Dale rubs his lip ring as though he’s trying to wipe away the kiss. I’m pretty confident he won’t tell Heather. She would kill me, of course, but she would want to kill him even more, and he must realize that.

He looks at me. “I can’t do this.”

“Fair enough,” I say.

He climbs down from the trampoline.

Damn. Now I don’t have anyone to spot me.

—

I flip through the air and plummet back to earth, no idea which way up I am. No trampoline below me this time. I slam into the powder, side-on.

Fiery pain burns my chest. It feels like my lungs and stomach have flown out through my mouth. I gasp for breath but it’s not happening.

Panic sets in, even though I’ve done this several times already today. My mouth and nostrils strain for oxygen. The pain . . .

At last I’m sucking in air. I run a mental check of body parts. All good. Everything’s still working. My head took a decent whack. At least I had a soft landing.

Brent peers down at me. “That’s it. No more.”

He and I are up on the glacier, way out to the far side. We built a makeshift quarter-pipe so I could practice my Cripplers in deep powder. If I’d tried that in the pipe, I wouldn’t have gotten up from it.

There’s snow in my pants, my sports bra, and just about everywhere else. I shake out the worst of it. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it right next time.”

“I’m sorry,” Brent says. “I can’t watch.”

“Thanks a lot. I didn’t think I was that bad.” My goggles flew off when I landed. Where are they? Way over there. I stand up, mildly dizzy, and trudge off to retrieve them.

Brent chases after me. “I’m serious, Milla. You’re going to break something. You have to stop.”

“You’re the one who suggested Cripplers.”

“Yeah, well, I wish I hadn’t.”

I wipe my goggles. “One more try. Maybe two.”

“You’re not even wearing a helmet.”

“Says the guy who rides in a baseball cap even after you knocked yourself out twice this month.”

He pulls his cap off and rakes his hand through his hair. “I can’t let you do this to yourself.”

“It’s my risk. I decide. I have two more hours until the lift stops.”

“You need more time on the trampoline.”

“I haven’t got more time.”

“Why are you pushing it this hard? You’re riding great.”

“Yeah, but I want to win.”

Brent shakes his head. “Winning’s not everything. There is other stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Family, friends. Life.”