Page 66 of Switching Skates
But then we kissed on the porch, and he made me orange chicken and ice cream, knowing damn well the way to my heart is through my stomach. Suddenly, the clear vision I had for my future is now all muddled.
That’s why I’ve been skating around the rink for an hour, trying to clear my head, which has been a royal failure. If anything, it’s just spiraled my thoughts more, leaving me more confused than when I started.
But now I have to head home and help Maeve pick the house up for dinner later. Apparently, the guys on Mason’s team had such a fun time last week, having Sunday dinner at our house, that they asked if they could come over this weekend, too, and for some reason, Maeve said yes. Without asking me, might I add.
I gave her some grace though, knowing if I wasn’t extra irritable from my period, I more than likely would have agreed to it just to see her smile.
I know she’s always said that she’s on my side when it comes to Mason, but he’s also her brother, and they’ve been super close their entire lives. So, it’s not just a dinner for the team, but a dinner for the Holts. I’m not going to take that away from either of them.
Skating off the ice, I stop by my bag and quickly take a couple of Midol, hoping it’ll help with the rest of these cramps that should fade over the next day or so.
My phone rings as I sit down to undo my laces. I see my mom’s name, who has been unusually quiet as of late. But I’ve been busy, so I didn’t think too much about it.
“Hey, Mom,” I answer her.
“Hey, peanut. What’re you up to?”
I can hear sticks and pucks hitting the ice in the background.
“Just about to head home. Got a little skate time in this morning.” I tuck the phone into my shoulder to free up my other hand to stow my skates into my duffel before heading out.
“That’s amazing, honey. Having a good time there? Any problems?” she asks, and I notice a nervous pitch in her voice, wondering the real reason she’s calling.
Is she just building up the courage to say what’s on her mind by making small talk?
“Going really well.”Aside from spending the last week in Mason’s body.“The kids are good, and I’m loving all of the ice time.”Including playing goalie for a day.“What about you?”
Her voice cracks on the first word. “Oh, I’m doing really great. I wanted to talk to you about something since I’ve got you here.”
Oh, I know. I’ve been able to read her like a book since I was a kid. She’s never been able to hide anything from me.
I step outside and walk toward my vehicle as she continues.
“I, uhh … I started seeing someone actually.” Her anxiety bleeds into her words, but I don’t know why she’s so nervous. I only want her to be happy.
“Mom, that’s amazing!” I say with a smile. “Tell me about him. Is he nice? Handsome?”
I unlock my Jeep and hop inside, starting it right away and rolling my window down. I like to feel the wind on my hand when I drive.
Hooking my phone to its holder on my dash, I put her on speaker and pull out of my parking spot to head home.
“His name is Heath. He’s very kind. A real gentleman. Funny.” I can see the hearts in her eyes as she talks. “I met him at the rink. He’s actually a coach for the college hockey team here. We hit it off right away.”
My grin is uncontrollable when I hear the joy in her voice. “Good! That’s great, Mom! You deserve to be happy.”
“I am,” she murmurs. “What about you? Any new updates for me?”
“On my love life? Nope, not really.” I ignore the image of Mason that butts its way into my mind.
She doesn’t buy it, somehow reading my thoughts. “Even with Mason?”
“Yes,” I groan. “Even with him. Especially with him. I don’t even like him—like, at all.” I force the words through my teeth, knowing damn well that every word is a lie.
“You want to talk about it?”
“Nope.” I huff, fighting an embarrassed smile.
She chuckles. “Well, I’m here if you ever need to. You know that.”
