Page 12 of Hearts on Ice
She looked up at him, eyes trusting, and he began to skate backwards, building up speed, drawing her around the rink until he saw the thrill light her eyes. Her smile widened as she looked up at him.
“Knees bent, remember,” he said, as they avoided another beginner lesson near the opposite wall from where they’d started.
* * *
Colby’s heartdid a slow roll in her chest as she watched Declan draw the little girl around the ice rink. She’d been sitting here about fifteen minutes and he hadn’t noticed her, he was so involved in his lesson. His attentiveness and affection for his students was puzzling at first, until Colby caught sight of Evan’s wife Meghan near the wall of the rink. So these were Evan’s kids. Colby hadn’t realized how long ago she’d left until now. Neither kid had been born when she left. What was weird was that they seemed to be brand new to skating. She wondered why the delay.
Now Declan had put a pause on actually teaching them, and was taking turns pulling them around the rink. They were having fun, Declan was having fun. It was nice to see his smile, and God, that gentle affectionate look in his eyes was a turn-on.
Common sense told her to sit still, stay out of his business until Josh and Lexi arrived. But she saw how restless the little boy was, waiting for his turn, and time was running short, so Colby made her way down to the ice.
She never was very good at listening to her common sense, anyway.
“Hi, Meghan,” she said, not wanting to start a conversation, really. “Do you think your little boy would want to skate with me?”
She was aware of Declan pulling up beside her with the little girl, could sense his doubt from across the ice.
“I don’t think that’s a very good—” Meghan began, but Colby was determined. She stepped onto the ice and held out her hands to the boy.
“I’m Colby. I used to skate with Declan when we were younger. Do you want me to pull you around the rink?”
The boy’s gaze held no wariness as he took her hands. Clearly he’d never been told about his evil aunt Colby. She smiled brightly at him and began skating backwards, as Declan had done, drawing the child along.
“Colby, I don’t think—” she heard Declan say, but his words faded beneath the sound of her skates, the noise of the other skaters’ conversations.
“Colby, maybe—” Meghan said as they skated by, picking up speed.
She looked down at the little kid. “Do you want to do a spin?”
“Yes!” That, she had no trouble hearing.
“Okay, I’m going to pick you up. Be careful with your skates, bend your knees back.
The little boy nodded, and she reached down to pick him up by the waist. He was heavier than he looked, which threw her off balance for a moment, but she had built up her momentum and bent into the spin, holding him close, hearing his squeal of delight as the rink whipped around them.
“Colby!”
“Colby—”
And then the little boy puked all over her—her chin, her throat, her clothes, her hair.
The rink went absolutely silent as she ground to a halt, except for one comment.
“This is my favorite day ever,” Meghan said.
CHAPTER6
Colby stood under the shower spray in the locker room, completely clothed, because she didn’t want to take her pukey smelling sweats back to her motel room in her car. So she leaned against the tile wall of the shower stall and let the water beat down on her. But she could still smell the puke. She was pretty sure some had gone in her nose.
She hadn’t missed all the camera phones pointing at her as she’d stood in the middle of the ice, holding the kid up and away from her. She couldn’t be a hundred percent sure she hadn’t dropped him in her disgust. No doubt it would be all over social media, and she’d find out that way.
The curtain was dragged back and Meghan stood there, her little girl behind her. Meghan stared at her for a moment, then shook her head, reached in to shut off the water and held out a pile of clothing.
“Declan sent me in to give you this.”
“What is it?” Colby pushed away from the wall and reached for the offering.
“Sweats. They’re from the pro shop.” She looked Colby up and down. “Do you need a towel?”
