I move outside and pull the plug on the bounce house to deflate it for the night. If this doesn’t prove to be the coolest Christmas party they’ll have ever attended, then I’ll have wasted a ton of money.
Before I can get back inside to lock up, a car I don’t recognize pulls in and parks. Out comes Aiden, bounding over to me.
“Coach Eli!” He wraps his arms around my legs. And then I realize who the driver is—Jerrod, stomping up to us, older than when I last saw him years ago. No sign of Stella with them. This is bad. Every instinct I have says this ends ugly—and it hurts everyone.
Shit. Be cool.“Hey, Aiden.”
“Can I skate? It’s the only thing I’ve wanted to do all day.” He gives me that little cherub face, and yeah, I’d do anything for him, but I have a strong feeling that I need to get Jerrod out of here as fast as possible.
“Sorry. It’s closing time. Come back tomorrow. We have the Christmas party; you can skate with all the kids then?—”
“I believe my son said he wanted to skate. So you’re going to march back inside and let him do that.” Jerrod seethes, pointing two fingers and a thumb at me like he’s holding a gun, almost getting into my face. Is that supposed to scare me?
The sharp smell of alcohol on his breath, though, makes my jaw tighten. Not drunk—but not sober either. Enough to make judgment sloppy, to make the situation unsafe for Aiden. Enough to make me careful about how I handle things.
I pause and swallow, considering my options. “Sure. Anything for Aiden.” I open the door and welcome them in. Why does it feel like I’m giving an inch for the boy—and the adult withhim wants to take a mile? And somehow, I think I’ll be the one blamed for whatever happens.
When Jerrod comes through, jacket unzipped, cheeks flushed, we eye each other with disdain, never quite able to get beyond any issues and jealousies we had with each other in the past.
I could take him if I have to. He’s smaller. Probably slower, too. But I don’t move—because winning a battle with him could cost me everything with Stella and Aiden.
“I hear my son can skate now,” the jerk asserts, his gruff tone noted.
“Yep, he’s gotten pretty good,” I say evenly.
“We sent videos so he can see what we do in hockey practice,” Aiden chimes in.
“Videos aren’t the same. I want to see you skate now, in person,” his father demands, rolling his shoulders, curling his fingers into fists.
“Uh, do you have his skates?” I ask.
Aiden gasps. “I left my gear bag at home.”
“So?” Jerrod’s mouth twitches. “Put him in rentals.”
Every instinct I have screamsno. But Aiden is already tugging off his sneakers, eyes bright when Zammie runs up to him. “Wanna skate with me boy, wanna play?”
“Okay. I’ll find him a pair. But not for long. Like I said, it’s closing time.”
“I’m sure you’ll make an exception for him. After all, I hear you’re good buddies now.” Jerrod smirks as if he’s winning.
I get Aiden fitted with rental skates. I tie them up, double-checking they are good and tight on him. Zammie bounds onto the ice the moment I open the gate. Aiden laughs, pushing off, wobbling, and then finding his balance.
“See Dad? Are you watching?” He goes as fast as he can and then performs a good hockey stop.
“Yeah, look at you go.” Jerrod surprises me with a fatherly tone. For a minute, Jerrod watches, smiling, and it’s almost peaceful to see a father admire a son. This is the man Stella once loved and had a beautiful son with. And I hate that about him.
The moment is lost when he turns back to me, tone darker. “We need to come to a little understanding, man to man.”
“Wait, let me turn off the Zamboni.” I take off as if it is too loud to speak with him. It isn’t. I just need to think and clear my head before I do something stupid. I jump up on it and switch it off, with Aiden watching me the whole time.
“Can I get a ride tonight, Coach?”
“Not tonight, buddy. Oh, hey, be careful skating. You don’t have a helmet on yet. I’ll get you one.” I run back over to the rental counter, but Jerrod cuts me off.
“You must love this—how you get to play hero now.”
If I want to be the hero, I’d kick his ass out. But to protect Aiden, I do exactly what I’m doing—staying calm.
