Page 91 of Wilder

“Very good. Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Same to you.”

“Busy day today, huh?”

“Busiest day yet,” George said. “Seems that Mr. Remington knew what he was doing when he set this rink up. I have a feeling it will only continue to grow in popularity.”

Wilder was glad it had turned out to be a positive thing, but he wasn’t sure it was beneficial for Lexi to be so busy working full time when she was also training.

“Were there any issues with people renting skates?” Lexi asked.

“Not really. A few people had to swap out the skates because they didn’t fit the way they were used to their shoes fitting.”

Soon, the lights blinked out in the café, and Luke waved a goodbye as he headed for the exit.

“I’m going to do the ice before I leave tonight,” George said. “So it’s ready for you to practice tomorrow morning.”

“I feel badly that you have to stay late because of me.”

“Don’t you worry about it, Lexi. I’m happy to do it. I think my wife prefers I be home later in the morning, anyway. This way, I can stay with her until lunch.”

“As long as you’re sure it’s not a problem.”

“If you ever need someone to fill in, I’ve operated the machine before,” Wilder said. “It’s been a few years, but I think I could manage it.”

“You’ve helped out at the rink in town, right?” George said.

“Yep. Back when I was playing some hockey.”

“Looks like everyone has gone,” George said. “So I’m gonna get to working on the ice.”

Because of the size of the rink, they had to use a ride-on ice resurfacing machine. Wilder watched as George made his way to the far end of the rink, where he opened a large door. Once inside, he must have pressed another button because a portion of the boards on the far side swung open.

This place was truly a marvel considering how they’d set it up. The practical parts of operating a rink didn’t interfere with the aesthetics of the place.

“I need to get home,” Lexi said as they walked back to the office.

“Mik and your coach aren’t giving you any hassles, are they?”

She sighed. “They don’t understand why I’m continuing to work when they want me to be available to train all the time. The way it used to be.”

“I’m sure that would be ideal,” Wilder said.

“But not realistic at this point. Training before could be our sole focus because my dad was funding us, and we didn’t need to work to pay for coaching or rink rentals. It’s different now. We’re more like other skaters who have to work to pay their bills while they train.”

“It would probably be easier on your body if you only had to focus on training.”

“True. But that’s just not how things are this time around.”

“Do you think you can still perform at the high level even if you’re not able to focus on training as much?”

“I think we can, but only time will tell.” Lexi sat on her chair with a sigh. “We just need to make sure that we’re totally focused on the training when we’re training. Mik needs to park his attitude at the door and focus on what Irina is telling us. We don’t have the time for him to argue with Irina over stuff.”

“Let me help you,” Wilder said, going to a knee in front of her.

“You don’t have to,” Lexi said.

“I know. But you’re tired. Just relax.”

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