Page 133 of Ice Mechanic

“You once told me you don’t hand out apologies unless you mean them. I know you’re being sincere, but I won’t accept your apology this time, Chance. This is not your fault. You’ve done nothing but make me feel valued and protected.”

My lips curl up. Those words mean the world to me.

April chuckles. “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have gotten to this point. Believe me, I was looking for any reason to mistrustyou, but you haven’t given me a single opportunity to doubt your character.”

I squeeze her fingers and then bring them up to my lips to kiss the back of her hand. The harsh scent of engine fluid and whatever oils and grease she was working with fills my nostrils. But it doesn’t bother me at all.

“I really,reallylike you, April.” It’s more than that, but she only opened the door to her heart a crack. I don’t want to barge in with another love confession and overwhelm her too soon.

“I like you too.” She leans forward. “For real.”

Joy explodes in my chest and I whoop like a maniac.

April teeters back with laughter and watches me with a big grin. “Are you that happy?”

“I worked so hard to hear that… Of course, I’m ecstatic.”

April scoots forward and wraps her arms around my neck. Instantly, my grin tempers into a quietly pleased smirk. Having her close is almost better than ice time.

Nope, it’swaybetter than ice time.

I rest my hand on her waist and pull her a little closer. “What’s the first thing you want to do as my real, official girlfriend?”

“Mm.” She tosses her head back, exposing her beautiful neck to me. “Now that we’re official, how about we seal the deal?”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-EIGHT

APRIL

“When you said ‘seal the deal’, this is not what I had in mind,” Chance mutters, staring at me as I wobble forward on the skates Bobby lent me.

Behind him, the ice glints white and frosty. It’s a regular ice rink, but it might as well be the Siberian tundra in my eyes.

My safety-pad-covered knees quake at the thought of stepping onto the ice.

A chill inches up my spine despite the two layers of Chance’s sweater and numbered jacket shrouding me from the cold.

I try to take a step forward, but my brain communicates ‘time to panic’ and my limbs revolt.

Both legs start wobbling.

Arms, windmilling.

Balance and gravity are in a heated battle and the former is losing.

I bend my knees and wiggle my arms, knocking the scarf around my neck askew. “Chance!”

Warm, calloused fingers close around my elbow. I manage to remain upright with Chance’s grip firm around me.

“You good?” Chance asks. I have no idea how he got to me so fast, but he’s not even winded.

“Yeah.” I blow out a breath. With his help, I take a shaky step forward.

“Didn’t you tell me you were never going to skate?”

“I said I was allergic to falling on ice. But things change. I can’t be your girlfriend and not even know how to handle myself in an ice rink.”

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