Chapter 8 Cole
EIGHT
COLE
December
When I arrive at the Heston Lake public rink for the first lesson the following week, I’m pleased to find Cameron Reeves is early, too. He’s hanging out by the log benches outside the entrance messing around on his phone.
On David’s advice, I brought this opportunity up at Monday’s practice. Reeves was the most interested in joining me to get some volunteer hours under his belt. They’re not required, but advised to do community service and outreach to give them valuable experience.
It hasn’t been long since I met the players, but I really like this kid. He has a chill vibe, is level-headed tending the net when we trial him as a goalie in practices, and his loyalty to his teammates is admirable.
“Hey, coach.” He adjusts his backwards baseball cap and offers a fist with a lighthearted grin.
I bump it with a smirk, feeling more like an older brother than his coach. “Just you, huh?”
He ticks off on his fingers. “E’s hitting the weight room because Bouch told him his conditioning routine to improve his speed.
Keller, Hutch, Adler all have classes. Captain is getting a jump-start studying for exams.” He hesitates, gauging my reaction.
Either I pass or his honesty wins out. “And I think Brody’s sleeping off a hangover. ”
I nod along, chuckling at the last one. “Sounds about right. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Lombard. I’m no stranger to what college is like.”
I was a fan of testing my limits and showed up to more than one practice feeling the consequences.
“Cool.”
I lay a hand on Cameron’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s head in.”
The outdoor rink is built onto the lake.
It looks festive with garland and lights everywhere around the cabins and the picnic tables.
A few early parents sit near the space heaters with their kids.
There’s a cabin that sells food and hot cocoa that opens to this area and the rink.
Skate rentals are in the cabin on the other side of the courtyard.
He puts on his skates while I go into the office between the snack and rental buildings. A girl who must be a student at the college shows me where to find the list of student names along with their parents’ numbers.
It’s almost time to start when I’m finished. More kids arrive and get checked in at the rental cabin while I don my skates.
“Eve’s not here yet.” I check my phone to see if she texted, finding nothing.
“Should we wait?” Cameron asks.
“Let’s get started. It should be fine between the two of us on the first day. When she gets here, she’ll jump in.”
I’ve never exactly taught beginner lessons, but with the youth camps we sometimes had to brush up on basic skills. I draw on that experience to decide we’ll work on balance first, then falling down and standing up.
We introduce ourselves to the kids. The group isn’t too large to manage. Around fifteen of them, the youngest about four and the oldest about ten, sit on the long bench outside the rink.
“Show of hands, who’s ready to learn to skate?” I prompt.
Their little gloved hands shoot up and a few of them bounce in place.
“First things first, rink rules.”
I run through a brief list of safety rules for them to follow about their skates and no rough-housing. Then I quickly explain what we’ll be doing to learn how the ice feels under their skates.
“Now do we get to go on the ice?” The question comes from a small girl at the end of the bench.
“Yes. Who here likes trains? We’re going to make one.”
I motion to Cameron. We get them lined up one by one, taking them out to the ice. We have them crouch down while holding on to the PVC training bars, towing them until they’re in a row facing the boards for leverage.
“Show them how it’s done, Cameron.”
“Okay, watch me. Then it’ll be your turn.”
He borrows a PVC bar and slides each foot back and forth, then carefully lifts his knees one at a time to demonstrate his balance.
Once the kids test it out themselves, I let Cameron glide up and down the row on his own.
He stops to give a thumbs up and helps a few that struggle, showing them to put their weight on the bar like they’re pushing on a table.
It’s easy to see he’ll be good at this with his attentiveness and his friendly smile when he high fives the ones who gain confidence.
I watch the kids do the exercise as they get a feel for balancing on ice. My mind drifts off in a direction it frequently does lately.
In the short few weeks since I’ve been back in town, I’ve done my best to keep Eve in the off-limits column where she’s always been. Where she needs to stay.
Was she always this much of a temptation? Her laughter and smiles made my chest feel funny, but now whenever she’s around it’s like she’s the sun in the room. And I’m a planet that doesn’t know how to fight the pull of her orbit. She’s all I’m able to look at.
Especially when she keeps wearing those hot little sweater dresses. Fuck, she looks good in them.
