Page 33 of Wish You Faith

“Twice what?”

“So quickly forgotten?” She grinned. “We held hands in the greenhouse this afternoon, and now you’ve touched my face, friend.”

Friend?

Was that all he was to her?

CHAPTERSIX

“Why did I let you talk me into this?” Rosie gripped the top of the low wall so tightly that her fingers hurt. Her other arm was locked in Evan’s. She was afraid to move. All around her were crowds of happy people, some singing along with the Christmas carols blasting from speakers above them.

The ice skating rink was packed on this Friday’s family night, especially since kids skated for free for the next two hours. Rosie had come only to support her third-grade Sunday school class, and she hadn’t planned on getting on the ice.

At all.

“Because you implicitly trust me.” Evan looked like his smile was about to split into a roaring laughter.

Here was the man who’d talked her into leaving the sideline benches and getting into a pair of rental ice skates that had scared her to death the moment he had tied the shoelaces for her.

Her heart went thump, thump, thump as she held on to the wall. Evan was trying to peel her away from it, saying soothing things like “I’ve got you” and “you won’t fall.”

Utter nonsense!

There was no friction on her blades, okay? She was fully aware that her skates were cutting small grooves into the ice and gliding on it. Like right now.

“Trust, you say? We’ve only known each other for a week.” She leaned against the wall and tried to hug it. Meanwhile, Evan was still holding her one arm, which was feeling sore now.

“When you know, you know.” He sounded serious.

“Right now, I trust the wall more.”

“Let go. I’ve got you.” His other hand tried to pry her hand from the wall.

Just then she noticed that he was wearing a watch made of wood. She hadn’t seen it before. Next thing she knew, he was holding her hand and they had inched away from her safety wall.

She tried to get back to the wall, but Evan spun her around slowly and gently.

“Look, you’re skating.” He smiled as they held each other’s hands on the ice.

Rosie tried not to look at the other skaters whizzing past them in the skating rink. Every now and then a kid from her Sunday school class called out her name.

“Miss Rosie! You can do it!”

They had more confidence than she had, for sure. Her feet, wrapped in skates, were sliding rapidly back and forth on the ice, and she was unable to get a grip?—

Whoop!

Rosie’s feet slipped forward, up and off the ice, and the rest of her body went backwards. She saw her arms reaching upward toward the ceiling some twenty feet away as she fell back.

The ice was cold under her jeans. She felt a chill all along her legs. Fortunately, her thick winter jacket protected her torso and vital organs. Her head felt cold though. She wished she had worn her hooded jacket instead so that at least there was coverage for her head.

A feeling of embarrassment swept over her entire body, and she closed her eyes. In her mind, she kept thinking she should have said no to Evan. Should have stuck to her decision to stay off the ice. Shouldn’t have listened to Evan.

Eyes still closed, she felt something warm around her neck. She reached up to touch it. It was padded. She turned her head to see where she’d landed, and it was Evan’s arm around her neck. Her head was resting on his shoulder now.

He must have put his arm out when she fell, preventing her head from hitting the ice. Wow. That was super thoughtful of him.

“You broke my fall,” Rosie whispered. “Is your arm okay?”

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