He misses them, the poor skates landing on the ground with a clank.
“I told you. Zero athletic ability.” He picks them up, looks them over, and then glances at his shoes. “Were you checking out my feet in Rhode Island?”
“Yes, Harry. I was checking out every inch of you.”
My tone may be sarcastic, but indeed I was.
“Well, let’s see if they fit.” He scrubs his hands over his face and sighs, but he doesn’t back out.
We sit on one of the benches around the rink’s perimeter. I take a deep breath, excited despite the cold, and start lacing up my skates. A small part of me hopes Harry falls a hundred times tonight—he’ll need catching.
“So?” I ask, watching him adjusting his foot inside the first skate.
“Like a glove.”
He smiles up at me, and damn if my heart doesn't melt.
Turns out we do wear almost the same size shoe. I’m taking that as another sign from the universe about us. As we head toward the rink, Harry has that baby-deer-learning-to-walk vibe as he tries to balance on the skates. Ican’t wipe the giant grin off my face as I watch him wobble. He’s so damn cute it hurts.
I can’t think of a more fun activity for an actual first date with Harry Peterson than skating. A lightness swarms my chest when Harry staggers and grabs onto my arm for balance. I’ve taught hundreds of kids to skate, so I’m fairly confident I can get him up and going. I can already imagine his expression when he gets it—shaky at first and then finally confident. There’s something about skating together that feels . . . almost perfect.
“All right,” I say, turning back to him as we get to the edge of the rink. “First things first, use your arms for balance. Then just let yourself glide. No sudden movements, okay? You’ve gotta trust the ice.”
Harry raises an eyebrow. “Trust the ice? I barely trust myself.”
“Well,” I grin, offering him my hand, “that’s why I’m here. You stay next to me, all right? I’ll catch you if you fall.”
He hesitates for a second then grabs my hand. His grip’s a little tense, but that’s fine. I’m used to teaching children who have surprisingly powerful grips. I guide him out onto the ice, my skates cutting through the surface with ease. Harry’s stiff, like he’s afraid of toppling already, and I can’t help but chuckle as he teeters along behind me.
“Come on,” I tease, slowing down so he can catch up. “You’ve got this. It’s just like walking but on ice.”
He shoots me a look, clearly not convinced. “If walking was this hard, I’d never leave my house.”
I laugh again, shaking my head. “God, you’re adorable.”
He squeezes my hand, and I keep prodding him along. “You’re doing fine. Just try to glide, no need to rush. Think of it as pushing off with each step.”
Eventually, after a few more tries, he starts to get the hang of it. His legs aren’t shaking as much, and he’s leaning into it a little more.
Then, just as he’s finding a rhythm, his face softening and smile creeping in, he sways, arms out, and tumbles backward. But I’m right there to grab him, jutting my arms under his as I take on the entirety of his weight.
“See?” I say, smiling over him. “Told you I’d catch you.”
Harry rolls his eyes but grins back. “Yeah, yeah. You’re my hero. Just . . . don’t expect me to be as good as you any time soon.”
“Stop being so charming, Harry.”
He smirks, but keeping a hold of my hand, he tries again.
We keep going like that—him unsteady, me teasing him a little, but all in good fun. And by the time the night starts winding down, I can tell he’s actually enjoying himself. He might not admit it yet, but I can see it in the way his smile’s a little brighter, how he’s becoming more confident on the ice.
“This was a good idea,” he says as we take a break, sitting on the side of the rink, our skates off and resting against the snowbanks.
I grin. “Yeah, I figured it’d be fun. Youknow, a little adventure in the middle of a cold, boring week. Plus, this will earn you points with the Sharks.”
“Not if they see how terrible I am.” He glances over at me, his expression soft.
As if Mother Nature wants to add a little magic to our evening, a soft snowfall begins to float around us.
