Page 43 of Mine For The Winter

“You know Kelly then.” She smiled. “She’s a character, right?”

“I’ve known her since we were kids. We grew up together.” The three musketeers. Fighting for justice.

Then fighting each other.

The woman chuckled. “I’m Carrie-Ann. Stanley’s mom.” She pointed at a kid that looked exactly the same as all the others.

“Kris Winter.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you related to the Winters who run Winterville?”

“Yeah, that’s my family.”

He willed the game to start. Small talk and him weren’t exactly best buddies. Maybe that was his problem. Couldn’t do the small stuff, couldn’t do the big talks.

Although at least he was trying to rectify that one, even if Kelly wasn’t playing ball.

It was strange how the woman’s demeanor changed once she knew his name. She sat up straighter, touched the back of her hair. Pushed her tits out.

Christ.

“Are you here to visit?” Even her voice sounded lower. Like she’d just smoked a pack of fifty and was channeling Lauren Bacall.

“Yeah.”

“And your wife?” She looked over his shoulder as though expecting to see his imaginary spouse appear.

“Is not here,” he said, deadpan, because he didn’t want to encourage any more questions. He was here to watch Cole play hockey.

“Oh.”

Before she could shoot any more inane questions at him, the home team skated onto the ice. Despite their armor and helmets, plus the inch or so their skates gave them in height, they still looked tiny.

He also couldn’t tell who was who. They all looked the damn same. It was only when he read the back of the jerseys that he realized which one was Cole.

The kid was scanning the bleachers, then his face turned to where Kris was sitting and he started to wave. Kris couldn’t help the smile from pulling at his lips as he waved back.

And that was why he was watching Kelly’s kid. Because Cole deserved having somebody here for him. Even if it was the guy who’d left town before he was born.

“He’s a cute kid,” Carrie-Ann said. “He looks happy to see you.”

“Yeah. I’m happy to see him, too.”

“How long are you in town for?”

Any answer he could give was blasted away by the sound of music rocking through the loud speaker. The away team slid on, and the kids all lined up in their positions, the rest skating to the benches on the side. Cole was in center, just like he’d told Kris, and he looked up at him again.

Kris gave him the thumbs up and Cole gave it back.

“Are we allowed to record them?” Kris asked Carrie-Ann.

“Yeah, just don’t put it on social media.”

He bit down a smile because he didn’t have any social media. He just didn’t do that kind of thing. Still, he held his camera up as the puck was dropped and Cole got possession, his head down as he skated then passed it to the right.

And then he sent the video to Kelly. Because if she couldn’t be here, she still deserved to see her son.

A minute later he got a message back from her.

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