CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lexi wrapped her hands around her cup of tea, appreciating the warmth that seeped into her fingers after her session on the ice. She’d spotted Wilder when he’d walked in and had been conscious of his gaze on her as she’d worked with the children. But then he’d left to go sit at the table, and she’d been disappointed.
Why? She had no idea.
But she had to admit that she’d enjoyed sitting there with Wilder. It had been relaxing until he’d said that Kayleigh had told that woman that he had a crush on her.
Lexi didn’t know how to respond to that. Did she want him to have a crush on her?
It was weird to acknowledge that part of her actually did. At least it would explain why he was spending time with her.
“So, why did you come by?”
“I was planning to come see you regardless,” he said. “But I had lunch with Kayleigh and Hudson first.”
“I saw you there.”
Wilder’s brown eyes widened. “You did?”
“Yes. I usually go for lunch at one of the restaurants before I start work.”
“Why didn’t you say hi?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt.”
She still wasn’t sure about where she stood with them, especially Kayleigh and Hudson. They were her bosses, and Wilder was… well, he was her co-worker. But the three of them were bonded by blood and marriage. Which was more than any connection she had with them.
“You could have,” he said. “We were actually talking about the Christmas program.”
“What did you discuss?”
“Well, backing up a bit, I need to tell you about what prompted the change in the ideas we had for it.”
“Okay?”
“A couple of years ago, while I was traveling, I came across a situation where a child was… being hurt. I rescued the child, and, in the process, I became involved with a couple of orphanages. They are supervised by missionaries from the States, and they do good work in countries where poor and orphaned children are especially vulnerable.”
As he spoke, Lexi could hear the passion and care in his voice. Though he’d sounded excited when he’d spoken of his travels before, this was different.
“I’ve continued to keep in contact with the orphanages and usually spend time there during my summer travels. Mom and Dad were also with me this summer, offering their medical services at the orphanages. Anyway, they are always in need of money to keep the orphanages operating. They’ve hired people to staff the orphanages, and they need to be able to buy clothing and food for the children. And, of course, there are all the other expenses that come with operating and protecting a compound filled with vulnerable people.”
Lexi had never thought much about what life was like in countries that had a large poor population. Even though she’d skated in some of those countries, she hadn’t ever ventured beyond the rink or where they were staying.
There had been no exploring or viewing the sights. Other skaters might have taken the time to see the sites in the countries where their competitions were held, but Lexi never had.
“We thought that maybe we could shift the focus of the program. Make it into an event of skating with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Parents could pay for their kids to skate, and we could have stuff like hot chocolate and mini donuts for sale. Maybe even have some auctions. All of it to raise money for the orphanages.”
“It definitely sounds better than having to come up with a program that would require a bunch of skaters.”
“We thought so,” Wilder said, his excitement showing in his eyes. “And maybe the girls, and a couple of other people they know who skate, could be dressed as elves.”
“I assume I’m to be Mrs. Clause,” Lexi said.
“Yep.”
“And Mr. Claus?”
Wilder shrugged, though there was a gleam of humor in his eyes. “Do you know any guy who might want to fill the role?”
“Just one.”
“Who?”
“You.”
Wilder grinned. “You want me to be Mr. Clause to your Mrs. Clause?”
Lexi felt a flutter in her stomach. Apparently, that was what she wanted. But she wasn’t going to let him know that.
“Well, you’re the only guy I know around here who skates,” she said. “And you’re not too bad at it.”
Laughing, Wilder said, “I’m pretty good at staying up on my skates. And if necessary, I could probably even do a jump or two.”
Did she want to skate with a partner again? Even one who was technically not a figure skater?
“Are you going to be a fit or a fat Santa?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Would you be a fit or chubby Mrs. Claus?”
“Depends on whether I need to do jumps and spins. I’m not sure I’d be able to do that with too much extra padding on me.”
“So you wouldn’t be opposed to this?” Wilder asked as he leaned back in his chair.
“No. I think it’s a good idea.” She hadn’t been a part of any fundraisers, but it was probably never too late to start participating and supporting something outside of herself.
And the bonus would be that she would be in costume, so hopefully no one would recognize her. “I don’t mean to sound… arrogant or anything, but I’d prefer if my name wasn’t attached to this. I just want to be Mrs. Claus, not Alexandra Corbyn.”
“I get that,” Wilder said with a nod. “How do you feel about Lexa? Or Lexi?”
Lexi lifted her brows at him. “You don’t like Alexandra?”
“It’s not that at all.” He smiled. “Alexandra just feels really formal. Have you never had a nickname?”
“My mom calls me Lexi. My dad hated that name, so he always insisted that everyone call me Alexandra.”
“I won’t call you something you don’t like,” Wilder said. “It’s just that I’m kind of a less formal guy.”
“Do you have a nickname?”
“Not really. Sometimes people will call me Wild.”
“That seems appropriate.”
Wilder laughed. “I do have my moments.”
Only her mom had ever called her Lexi. In her mind, the shortening of her name denoted a closeness that she’d never felt with anyone outside of her small circle. But even then, Mik, her coaches, and her dad had always called her Alexandra.
