If Dad did marry Suzy, what would that make me and Charlie? Would his parents and I technically be stepsiblings? So I’d be his step-aunt?
“Just between us, I think your dad and Nan tying the knot is inevitable.”
Frankie rubbed her temples. “When you properly meet my father, please try not to judge him too harshly. He’s a big kid at heart and is always cracking jokes.”
The fire crackled. Her body soaked in the warmth.
“That’s another trait he shares with Grandad. He was a practical joker. One of my earliest memories is hearing the sound of Nan and Grandad laughing.” Charlie blinked slowly. “I’ve always had a closer bond with them than with my parents.”
At the mention of Charlie’s family, her chest felt heavy. Leslie was still angry with them. That was yet another mess she had to try and figure out how to fix. “Have things improved at all with your sister? It’s been so awkward coaching with her. She’s still pretending I don’t exist.”
Charlie let out a deep sigh. He poked the fire one more time before planting himself next to Frankie. “No change on my end either. A part of me hoped she’d show up here. She knows how important tonight’s dinner was to Nan. It’s rare for her to ask a favor from us.”
“It makes me feel like I’m this terrible person. I never wanted to have to take sides between the two of you.”
“Frankie, have you been blaming yourself for this the whole time?”
She didn’t answer him.
“Hey.” Charlie scooted closer to her. “You haven’t doneanythingwrong. I made the decision to return to the ice. I’m also the one who asked you to skate with me.” He exhaled deeply. “Per usual, Leslie was right about everything she said. I realize now that I’ve been a self-centered fool. Since the accident, the only person I’ve thought about was myself. I lost sight of how important Leslie, Nan, and the other members of my family were to my recovery.”
Frankie played with a stray piece of thread on the edge of the blanket. “Where do you go from here?”
“Once Les and I get past this latest roadblock, I think it’s high time for me to have a meeting with Jack. There’s no earthly reason I ever should’ve been made skating director. That job has my sister’s name written all over it. I hate admin work. It takes time away from my doing what I love—coaching and skating with you.”
Frankie glanced at him curiously through her lashes. Her heart rate increased. “We do make a pretty amazing team.”
“We do, but it’s more than that.” He stood, and picked up two long metal skewers and a bag of marshmallows.
“Thanks.” She accepted the skewer from his hand. Ripping open the bag of marshmallows, she looked for the largest and fluffiest one in the pack, trying to buy herself some time. Her body was growing as warm as the fire.
“Ask me why,” he said in a husky tone.
She continued to keep her head tipped down, staring at the marshmallows, which were the same uniform size.
“Frankie, ask me why.”
She chewed on her lip and slowly lifted her chin. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why?”
“Because I see you as more than just a friend.”
She laughed nervously. “Haha. Good one. I thought you’d be sick of me by now. We’re together every single day of the week.”
His brow furrowed. “I could never grow sick of you.”
They were moving into dangerous territory. The wings of a thousand-and-one fast-flying hummingbirds fluttered in her stomach. Her throat went dry. “Charlie, once we leave the friend zone, there’s no going back.”
He licked his lips. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. The question is, are you?”
Alarm bells sounded in her head. She’d spent more time with Charlie these last couple of months than with any other person. She couldn’t fool herself any longer. He was more than just a partner and a friend. He was the man who brought her coffee bright and early in the morning. The man who put a smile on her face after a tough practice. The man who literally searched for her in the forest because he was concerned about her. She was about to break all the rules she’d set for herself.
She swallowed hard. “I am.”
In two strides, Charlie closed the gap between them. He popped the skewers into the firepit. Sitting down on the bench, he pulled Frankie onto his lap, and slid the blanket off her shoulders. Staring directly into her eyes, he removed the small tendrils of brown hair covering her face. “Francesca,” he whispered into her ear. “You have no idea how hard it is for me to resist you every time you’re near me. I’ve wanted to do this for so long.”
He leaned his head toward her, and like a ballet dancer delicately balancing on the tips of his toes, planted a series of soft, supple kisses up on the exposed flesh of her neck.
Frankie smelled the scents of whiskey and cinnamon. She felt the scratchy texture of his facial hair on his cheek. She didn’t want him to stop. Her body felt as if she were gathering speed and was about to be propelled into the air to perform a quadruple jump. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She could hear its steady thud, thud, thud pulsating against her ribs. As Charlie traced the outline of her lips with his thumb, she shivered.
