Tangled Vows (Willow Brook Falls #3)

16. Shayla

16

SHAYLA

W hat. The. Fuck.

Had Easton been about to kiss me just now? And had I been about to let him? No. Nope, that couldn’t be. I was imagining things again. He. Wasn’t. Into. Me. When would I get that through my thick skull? And me? Somehow, I let myself forget how much I despised him and got lost in his eyes, the outer ring a mossy green that reminded me of a meadow in spring melting into the golden sunburst surrounding his pupils.

“Okay, buddy, I’m almost done,” Easton replied, bringing me back to the present and the young boy standing off to the side, his inquisitive gaze bouncing between us.

“You’re not very good at ice skating, are you?” Max asked.

“Max,” a dark haired woman, presumably his mother, scolded as she came up behind him. “I’m so sorry,” she began, but I waved her off.

“He’s not wrong,” I agreed with a chuckle. “It was my first time trying to ice skate, so I am pretty bad at it.”

“Really?” Max asked, not waiting for me to respond before continuing. “I’ve been ice skating since I was five and playing hockey since I was six. That’s only one year, but I’m getting pretty good. Uncle Easton is supposed to teach me a few of his favorite tricks so I can use them against those jerks from Havenwood Prep.”

I pressed my lips together to suppress a grin and his mother sighed, covering her face with her hand.

“He’s a pretty good teacher. I bet he could teach you how to skate. Then you wouldn’t be so bad.” Max went on, barely stopping long enough to take a breath. The last thing I wanted was to let Easton Walker teach me anything else. Letting him show me how to squat might help me in the long run, but my ego couldn’t take another hit like the one it endured in the weight room.

Max looked at me expectantly as though waiting for an answer. No way in hell would I agree to let Easton teach me how to skate, but I couldn’t tell his nephew that. Instead, I offered him a grateful smile and politely declined.

“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ve had enough skating for one day.” Easton breathed a sigh of relief, and my gaze snapped to his as Max waddled off toward the ice. He was obviously eager to get rid of me, and I was more than ready to be away from him.

I retrieved my shoes and purse from where I’d tucked them under the bench. I expected him to back away and give me room to change out of my skates; instead, he crouched in front of me and grabbed me by the ankle. I stifled a shocked gasp as he took my shoes from my hands and placed them on the floor.

Surprise rocketed through me as he began to unlace my skates, gently pulling the first one off my foot before moving to the next. He worked with the efficiency and precision of someone who had done this a thousand times. Which, I supposed, he probably had.

“You should really see a doctor,” he said, his voice soft and even as though completely unaffected by our proximity. Me, on the other hand? My pulse raced as he gripped the back of my leg, his large, warm hand cradling my calf. He slowly tugged off the skate and set it aside but didn’t release me. Instead, he grabbed my shoe and slipped it onto my foot. He did the same with my other shoe, then pulled me to my feet.

“I would also recommend staying off the ice until you’re completely healed,” he added with a sardonic tilt to his lips. Yeah, I was a klutz when it came to ice skating, but I didn't need him to remind me of that. And that charming little smirk that probably made most women swoon wouldn’t make me forget what an asshole he was.

“Right,” I replied with a tight smile. “I think Dr. Norton is around today, so I’ll have her check me out.” I slipped my purse strap over my shoulder and reached inside to grab my phone as I headed for the exit. “See you around.”

Without waiting for a reply, I tapped on the contact labeled “Doc” and pressed the phone to my ear.

Claire had mentioned coming in today to see if the players’ latest round of blood work was resulted. I’d have her check me out so I could avoid a trip to the urgent care. The last thing I needed right now was more medical bills.

“Hey, Shay, what’s up?” Claire asked in greeting.

“Hey, Claire, you in your office?”

“Sure am.”

“Do you care if I swing by?”

“Not at all. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just have a minor injury I’d like you to look at. Plus, I wanted to see if that lab work was in yet,” I added. I was curious about the players’ labs and if some of their vitamin deficiencies had improved since implementing my meal plans and smoothie regimen. Claire and I had been working closely together to get the players’ nutritional status back on track. In the short time I’d been with the Wraiths, we’d become fast friends. She’d been with the team from the beginning, so she took me under her wing and showed me the ropes.

“Whatcha got for me?” Claire asked the moment I stepped through the door.

“I fell and hit my head on the ice,” I replied sheepishly. “There’s a small cut back there, but it’s not bleeding anymore. Easton was worried I might have a concussion, but I think he’s overreacting,” I added hastily.

“Easton, huh?” she asked with a knowing glint in her eye, then patted the exam table. “Hop up here, and let’s have a look.” I did as I was told, ignoring the insinuation in her tone.

“He showed up while Lydia was trying to teach me how to ice skate and startled me. I fell and hit my head. He was just being a good samaritan,” I explained, so she wouldn’t read too much into it. She didn’t look convinced.

“I don’t see any signs of a concussion,” Claire asserted after looking me over, “and the cut on your head is miniscule.”

That was a relief. I was worried she’d want me to have a CT scan or an MRI. Even though I now had insurance through the organization, I hadn’t needed to use it yet and wasn’t sure how good the coverage was. And I knew from the countless tests my mother had, imaging was expensive.

I hopped off the exam table and offered my thanks. “How did the players' bloodwork look?” After the first round of lab work showed that several players suffered from vitamin deficiencies, she consulted with me to develop more individualized diets for them to correct the deficiencies as well as prescribing supplements.

“Much improved,” she supplied, a pleased grin, turning up her blood red lips. She pushed her black framed glasses up her nose and grabbed a stack of papers from her desk. “Although the results are still pending for one player.”

“Which one.”

“Kent,” she said flatly, shaking her head.

“Why? Did you have to resend it? Were the tubes hemolyzed?” I asked, curious why his results didn’t come back with everyone else's.

Claire chuckled and shook her head.

“No, it took me longer to get his bloodwork collected so it wasn’t sent to the lab with the other’s.” My brows dipped in confusion. I’d seen Kent every day this week, so it wasn’t like he wasn’t around. Noticing my puzzlement, Claire smiled empathetically.

“He’s scared of needles,” she explained. “He kept dodging me. I didn’t think we would ever get his blood drawn. Coach finally told him he couldn’t come to practice until he did it. He turned a sickly shade of gray, and I thought he would pass out. Good thing Walker came with him and helped him through it.”

I drew back in surprise, my eyes growing wide. “ Easton Walker?” I asked, unable to hide my bewilderment.

“Yeah, he sat with him and talked to him the whole time. Even let Kent squeeze his hand during the stick.” A soft smile curved her lips at the memory. “It was kind of sweet actually. Walker may not be captain of this team, but he’s a natural born leader,” she commended, admiration shining in her eyes. “Afterward, he sat with Kent for a good twenty minutes while he drank some juice and ate a cookie.”

Easton Walker? Sweet? Were we talking about the same guy? The Easton I knew did nothing but taunt and tease and insult. Then again, I had just witnessed the way he looked at his nephew with adoration and affection while he talked to me about ice skating. Until today, I wouldn’t have thought he had the capacity to love anyone but himself. And I guess he did patch me up after taking a spill on the ice.

I was starting to question my judgment and rethink my opinions regarding Easton. Maybe I was wrong about him. Or maybe he chose not to always show me the best sides of himself. Either way, I had to keep my guard up around him. The last thing I needed was to let my heart soften toward him and fall prey to his charms because he’d made it clear just what he thought about me.