“What is?” Jess stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
Why the hell hadn’t he bought that book? “All I’m saying is that it’s fine to talk about the mechanics, but it should mean something, that’s all.” He reasoned that as the expert on meaningless sex, that qualified him to talk about it.
“What should?”
“Sex.” His mouth was dry. “That is what you were asking me, isn’t it?”
“No! Dad, that’s gross.” She turned scarlet and kicked the snow with the toe of her boot. “I don’t want to talk to you about sex! Ugh—this is so awkward.”
“It isn’t awkward.” It was up there with the most awkward moment of his life. “You can ask me about that stuff. It’s important that you know the facts, not pick up a load of false information from your friends.”
“I don’t want to talk about sex! I know everything already, okay?”
“Everything?” Suddenly, he had a new worry. “How can you know everything? You’re thirteen years old.”
“Nearly fourteen, and we’re taught all that at school and—” she lifted her hands to her face and then shook her head “—never mind! That wasn’t what I wanted to ask you!”
Tyler felt as uncomfortable as she did. “Good. It doesn’t really matter anyway, because I’m not letting you out of the house until you’re forty.”
“Chill, Dad. I’m more interested in skiing than boys.”
That was good news, but not enough to make him chill.
He was going to order the damn book right away so next time the subject came up, he’d be able to tackle it without feeling as if his tongue were knotted in three places. “So what did you want to ask me? Don’t turn into one of those women who expects a man to play guessing games. If there’s something on your mind then come right out and say it.”
“I was going to ask if you missed it.”
“Sex?”
“No!” Jess gave a snort of laughter. “Dad, is sex all you think about?”
Yes, since you’ve put Brenna in the room next to me. “Let’s start this conversation again,” he breathed. “Do I miss what?”
“Skiing,” Jess blurted the word out, and he frowned.
“Why would I miss it? I still ski.”
“But not competitively. You can’t race anymore since the accident—” she looked at him anxiously “—I wondered if it was hard, that’s all. I mean, you never watch skiing on TV. Ever. Do you hate that you can’t race anymore?”
“If I was racing, I wouldn’t be able to teach you. I love teaching you.”
“Seriously?” Her face brightened. “It doesn’t bore you?”
“No.” He realized that was the truth. “I get a real kick out of it. You’re good. And you’re going to get better.”
“Cool. I love skiing together.”
He looped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I love that, too.”
“And you love skiing with Brenna.”
He let his hand drop and gave her a look. “Unless you want snow stuffed down your jacket, you can stop that right now.”
“I was just saying.”
“Well, don’t say. And don’t think, either.”
* * *