Page 21 of Ice Melts

The music from the speaker on the dock drifted across the ice, a soft, slow melody that made the moment feel almost surreal.

Sarah led at first, her movements graceful and confident, and Travis followed her lead, their skates gliding in perfect unison. She spun away from him, the hem of her coat flaring out, and he caught her hand just in time to pull her back in.

“Not bad,” she said, her voice teasing.

“I’ve had a good teacher,” he admitted, his grip on her hand tightening ever so slightly.

They moved together as if no time had passed, the years between then and now melting away with every turn. Travis spun her again, and she laughed, the sound light and carefree. And then, without warning, she launched herself into the air, twisting into a leap that he caught effortlessly, his hands finding her waist as if they were made for this.

Her laughter turned breathless as he set her down gently, their faces inches apart.

“You’ve still got it,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

“So do you,” she replied, her eyes searching his.

The moment stretched, the world around them fading into the background. For a split second, Travis thought about leaningin, about closing the distance between them. But before he could move, Sarah stepped back, her hand slipping from his.

“I think I need a break,” she said, her voice light but tinged with something he couldn’t quite place.

He nodded, swallowing the disappointment that settled in his chest. “Hot cocoa?”

She smiled, and it was enough to make his heart skip a beat. “You read my mind.”

They skated back to the dock, where the thermos waited. Travis poured the cocoa into two mugs, the steam curling up into the cold night air.

They sat side by side on the dock, the silence between them comfortable, the stars beginning to peek out overhead.

Sarah took a sip of her cocoa, her hands cradling the mug for warmth. “Your mom’s recipe.”

“Of course,” he said, taking a sip of his own. “Some things are sacred.”

She smiled, her gaze distant as she stared out at the ice. “I miss this,” she said softly.

“Me too,” he admitted.

They sat like that for a while, the quiet wrapping around them like a blanket. And though neither of them said it out loud, Travis hoped they both felt it—the weight of the unspoken things between them, the pull of something neither of them was ready to name.

CHAPTER TEN

Sarah’s notifications on her phone lit up. A quick scroll told her some big hockey scandal was going down and of course they wanted her to cover it. Her chest tightened as she thought about it now, changing her clothes in the back bedroom. She didn’t read all her messages. She couldn’t deal with that right now, not with Travis right here, not when things were so nice. She didn’t want this fantasy-pause-in-time to end.

She came out wearing the only thing she had brought which was a pair of leggings and a very old ratty sweatshirt.

He laughed when he saw it. “Is that thing still functioning?”

“What do you mean? Of course it is. Look.” She held up an arm with several holes in it and a torn and weathered cuff.

He shook his head. “No. Here. I’ve got a brand new one that’s actually warm.” He dug in his bag and pulled out a Seahorn sweatshirt.

And she knew it was the soft kind, the oversized kind, the perfect kind. She couldn’t resist. She smiled and held out her hand. “Oh, you know I’m not turning that down.”

His grin was perfect, where his mouth was sort of crooked, his eyes lit up and his jaw just right; she couldn’t look away. Shepulled her old shirt off, over her head, leaving a tight-fitting tank top that she hurriedly covered with his. “Mm. It smells so good.” Half way through pulling it down over her ears, she paused. Had she really just said that out-loud? Oh boy.Get it together Sarah.

Her cheeks had to be flushed when she looked at him again. They felt rosy hot. But she couldn’t help herself. The whole thing had been infused with Eu de Travis. She’d know it anywhere, and she wanted to live inside that hoody for as long as possible.

He hurried to the stove top and came back with two steaming bowls, spoons, rolls and placed them on the table, then he brought a pitcher.

“Impressive Jenkins.”

---