Page 139 of My Merry Mistake
I scrunch my nose. “I don’t know how.”
“So?” She grabs my arm and pulls me out onto the sidewalk, then physically pushes me toward the entrance of the rink. “It’ll be fun!”
“I’ll make a complete fool of myself,” I say, knowing that protesting with her is pointless. She’s not really listening. And she has no qualms about making a fool of herself, so she won’t understand.
“I don’t care if I suck, and I’m going to try it so my hot boyfriend has to put his hands all over me to make sure I don’t fall down.” She wags her eyebrows and runs off, and I resist the urge to remind her that I don’t have a “hot boyfriend” to steady me.
I find a spot on a bench near the edge of the rink and watch as the hockey players take the ice like it’s their home rink. People in the crowd start to notice them, and they feed right into the excitement over their presence there.
Finn waves at me, motioning for me to join him. I wince lightly, shrugging amaybe?He holds up both hands likenopressure, and then points at me, holds up two fingers and flicks them down against his chin twice.
I quickly look around to make sure no one in my family just saw him tell me I’m cute in sign language. Who is teaching him this stuff?!
I point at him and make a claw with my hand at the side of my head, rotating it slightly. “You’re crazy!”
He laughs and skates off.
I see Eloise take one step on the ice and her legs go out from under her, but Gray catches her under her arms. She looks up at him with a giant smile on her face, and I wonder if he knows she’s falling on purpose. Monica and Jericho skate hand-in-hand while Lisa breaks loose from the group to show some serious skills, successfully landing an impressive jump.
I scan the rink, and my gaze snags again on Finn, who is gliding so effortlessly he looks like he was born with blades for soles.
Poppy hugs the railing as Dallas coaxes her out onto the ice. She’s unsteady on her skates, but she’s got a wide smile on her face. And when she almost slips, her laugh echoes through the chilly December air.
It looks . . . fun.
A part of me wants to try.
A month ago, I wouldn’t even be here. I’d be in the office. But I’m different now. Or at least, I want to be.
My heart rate kicks up as I stand and walk over to the skate rental, quietly moving to a bench where I take my shoes off and lace up the skates. My hands are shaking, and I try to reconcile the fact that I’m going to fall. I’m going to look silly. I’m not going to be good at this.
And that’s okay.
“It’s not a big deal, Raya,” I mutter to myself as I pull the laces tighter. I’m tired of missing out.
I grab onto the wall and move around to the entrance of the rink. I notice parents with small children and these neat little contraptions that keep them from falling.
I want a contraption.
But I’m a grown woman.
I step out onto the ice as a little kid flies past, falling in a heap right in front of me, exactly where my feet are pointed. The movement is so shocking, and I’m about to collide with the kid when something pulls me upright.
“Whoa, there, Crash.”
A strong arm wraps all the way around my waist, lifting me up and over the kid, away from the wall.
Finn sets me down on the ice, like it’s nothing. “I got you.”
Those words again. This time, they send heat straight through my body.
“I’m all for trying new things, Hart, but let’s not die in the process,” he jokes, steadying me on my wobbly legs.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Saving you is what I do, remember?” He flashes a smile without looking at me, and something inside me settles.
“So, are you here to learn how to skate or what?” he asks, pulling away.
