She jumped up and down like a puppy discovering a fresh set of tennis balls to play with. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
His cheeks flushed a light pink. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
They unfolded the foam panel mats normally stored in the corner and spread them out around them. Charlie removed his bulky outerwear and stripped down to just a fitted black T-shirt and skating pants. It was the first time she’d gotten a look at what lay hidden underneath his fleece jacket in weeks. Even when they were ballroom dancing, he wore a loose long-sleeved shirt.
She gulped. Who knew that underneath it would be so much lean muscle? He was in decent shape before, but now he really looks like an elite athlete.
“If you don’t feel safe at any point in time, tell me, and we’ll stop immediately,” he instructed her.
“That goes for you too.”
“Of course.” His jaw tightened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I have a small confession to make. This is going to be the first time I’ve done any overhead lifts since the accident.”
She felt a small seed of fear plant itself in her mind, yet it disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.
Both of us have to be one hundred percent committed to one another for this to work. I have to trust that Charlie won’t let anything happen to me.She took a deep breath.I know we can do this.
“I trust you,” she whispered.
Charlie rolled his neck from side to side and loosened up the muscles in his arms, chest, and shoulders. “We’ll take this nice and easy. I’m going to put my hands on your hips, lift you up, then put you back down. Just to get used to the motion, feel, and timing.”
They’d done this a month and a half ago without any problems when starting off-ice split-twist drills.
His hands went to her hips. “On your count.”
Frankie initiated a countdown. “Three. Two. One. Ready. Go.”
She was up and down in a matter of seconds. Her pulse increased, and adrenaline flooded her body. She’d forgotten how much she loved the feeling of being up in the air. It was the closest she could ever come to flying.
“Easy peasy.” She gave him a high five.
“Easy peasy?” He snorted.
She glanced over her shoulder. “That’s what my level one and two students always say to me.”
“Mine say, ‘Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.’ They have the funkiest expressions.” He chuckled. “Let’s do two more of these before we move on.”
She got back into position. “Counting us down in three. Two. One. Ready. Go.”
Charlie was strong. He never wavered or strained when her feet left the ground.
“How’s the hand placement? The timing? Does it feel okay?”
She gave him a thumbs-up. “It was perfect.”
Charlie has worked so hard to get to this point. I’m so lucky to be skating with a man who cares so much. We’re a real team.
“For this next set, let’s try a hand-to-waist lift. I’ll lift you so your hips are about even with my head. How long should we hold it for?”
“Five seconds? And do you want me to step into the lift, or were you thinking it should be a press?”
Charlie puffed out his cheeks. “Which one is easier for you?”
“I like the step in—it’s a better simulation to being on the ice—but either one works.”
“Okay. We’ll try both. The step in first, then a press.”
