Page 33 of Christmas on Ice
I saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.” The girls giggled. I lifted Ryleigh into my arms, and when Kami returned, the four of us went inside the rink.
Kami wasn’t kidding when she said she was a bender. Keeping her from falling was a full workout, but I didn’t mind. Any excuse to hold her worked for me.
“Oh, come on, Ms. Kami, you can’t be that bad.” Susie and Ryleigh, skating hand in hand, fell in line next to us. Susie gave me another exaggerated wink.
“I promise you, I am doing my best,” Kami replied.
“Suuuuuure you are.” Susie laughed.
Kami frowned as they skated off.
I laughed. “Now I’m wondering if you’re really this bad.”
“Guess you’ll never know.” She shot me a wink and grinned.
I squeezed her hand. “Maybe I don’t want to.”
“I can’t believe Ryleigh picked this up so fast.”
“She’s a natural. Time for lessons?”
Kami grimaced. “Maybe when cheer season is over.”
Hand in hand, we stayed behind the girls and talked about the most random things. I felt the tension leave her body a little with each lap, and we discovered we both had a passion for mystery novels, action-adventure movies, and homemade alfredo sauce.
“Do you make your own sauce?” I asked.
“I do. I’m making it tomorrow night, actually.” She smiled shyly. “Maybe … maybe you’d like to join us for dinner?”
“I definitely would.” Was she asking me on a date? I didn’t usually eat such rich food during the season, but I wouldn’t pass up an offer to spend time with her. Even if it was a friends thing and Ryleigh was there.
She blushed and looked down, which threw off her balance. “Whoa!” Her free arm flailed wildly, but I moved in front of her before she could fall, wrapping my arm around her waist.
Kami leaned into me, and suddenly it was a thousand degrees in the rink. “Thank you.” Her face was so close to mine, I could feel the warm puff of breath that left her mouth. Pepperminty.
I gulped back a lump and steadied her in front of me. “You’re welcome.”
A whistle blew, a signal to us to keep moving. I held her hand tightly, more from not wanting to let go than for physical support.
She might have been the one unsteady on her feet, but it was me that was falling hard and fast.
18
Kami
Watching Trask monitor Susie teaching Ryleigh to skate kept my heart in a steady rhythm of happy beats. Ryleigh hadn’t wanted to use the skate trainer, so at the beginning, Trask kept her upright while Susie instructed. Within minutes, they were off skating on their own.
We skated behind them, hand in hand. He kept me upright every time I wobbled. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine what it might be like being in a relationship with him. I had no doubt he’d jump to support me wherever else I might falter. I was grateful for our new friendship and the attention he gave my girl, and I didn’t want to lose what we’d built. He genuinely seemed to like spending time with Ryleigh and other kids. His teammates did, too. Around us, every one of them was hand in hand with one or two kids. They were all starting to feel like family. I was thrilled Trask had accepted my invitation to dinner tomorrow. Although, going out to a restaurant with him—alone—sounded nice too.
The session ended, and we made our way to the benches to take our skates off. Trask carried Ryleigh off the ice, a beaming Susie at his side.
“Mommy! That was so fun!” I took her from him and plunked her down on the bench next to me. “When can we do it again?”
I looked up at Trask, who smiled and shrugged. “I guess anytime Mr. Trask is available.”
“You mean Mr. Tiggerman!” Susie shouted, and the girls collapsed into a giggling fit.
Trask just shook his head. I loved that he had a sense of humor about Ryleigh’s ridiculous nicknames.
