Page 45 of Claiming Her Cougar
Mallory’s eyes widen when I push away from the boards, and she gets a clear view of our quartet of visitors.
“Oh, wow,” Mom says as she looks around the space.“Liam would have loved something like this when he was younger.”She hasn’t seen me yet.
“Hey,” I call out, skating over to where they’re approaching the boards, hoping to draw their attention before they notice Mallory.By his smirk, I can tell Logan’s eagle eyes have caught sight of her, but he’s not saying anything.
“Oh!”Mom cries out, seeing me on skates for the first time since my accident.Tears flood her eyes, and her chin wobbles.“Oh, Liam, I didn’t think I’d ever see you skating again.Is everything okay?”
I reach to open the gate so I can hug my mother without the boards between us.I don’t know why I’m surprised by her emotional response.She knew how much I missed skating and playing.Skating again for the first time with Trevor and Logan after Thanksgiving had me choked up.
“Yeah, all good,” I answer.“I was doing some puck handling drills.”
Mallory approaches us and nods.
I tilt my head her way.“And then Mallory came in from a run.”
“Mallory!What are you doing here?”Daphne asks in surprise.
“Hi, everyone.It’s my family’s rink.Trevor’s my younger brother.Small world, huh?”She smiles.“Trev texted asking if his friend could use the rink, and of course I agreed.I was finishing up my run and saw the Bronco, so I peeked in to see who his friend was.Turns out it was Liam, so we were just laughing about all the connections.”
“Turns out there’s another connection, Mallory,” my Aunt Holly says.“Mike and I went to law school with your father.I knew your uncle Zack back then too, so it was a mini reunion seeing him at the farm.”
“Wow, that’s crazy.”Mallory looks over at me.Is she thinking about how our meeting was inevitable or fate or whatever like I am?
Mom looks at the skating surface and then at Mallory.“So that isn’t ice?Your mother invented it?”
“Yeah.It’s a synthetic surface.My mom is a chemical engineer, and she developed this special polymer that’s more durable with less friction to better emulate an ice surface.We were her guinea pigs testing it out.”
“Wow.Your father is an attorney, and your mother is an engineer?—”
“And here’s me, just a paralegal,” Mallory finishes.
“What’s this ‘just a paralegal’ bullshit?”Aunt Holly asks bluntly.“All I’ve ever heard is how good you are and how eager Mike is to get you in leasing.I practice family law and without my paralegals, I’d be lost.”
Mallory blinks at my aunt.
Mom chimes in.“What I was going to say was that it’s no wonder you’re so brilliant.Will raves about you.He has since you started.You stepped up after Martha and George retired and kept the collections department going.You and Daphne.”
Daphne laughs.“Oh no.It’s all Mallory.I’m just her wing woman.”
A pretty blush climbs Mallory’s neck and spreads across her cheeks.I don’t think she hears how smart she is and how much she’s appreciated often enough.Her family has done a number on her, and I don’t like it.
Swallowing and then coughing to clear her throat, Mallory appears to be trying to control her emotions.I wish I could reach out and rub her back or hold her hand.
“You’re all too kind,” Mallory says.“I love working at Morgan and am excited to work on leasing.I enjoy contracts and leases much more than litigation.Anyway, did you get your trees?Did you get some of Aunt Carol’s hot cocoa?”
“Yes!”Mom’s practically dancing with enthusiasm.“It was so much fun!Such nice quality trees, and the activities there really make it a fun experience beyond tree hunting.”
“It is fun.I worked there when I was younger.I worked at all the farms.Another uncle has blueberries, and one has a corn maze.I haven’t been to the tree farm yet this year.I’ll have to go sometime.”
I hope I’m picking up on what she’s putting down when I suggest, “The four of us should go sometime.Are they open only on the weekends or weeknights too?”
“Oh, yes!We need to go together!”Daphne is so excited at this idea she’s practically doing a Tigger bounce.
“Starting this weekend, they’re open every night through Christmas Eve, until 9:00 p.m.on Sundays and weeknights, 11:00 p.m.Friday and Saturday.”Mallory looks at me, and I nod.I’m not sure why.
“I’m good any night,” I say.“My schedule is wide open.”
Her smile must be why I nodded.I enjoy making her happy.I want more of those smiles aimed my way.
