Her pulse slowed. If only her brain would too.
Elias stepped onto the ice. His left skate slid, but he caught himself. “Don’t make me do this alone.”
Tasha joined him. He struggled to gain his footing, so she held out her arm. “Hold on to me.”
He did. That seemed to be the support he needed. His steps turned into glides. “I’m skating.”
“You’re doing great. Do you want me to let go?”
“Okay.” He released her arm. Each stroke became longer, steadier. “It’s like riding a bike.”
“Only more fun.”
Elias nodded. “I may wear skates when I supervise the rink.”
A thrill shot through Tasha. She loved introducing or, in Elias’s case, reintroducing ice skating. “You should.”
A kid hunched low cut in front of them.
Elias stumbled.
She steadied him. “I’ve got you.”
A skate trainer pushed into their backside, and Tasha went down. So did Elias. She landed half on the ice and half on him. He was solid, suggesting he must find time to work out.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He laughed. “Who knew kids were more dangerous than the ice itself?”
“Dogs too.” Tasha stood. “Two falls in one day for me.”
“You win.” He went to stand, slipped, and hit the ice. “Guess we’re tied now.”
“To stand, go on all fours.” She ignored his are-you-kidding-me expression. “Bring one knee up, so you’re kneeling.”
Mischief filled his eyes. “Like I’m proposing?”
No way did she want theimage of him pulling out a ring in her head. “Like taking a knee in a football or soccer game.”
He kneeled. “What do I do next?”
“Put a hand on the bent knee to stabilize yourself and use the other hand to push against the ice while you stand.”
He did that and stood. His lips parted. “It works.”
“Yes, but we need to move, or you’ll be practicing that again when someone takes us out.”
“All the kids think they’re speed skaters.”
“That’s better than pretending to be a hockey player and checking people.”
“We might see a couple of those. In September, Logan Tremblay from the Seattle Volcanoes bought a lake house, so he’s a popular guy in town.”
Logan was a good influence on Alek, who needed to stop dating women as if they were library books, needing to be returned by a due date. “He’s a fantastic hockey player and person.”
Elias nodded. “He and his wife, Selena, recommended installing an ice rink.”
“It’s a great idea.”
