After Madison made her way down the slide after climbing over the roof of the fort, she ran awkwardly along the padded floor until she reached him.
“I did it!” she gushed. “You were right about where to start. Thanks, Chase. Am I ready for the big walls yet?”
He chuckled, and again went to his knee so he wasn’t towering over her. At his height, he rarely towered over anyone, but kids were the obvious exception.
“How about we make sure you’re really comfortable with the little walls first before you move to the big ones? There are tougher paths you can try before you move up. Safety first, right?”
“Right! Okay, I’ll keep practicing.”
Before she returned to the climbing wall to give it another go, she turned toward the back wall and gave a wild wave to Tobias, who smiled and awkwardly flashed her two thumbs up. She giggled and then jumped on another climb.
Chase had never seen Tobias smile so big, and he was mesmerized by it. Even after winning the Stanley Cup, the man did little more than smirk. Chase had to drag his eyes away even though something in him fought against it, like his soul was pulling him toward Tobias. He had to shake away that thought. This wasn’t one of those paranormal romances he read from time to time. He was busy with four children at the moment and couldn’t spend the time losing focus. Kids were like the ocean, completely unpredictable, and he couldn’t turn his back on them.
As if to prove him right, one of the boys in his class stood on the top of the fort with his shoes in his hand, not on his feet where they should have been, threatening to throw them at his brother, who was making faces at him from the padding.
And back to work he went.
It wasn’t long before the hour was up and he said goodbye to the kids, congratulating them on a job well done. When he reached Madison, she beamed at him.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes, and I learned, too! Oby says learning is fun ’cause it makes you smarter and then you know how todo more things.”
“He’s right. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I hope you’ll come back, because getting really good at something takes lots of practice.”
“Oby says that too!”
“He sounds like a smart guy.”
Madison lit up. “He’s the smartest! So it’s okay if I come again to learn more?”
“Of course, you can! If it’s okay with Oby or your parents.”
“My mommy is away right now training for the ’lympics, so I’m staying with Oby and Gigi. I’ll come if he says it’s okay.”
“Wow! So that’s where you get your athletic skills. If anyone has any questions about climbing, I’m here to answer them.”
She shot forward and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing harder than he’d thought a six-year-old could, and there was a small pang in his heart.
After all his time working with kids, he’d learned they were brutally honest. And if Madison felt comfortable enough to hug him after just one class, that meant she liked him and he’d gained her trust.
It was something he’d never squander, especially after years of rejection from his own family members.
5
TOBIAS WAS TRYING NOT to freak out.
Between talking to Madison last week about visiting Cherrywood Boulders and walking into the place today, his brain completely forgot that Chase said he worked here. Part of him wondered if his brain did it on purpose to fuck with him, but he wasn’t sure of the science behind that. After yesterday, it was now clear Chase was a fan of his and he should be treading lightly. He thought maybe he and Chase had a connection, but he was clearly just seeing the fan side of him. Still, seeing him work with Madison would be beneficial, since Tobias considered starting kids’ classes at Gym Rat Fitness. It was also a benefit having Madison with him when he saw Chase again. She was so much better at doing the talking for them. When he talked, he always ended up feeling stupid, and he hated that. It was half the reason he was so quietall the time: to avoid sounding stupid.
Unlike his thoughts, which were now racing irritatingly as he watched Chase teach Madison how to rock climb.
Thankfully, Chase and Hailey hadn’t made a big deal about Tobias being at the gym, so he likely didn’t have to worry about anyone else bothering him. He could relax and just enjoy watching Madison have fun. It was the type of fun he got to have every morning at the gym.
The guys in the class likely had no idea, but that hour every morning gave Tobias the strength to keep going. It was like his own form of therapy. Not the exercise, but living vicariously through the guys. Even when he was in the NHL, he had no life. He’d maintained friendships with guys on the team, but there was always this roadblock keeping him from opening up to people. He was so ready to destroy that blockage in his last season, until it all imploded.
He did his best to create a good life for himself, and now for Madison while she stayed with him. And right now, that involved watching her love for rock climbing grow as she worked with Chase. Since he was a fan, Tobias had some reservations about the guy.
After Riley and Josh asked him about the alumni game, Chase showed his true colors. It wasn’t that Tobias didn’t like fans. In fact, he loved his fans. But over the years, they seemed to want more and more fromhim, and he retired when he had nothing left to give.
