Page 46 of Skid Spiral

“Still, I appreciate it. Come in, come in. The place isn’t much, but it’s home for now.”

I hadn’t meant to come inside, but here I was, stepping into the warm glow from a bowl-like light fixture that looked like it’d probably been installed in the seventies.

The furniture was kind of shabby compared to my apartment, but there was something appealing about the lived-in feel to it. I’d been inhabiting my Ikea-furnished space for three months, and it still barely looked like I’d moved in.

A hint of spice hung in the air, something rich and savory. Had she been cooking?

Was there anything shecouldn’tdo?

I held up the weights awkwardly. “Where do you want these?”

“Um… I guess over in the corner next to the TV is fine. I like to get caught up on my talk shows while I’m working out.”

I shot Lou a look, trying to judge if she was joking, but her hint of a smile gave nothing away.

I set the pairs of dumbbells down next to the maple TV stand and glanced around. A couple of doors stood at the far end of the living space beyond the kitchen area, presumably a bedroom and bathroom. Just past them, a shadowed flight of stairs let down to a basement.

Not a bad setup, really. It was bigger than my apartment, and a hell of a lot more private, with her own big yard and everything.

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling twice as awkward now that I had nothing to hold on to. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

“Oh, whatever.” Her hands rested squarely upon those grabbable hips. “Leave my poor house alone. It’s the best place I could find on short notice.”

Did she really think I was being sarcastic?

I’d have protested, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to encourage a friendlier vibe… and her last couple of words had caught my attention more.

“Short notice? You just out of the blue decided to crash into Hobb Creek?”

Something flickered in Lou’s gaze, the trace of a smile vanishing before she plastered one that looked a little stiffer on her face. “That’s about the size of it. Obviously I made the right choice, huh?”

“Seems like it,” I had to admit. “You really came all the way up from the States just because you saw a few positive comments about the rink?”

She shrugged. “It just sounded like a nice place. And I wanted somewhere as different as possible from big city life.”

There had to be more to it than that for her to have rushed here with so little preparation. Her answers were awfully vague.

I caught another question before the itch of curiosity propelled it from my throat. I wasn’t here to badger her for her life story. Even if Iwasawfully curious now.

I couldn’t really blame her for being hesitant to open up to me, could I? I’d spent more time grumbling at her than having a real conversation.

Could anyone blame me for having my doubts? Shehadcrashed into town—and into my life. How the hell was I supposed to just accept that?

But the last couple of practices, it was like we’d found a common wavelength. I’d found myself not just fending off sparks of excitement when I reached the rink each day, but craving her company after she left at the end.

It felt… dangerous, how much I was starting to enjoy our partnership. I’d never imagined skating pairs before.

How could it work this well?

“Well,” I started, figuring she probably wanted me out of her hair, but Lou chucked the ankle weights next to the dumbbells and made a beeline for the kitchen.

“You want something to drink? I shouldn’t make you come all the way out here and forget how to be a good hostess.”

My lips twitched into a crooked grin. “It was only a three-minute drive.”

She shook her head. “I always forget how small this place is. But hey, the offer still stands. I think we deserve at least a beer after all the work we’ve been putting in.”

Obviously she’d spent all of her time in the bigger city she’d mentioned. Where exactly had she come from?

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