Page 133 of Wilder

“My dad said he stole in order to provide me and my mom with a life of wealth. He said he needed the money to help cover the expenses of my career. So yeah, I do feel like I played a role in it. Like I built my career on the backs of the people who gave my dad their money.”

“Do you think that you wouldn’t have excelled the way you did if you had to do it the way other skaters do?”

“I think I still would have been a great skater. I was willing to work hard. My dad could have created an outdoor rink for meto practice on in winter and paid a rental fee at a local rink. My mom could have homeschooled me instead of hiring a tutor. We could have done it.”

“So the fact that your dad chose to do it the way he did is not your fault. You were a kid when he began making those decisions.”

“I know.”

“This is something you need to pray about,” Wilder said. “God can help you with your guilt. And maybe talking to a counsellor might help, too.”

Wilder thought she might laugh at the suggestion, but instead, she nodded. “My mom suggested that when everything happened, but I told her I was fine.”

“Sometimes our parents know best,” Wilder said, then chuckled. “But don’t tell my parents I said that.”

“I won’t.”

“Thanks. I appreciate you having my back.”

“Anytime.”

Wilder liked the sound of that. “I’ve got yours too.”

“We should move to the bench,” Lexi said. “My legs are frozen.”

“So’s my butt.”

Wilder let go of Lexi’s hand and got to his feet, reaching out to grab onto the boards to steady himself. He held out his hand to Lexi to help her up. She grabbed on tight and came up to her feet more easily than Wilder had.

Together, they left the ice and went to the bench, which was infinitely more comfortable. The music kept playing as they settled on the bench.

“I had another reason for coming to look for you today,” Wilder said.

She glanced over at him. “What’s that?”

“I wanted to ask you out on a date.”

Lexi froze for a moment, then shifted to face him more fully. “What?”

“I discovered that I really, really like you, and I want to spend more time with you, with the hope of being in a serious relationship one day. I mean, if that’s what you want.”

“But… I thought our lives didn’t mesh well together.”

“Are you planning to stay here in Serenity?”

She nodded. “I hope to. I like it here, and it’s been good to me.”

“Well, I’m willing to make some changes to my life,too,” Wilder told her, relishing the sense of peace he had as he said those words.

Instead of smiling, though, Lexi frowned. “Why?”

“Because I care about you. A lot.”

“I don’t want to be the reason that you regret making a change to the way you’ve lived your life,” she said. “I don’t need even more guilt to add to what I’m already carrying.”

Wilder understood why she would feel that way, given what she’d been dealing with. But he didn’t want her to think that every man would create situations that would heap guilt on her.

“I won’t regret it,” Wilder said. “I promise. If I really want to travel, there’s nothing to say I couldn’t do short trips instead of being gone for several months at a time. And you could come with me. Maybe we could spend some time at the orphanages too.”

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