Page 48 of Blindsided By the Enforcer

“We don’t need to dance, Cade. We can just skate in circles or whatever.”

“No way, tradition is important to you guys. We’re sticking with it. Now show me what to do.” I remove my skate guards and so does she. We place the CD player on a rock and slowly get onto the pond. Annie easily pushes off the edge and begins to glide. I catch up and skate to her. “Don’t be shy.”

“Who said I was shy?”

“No one. I want you to show me this tradition. I have none of my own,” I say, eliciting a frown.

She straightens her back. “Give me your hands.”

She places one of my hands at her waist and the other she holds in her hand. She places her other hand on my shoulder.

“How do we move now?” I laugh.

“We move together,” she says like it’s obvious.

I push off one of my legs and we glide. She follows my lead easily.

“When I was little, I thought I was Ariel the Mermaid,” she tells me. “Because we both have very red hair and, well, Ariel had a prince fall in love with her. I wanted a prince to fall in love with me, but Daddy said I was too young so he filled in until I was old enough.” She giggles, the sweet sound filling the silence and my heart in a way it shouldn’t.

Holding her in my arms. Having her this close makes me crave things I should give up on. But maybe her father is right. Maybe the right person is out there. Maybe she’s dancing on this very pond.

“Glad I get to fill in today. This has been a special Christmas. I don’t remember when I had this much fun.”

“Oh, come on, Cade. The guys in the hockey house love to party and have fun,” she reminds.

“This is different,” I tell her.

“I don’t think I’m a princess anymore. And I’m sure as hell not looking for my prince,” she notes as we glide across the ice together, Mariah Carey’s voice carrying across the pond.

“I feel the same way,” I lie as my eyes lock with hers. That warm feeling enters my chest as my mouth waters at the sight of her lips.

“Good. Let’s pick up the pace.”

We do and we both laugh as I release one hand and help her twirl away from me. Then I pull her back into me. “Whoa, that was good,” she praises. “Daddy doesn’t have those kinds of moves.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I can’t skate backward. Just a warning,” she says.

“Noted,” I reply. I spin her again as the music plays around us. There is an ethereal feeling in the air. I come from a family that didn’t make a big deal of the holidays. Annie’s family goes overboard. Even this little skate has a Christmas card vibe written all over it. I get caught up in the nostalgia as I guide us around the ice. I pick up speed, holding on to her and taking her with me. She screeches and giggles, her laughter spurring me on until I’m out of breath and ready for a break. I slow down. My skate catches on a chunk of ice. I lose my footing a little, but I rebound fast. Annie bumps right into me. Her palms land on my chest. She’s breathing fast as her laughter dies and our eyes lock. It’s the perfect moment to kiss her but if I kiss her and she kisses me back, we both have to admit what’s happening is real.

I don’t make the move and neither does she.

She blinks and pulls back. Her reaction knocks me out of my daze. “How about we head over to the firepit and have hot chocolate and s’mores?”

“Sounds like a plan.” That was a close call.

We head inside and take off our skates and change into our boots. Annie collects all the ingredients to make the s’mores. We head to the back of the house. She takes some dry logs and lights them on fire in the firepit, and we stand around the fire as she pours me hot chocolate.

“I’ve been eating terribly out here. I need to get back on routine,” I tell her.

“I can’t imagine how hard it is to be a professional athlete.”

“Hockey is literally my life.”

She takes a pot and melts chocolate. She uses a branch from a tree to roast the marshmallows.

“When I was younger, I spent a summer at a hockey camp. The training was intense, but at night they allowed us some fun activities and we made s’mores,” I tell her.

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