“You liked us little, too,” I said.
“Well, I’ll love my grandbabies even more. Now, you two, scoot!”
She hugged Vivi and me, and we ended up in the driveway. I let Belladonna into the backseat before holding out my hand to Vivi to help her into the front.
“Your truck is huge,” she said.
“I fit well in it,” I said with a wink.
“Something like that,” Vivi replied. She settled in and buckled up, seeming pensive as I started to drive.
“You okay?” I asked, glancing over.
“Yeah.” She sighed. “Just missing my mom. I wish…” She bit her lip as she turned to face me. “I wish she could have met you.”
“I wish that, too.”
Vivian closed her eyes. “It just hit me—that I’m all alone.”
“Vivi, you are the farthest thing from alone.”
She offered a faint smile, but I saw the shadows in her eyes. She really believed that. I tightened my hands on the steering wheel. That wouldn’t do. At all. “Let’s take Belladonna ice skating,” I said.
“She ice skates?” Vivi asked.
“Loves it. She needs some exercise. It’ll be fun.”
“I can’t ice skate,” Vivi said.
“Well, little grasshopper, you’re about to learn.”
The practice arena was quiet, as I’d hoped. I grabbed my gear, then realized I didn’t have skates for Vivi—an oversight I should have considered.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’ll watch you.”
“No way. I want to skate with you.”
I dialed Cormac’s number, and he gave me permission to use Keelie’s skates. Thankfully, Vivi and Keelie wore the same size shoe. Once I got her into the footwear and laced up mine, I opened the gate. Belladonna had been sitting, ears perked, ready to go. She bolted onto the ice, her nails skittering across the surface.
“You weren’t kidding,” Vivi said, watching the dog.
I stepped out first, then turned and took her hands in mine. Her skin was cool and soft, her eyes filled with that faintest hint of sadness, as well as trepidation.
I looked into her eyes as we poised at the edge of the ice. “I’ve got you, Vivi. I won’t let you get hurt.”
With a gulp, she stepped forward. I eased backward. She wobbled, and I steadied her. Belladonna raced around the rink on the other side, yapping as she tried to catch the shards of ice she flung into the air.
I released one of Vivi’s hands, and she yelped as she stumbled, but I caught her around the waist and tucked her against my side. “Long glides, like this.” I showed her, and she slowly improved from her tiny fumbling steps. “Good.”
We made two laps around before she gained enough confidence to take her gaze off the ice. She smiled up at me. “This is fun.”
I smiled back. “It is.”
I leaned down to kiss her cool lips, enjoying her taste. I shifted to skate backward, with her front snuggled to mine, as I deepened the kiss. I kept Vivi with me as we made a lazy tour of the ice, all while I devoured her mouth.
A moment later, something slammed into my calf like a damn torpedo, and I went airborne. I tore my lips from hers as I wrapped my arms around her, tensing for the impending crash. From the corner of my eye, I saw Belladonna slinking away.
The impact started in my left shoulder, then traveled down my ribs to my hip. Vivi’s weight was pinned to my chest, but her pelvis slammed into mine, causing me to groan.
