I smiled at that. Leaving a key under the mat? How small-town cliché. Key Ridge was just as charming as I remembered it being. I’d only been once, a few years back, but the memory of my time here had always stuck out to me. The streets were quaint, the people were nice, plus it was a stone’s throw away from some of the best snowboarding and hiking Colorado had to offer.

It was quite the drive from Denver, so I hadn’t had the chance to make it out here in ages, but I was psyched to be here for the rest of the ski season.

“Thanks again for hooking it up, man. I’m excited to be here.” I cradled my phone between the side of my face and my shoulder as I patted my coat pocket to double-check I hadn’t left my wallet back in my car parked around the corner.

“No, seriously, Ollie, thank you for coming. Johnny leaving was unexpected and it’s tough to find snowboard instructors late-season like this. And you know how it’s been lately. Bookings at the lodge are crazy, and of course, everyone wants a private lesson.”

“I’m your guy,” I said.

“Hey, I’ve got to run, Mattie’s calling me. But why don’t you stop by tomorrow for breakfast and then we can head to the hill together? I’ll show you around.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

I hung up and slipped my phone back into my pocket. Giles and I had known each other for years. I was only nineteen when I’d first moved out to Colorado, and I’d decided to enter a few local snowboarding competitions. Giles was a pro at the time and had all these incredible sponsorships and awards. He was a bit of a loner, but he showed me the ropes. We hadn’t seen too much of each other after I decided competitions weren’t for me, but we’d stayed in touch and had met up to board a few times over the years.

It had taken me by surprise when he offered me this job. Even though it was already late in the season, I had still jumped at the opportunity to move out here for a bit. I needed a taste of something different. My life in Denver had gotten a little monotonous lately, and this was exactly what I needed.

The smell of a well-used deep fryer and stale beer hit my nostrils the moment I stepped into the bar. The space was dark and tight, but in true small-town fashion, managed to cram in everything.

I made my way over to the bar before resting my arms on the top and leaning forward to get the attention of the sole bartender.

The man with a graying beard nodded in my direction before heading over. “What are you having?” he asked.

“Hey, man. Can I get a burger and fries to go?”

“Kitchen is pretty backed up. That group just put in a big order.” He pointed to five older guys cluttered around a dartboard. “Might be closer to twenty minutes.”