Page 40 of One More Chance
“Yes?”
“How fast can you go on your skates?”
“Pretty fast,” Logan grinned. “Have you never skated?”
Tabitha shook her head.
Logan looked at Charlotte. “Can you give me just one minute.”
“For what?”
Logan reached over the boards and picked Tabitha up under her arms. He set her down on the ice on her boots. “It’s slippery,” she squealed, sliding her feet back and forth.
“Want to go fast?” Logan asked.
Tabitha looked up at him, her eyes wide, “Yes!”
“May I?” Logan asked Charlotte.
“How can I possibly say no now?” Charlotte smiled and shook her head. “Just be careful, I need to return her in one piece.”
Logan nodded. He held Tabitha under her arms. “You hold onto my wrists, okay,” he said. She nodded and her little hands gripped onto Logan’s arms.
“Here we go,” Logan said and started skating forward, Tabitha’s boots slid along the ice. Charlotte watched as he rounded the corner, her heart melting when she saw the huge grin on Tabitha’s face, and a matching one on Logan’s.
“Faster, Logan,” Tabitha yelled.
Tabitha’s boots were whizzing along the ice and she was laughing and squealing as Logan did one more lap with her. As he rounded the corner and headed back to Charlotte, he raised her up, did some fast crossovers and swung Tabitha out to the side, like a swing at the fair. He returned her boots to the ice and delivered her back to the boards where Charlotte was waiting.
“How was that?” Charlotte didn’t even have to ask. The huge toothy grin on Tabitha’s face gave it away.
“That was so much fun. Did you see how fast we were going?”
“I did,” Charlotte smiled.
“Thanks, Logan. I think that was the highlight of her evening.”
Logan leaned on the boards and reached out to hold Charlotte’s hand. She let him. “You should take her public skating on the weekend,” he said.
“Can we?” Tabitha jumped up and down.
“Logan will have to take you, I can’t skate,” Charlotte said.
“You can’t skate?” Logan seemed taken aback. “It’s your turn then.”
Before she realized what was happening Logan had pulled her onto the ice surface. She clutched the boards as her legs did their best Bambi impression. “Logan Brush, you put me back.”
Tabitha giggled and jumped up and down. “Do it, Auntie Charlotte.” She clapped her hands and then turned to Logan, “Take her fast.”
Logan raised his eyebrows and held out his hand. “I’m only doing this for you, Tabby Cat,” Charlotte said and took his hand. She practically purred as she felt his warmth as he nestled in behind her. He towered over her in his skates, so he had to bend down to slip his hands around her waist, interlacing his fingers at her belly button. His breath wisped around her ears. “Ready?” he asked but didn’t want for a response. Charlotte’s leather boots skimmed over the ice surface as she felt Logan’s thick thighs outside of hers, powering them forward.
“Faster,” Tabitha yelled from the sideline.
“Don’t you dare.” Charlotte gripped his biceps so tightly she was sure that he was going to have bruises in the shape of her fingertips tomorrow.
Charlotte squealed like Tabitha when Logan scooped her up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip and buried her face in his chest. While his powerful legs swept them around the ice, his upper body remained remarkably still.
“You can look, you know,” he whispered. She cracked open one eye and then the other. Logan had stopped skating and they were gliding fast but peacefully around the ice. Her hair whipped her face and she looked up to Logan’s face, his playoff beard was just starting to come in and she saw a few hints of gray in his stubble. Time seemed to slow while she was cradled in his arms.
