Christmas in the Rink Read Free

his gaze away from Chaney and tamped down the dreams that threatened to eat him alive. Steering clear of the parents hanging out in the same section of seats where his mother had always waited, he plopped down on a vacant bench and dropped his bag to the floor with a huff. He was here now. Might as well get on with it. He couldn’t exactly hand back the key to Mr., er, Pete, and tell the old guy he hadn’t used it, could he?
    He laced his skates and made his way to the entry point onto the ice. A startled gasp caught his attention. He gave a half-hearted wave in Chaney’s direction and skated through the opening, sticking to the fringe, away from the class.
    “Let’s try that routine once more, and then we’ll wrap up today’s session,” Chaney instructed her students, her voice a little shaky.
    Had he rattled her with his presence? He stole a glance her way. She was bent over, stretching the little one’s miniature arms out in the proper position and helping her maintain a precarious balance. Even so, he couldn’t escape the feeling that Chaney’s watchful gaze followed him all the way around the rink as he warmed up.
    “You’re doing great, Melanie.” Chaney’s voice floated to him. “Awesome, Mark.”
    He rounded the angle, shuttering his lids. He didn’t need his eyes open to navigate the curves. Not when the distance from one end of the rink to the other came as natural as tinkering inside the engine of a car now. He picked up speed, savoring the cool breeze kissing his cheeks, the memories of skating with Chaney nestled against his side bubbling up to tantalize him, as real as if she actually skated next to him. His arms reached out, heavy with the weight of a decade’s worth of dreams and pent-up longing, but his fingertips landed on…nothing.
    How many times did he circle the rink before she called an end to her class? Two? Three? Long enough that regret over his too-impulsive decision years ago kept stabbing him in the chest. Where would they be now had he stayed? Would they have achieved their aspirations, on the ice and off? Had her dreams of a lifelong partner ever included him?
    He’d loved her from the minute he took her in his arms for the first time, when she’d gazed up at him, her face flush with excitement and vulnerable with trust. But she’d been so young, and he’d been so…messed up.
    When he finally lifted his lids, most of the students had disappeared. Only one remained on the ice. The adorable tyke with long, nutmeg-colored hair pulled back into a ponytail, one hand gripping Chaney’s in a tight latch, her round eyes, as big as the biscuits he’d devoured for breakfast, staring at him.
    Was Chaney waiting for him? He glided over to them, careful to stop a few feet away, still not sure that he wouldn’t make a fool of himself on the paper-thin blades. “Pete told me I’d be sharing the rink with a class, but he didn’t mention that you were the teacher,” he said.
    “I didn’t expect an audience,” she said, her gaze dropping to the little girl at her side.
    “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t disrupt your class.” His gaze skittered from Chaney to the girl, and then back to Chaney.
    Chaney shook her head. “No. It’s OK. I was just surprised. That’s all.”
    In the blaring light of the rink, Chaney was even prettier than he remembered, yet the same with her high, ivory-pure cheekbones, beautifully arched brows, and bow-shaped lips. In a similar band as the little girl’s, Chaney’s nutmeg colored hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
    He used to rest his cheek against her head just to feel those silky strands tickle his jaw, to breathe in her soothing scent—vanilla mingled with spicy citrus and flowers. That hadn’t been part of the routine, but their coach never complained because they got so many compliments about their chemistry on the ice. Maybe because his mind had always drifted to a different time and place, away from a father who dogged him about his