“Sure.” But Harry didn’t stand immediately. Instead, he looked at me, his expression thoughtful. “Can I invite you again sometime p>
I paused, then nodded. “Sure p>
He’d helped me, helped my uncle, really. And Daisy clearly enjoyed spending time with me. It was only fair to return the favor a few more times.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
“You’re welcome p>
Since Daisy was asleep and there wasn’t much left to say, I didn’t linger. I stood, grabbed my coat, and headed for the door.
I felt Harry’s gaze on me as I walked to my car, but I didn’t look back.
By the time I got home, I’d barely settled in when my phone rang.
“Elodie, where are you? I’m exhausted. Come pick me up and let’s grab dinner.” Cara’s loud voice came through the moment I picked up.
I didn’t mention that I’d already eaten. “Where are you p>
“Floral Garden,” Cara said, slightly out of breath. “You know, that fancy ancient-style housing development from a few years ago? I came here with my aunt to look at houses this morning, and I’m wiped out p>
“Alright. I’ll be there soon p>
After hanging up, I plugged the address into my GPS and started driving.
About ten minutes later, Cara called again.
“You won’t believe who I just ran into here p>
I felt my stomach tighten.
The only person recently who could make Cara this worked up was probably—
“Dante and Sienna’s family! He brought the whole Brown family here to look at houses p>
I stared ahead at the road, my face blank, and murmured, “Mm p>
Normally, when Dante and Sienna went out together, they brought Liora along.
Today, Dante must have left Liora at home because he was taking the Brown family to look at properties.
Of course. The Green family had already moved into the Bellini Pack territory. It made sense that the Brown family would want to settle here too. And naturally, Dante would be the one helping them find a place.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.