“Do you want to stay, or are you ready to go?” he asked, reaching out and tucking a fly-away strand of hair behind her ear. She’d straightened her hair again.
“I’m game for more, but I’m not the one injured.”
“I’m really okay. I promise. Do you want to get something to drink while we wait?”
“Sounds great.” They edged towards the exit off the ice with everyone else until it was their turn to step off. The tiny food booth was on the other side of the rink, in the direction pretty much everyone else was heading. But if Luke didn’t mind waiting in a long line, she didn’t either.
His hand found hers, and the butterflies in her stomach did a little dance, especially when he glanced over to see if it was okay. The hesitation in his face about did her in. She tucked in closer, resting her head against his shoulder once they reached the back of the line.
“Are you going anywhere for Christmas?” he asked softly.
“My parents won a trip to Hawaii from their financial planning company. I was so worried it was a scam or something, but I guess it’s legit. They leave the day before Christmas Eve and come back on the Monday after Christmas. I’m really happy for them, and to be honest, a little relieved. Being an only child, sometimes it’s a lot of pressure to be as happy on Christmas morning as I was when I was five.” She looked up at him and bit her lip. “The short answer is I’m not going anywhere.”
“Christmas morning with Sandy then?”
“Yeah. She’s planned a big breakfast followed by a secret Santa drop off to a family on our street that’s down on their luck this year. The parents know we’re coming, and they promised to keep their kids away from the front windows. What about you?”
“My parents live in Michigan near my sister and brother-in-law and their kids. They came out last year so this year they’re staying there. I’m going to my brother’s house for Christmas Eve and sleeping over, and then if we get enough snow, we always drive to this secret hill we found to go sledding. Heston, Sarah, and Hallie are coming with us this year.” He paused, searching her eyes for something, though what, she couldn’t tell. “You and Sandy could come sledding with us if you want. We usually leave right after lunch.”
He wanted to spend Christmas day with her?
“Luke?” A sharp voice from behind startled them away from each other. Derek stood a few people behind them in line. Jody was with him, looking uncomfortable but adorable in a skating outfit and matching scarf. She always looked so put together.
Derek pointed at Luke and then at Tara. “Are you two… here together?”
Of all the reactions Tara had expected from Derek, anger wasn’t one of them. Why would he care if she dated his friend? He was happily engaged to someone else. But there was definitely resentment simmering under the bewilderment in his face.
“Yeah, we’re here together,” Luke said with a sigh.
Tara glanced between the two, knowing something like this had been inevitable. But all she’d wanted was one date without making it complicated and awkward and… like this.
Derek’s eyebrows furrowed, like he just couldn’t figure it out. “It’s a little ironic, but okay, whatever.” He glared at Luke before turning to Jody and whispering something reassuring in her ear.
Tara had a feeling Jody had been trying to keep him from bothering them in the first place. How long had the two of them been watching her and Luke together? She hated that she had to feel embarrassed about it. As if she was the one intruding on Derek’s life and not the other way around.
“Hey, you’re up,” a teenager said pointing ahead of them. Tara turned around and saw that they were in fact, next in line to order. She tugged on Luke’s sleeve, but he seemed lost in frustrated thought. She asked for two hot chocolates and a cold water bottle, not wanting to hold up the line. When she pulled a ten-dollar bill out of her pocket, Luke snapped out of it and paid before she could, murmuring an apology.
***
Ironic. Derek’s choice of words rankled, but it also filled him with anxiety. Luke should have told Tara everything before it became a secret he’d been keeping. And he had been keeping it from her, there was no getting around that. The fear of what her reaction might be had kept him quiet. And now it would be worse.
He blew on his hot chocolate and looked around for somewhere to sit. The few tables outside of the food booth were taken.
Tara looked up at him. “I think I’m ready to go. Is that okay?”
“Of course.” He didn’t want to skate with Derek and Jody either. Derek’s temper was the type that flashed hot before giving way to common sense. Now was not the time to talk to him about it.
The plain fact was, Luke had chosen getting to know Tara over Derek’s discomfort with it, and he wasn’t as sorry about it as Derek would expect him to be. The only thing he was sorry for was not telling Tara everything in the beginning.
They walked in silence over to the shelves where they’d stored their shoes and sat together to free themselves from the never-ending laces on their skates.
“I don’t get why he cares so much,” Tara muttered to herself, tugging at a knot.
Luke reached out and loosened the knot for her, tugging her skate off when she held out her foot. “It’s not just about you. I need to explain some things, but do you mind if we get out to the car first?”
“Sure.” Her forehead wrinkled as she studied him, clearly trying to work out what it was he wasn’t saying.
Once they were back in shoes, he picked up her skates along with his and brought them to the return counter before leading her out, keeping his hand on the small of her back. He missed holding her hand, but he didn’t feel like he deserved that privilege anymore. Outside, it was snowing in earnest. His niece and nephew would get their Christmas sledding day for sure. But he couldn’t even enjoy the thought, knowing Tara probably wouldn’t be coming along. The lightness between them was gone, replaced with his dread and her confusion.
