Page 61 of Slap Shot

“You’re here!” Piper exclaims when we get to the other side of the rink. She hugs me tight, then bends to give Lucy a hug.When “Hudson told me you two were coming, I was so excited. This is my favorite night of the year,” she says using SimCom, and I appreciate her inclusion of my daughter.

“I can see why. It’s so nice they do this for everyone,”I answer, and my attention snags on a woman in the middle of the rink doing spins and jumps. She’s in a black skirt with leg warmers covering her calves, and I can’t stop watching her. “She’s so good.Is she a hockey player too?Look at her spin, Luce.”

She looks like a ballerina!

“Who?”Piper follows my gaze.“That’s Hannah, Grant’s sister. She’s a professional figure skater.”She smiles at my daughter and transitions to only signing.What size shoe do you wear,Lucy?

Twelve.I’ve never skated before.

I haven’t either, I add.Hudson said he’d help her.

I’m going to go so fast with him!

Lucy stands against the boards and watches everyone on the ice. Piper has a quick conversation with the man handing out equipment and grabs a pair of small black skates along with a helmet.

“He should be over in a minute,” she says. “I can take her until he gets here. I’m not great, but I can keep us upright.”

“She’s lying,” a deep and familiar voice says. I turn, and Hudson pulls up to a stop in front of us in a hoodie and jeans. He leans on the half-wall with a grin. “Piper is a liability when she’s on skates.”

“I’ve gotten better,” she challenges. “I didn’t fall when I did a lap with you all after practice last week.”

“Liam pulled you the whole time. Of course you didn’t fall.” He glances at me. “Hey, KG.”

“Hey, hockey guy.”

“I’m glad y’all are here. Does Lucy still want to learn how to skate?”

“She does, and she’s very excited to go fast with you,” I say. “Just… not too fast, okay?”

“I promise I’ll keep things controlled. Under sixty miles an hour,” he teases. “If I’m going to teach Lucy, I’m going to have to touch her. I’ll have to hold her hand and put my arms around her so she learns how to balance. Are you comfortable with that?”

“I am.” I nod, chest pinching tight with his check in. “Thanks for asking. You two have fun. I’m going to watch from here.”

“I can skate next to you and interpret directions to Lucy?” Piper directs her offer to Hudson. “So she’s aware of what’s going to happen.”

“You know I love teamwork.” Hudson points to a row of seats and jumps over the boards with ease. “I’ll lace up her skates.”

“Let’s go over here,baby,so Hudson can get you in your skates,” I say.

He’s really good at that, isn’t he?Lucy asks, and I smile.

“Very good.And he’s going to take care of you while I sit and watch.”

Lucy drops into a chair and swings her legs back and forth. Hudson buckles her helmet then crouches on his knees to untie her sneakers. He takes her left foot and rests it on his thigh, making quick work of slipping off her shoes and slipping on her skate.

His fingers knot then double knot the strings into a neat bow. He turns her ankle to the left and then the right, giving a satisfied nod.

“The skate should be snug, but not painful. We also don’t want her foot moving around inside it,” Hudson tells me.

“Does that feel okay,Luce?” I ask, and he waits before moving to the next skate. “Do your toes hurt?Can you wiggle your foot around?”

Lucy makes a face then smiles.It feels like a glove for my toes!

“She said it feels like a glove,” I interpret, and Hudson nods again.

“That’s perfect.”

Five minutes later, Lucy stands on wobbly feet. She grips Hudson’s arm and he helps her to the ice, keeping his eyes on her and directing a group of guys in Stars gear away from them so they have plenty of space.

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