“Stop!” Elias yelled.
Neither the dog nor skater listened. The leash slid across the ice right in front of the skater, who skated with her chin up.
“Be careful!” Elias shouted.
The scene played out in slow motion. Higgins froze. Her right skate hit the leash, and she stumbled. The skater tried to keep her balance by sticking her arms out, but her action didn’t stop gravity. She hit the ice with a thud.
Higgins jumped on top of her and licked her face.
The skater laughed. She reached into her jacket pocket. “Well, this is a first. Where did you come from, cutie?”
Her voice wrapped around Elias, as warm and comfortable as a fleece blanket. He wanted to hear it again, only he wanted her to speak tohim.
He stepped onto the ice, taking small steps to keep from falling. “Are you okay?”
The skater looked at him.
Gorgeous green eyes. Elias’s mouth went dry. He nearly fell flat on his back.
Forget speaking. All he could do was breathe.
“Is this your dog?” she asked.
“Sorta.” He came closer, unsure why he found himself so tongue-tied. A friend from law school had once told Elias that dogs were a chick magnet. But Higgins running into this woman seemed more like luck. “I’m fostering him for the holidays.”
She rubbed Higgins with a gloved hand. “Friendly.”
“He’d been in my house for less than five minutes when he took off. I’m sorry. Did you hurt yourself?”
She grabbed onto the leash, placed Higgins on the ice, and carefully stood. “I’ve taken much harder falls over the years, but thanks for the concern.”
“You skate a lot?” he blurted.
“Yes.” The amusement in her voice matched the twinkle in her eyes. “Not a fan of the sport?”
He shrugged. “I prefer hockey.”
“Of course, you do.” She appeared more resigned than upset. “Here you go.”
He took the leash from her. “Thanks. I’m Elias.”
She hesitated. “Tasha.”
Tasha. The name suited her. “You’re not from around here.”
Tasha brushed off the snow from her backside. “No.”
Only locals came to this part of the lake unless… He remembered seeing a car he didn’t recognize drive by when he’d brought in the mail before he ate lunch. “You’re staying in the last cottage on Pinewood Lane.”
Tasha stiffened, and her eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”
“I live in the second house on the right. The one you’re in is the only rental on the lane.”
That might change. Dalton Dwyer had bought the cottage where Tasha was staying and would take possession in January. No one knew Dalton’s plans for it yet. Some thought he would relocate from Portland since he’d grown up in Berry Lake, but the guy was in real estate and business development so the property might just be an investment.
She laughed. “Small towns are always the same.”
“Everyone knows your business.”
