Ben held his breath, though he wanted to tell Amelia that she didn’t have to answer his niece.
“I did,” Amelia said, carefully setting her silverware down on the edge of her plate. “I retired a couple of years ago.”
“Did you like it?”
“Very much,” Amelia said.
“And you went to the Olympics?”
“Yes. Two times.”
“Did you win a medal?”
“I won a bronze and a silver.”
“That’s amazing,” Dani said, her eyes glowing with excitement. “Could you teach me to skate?”
Amelia lowered her head for a moment, and Ben reached out to touch her arm. She looked up at him, and though he could see pain in her gaze, she took a breath and turned her attention back to his niece.
“I’m afraid that I don’t skate anymore,” she said. “But if you’re serious about learning, the woman who used to coach me teaches skating at the arena at the resort.”
“Can I do that, Daddy?” she asked, peering up at Jude, her eyes wide and pleading.
Ben had to stifle a laugh as he watched Jude stare at his daughter. One of the most hilarious things for Ben was seeing how Angie and the kids had Jude wrapped around their little fingers.
“We can look into it,” Jude finally said.
Dani smiled and leaned against her dad’s arm. “Thanks, Daddy.”
Jude bent and kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome. Now finish your meal.”
Ben grinned at Jude. He enjoyed seeing this softer side of the man, and of Julian as well. They had become devoted husbands and fathers, and being around them so much recently was making Ben think about that for himself.
The responsibility of loving someone had transformed both men, and they’d definitely risen to the occasion.
Would he be able to do that one day?
He glanced at Amelia. They’d talked about having a family. But being teens, it had been an abstract concept. They’d known nothing would happen for many years. Definitely not until after Amelia had retired from skating, which she’d hoped wouldn’t happen until she was well into her twenties.
He wondered how she felt about having a family now. Or had her health issues eclipsed her thoughts about the future?
The conversation for the remainder of the meal was light. He’d noticed that whenever the kids were present—which they always were when they all gathered for a meal—the conversation included them.
It had been a bit different for him when he’d been their age. His parents would have discussions that didn’t necessarily pertain to him, and he’d been expected to eat and not interrupt. It hadn’t quite been a “seen and not heard” situation, as they did include him at times.
Once they’d had dessert, the ones with kids decided to head home.
“Do you want me to walk home with you, love?” Julian asked Kiara.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him.
“I won’t be too late.”
She went up on her toes to give him a kiss. “Take your time.”
Once the others had left, Julian turned to Ben and Amelia. “Shall we go to the library?”
Ben could sense the tension in Amelia, and he hoped that she could just relax. All he wanted was the opportunity to see if there was any chance the family company could help her.
