Page 27 of Nicky

I watched him fumble a little with his laces and had to bite back the urge to kneel down and do it for him. Not because he couldn’t, but because every fiber of me wanted to take care of him.

The ice was just as much of a disaster as I expected it to be. Neither of us was particularly skilled, which quickly turned into a comedy of errors. Within the first few minutes, Nicky had stumbled twice, and I wasn’t far behind.

“Careful there,” I said as he wobbled, reaching out instinctively to steady him. My hands landed lightly on his waist, and for a second, I felt the heat of him even through the layers of clothing.

“Don’t think I need a lifeguard, Doc,” he teased, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“Maybe not, but someone has to keep you upright,” I shot back, though the softness in my tone betrayed me.

He smirked, brushing my hands away gently but with purpose, and I could see the pride in his eyes. That independent streak again. I let my hands drop, but not before I gave him a look that said,If you fall, I’m catching you anyway.

The playful banter only grew as we skated—or rather, as we both tried not to fall. Every time my protective instincts surfaced, Nicky had a quick, teasing remark.

“You know,” he said after I reached out to steady him for the third time, “you don’t have to hold my hand every time I slip.”

I raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “I’m just making sure you don’t take me down with you.”

“Sure, Markus,” he replied, his grin widening. “Let me guess—you’ve got a liability waiver in your coat pocket, too?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. His teasing was relentless, but it was laced with warmth, and it only made me like him more. He had this way of making me feel like he was letting me into his world one joke at a time, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

As I reached out again to steady him after a particularly shaky glide, Nicholas huffed in mock exasperation, straightening on his own before I could touch him. He wobbled slightly but managed to stay upright.

“See?” he said, shooting me a triumphant grin. “I’ve got this.”

I held up my hands in surrender, the corners of my mouth twitching with amusement. “Alright, alright. Just trying to be helpful.”

He gave me a look—half playful, half challenging—before swatting my hand away as I instinctively reached out once more.

“I’m fine,” he replied with a grin, his voice tinged with that familiar stubbornness. “Don’t baby me, Doc.”

His teasing tone made me laugh, but it also had my mind wandering to other things—things I probably shouldn’t have been thinking about on a first date.

“Nicholas!”

The voice drew our attention. A tall, wiry man was leaning against the rink’s railing, his arm draped casually over the shoulder of another man who looked a little shy but friendly.

Nicky’s face lit up in a way that told me these weren’t strangers. “Kyle!” he called, skating toward them with a surprising amount of balance, leaving me to follow at a more cautious pace.

Kyle grinned, all sharp smirks and playful energy. “Well, well, look at you two,” he teased, eyes sparkling. “Is this a date or the casting call for the next Hallmark Christmas special?”

Nicky rolled his eyes, but his tone was light. “Jealous?”

Kyle scoffed dramatically. “Me? Please.” Then he nudged the guy beside him. “Anyway, this is Jordan. He just moved to town, and I’m showing him the ropes.”

Nicholas nodded, then turned toward me with a faint smirk. “Markus, this is Kyle—one of my oldest friends. And Kyle, this is Markus.”

Kyle’s grin widened, his gaze sliding toward me with unhidden curiosity. “So this is the famous Doc I’ve been hearing about.” He stuck out his hand, and I shook it firmly.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, keeping my tone easy.

“And you,” Kyle said, his smirk never wavering. Then, with a flick of his head toward Jordan, he added, “Jordan, this is Nicholas and Markus.”

Jordan stepped forward, offering a warm handshake to each of us. “Nice to meet you both,” he said, his voice smooth and polite.

“You too,” Nicholas replied, his tone friendly but casual. “Welcome to Juniper Hollow.”

Kyle tilted his head, clearly enjoying himself. “Well, we won’t keep you. I’m sure you’ve got all kinds of romantic shenanigans planned, right, Nicky?”

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