“Have you met his dog?” another giggled.
I dried my hands on a paper towel. “Everyone knows Greg.”
A couple of them gasped. “Told you.”
“Look, I just want to say that y’all look great out there today, and I think you’re badass for playing hockey. I was a volleyball player, and the fact that you can do anything on ice impresses me, much less stopping those crazy pucks.”
That started a barrage of questions about my volleyball career. We emerged into the hallway, where Nick stood waiting for the group.
“Was Annie talking your ears off?” he teased. “We’ve gotta eat and get back to it.”
The rest of the afternoon passed without event. I took pictures until the memory card ran out, then stood on the sidelines paging through and deleting a few so I had some room for wrap-up photos. I chatted with the rink’s owner, who handed me a pair of skates.
“Oh, no. Not for me. Did you see my grand entrance?”
“You can handle them. I’m sure Oberbeck would be more than happy to give you lessons,” he said. “Or me. I’m happy to. But something tells me he wouldn’t be too fond of me doing that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Everyone thinks that.”
“Then maybe it’s true,” he said with a wink. He shoved a hot chocolate at me and sent me back out to take pictures as the group wrapped up for the day. The kids headed to the locker rooms after Nick dismissed them, coming to meet me on the bleachers. He reached for my cup. “Give me a hit of that.”
I held the hot chocolate out of reach. “Let me have one more sip before you taint it with your disease.”
“I’m all better!” he protested. I handed him the cup. “Hey, thanks for being here. I know you were just supposed to drop by and say hi. You gave up your whole Saturday.”
I grinned. “You know, I’m tired, but it was fun. They’re good kids.”
Nick nodded. “They are.” He gestured to the skates by my feet. “You lookin’ to try out a new calling, Markham?”
“Ugh, no. Eric made me take them. Told me to put them outside the office when I’m done. I was just gonna do that now.”
“Don’t think you’re getting off that easy. Come on, Annie. Lace ‘em up. Let’s go.”
“No, you’re tired,” I tried.
“I’m not. Let’s go.”
I whined, looking at him with puppy dog eyes for mercy. “I already fell once. I don’t want to get more hurt.”
He leaned so his face was close to mine, eyes flicking to my lips. We were just the length of his baseball cap apart. “If you think for one second that I’d let you fall again, you’re out of your mind. Skates. On. Don’t make me tell you twice.”
I was thankful for my sweatshirt, because my nipples instantly hardened into tiny, sensitive points. I hadn’t seen much of commanding Nick, and it was both surprising and delightful.
Naturally, I pretended to hate it, scowling as I slid my feet out of my shoes and into the skates. He watched as I laced them but reached down to take over.
“Let me. You need a good solid base to work from,” he said.
“Look who’s the teacher now,” I teased.
“This is my territory, Markham. And you’ve got a lot to learn.” He extended his hand to help me up, clomping with me to the ice.
I thought he’d speed off without me, but he held my hands as I stepped onto the ice. Immediately, I lost my balance, slipping backward then forward, cackling all the way. I landed against his firm chest.
“Nick, I don’t know about this.”
“You’re doing great,” he said softly, eyes glowing as he looked down at me. “Okay, stand on one foot. Prove to me you can.”
He stifled a laugh, trying to be polite.
