Page 129 of The Hockey Grump Saves Christmas

Abigail makes an exaggerated, sweeping curtsy amid cries of yayfrom the crowd.

Then she flips the sign, which reads,Donations For The Theater Repair Fund!

“If you have enjoyed the play, please drop whatever you can in the donation buckets.”

Mrs. Bentley rattles the one on her lap.

“Also, the Bearded Bean coffee shop and the Kneads Must bakery are donating all of tonight’s proceeds to the theater repair fund.” She looks to the side. “Dad, can you get me a hot chocolate and a strawberry doughnut before they all go?”

Her dad nods and claps.

Suddenly, walking across the mat on the ice toward her, is Aunt Lou. That’s not part of the plan.

She puts her arm around Abigail’s lettuce costume and addresses the audience. “Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight and supporting this unique version of the Christmas play that has been staged under extremely difficult circumstances. And for that, we all need to thank my fabulous niece.” She beckons me to join her. “Natalie Bourne, get yourself out here.”

My stomach flips. The last thing I want to do is to detract attention from the kids, but I can’t very well leave Aunt Lou hanging.

Mrs. B. gets busy with her elbow again. “Go take a bow.”

Shaking my head with embarrassment, I make my way along the mat, giving each of the lined up little kids a pat and a thank-you along the way.

Aunt Lou takes a step back, pulling Abigail with her, and gestures for me to move to the front.

“I was not expecting this,” I tell the audience. “Tonight is about the amazing job the kids have done and raising funds to repair the theater so we can all be inside againnext year.” I make a dramatic shiver and rub my arms. A giggle runs through the crowd.

“I have the most incredible group of actors here.” I turn and gesture to all the children gathered behind me, who give themselves a round of applause. “They are the absolute stars of this show.”

The crowd goes wild with cheers and clapping and whistles.

“Thank you so much for coming tonight,” I shout over the noise as they start to move away.

Then I realize there’s something I absolutely must add. “Just one other thing.”

Everyone stops in their tracks and turns back to face me.

“When the fire happened, I was terrified it would mean that for the first time in decades there would be no Christmas play. I couldn’t think of a single alternative venue that would be available. And, I have to confess, the idea to stage it on ice wasn’t mine. It was?—”

I’m silenced by a sharp intake of breath from the crowd, mixed with a couple of whispered cries of “Look!”

They’re all distracted, their attention shifted off to the side.

I follow their gaze to see a tall, broad, muscular shape walking across the mats toward me, backlit by the lights on the bandstand like a glowing angel.

CHAPTER 41

GABE

I let the applause die down so Natalie can take her bow and soak up all the accolades and appreciation she deserves. Then, as the audience turns to go, I move against the flow—stepping toward the pond to emerge from between them, feeling like I’m taking my life in my hands.

Despite the cold, my palms are sweating in the new pair of Apollos gloves I grabbed from the team store to replace the ones I gave to Grayson. The clamminess started as I got out of my SUV, crossed the sidewalk, and made my way up the path between the snowman and Santa lights, to the pond.

When I first got here I lurked behind everyone. A couple of times I almost turned around to drive back to New York and give all this up as a bad idea. But I made myself stay. The potential prize is too big to not at least be in the game.

I know I want Natalie in my life for as long as shewants to be in it. And I’m certain this is the right thing to do and the right way to do it.

As the play got to Sir Percival’s final chance with Wendolyn, I inched my way around the edge of the audience until I was just feet away from where Natalie was standing with her aunt and Mrs. B.

Then it was Natalie I was watching, not the play.

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