Page 7 of Christmas on Ice
“My ex is on call today,” I said. “He should be able to get Ryleigh.” But as I spoke, I knew the opposite was true. It was Sutton’s day off, but he was likely shacked up with his new girlfriend in her mountain cabin that conveniently—for them—had no cell reception or Wi-Fi.
I tucked the tray under my arm and fished the phone out of my apron pocket. Missed call from the preschool. Another buzz signaled a text.
I scanned the text. “Dammit.”
Ms. Spencer, we’ve been unable to reach Ryleigh’s father…
I still had two hours left of my shift, and I could really use the tip from the team to pay for Ryleigh’s mini all-star cheerleading lessons. She’d fallen in love with the sport over the summer, and it wasn’t cheap. Child support and loans only went so far.
“I could have our nanny pick her up for you and bring her back here?” Kira asked.
I shook my head as I dialed. “Brenna’s not scheduled this afternoon. She just stopped in to help out in case we got swamped. She’s Ryleigh’s emergency contact. Thank you, though.”
“It’s no trouble.” Kira tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. “We moms can help each other. It’s what we do.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” I’d remember that for next time and add her to Ryleigh’s pickup list. I turned to go and spotted Trask leaning against a table on the other side of the room chatting with Brendan Trotter. Brendan lifted his hand, so I made my way over to them.
“Congrats on the game. Can I get you guys anything while you wait for the food?” I looked up and swung my gaze to Trask’s perfect face. These two were each six feet four and, from what I’d heard, a veritable wall in front of the net—when they could get in sync. Which they’d done today, earning their first win of the season.
“I’m good,” Trask said with a grin and glanced at his friend.
Brendan’s neck pinkened ever so slightly. “Can you, uh, give Brenna a message for me?”
I put a hand on my hip. He seemed flustered. This was interesting. “Of course.”
“Thanks. I overheard her talking to Drew about clearing a barn? I think it’s the one out back? I can help with that. Probably some of the team, too.” He looked to Trask for confirmation.
“Sure,” Trask said. “It’ll go a lot quicker with more of us. We can probably round up a bunch of space heaters, too.”
“I can do that,” I said. “Anything else?”
“Nah, that’s it.”
I pulled my gaze from Trask and headed back to the bar. Brenna was on the phone, likely with the school, so I waited until she hung up.
“The preschool—”
“I know. Kira just filled me in. They couldn’t reach Sutton.”
“Ugh. Well, his loss is my gain. Unless you want me to cover for you here?”
“No, I need to finish my shift. Thanks, Bren. I owe you.”
“Someday you can watch my kids. I only hope they’re as great as Ryleigh.” She grinned.
I filled her in on Brendan’s offer. Her reaction was just as curious as his. There had to be something more here. I shrugged it off and went into the kitchen to see if the food for the team was ready.
* * *
Two and a half hours later,I was finally on my way home. It was early evening but already dark outside, and it took my car longer than usual to heat up. I was grateful for the automatic starter my dad had installed before Sutton and I moved here. I didn’t mind the cold—much—unless I was in it for too long.
Palmer City was segmented by Snowpack Creek. Brewski’s and the arena were on the east side of town with the original downtown area. The sportsplex where the Voltage practiced and where Ryleigh had her preschool and cheer lessons were on the west side with the newer developments. When Sutton and I separated, Ryleigh and I moved off base and into a small rental home at the southern edge of the downtown area. We were within walking distance of the shops and a playground and not too far from Brewski’s, the university, and the Air Force base where her father still lived.
After the recent snowstorm, we’d had a bit of a heat wave—temperatures had reached the low fifties during the day before freezing up again at night. Main Street was especially slick, and the bridge passages over the creek were borderline hazardous.
My light turned green at the Old Town bridge, and as I started to turn left, a large truck ran the light coming from the bridge on my right. I jerked my wheel, swerving to avoid him. As the truck turned south, I struggled to get my front end under control. The car shuddered as I yanked at the wheel and entered the intersection, shaking as I turned onto Cross Creek Trail.
Just another minute to home. Almost there.
