Sammy's Christmas List Read Free Page A

my mind. They were swept away by an avalanche of good will in reaction to my good luck. Though I was a little dazed by his beauty, I tried to speak like a human being.  
    “I was thinking maybe we should start out on a more advanced slope.”  
    “Oh?” He set a pair of skis and ski boots on the ground beside a bench. “Do you have some experience? You signed up for the beginner class.”  
    “Well, no, I don’t have any experience, but I am an adult. I mean, I’ve been involved in sports before.”  
    “Oh, so you’re an athlete?”  
    “Uh no, I wouldn’t exactly say that.”  
    “Hm. Well, why don’t we get you on the skis first and we’ll decide from there. Okay?”  
    “Okay.” I managed a smile.

Chapter 5

    While I changed into the ski boots I imagined the good impression I was going to make. I had obviously underestimated my ability to be successful on the slopes. He was going to see that the moment I was on my feet.  
    “Now you can lean on me while you get your boots locked in.” He offered me his arm.
    I did my best not to actually lean. There was still a part of me that wanted to hide my weight and give the impression that I was light as a feather. Unfortunately, without actually using him to steady myself I had a very difficult time locking the snow boots into the skis. I teetered one way, and then swooped the other. My fingers coiled around his arm in a vice-like grip as I started to fall.  
    “Easy there, easy there.” He steadied me and placed a hand on my hip. “You have to be able to stand on these to get started.”  
    I flushed as pink as my snowsuit. Not only was I not ready for anything more than the bunny slope, I could barely stand upright. Once I had my balance, he pried my fingers off of his arm.
    “Relax, you can do this. Just give yourself a chance.”  
    I nodded, but my confidence had deflated. He walked me through the steps involved in going downhill, slowing down, speeding, and the plowing method to stop.
    I did my best to mimic the instructions. Luckily, I remained upright the whole time.  
    “I think I’ve got the hang of it.”  
    “Great. Then we’re going to practice some movement. We’re not going to go downhill just yet. So you’re going to use these to help you glide along.” He handed me two ski poles. I liked the sound of gliding. “Give yourself a little push to get the momentum started.”  
    I did just that and glided a few feet forward. It was an enjoyable experience. In fact, it felt so much like flying that I couldn’t wait to do it again. The instructor tried to explain the next step to me, but I was too busy gliding myself forward.  
    “I’ve got this now! This is pretty easy!” I laughed as I wiggled my skis back and forth. Again I wondered why people found skiing difficult.  
    “Wait! Samantha!”  
    With all my wiggling, I ended up too close to the edge of a small hill. It wasn’t big enough to be a slope. But it was big enough for me to go flying down over it. Lance raced after me in an attempt to catch up.
    I tried to plow to stop myself, but instead I crossed my skis and ended up in a pink pile in the snow. The safety pins that had replaced the broken portion of my zipper allowed quite a bit of snow to fill the top of my snowsuit. I shivered as I struggled to get to my feet.
    Lance pulled me up by my elbow. “Listen, Samantha, I want to work with you, but you have to follow my instructions or you could get hurt. Understand? Do I need to tether you?”  
    I met his eyes and had to bite into my bottom lip to keep from volunteering to be tethered. “No, I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”  
    “Okay, now move slowly. Keep your focus. Feel the glide of the skis. Don’t let anything distract you.”  
    I followed his directions but the snow slowly melting in the top of my snowsuit made it difficult for me to concentrate.  
    “I think that’s enough for today. We’ll take our first trip down the bunny slope