Page 21 of Wilder

Several articles had touched on the fact that Alexandra and Mikhail had been engaged, so after everything had transpired with her dad, she’d lost more than just her career as an elite athlete, she’d also lost the man she’d planned to marry. That had to be devastating.

“Do you know how to skate?” Rori asked as she looked up at Lee.

“Yep. Like Wilder, I played some hockey. I was never going to be a pro player, but I got pretty good at staying upright on the ice.”

“Maybe we should go skating some time, and you can teach me.”

Lee smiled at her. “I’d love to do that.”

“You should come to the rink when I take the girls for practice,” Wilder said. “It’s usually not too busy.”

“Are you going to be able to keep taking them once you start working?”

“Yep. I’m usually done by five in the winter. Earlier even when the days are at their shortest.”

Rori smiled at him. “That’s so good of you to help out like that.”

Wilder hadn’t spent a lot of time with his nieces and nephews over the years, but as he’d gotten more involved with the orphanages, he’d realized what he was missing out on. If he could spend time with kids he didn’t have a connection to, he should be able to do it with the ones in his family.

“I’ve enjoyed it because I go skating as well. I don’t just leave it to them.”

Wilder glanced down the boards to where Charli and Blake stood. Shiloh must have been sleeping in her car seat on the bench because she wasn’t with them.

It never failed to surprise him to see Charli with Blake. Over the years, she’d kept pretty much every man at arm's length. Now, though, if Blake was nearby, she was next to him.

At that moment, Charli was watching the girls with a frown, her hands clasping the top of the boards.

Wilder wondered if she regretted her decision to bring the girls to Alexandra for coaching. Charli had always loved children and was protective of her own. Even Amelia and Shiloh, who weren’t hers by blood. If she thought working with Alexandra would harm the girls on some level, she would put a stop to it for sure.

At the end of the lesson, Layla once again asked Alexandra to do some jumps and spins. He wondered how long it would before Layla tried to talk the woman into skating one of her old programs for them. Modified, of course, since she no longer had a partner to skate with.

“Goodness,” Rori exclaimed as Alexandra did one of her jumps. “She jumped so high, and she skates so fast.”

Wilder thought of their race the previous week, and he wondered if she’d get mad if he hung around again. He was intrigued by her, but he was also thinking that if he could get a read on her, he might be able to help Charli feel more comfortable about her coaching the girls.

“How long until I can do a program?” Layla asked as the three of them skated to where Wilder and the others stood watching them.

Alexandra paused before she asked, “What do you know about programs?”

“Not too much.”

“Okay. So here’s some homework for you,” Alexandra said. “I want you to do research into what the requirements are for programs at your level. Once you can tell me what’s needed, then we’ll talk about doing a program.”

“Do I need to do that too?” Amelia asked.

Alexandra looked down at her and nodded. “Yep. You can work together to get the information and get your mom or dad to help too if you need it.”

“We’ll do that,” Layla promised. “I can’t wait to have a program.”

“Keep working on your elements. You’ve done well this week.”

“Will you take us to the rink again, Uncle Wilder?” Layla asked as she stepped off the ice.

“I think I probably could,” Wilder said. “For a fee.”

Layla’s brows rose. “What sort of fee?”

“Brownies would work. Or double chocolate chip cookies.”

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