Page 84 of Body Check

Dakota sighed, thinking about the awkward way the night before had ended. Dakota hadn’t planned on staying over anyway, but it had wrapped up as soon as the game was over, Gavin giving him a brief peck on the lips as he practically hustled Dakota out the door.

That was what Dakota got for letting the talk turn more serious. It was better when it was light-hearted banter and great sex. Talking about their pasts was a recipe for disaster.

Glumly, Dakota took a swig of his rapidly cooling hot chocolate.

“Hey!” Leah said in a cheerful tone. “Glad you could make it today.”

He glanced over at her, belatedly realizing the girls were done posing for their photos with Santa and Connor and Jesse were now watching Evie and Maura sit on Santa’s lap while Nolan helped his sisters get situated.

Huh. For as shy as Maura had been earlier, she seemed perfectly comfortable with Santa.

That confirmed the half-assed theory swirling around Dakota’s head that the guy inside the suit probably worked for the organization or was connected to it in some way. It was impossible to tell who it was though when he was swathed from head to toe in red and white cloth, had what Dakota assumed was a pillow stuffed where Santa’s jolly belly should be, and a big white—presumably fake—beard.

He had really wide shoulders and a big, broad build. Declan O’Shea, maybe? Dakota had met Connor’s father a handful of times but he didn’t really know him well enough to say for sure. That would definitely fit with Maura being comfortable with him though, since he was her grandfather.

“Dakota?” Leah said and he blinked, shaking his head.

“Yeah, sorry. I was spacing. What did you say?”

“Oh, I asked if you were planning to get on the ice today.”

“Ugh,” Dakota said. “I say no, my sister says yes, so … probably yes.”

Leah chuckled. “So why don’t you want to skate?”

“Uhh,” Dakota said. “I know we work for a hockey franchise, but I’m really not a good skater. I did a little bit growing up but Violet was more into it than I was. She played hockey for a little while before she switched to soccer and now she does rec league stuff for both.”

“We’ll get you one of those walkers they give little kids learning to skate.”

“Ha-ha,” Dakota said, though he honestly wouldn’t put it past his sister to offer him one. “What about you?”

“Oh I played hockey growing up too,” she said. “It’ll be a blast.”

Great, so he’d be the only one over the age of four flailing around out there.

As predicted, no amount of protestation on Dakota’s part convinced his sister to let him avoid getting on the ice, so half an hour later, as he watched one of the equipment guys measure his feet and pull out a pair of gently used hockey skates for him to wear, he let out a sigh.

So, he was doing this.

He nearly bit it as he carefully stepped onto the ice. It was only Violet and Jeff’s strong grips that kept him upright.

“Really,” he said, “I should turn around. You should be focused on the kids, not me.”

“Not a chance,” Violet said cheerfully. “Besides, look at them, they’ll be fine for a little bit.”

On the bench, Catherine O’Shea was currently making silly faces at Lily, who had woken up, been fed, and was now in a very happy mood as she sat in her car seat while Daisy and a couple of the other kids her age were climbing around on the bench nearby, watched over by a handful of parents.

“Ugh,fine.”

Dakota let Violet and Jeff tuck their arms through his and they took off, towing his awkwardly flailing body along.

“I would have thought your strength and flexibility from yoga and Pilates would help with this,” Jeff said with a barely disguised laugh.

“Not so much,” Dakota admitted, though his core strength wasn’t the problem. It was his fear of his brains going splat on the ice that made him wobbly.

They managed to make a couple of circuits around the ice, but the moment they let go so he could try on his own, he flailed and went down, nearly taking both of them out with him. Though, thankfully, he managed not to hit his head.

“Nope,” he said laughing as he lay on the ice staring up at the arena rafters and his family’s concerned faces. “This isn’t going to happen. Tow me over there, please.”

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