Worried that they might get bumped into by other people, Beck stayed close to them so he could protect them.
However, the crowd was just too large today.
They had only been skiing for a little over an hour when two girls accidentally bumped into them.
Shanice was fine, but Celeste ended up crashing directly into Beck.
He instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her securely into his embrace.
Pressed against his broad chest, Celeste froze for a moment and immediately felt uncomfortable. She tried to push him away, only to realize that her foot hurt.
Beck didn’t let go. “Did you twist your ankle?”
“I think… yeah.”
He called over a staff member to help Shanice and then bent down and picked Celeste up.
She had assumed he would let the staff assist her. So, being suddenly lifted into his arms, she was caught off guard and instinctively resisted. “Put me down, I—”
Beck interrupted, “The doctor is already waiting. Let’s take care of your foot first.”
Celeste hesitated but stopped struggling.
Inside the lodge, Beck set her down.
The waiting doctor examined her foot and found that it was just a mild dislocation. After a quick adjustment, she was fine.
Beck asked, “Do you still want to ski?”
“I’m fine, I can continue.” Since she was already here, she didn’t want to dampen Shanice’s excitement.
Hearing from the doctor that her leg was fine, Beck didn’t stop her.
Meanwhile, from a distance, someone was watching them,
“Linda? What are you looking at?”
Linda squinted. “I think I just saw someone I know.”
The man in the distance looked a lot like Beck from the side But he was with a woman and a child. That couldn’t be Beck, could it?
Just as she took two steps forward to get a clearer look, the man put his hat and goggles back on and walked away.
Over the next hour, Celeste and Shanice got bumped into twice more, but neither of them got hurt.
When Beck reached out to steady her, holding her hand, Celeste lightly pulled away and said, “I’m good now, thanks.”
Only then did Beck release her wrist.
At noon, they left the ski resort and went to a nearby restaurant for lunch. He handed her the menu, letting her choose the dishes.
It was then that Shanice suddenly remembered something and asked, “Ms. Rodriguez, what’s your first name?”
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 143
“Celeste. My full name is Celeste Rodriguez. You can call me Ms. Celeste.”
Shanice nodded. “Ms. Celeste.”
Celeste smiled and gently patted her little face.
Perhaps she was too exhausted from skiing–before they even finished eating, Shanice started dozing off. Beck picked her up and wiped the corner of her mouth.
Celeste had also finished eating. Setting down her utensils, she said, “Shall we call it a day?”
“Alright.” But instead of getting up immediately, Beck looked at her and asked, “Can I invite you out again next time?”
Celeste replied, “Sure.”
He had helped her today, and since Shanice needed her company, returning the favor a few times seemed only fair.
“Thanks.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
Since Shanice was already asleep and she felt they had nothing more to talk about, Celeste didn’t say much and simply turned to leave.
Beck stood there watching as she drove away. Only after a while did he get into his own pre
Shanice woke up when they reached home. “Ms. Celeste already left?”
car.
“Yes.” Holding her in his arms, Beck suddenly said, “Oh, Shanice, from now on, just call her ‘Ms. Rodriguez,‘ okay? Also, keep her name a secret for now. Don’t tell anyone else, alright?”
Shanice obediently nodded. “Okay.”
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