Growing up, I knew to keep my hands off her because she’s my best friend’s sister. She was never a possibility then. With her dad as my boss, I still shouldn’t risk anything. Not if I want to try to keep this job.
And I do, I really fucking do.
Coaching Heston U’s guys has quickly become something that feels right for me.
I’ve been constantly moving around, unable to stay in one place.
All because I believed I wasn’t cut out to coach officially, not wanting to face that I didn’t know what the fuck to do after my time as a hockey player ended.
Working with the team on their development and having a part in guiding them to the top of their game is an honor.
It’s unreal to think I could help skilled guys like Keller and Blake reach the pros.
This job means everything to me right now. Not as a stepping stone to find a coaching position elsewhere, but staying here, with this team, this college. This is an amazing opportunity and I’d be an idiot to screw it up.
So of course my dumb ass had to find out if Eve was still on the dating app over the weekend.
The first time we matched before Thanksgiving was more of a funny surprise, then it evolved to intrigue the more I thought about it. It was on my mind throughout dinner with her family. She was within arm’s reach sitting next to me, tickling my senses with her sweet scent.
I haven’t been on Love Struck much otherwise.
Curiosity made me look for Eve’s profile while I took a break from researching more skills and drills training to bring to the table.
We matched again somehow. I dutifully resigned myself to hitting the unmatch option. Maybe I’m better off deleting the app.
A distressed shout pulls me from my thoughts. Eve jogs along the path that follows the frozen lake from the parking lot. Her hair is in two thick braids and her workout pants look painted onto her curvy legs.
Don’t look at her tits, don’t look at her tits, don’t fucking look at her tits bouncing, man.
Too late.
I clear my throat, wrenching my attention back to the group. “Hey, Cam? Keep them going for a minute.”
“Sure.” He gives me an easygoing smile and a little salute.
I linger for a moment, watching him guide the kids. It’s evident he’s enjoying this. I see a lot of myself in him. I’m glad I brought him.
Skating off, I meet Eve outside the rink. She’s pushing herself so hard to get here, she doesn’t have time to slow down. I catch her against me, then she scrambles back, nearly losing her balance.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She pauses to catch her breath before launching back into an explanation I don’t need. “I mixed up the dates when I put the reminder in my phone. I went all the way to work thinking I had a bartending shift when I was supposed to be here.”
I take her shoulders. She cuts off, looking up at me with a shining gaze.
“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t miss much. I had it all under control with Cameron. Here, sit down.”
It doesn’t take much encouragement to nudge her to the bench.
“I wasn’t really dressed right, so I had to run home to change,” she continues rambling. “Then Dad called to remind me, but I—Oh! Shit, I forgot my skates. I know exactly where they are. I put them by my door so I wouldn’t forget them.”
“What size are you?” At her flustered glance, I tip my head toward the rental cabin. “We’ll rent you a pair today.”
“Oh. You’re right. I’m an eight.”
I go take care of her skates, kneeling at her feet once I return. She doesn’t stop me from helping her put them on, more focused on sending worried glances around. I wrap my fingers around her ankle as I guide her foot into the boot.
“Hey, it’s okay. You made it here. It’s not a big deal.”
She nods distractedly. I soothe her by running my palm along the side of her leg. She begins to calm down and the knot of discomfort at seeing her frazzled loosens in my chest.
“I didn’t mean to mess up,” she murmurs.
My touch lingers on her calf and I peer up at her. “You don’t have to be perfect. I’m not. No one is.”
She’s stunned by the encouragement. I offer her a supportive smile that comes all too easily for her. I’m relieved to help her feel better because I’m not used to being there for anyone else.
“Um,” Cameron says from the rink. “Sorry, these little gremlins are bored of the basics already.”
Two kids dangle from each of his arms while he skates around. Eve laughs, her eyes sparkling. She captures my attention once more. It’s difficult to take my eyes off her.
“Come on. I don’t want Vic telling Dad we were slacking off.” She grabs my hand and tugs me to the ice.
“I want a turn!” Two kids latch on to me.
“How about we save this for the end? Everyone say hi to Eve first. She’s your other teacher.”
She waves with a bubbly smile that lights up her beautiful features. “Hi everybody! You’re all doing so well. Are you having a good time so far?”
The group erupts with cheers. More than half of them have a good handle on balance, some even abandoning the bar to venture with shuffling slides.