She peered around him. “The line for skates isn’t long.”
Elias glanced over his shoulder. “That’s the shortest it’s been compared to earlier.”
“Nothing to stop you.”
“Except I might fall flat on my face.”
She couldn’t tell if he was making an excuse or not. “Everyone falls. I did this morning. No big deal.”
“You fell because of Higgins. You wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Ninety-nine percent true—because slips happened to everyone—but she wouldn’t admit that aloud. “Skate.”
He opened his mouth and then closed it. “If you’ll skate with me.”
Yes. Desire hit hard and fast. The joy coming from the rink was palpable. But self-preservation warned against it. “I…can’t.”
“Come on,” Elias urged in a playful tone. “I can tell you want to.”
Tasha did, but his recognizing that surprised her. The only problem? She hadn’t skated in public—outside of choreographing—in three years. Berry Lake might be a small town—with fewer people than Wishing Bay—but she no longer wanted to be in the limelight. Not that anyone would recognize her. She’d retired after Worlds, nearly three years ago.
She struggled with what to say. “I do, but…”
“No buts. I don’t know what to do out there. It’s been that long.” The words rushed out. He didn’t even stop for a breath, but she discerned each one. “Follow me.”
This was a bad idea, not as bad as eating an entire bag of kettle corn during a Christmas-in-July movie binge, but she wanted to skate.
Skate, not skate with him.
Tasha fell in step beside him. “You’re persuasive.”
“I have to be.” He led her toward the rental trailer. “I’m a lawyer.”
Her only interactions with lawyers had been with those from the sports agency that had once represented her. “Do you work long hours?”
“Yes, but Higgins’s arrival got me the weekend off.” Elias rubbed his palms together. “I’m ready to play until Monday.”
His flirty tone reaffirmed what a lousy idea skating with him was. Because she enjoyed seeing that side of him and having it directed at her. She gulped. “Shouldn’t you be with Higgins?”
Elias stood in line behind a family of five. “He’s at home adjusting to my house. I called the woman who runs the rescue to make sure it was okay to leave him since I had to check on the rink.”
“You’ve done a fabulous job here.”
“Thanks, but all I did was supervise the setup. The kudos go to the volunteers who set up and work the various shifts.”
Humble. Elias appeared to be the antithesis of Drew, and her attraction was growing. Who was Tasha kidding? She wanted to be a magnet to his metal. A few laps and then she would tell him goodbye.
A few minutes later, Tasha held a pair of rental skates. She hadn’t planned on skating. Coming here had been purely a scouting missing until bumping in Elias. She tied the rental skates’ laces. Her feet already hated these boots. She stood. “Ready?”
Elias finished tying his skates. “No, but I’ve never let that stop me.”
I wish I could say the same thing.
Once upon a time, with millions watching on television, she’d skated, full of confidence and courage. Nothing had frightened her. Now, hitting the ice with thirty others made her nauseous. She’d better not throw up.
“Let’s go,” he said.
She followed Elias. Noise and music surrounded them, but he didn't talk to her. The silence gave Tasha a chance to calm herself with deep breaths.
