I lay a hand on Cameron’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s head in.”
The outdoor rink is built onto the lake. It looks festive with garland and lights everywhere around the cabins and the picnic tables. A few early parents sit near the space heaters with their kids. There’s a cabin that sells food and hot cocoa that opens to this area and the rink. Skate rentals are in the cabin on the other side of the courtyard.
He puts on his skates while I go into the office between the snack and rental buildings. A girl who must be a student at the college shows me where to find the list of student names along with their parents’ numbers.
It’s almost time to start when I’m finished. More kids arrive and get checked in at the rental cabin while I don my skates.
“Eve’s not here yet.” I check my phone to see if she texted, finding nothing.
“Should we wait?” Cameron asks.
“Let’s get started. It should be fine between the two of us on the first day. When she gets here, she’ll jump in.”
I’ve never exactly taught beginner lessons, but with the youth camps we sometimes had to brush up on basic skills. I draw onthat experience to decide we’ll work on balance first, then falling down and standing up.
We introduce ourselves to the kids. The group isn’t too large to manage. Around fifteen of them, the youngest about four and the oldest about ten, sit on the long bench outside the rink.
“Show of hands, who’s ready to learn to skate?” I prompt.
Their little gloved hands shoot up and a few of them bounce in place.
“First things first, rink rules.”
I run through a brief list of safety rules for them to follow about their skates and no rough-housing. Then I quickly explain what we’ll be doing to learn how the ice feels under their skates.
“Now do we get to go on the ice?” The question comes from a small girl at the end of the bench.
“Yes. Who here likes trains? We’re going to make one.”
I motion to Cameron. We get them lined up one by one, taking them out to the ice. We have them crouch down while holding on to the PVC training bars, towing them until they’re in a row facing the boards for leverage.
“Show them how it’s done, Cameron.”
“Okay, watch me. Then it’ll be your turn.”
He borrows a PVC bar and slides each foot back and forth, then carefully lifts his knees one at a time to demonstrate his balance.
Once the kids test it out themselves, I let Cameron glide up and down the row on his own. He stops to give a thumbs up and helps a few that struggle, showing them to put their weight on the bar like they’re pushing on a table. It’s easy to see he’ll be good at this with his attentiveness and his friendly smile when he high fives the ones who gain confidence.
I watch the kids do the exercise as they get a feel for balancing on ice. My mind drifts off in a direction it frequently does lately.
In the short few weeks since I’ve been back in town, I’ve done my best to keep Eve in the off-limits column where she’s always been. Where she needs to stay.
Was she always this much of a temptation? Her laughter and smiles made my chest feel funny, but now whenever she’s around it’s like she’s the sun in the room. And I’m a planet that doesn’t know how to fight the pull of her orbit. She’s all I’m able to look at.
Especially when she keeps wearing those hot little sweater dresses. Fuck, she looks good in them.
Growing up, I knew to keep my hands off her because she’s my best friend’s sister. She was never a possibility then. With her dad as my boss, I still shouldn’t risk anything. Not if I want to try to keep this job.
And I do, I really fucking do.
Coaching Heston U’s guys has quickly become something that feels right for me.
I’ve been constantly moving around, unable to stay in one place. All because I believed I wasn’t cut out to coach officially, not wanting to face that I didn’t know what the fuck to do after my time as a hockey player ended. Working with the team on their development and having a part in guiding them to the top of their game is an honor. It’s unreal to think I could help skilled guys like Keller and Blake reach the pros.
This job means everything to me right now. Not as a stepping stone to find a coaching position elsewhere, but staying here, with this team, this college. This is an amazing opportunity and I’d be an idiot to screw it up.
So of course my dumb ass had to find out if Eve was still on the dating app over the weekend.
