Page 122 of Wilder

“I’d better go before your coach arrives and assassinates me with a look.”

Lexi chuckled as they left the office. “Yep. She can do that.”

At the main door, she said, “Thank you again.”

He reached out his hand as if he was going to touch her, but then dropped it, giving her a soft, warm smile. “I know you need to focus on your training, but if you ever need anything, just give me a call.”

“I will,” she said, wishing he didn’t have to go. “It’s going to be pretty much nose to the grindstone time. We didn’t skate perfectly, so we’ll be having to make sure that doesn’t happen at the Olympics. Head down, skates on the ice.”

“You can do it.” With one final smile, he pushed against the door and walked out into the cold, dark morning.

Lexi watched him leave, feeling like he was taking a part of her heart with him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

With a tray in his hands, Wilder headed down the stairs to the basement. Amelia and Layla were down there already, emptying the tray Layla had carried down. All kinds of drinks and snacks covered the coffee table in front of the overstuffed couches.

They were getting ready to watch a playback of the long program of the figure skating competition at the Olympics. Since the games were taking place in Europe, the time difference meant that they were televised in the early afternoon in Serenity.

Because of school and work, they hadn’t been able to watch the competition as it was actually happening, but everyone had promised not to check the results before they had a chance to watch the competition together. They were going to pretend they were watching it live.

“Do you think they’re going to win?” Amelia asked as she moved the glasses from Wilder’s tray onto the coffee table. “Even though they’re in second coming into the final competition?”

“I think they can,” Wilder said. “Last time, they came in third and ended up second. And this time, it’s a lot closer.”

The short program scores between them and the team that ended up first had been within tenths of a point. But even if they weren’t first, they were definitely within striking distance. If they skated clean, he thought they’d take the gold. Their long program was incredible.

He hadn’t been able to read much in Lexi’s expression following the short program. She’d had a smile on her face as she sat with Mik and the coaches after they’d skated, but it was her professional smile.

The other three had been busy talking back and forth, while Lexi had sat there like a rock in a babbling brook. Calm in the midst of a storm. It was similar to how she’d been when she’d competed before. No matter how Mik and her coaches reacted, she kept her calm.

He and the girls planned to watch the whole competition, even though Lexi wouldn’t be skating until near the end. The others planned to come downstairs as it neared the time for her to skate.

He’d watched her short program on his phone between handling ski groups, but he wanted to watch this one on the big screen they had in the basement. Even if it meant watching it after the fact. He’d sent a text to Lexi to let her know their plans, so she’d know why he didn’t send a message right away if—when—she won.

“Let’s start the stream,” Amelia said, pointing at the television.

They were watching a playback of a livestream because sometimes the television stations didn’t show all the skaters, and Amelia, especially, wanted to see them all.

After grabbing their snacks and drinks, they settled on the overstuffed couches. Layla and Amelia took the loveseat, while Wilder stretched out on the large couch. Normally, he would have just watched the last six skaters, but since he didn’t have anything better to do, he decided to hang out with the girls.

At some point, Charli brought Shiloh down to hang out with them, and Wilder transferred to the floor to sit next to her.

“How many pairs have gone?” she asked as she stood for a moment watching the TV.

“Six.”

“Only six?”

“The long programs take longer,” Layla said.

“It’s just lucky we can fast forward through the ice resurfacing or we’d be sitting at four pairs.”

“Well, give us a head’s up when it’s almost time for Lexi,” Charli said as she headed for the stairs.

“I really like that girl’s costume,” Amelia said, pointing at the screen.

The girls chatted about what they liked about the pair currently on the ice. Wilder kept one eye on the screen, one eye on Shiloh, who was happily chewing on a toy as she sat with a pillow behind her.

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