Did she want Wilder to use her nickname? Was he important enough to her?
Having Wilder use a nickname for her felt like a step in a direction she wasn’t sure they should go. Her future was uncertain. He was going to be leaving. She didn’t want to even entertain thoughts of anything but friendship between them.
Wilder was just so different from the men she’d known. His easy-going, laid-back attitude was totally foreign to her, which made her curious. And without even realizing it, she’d begun to look forward to seeing him, and when they didn’t get a chance to talk, she missed him.
“You can call me Lexi,” she told him, deciding that he’d been a good friend to her and treated her well, unlike some in her life.
Wilder’s smile took over his face, and his brown eyes sparkled. “Perfect! Lexi fits you, I think.”
She had no idea what to say to that. “So, what do we need to do for this fundraiser?”
“I’m glad you’re on board with this. I really think it will be a good time, and I’m hoping that Alexander will cough up some money to help out.”
“That would be great of him.” Lexi would help as much as she could, too, but she’d been living on a pretty strict budget since her dad’s arrest.
Thankfully, her financial advisor had helped her set up a livable budget using the money she’d saved from collaborations and endorsements she’d done over the years. Saving the money had been about the only good financial advice her dad had given her.
“Maybe you could think it over and see what other ideas you can come up with for the event. Then we’ll have another meeting with Kayleigh and Hudson to pool our ideas.”
“I guess we can’t delay too much if we need to get things like costumes.”
“This is going to be fun,” Wilder declared, and Lexi had no reason to doubt him. His confidence and excitement were catching.
She felt a lot more at ease with this kind of setup than she had with the previous idea. The focus wouldn’t be on her as a skater. She’d just be one person in a group putting on a show.
At one time, she’d loved the spotlight. Skating out on the ice with Mik had always given her such a rush. And completing a program with no mistakes was a high that nothing else in her life had matched.
This event wouldn’t give her that rush or the high, but as she thought about it, she realized that it would give her direction. At least until Christmas. She’d have something to focus on. A goal. That was something that had been sorely missing in her life, which was why she’d felt so adrift since everyone had abandoned her.
To Wilder, this might be a fundraiser for something he was passionate about, but for Lexi, it felt like a lifeline.
They talked a bit more about when they could schedule a meeting, with Wilder deciding to see if Kayleigh and Hudson would be available for one during the day. Lexi’s schedule at the rink wasn’t usually too busy. In fact, that day was her busiest yet, with four different groups booked in.
The next one was coming soon, so she needed to finish up with Wilder before they arrived.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Wilder asked as they got to their feet. “I don’t want you going along with it just because you feel like you don’t have another choice.”
“I’m definitely okay with it. This idea is far more appealing to me than the initial one we had.”
“And I like it because we can share the burden and not have so much of it land on you. It will be more of a group effort.”
“I appreciate that.” She really did.
“Oh, and one other bit of good news for you,” Wilder said. “80s night is cancelled.”
Lexi’s eyes widened. “Really? Seriously?” She frowned at him. “You’re not joking, are you?”
She wouldn’t put some teasing past him, but she didn’t think he would lie.
“Nope.” He lifted his hand. “Absolutely one hundred percent true.”
“Oh, that’s great news.”
“I thought you might feel that way.”
“You were just the bringer of all the good news today.”
His grin took over his entire face, and Lexi’s heart skipped a beat. The joy with which he lived his life was so appealing to her. Why did that way of life have to take him far from Serenity?
The door to the rink opened, and a group of six filed in, four of them children.
“Time to get back to work.”
Wilder glanced over at her. “Good luck.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Thanks.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
Lexi would have liked to watch him leave, but the group immediately demanded her attention. After getting them sorted with skates and skating aids for the younger two, she took to the ice once again.
These moments were a far cry from any other time she’d spent on the ice, but they were also fairly low-key stress times. So, for the time being, she’d embrace this new part of her life until she had a better idea of how to proceed.
When Layla and Amelia showed up for their skating lesson the next day, they came without their parents. Instead, Wilder, Janessa, and her husband accompanied them with Shiloh in tow.
“We decided to give Charli and Blake a break,” Janessa said as the men helped the girls tie their skates. “It’s been a rough week for Charli especially, so hopefully this will help her regroup.”
“I’m sure she appreciates you doing this for her.”
“She’d better,” Janessa said with a frown that then relaxed into a grin as she laughed. “I know she will. Blake planned to take her out for breakfast, and then I think he said they were going shopping.”
That didn’t sound like a break to Lexi, but what did she know? Her idea of a break was going for a mani-pedi or a massage.
Once the girls had their skates on, they came over to where Lexi stood. All three of them removed their guards, then pushed away from the boards.
“Did you get a chance to practice this week?” Lexi asked as she led them through some stretches on the ice, limbering up their muscles.
“Yes. Uncle Wilder took us,” Layla said. “I was able to land my single toe three times in a row.”
“That’s great. You’ll have to show me.” She turned to Amelia. “How about you? How did your skating go this week?”
