Page 14 of Make You Stay

Apparently, there is no time for that as Natalie tosses me a hat and hurries me to Aidan’s idling truck.

Huh. Family time with someone else’s family.

The ride to the rink is filled with the girls’ chatter as they argue over the radio, but they all lose when Aidan flips to a classic rock station. His reasoning? My ride, my rules.

I love the way Aidan is with his girls. There is such genuine love and affection, with the requisite ribbing, of course. I remember that kind of camaraderie. My father was my best friend until the day he died.

We park next to Enid’s car, and she pulls open my door, grasping my hands with a smile. “Chloe, you’re a pleasant surprise.”

“She can skate, Mom,” Natalie interjects, jumping from the truck.

“Full disclosure. I haven’t skated since I was fifteen.”

“What happened to Rockefeller Center?” Aidan smirks, handing me a pair of skates. “Don’t worry. We’ll keep you upright.”

Now it’s Enid’s turn to giggle, hiding a laugh behind her hand. “I highly doubt that’s what you want, Aidan.”

“There’s a lady present,” Aidan argues, doing his best to appear innocent.

“Where?” Enid and I inquire in unison, both dissolving into laughter.

Aidan rolls his eyes, but I see the levity in their green depths. “Never mind. My mistake. Let’s go.”

The girls rush ahead, with Enid and Jeff close behind, as they throw on their skates in a mad dash to hit the ice.

Me? I’m taking my time. Perhaps if I takelongenough, I might avoid skating altogether.

“Are you stalling?” Aidan asks, sending a pointed glance toward my feet.

“Yes. I don’t relish the idea of falling on my ass repeatedly, no matter how much padding I have back there.”

His brows raise as he bites back a smile. “I’m leaving that one alone.”

“Smart man.” I focus on lacing up my skates, aware of Aidan’s gaze on me. “You have your camera at the ready for the obligatory blackmail shots?”

“I’m waiting for you to stand up so I can judge for myself how much padding you have back there.”

With a smirk, I push myself to standing, pivoting to give him a full view of my ass. In my defense, it’s one of my greatest assets, and judging by the way his tongue flicks against his lip, his eyes glued to my rear, Aidan agrees. “Well?”

“I sure as hell don’t want to leave it alone now.” Aidan sighs, a grin splitting his face. “You have a great ass, and now, that’s pretty much all I want to look at.”

“I’m sure I can find something else to occupy your thoughts.”

Our gazes hold, that all too familiar sexual energy crackling between us. We are the king and queen of flirtatious banter.

It seems my last comment upended Aidan as he struggles for a comeback. Instead, he aims for neutral conversation as he holds out his hand and inches me toward the ice. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you, okay?”

I see the girls skating to their heart’s content, making this whole sport look effortless. One glance at the frozen water, and I know I’m not going to look like them in any way. “Why don’t you go ahead? Seriously. Have fun.”

“I will have fun—with you. Come on.”

With tentative steps, we set out on the ice, and within a few minutes, I’m only grasping him for dear life every other turn. He’s a champ, never leaving my side, even though I can tell by his grace on skates he’d far rather be with his girls than bumbling about with me. Still, he provides words of encouragement, never once making me feel like a klutzy oaf. No worries, I feel that wayallon my own.

After twenty minutes, I bail out, giving him some time to show off his skills.

I have a different aim. Hot cocoa and non-skid surfaces.

Settling onto a seat, I take in Aidan’s effortless moves around the rink, his daughter Emily by his side. Those two have quite a bond. They remind me so much of my father and me when I was Emily’s age.

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