Page 5 of Offside for Christmas
"They'd win more games if they had better morale. And better morale comes from—"
"Let me guess. Christmas decorations?"
"Exactly."
"This is about the festival, isn't it?" Sophie said, watching Ellie adjust the garland for the third time.
"What?" Ellie stepped down from the ladder and moved it two feet to the left.
"You're on the planning committee. You're always extra Christmas-y when festival week is coming up." Sophie took a sip of her coffee, clearly enjoying herself. "What is it this year? Four committees? Five?"
"Three," Ellie said, climbing back up. "And the festival is in two weeks. I want the facility to look good for the kids' christmas skating event too. We're hosting it here this year, remember?"
"Right. The event you volunteered to organize. Again." Sophie's tone was knowing. "Because you don't have enough on your plate already."
Ellie secured the garland for the third time and climbed down, turning to face her friend with her arms crossed. "The festival is important to this town. It brings in revenue, it builds community, and it makes people happy. Someone has to make sure things run smoothly."
"Translation: you need everyone to need you."
The words landed harder than Ellie wanted to admit. She busied herself with the box of decorations, pulling out the small artificial tree. "That's not—I'm just helping."
"You're always just helping. Cookie decorating station, tree lighting ceremony, kids' skate clinic, PT for the entire Eagles team, plus your regular patients." Sophie set down her mug and moved closer. "Babe, when was the last time you did something just for you?"
Ellie plugged in the string lights, testing them before wrapping them around the tree.They worked, thank God."I like helping. It's not a character flaw."
"It is when you use it to avoid dealing with your own life."
"I'm not avoiding anything. I have a great life."
"You have a busy life. There's a difference."
Ellie moved to the supply closet and emerged with a box labeled "PT ROOM - DECEMBER" in her neat handwriting. Inside: a small artificial tree, strings of lights, a ceramic snowman that played "Frosty the Snowman" when you pressed its hat, and approximately thirty candy canes. "Anyway, I have a system. First Monday of December, I decorate the facility. Second Monday, I decorate my apartment. Third Monday—"
"You help your mom decorate the bakery, I know." Sophie perched on the edge of the PT table, watching with fond exasperation as Ellie began untangling the string lights. "You're the most predictable person I know."
"Predictable is another word for reliable."
"It's also another word for boring."
Ellie shot her a look. "I'm not boring."
"You're reading the same romance novel you've read four times. You have a color-coded calendar. You meal prep every Sunday. Babe, you're the definition of boring."
"I prefer 'organized.'" Ellie tested the lights—they worked, thank God—and began wrapping them around the small tree. "Some of us can't run our lives on chaos and caffeine."
"Some of us know how to have fun." Sophie's grin was wicked. "Speaking of which. The new guy arrives today."
Ellie's hands stilled for just a fraction of a second before continuing their work. "Cole Hansen. I know."
"And?"
"And what?"
"And what do you think? I looked him up online. Ellie, he'shot. Like, stupidly hot. NHL-caliber hot."
"He was NHL-caliber. Now he's here." Ellie kept her voice carefully neutral, the way she always did when discussing difficult patients. Professional. Detached. "Which means he screwed up badly enough that nobody else wants him."
"Ooh, judgmental. I like this side of you."
