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What size should I get you if I order something? We can always return it if it doesn’t work. I’d like to place an order soon, though. So we can practice with the costumes on.

Wilder:I think an extra large if we’re thinking of adding some padding.

Okay. I’ll see what they have.

Once their conversation was over, she retrieved her laptop from the office and logged onto Amazon to see what she could find there. After searching for a bit, she found a Santa suit that looked like it would work. It didn’t look cheap, and it had a nice blue toned red instead of an orange red that others had. So into the cart it went.

Finding an outfit for Mrs. Claus was a little more difficult. Too many of the outfits were for a sexy Mrs. Claus, which she knew wouldn’t be appropriate for this particular program.

Finally, she found one with a full skirt that ended around mid-shin. It was the same rich red color as the costume for Wilder. The hem of the skirt had a fluffy white fringe on it, and that same fringe went around the hooded cloak that came with it. She thought it would be comfortable to skate in.

After she had them both in the cart, she completed the order, which should arrive in two days. Hopefully Wilder was okay with what she’d chosen. At least they had a little time to get the costumes sorted out if he wasn’t.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt a frisson of excitement that was related to skating. Now that they’d gotten the program sorted out, she was looking forward to it. And not just to the program itself, but she was anxious to have a purpose in the practicing she did each day.

And though she might have questioned the whole idea of a Christmas program at the start, she was definitely on board now.

She might not be competing, but she was putting to use the only skills she had. It was a good feeling, and it made her happy.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Wilder was up early the next morning and dressed in a pair of joggers instead of his normal jeans, thinking they might be better for the practice with Lexi. He’d gone to his parents’ place the night before to find a hockey stick since they didn’t have one at Charli and Janessa’s.

When he walked into the kitchen, he was greeted by a room full of activity as people got ready to leave for school and work. Wilder made himself some instant oatmeal, then stood next to the counter eating it, while Layla and Amelia sat hunched over bowls of cereal.

“Okay, I’m off,” Blake said as he picked up Shiloh’s car seat.

Charli gave him a kiss, then bent to press a kiss to Shiloh’s forehead. Blake would be dropping the baby off with his and Charli’s parents before he went to work, while Charli took Layla to the middle school, then went with Amelia to the elementary school.

After he finished his oatmeal, Wilder rinsed the bowl and put it into the dishwasher. He filled a travel mug with coffee, then said goodbye to the people still there and headed for the rink.

Wilder was excited to see what Lexi had come up with. He hadn’t been sure how she’d approach a program that had no real significance to it. This one wouldn’t have any of the intricacies or difficulty of a competitive program. Or at least he hoped it wouldn’t. There was no way he’d trust himself to throw—let alone catch—Lexi.

There was only one car in the parking lot at the rink. It was the Audi he’d seen before, which seemed to confirm that it was Lexi’s car.

Grabbing the hockey stick from the back seat, he locked the car, then headed for the rink. Christmas music was playing as he walked inside, making him smile. The music of the season was just one of many things he liked about Christmas.

He spotted Lexi on the ice already, and as he neared the boards, he stopped to watch as she glided on her skates, then popped up into a jump that looked absolutely flawless. Wilder couldn’t help but admire how she took something that was so challenging for the average person and performed it effortlessly.

Except he knew that even though the jump looked flawless and effortless, a lot of work had gone into making it appear that way.

“Good morning,” he said, making his voice loud enough to be heard over the music as he leaned against the boards.

Lexi turned toward him with a smile, then skated to where he stood. “Good morning.”

It seemed she had a uniform for when she was on the ice. The dark blue workout pants and jacket skimmed her figure, allowing him to see the lines and positions she’d focused on with Amelia and Layla. He could see the elegance that resulted from her paying attention to those things, though he had a feeling it came naturally to Lexi.

For the first time, it seemed her expression was open and relaxed. There was even a spark of excitement in her eyes.

“Ready for the program?” she asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be. I just hope you’re going to take it easy on me.”

“It’s not super complex,” she said. “And if we need to change stuff, we can do that. Nothing is set in stone with this. We don’t have to worry about maximum point value for anything.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Well, get your skates on and let’s get going.”

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