“Irrelevant,” she said.“Only a crazy person wears animal fluids.”
“You take risks all the time,” he reminded her.
Wrong.She shook her head.“I never take risks.”
“Are you sure?I’ve seen you take apart a complicated machine and poke about inside without a second thought.”
She lifted her shoulder.“Devices are easy.”
“Were they easy the first time?”he insisted.
No.She’d been alone.No one to help her.She’d had to try and try again until tears of frustration came to her eyes.Each success had felt like climbing a mountain.
“I’ve seen you take plenty of risks in the kitchen,” he continued.“You are not at all concerned with the edibleness of the final product.”
She lifted a finger in warning.“My puddings always come out fine.”
“But you can’t guarantee that,” he pointed out.“You throw things together and hope for the best.Think of the pond like a pudding.”
Gloria slid a doubtful glance toward the skaters racing across its frozen surface.The pond was nothing like a pudding.But perhaps it was a risk she should try to take.Just this once.With him.
“You took a phaeton ride,” he coaxed.
“A high-perch racing phaeton,” she said with a small smile.“I drove the horses.”
“And lived to tell the tale,” he said encouragingly.
She tightened her lips.He was right.It had been exhilarating.
“I’m not sending you out on the ice,” he said softly.“I’m offering to go with you.”
Her heart gave a little flip.
He wasn’t choosing the water over her.He was offering to take the risk together.Like driving a phaeton.Or sharing a kiss.
She tightened her grip on his arm and hoped she wasn’t making a terrible mistake.“I’ll try.”
His eyes widened.“You will?”
“Don’t make me regret it,” she warned with a weak smile.
“You won’t regret it,” he promised, his gaze serious.“I’ll never let you go.”
He procured a pair of skates for each of them and helped affix hers over her boots.Carefully, he led her out onto the ice.Her heart hammered so fast she could hear it in her ears.
Children hurtled past, heedless of her and each other.
“Don’t look at them,” he said.“Look at me.”
He took the edges of both her hands in his and pushed his skate backward, pulling her forward just a few inches.
Darkness clouded her vision as her gut roiled in protest.“I’m going to be sick.”
He stopped in alarm.“Do you want to sit down?”
She gripped his hands tighter and fought for calm.“No.”
He gave another encouraging smile.“You can do this.”
