Page 9 of My Best Bet

She curled her little hand over her mouth and whispered: “I think I have to use the bafroom.”

She was suddenly shifting her weight and crossing her legs.

“Oh.” I blinked at her, then searched around for the women's restroom. “Let’s go quick.”

“But what about my coach?” Her face scrunched in worry. “She’ll be mad.”

“No she won’t.”And if she is, then she’ll be fired before she’s ever hired. “You can join after, no big deal,” I said calmly as I led her back into the lobby toward the bathrooms.

Lucy darted into the women’s room while I stood guard.

When she finally came back out, she bit her lip nervously. “You really don’t think my coach will be mad?”

“Not at all,” I said confidently. “I’ll tell you a little secret,” I said, shoving the rink door back open for her. “I always have to nervous pee before I skate, too.”

Her lips twisted like she was trying not to laugh. “Don’t say pee,” she reprimanded me. “It’s baff-room.”

“Right, right. I forgot.” I smirked down at her.

She rolled her eyes again, but a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

“Alright,” I walked with her up to the opening in the boards, “I think they’re right there,” I said, pointing to the two little girls across the ice.

She let out a shaky breath and nodded. Her shoulders were hiked up almost to her ears.

“Hey, Lu,” I said, pulling her warm brown eyes up to mine. “You didn’t miss anything important. You’realreadya great skater. You got this.”

“I got this,” she repeated quietly.

“And if you don’t got this… We can try hockey?” I said, giving her a hopeful smile.

She rolled her eyes again. “I amnota hockey player, Dad.”

“But if you wanted to try–”

She shook her head. “I am a figure skater,” she said with determination.

“There’s my girl,” I said proudly. “Now get out there and show ‘em what you got.”

She nodded firmly and then took a step out onto the ice.

I kept my eyes on her as I walked toward the small concession stand, feeling pride bloom in my chest over how strong she looked as she glided across the ice with her arms stretched out by her sides.

Barely taking my eyes off her, I ordered a hot chocolate from the teen manning the concession stand. I never noticed how cold this rink was because I was always the one breaking a sweat out here. Now that I was standing still in here, the cold was unpleasantly seeping into my bones.

“That’ll be uh… two… two fifty,” the teen boy stammered.

I handed him a twenty, still straining my eyes to see Lucy across the ice.

“Um… Are you…”

I looked back at the teen expectantly.

His eyes widened. “Youarehim.”

Cracking a grin, I put a finger to my lips in a shush motion. “Just here to watch my daughter. Keep the change. Have a nice day, kid.”

He nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Thank you, Mr. Conover, sir.”

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