Page 14 of Hat Trick Heart

“Hey,” I chuckle. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

She smiles and her arms windmill again and I grab them before she goes down. She giggles.

“What do you want to know?”

“How old are you? I know what you do but what about your family? Your life other than work? Your friends?”

“Wow! That’s a lot! I’m twenty-four. I have a mom and dad who are no longer together and they hate each other with a burning passion unlike any I’ve ever seen before. I see them both a couple of times a year but it’s always awkward because they still can’t let their history go and they like to try and get me involved in it. They got married shortly after they had me and they didn’t believe in divorce so they just went on with their relationship and it was awful. They fought all the time.”

“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry that your home life was like that.”

“What about yours?”

“I lost my mom when I was a kid so it was just me and my dad. He was a huge hockey fan. He loved to watch me play. Used to come to my practices all the time. He even coached my school team so that he could be right there on the ice with me. He played hockey when he was a kid too. It was something we had together that we both understood and loved.”

“What happened to him?”

I sigh and roll her in to me so that I can hold her close while we circle the ice lazily. I look down into her pretty, worried face. “He was a hard-working guy. He worked at a factory, manufacturing car parts. Anyway, he was on his way home one night and he was hit by a car going the wrong way on the highway. Killed him instantly.”

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry.” She hugs me tight and I can see the tears in her bright blue eyes.

“Hey! I didn’t tell you that to make you cry. He was a big influence in my life. I just wanted you to know something about him.”

“Did he ever date after your mom died?”

I shake my head and smile. “He was a one-woman man. When she died, he had friends that tried to fix him up, thinking that he shouldn’t be alone but he just refused. Said there wasn’t a woman like my mom out there and he didn’t want another woman. I won’t say that he was never lonely or unhappy but he had his memories and that seemed to be all he wanted except for me and my life.”

“That’s nice. My parents weren’t really interested in what I was doing until I told my dad I wanted to be a writer and then he flat-out told me that was a ridiculous fantasy and I needed to get my head out of the clouds and find a real career.”

I can see how much that hurt her. “I’m sorry that he didn’t support your dreams. Every little girl should have her dad’s support.”

She shrugs and comes to a stop on the ice, her blue eyes far away. “I have a good job that I like so I can’t say it’s all bad.”

“Still. That was kinda rough. How are your parents now?”

“Bitter, angry. Even though they hate each other they won’t move on and find someone new. It’s like they’re still attached to each other. That might be because they don’t believe in divorce, either one of them. I’m not sure. But I go visit them and every time I do, my mom asks me if I’m seeing someone and she tells me I shouldn’t bother with men. That they’re nothing but heartache.”

“Wow.”

I don’t know what to say. My parents’ marriage was a dream that ended in a nightmare. It sounds like her parents’ marriage was a nightmare that just won’t end.

I shake myself out of the sadness that surrounds her and tug her into me. “Okay. Time to do a spin.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “Oh, no, no! I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can. I’ll help you.”

We go slow at first and then faster and she throws her head back, laughing.

Which was all I wanted. To make her smile and laugh again. I hate seeing her unhappy. It’s not right. Her pretty face was made for smiles.

After I bring us to a halt and she falls into me, laughing loudly, I lean down and touch her lips lightly with mine. She freezes and time stands still when she closes her eyes and melts into me. Her soft curves fit against me just right and I slide my palm around until I’m cupping her lush ass, bringing her as close to me as I can. Her mouth opens and she mewls low in the back of her throat, sinking into my touch, her tongue slipping along mine making my dick hard in seconds. Her hips push against me lightly and I can’t think straight. My other hand slides up in her hair and I hold her head steady while I devour each little sound and gasp she makes, our kisses becoming frantic and needy.

I jerk my mouth up, panting, hard as a fucking rock and stare down into her flushed cheeks as her lashes come up and I drown in her sapphire gaze, her lips puffy and red and wanton.

“That was…” I don’t get to finish because the lights go out on the ice and a voice comes over the speaker.

“Time to go. I’m sorry, Mr. LaCourt, but I’m due home and I can’t stay any longer.”

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