“I got more rotations on my spin.”
“Good job! Keep up the hard work.”
As she had them show her what they’d been working on, Amelia’s natural ability to move on the ice once again impressed her. She had a gracefulness that went beyond her years.
Lexi didn’t know if Amelia was Olympic quality, but with some hard work, she would definitely be a solid competitive skater.
She enjoyed that day’s skating lesson the most of all she’d had so far. The girls paid attention and tried their best to do as she asked. Overall, it was more relaxing than her skating lessons as a young girl had ever been.
Occasionally, as the girls practiced, Lexi would glance over to where Wilder stood at the boards with Will and Janessa. She liked that he came with the girls and that he showed such an interest in what they were doing. What she was doing.
Will and Janessa could have brought the kids on their own. But for whatever reason, Wilder had tagged along, and Lexi was happier about that than she probably should have been.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have much time to chat with them after the lesson was over because her day was busy. The afternoon was booked with individual groups, and then she had to stay until the rink closed.
“Hey, you want to grab coffee or something after you’re done here?” Wilder asked once the girls’ lesson was over and they’d left with Will and Janessa.
“I’m not finished until eight.”
“That’s okay. If you don’t mind a bit of a late evening, I don’t either.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” Wilder shrugged. “I just thought you might like to get out for a bit. Do you like ice cream? We have a great ice cream parlor in town. Or if you prefer an actual dessert like cheesecake, there’s another small place that serves the best brownie cheesecake around.”
All of that sounded like a plan to put several pounds on her frame, but Lexi found herself reluctant to turn him down. The truth was, she enjoyed her time with him, and it hadn’t helped her state of mind to spend so much time alone.
“Okay.”
Wilder grinned. “Great. Do you want me to pick you up from your place?”
The smile he gave her whenever she agreed to do something with him made her feel like she’d just given him a great gift. It didn’t make a lot of sense, but she couldn’t deny how it made her feel.
“You don’t want me to just meet you somewhere?”
“You could, but I don’t mind picking you up,” he said. “Then you can just relax after being on your feet all day.”
That did sound very appealing. “I usually get home around eight-thirty.”
“I’ll be there.”
With that plan made, they said goodbye, and Wilder headed for the exit of the rink. Lexi sighed as he disappeared out the door, and she stood there for a moment, trying to tell herself to not get excited about their evening plans. They were new friends hanging out and getting to know each other. And that was that.
But perhaps Wilder hadn’t gotten that memo?
She was beginning to think she hadn’t gotten it either. Or if she had, she’d read it and tossed it into the garbage.
Her mom was still trying to get her to join them in France, but for some reason, Lexi just wasn’t convinced it was the best move for her. She’d been in survival mode for a year and a half, just wanting to escape the spotlight and judgment that had fallen on her because of her dad.
If she’d been a nobody, her dad’s crimes wouldn’t have drawn the attention to her the way they had because of her career. She could have just continued to live her life without people gossiping about her all over the internet.
France might have given her the anonymity she wanted, but she couldn’t have done anything there. She’d have had no opportunity to work.
For all that some might have considered her a spoiled rich girl, she had a strong work ethic and didn’t know what to do with herself when she didn’t have something to keep her busy.
The months immediately following her dad’s arrest had seen her and her mom moving from Maine to New York City, where they had an apartment which had been in her mom’s name, so it hadn’t been seized along with all their Maine properties.
They had gone into seclusion together, trying to find ways to fill their days that didn’t involve going anywhere someone might recognize them. Somewhere along the way, her mom had reconnected with a man from her past, and they’d eventually gotten married.
When they’d moved to Leland’s home in the south of France instead of staying at one of his US properties, Lexi had stayed behind in New York, hoping to find a way to move forward. Things had gotten worse for her when her dad’s trial got underway, and the full extent of his crimes was brought to light.
Thankfully, because it was a federal trial, there were no cameras allowed in the courtroom. That didn’t stop people from reporting all the details, however.
Her dad had asked her to come to the trial and show support, but that was a solid no on her part. She didn’t support him or his actions at all. Though he’d stolen from the rich, he’d also stolen from the less fortunate, and none of it sat well with Lexi.
So now she was completely on her own.
Wilder’s face came to mind, and for a moment, she didn’t feel alone. His presence in her life had taken some of the sting out of being on her own in Serenity.
When her day ended at the rink, Lexi headed for home, for once feeling like she’d actually had a decent day. Though it looked very different from how she’d imagined her future, it hadn’t been the worst thing ever.
She rushed home from the resort, hoping to be able to change before heading out. A shower would have been nice, but she didn’t have the time. Moving quickly, she swapped out her skating clothes for a pair of fitted jeans and a loose sweatshirt.
If this had been a date, she might have spent a little more time on her appearance. But since they’d agreed there was no dating, she just smoothed her hair into a ponytail and made sure her makeup wasn’t smeared.
By eight-thirty, she was ready for Wilder, reminding herself as she waited that there was nothing but friendship between them.
A guy and a girl could just be friends, right?