Page 15 of Christmas on Ice
I just about melted at his smooth response. I hadn’t heard him speak with an accent until now, and it just hit me in all the feels.
“No need to cry, Kami.” I didn’t realize I was crying until his thumb brushed the corner of my eye. “How’s your head?”
I couldn’t form words but felt another tear leak out. Then another. And another.
He smiled but wasn’t able to mask his concern. “That bad, huh? You want me to take you to get checked out?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t want to move to go anywhere. “Just … Can you grab me the bottle of ibuprofen?”
“Sure.”
He brought me the bottle and a cup of water. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Our gaze held. I couldn’t look away. His concerned expression was the sweetest thing I’d seen in I couldn’t remember how long.
“Um.” Borderline awkward.
He shifted. “The boxes stacked in front of the TV labeled books—would you like me to unpack them for you? I can put together the bookcase, too.”
I shook my head and grabbed it as the pain bounced like a pinball, hitting and lighting up every corner. “It’s not attached.”
At his blank expression, I explained further. “I’m waiting for Sutton—Ryleigh’s dad—to come by and anchor the TV to the walls. The boxes are there so it doesn’t fall on Ryleigh. He’s also supposed to build and anchor the bookcase.”
Trask broke our connection to look over at the mess of boxes by the TV. “If you have the stuff, I’m pretty handy.”
I sighed. I had no energy to argue, and this was a nice favor. “Okay. But Ryleigh might want to help.”
He grinned. “Great! I have just the job for her.”
I smiled and relaxed into my bed. He seemed capable. And I needed rest.
It was nice torest.
9
Trask
Since hockey season started, I made it a habit to stop by Brewski’s after practice. I went by every chance I could just to make sure Kami was all right. I was convinced she had a concussion, but she insisted that the rest she got the day after the accident was enough. By the night after the accident, she was functioning like nothing had happened. Her strength, willpower, and determination to get back out there were admirable.
We had Halloween off, so I stopped by Brewski’s after lunch, when I knew she’d be working. I told her she had the heart of a hockey player.
“If that means I don’t let a little injury keep me down, then thanks.”
Kami’s reaction to my compliment made me want to say everything that was on my mind, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her. So I just winked instead.
“I’m going to engrave your name on that barstool,” Kami joked as she handed me a menu.
I grinned and pointed to the wall, where the back panel of a barstool hung with a fuzzy spiderweb stretched across it. “Like that one?”
“That’s got Kingston’s dad’s name on it.” She leaned forward. “Rumor has it that it broke when he jumped up on it the night Kingston was drafted.”
I’d heard the story. My buddy—and former teammate—Kingston Brewer was Brenna’s cousin and the nephew of the owners. It made sense his dad would have been here to watch the draft. I opened my mouth to comment but stopped when Kami’s eyes slitted and her face tightened.
I turned to see what she was looking at. A man about my height stood by the hostess stand and frowned in our direction. I’d seen her ex here a few times before, each time dropping Ryleigh off when he was supposed to be watching her so Kami could work.
“Excuse me. I need to go find out why he’s here. He wasn’t supposed to pick her up from preschool this early.”
Kami strode with purpose toward the entrance, and I slid off the stool to greet Ryleigh, who was headed in my direction bundled up in a big coat and carrying her Tinker Bell backpack.
