CHAPTER NINETEEN
Wilder held open the door of the rink for Amelia and Layla, then followed them inside. Even though the rink was never the warmest place because of the ice, that day it was definitely warmer inside than outside.
The girls ran ahead of him to where Lexi stood in her skates on the ice. It was seven-thirty, which was an hour and a half earlier than the girls usually came for their lesson, but since he had to be on the slopes at nine, this was the only time they could all practice together.
“Good morning, girls,” Lexi said. “How are you today?”
As they chatted for a bit, Wilder watched Lexi, still trying to process what he’d seen her and Mik do the day before. He’d seen pairs skating before, had even seen videos of her and Mik skating together, but it was a different experience when it was live and it was someone he knew and cared about being thrown into the air.
He’d never questioned her skill and talent, but he’d only had half the story. When Mik had flung her into the air, her blades had cleared the top of the boards, and still, she’d managed to land on her feet.
“Let’s get your skates on,” Lexi said. “Then we can do a little warmup before I show you your parts for the Christmas program.”
Wilder went with them to the bench and helped them lace up their skates. Then, while they were on the ice with Lexi, he put on his own. He joined them, skating around the perimeter of the rink as Lexi worked with the girls.
He wanted to know in detail how the rest of the practice had gone with Mik, but when he’d texted her the night before to ask, she’d just said it had gone fine.
Given what he’d seen the previous day, she needed to compete. Her talent and skill were very evident. And even after not competing for a year and a half, she still skated better than Mik. He’d known she loved to skate. But seeing her with Mik, skating one of their programs, it was clear she belonged on the ice.
Would dipping her toe into the competition waters again draw her away from Serenity?
After Wilder circled the rink a second time, he stopped against the boards near where Lexi was working with the girls. It seemed that perhaps they were going to be the only elves on the ice for the program, which made sense since Lexi needed it to be less complicated considering everything else going on.
“Why don’t you two stand here while your uncle and I show you our part of the program, then we’ll try it all together.”
Amelia and Layla skated to the edge of the ice where Lexi indicated. Lexi waited for Wilder to get into position with his hockey stick, then she started the music. After setting her phone on the boards, she waited for him to complete his moves before joining him.
The girls were clapping and cheering from the sidelines, and when Lexi and Wilder finished, they exclaimed how much they loved the program.
For the next forty-five minutes, they rehearsed with the girls. Since it wasn’t a very complicated program, they picked it up quickly and had a lot of fun with it.
As eight-forty-five neared, Wilder said, “Are you okay with the girls until Blake comes to pick them up? He should be here around nine.”
Lexi smiled as she nodded. “We’ll be fine.”
Wilder put his skates in his bag. “Would you mind if I came back after I’m done for the day?”
“I wouldn’t mind.”
“I could bring you supper.”
“That would be nice.”
“Text me what you want, and I’ll pick it up.”
“Okay.”
Wilder was glad she’d agreed. He hadn’t been sure how she’d be now that her old life was back in play.
After threatening the girls to be on their best behavior, Wilder said goodbye to the trio, then left for the ski shop. He wished he could stick around, but he was needed for what was likely to be a very busy day on the slopes.
It was just after six when he got back to the rink with food for him and Lexi. He was glad that he was able to get food at the restaurants at a very reduced price because otherwise he wouldn’t be able to afford it.
When he walked into the building, he noticed there were more people there than he’d ever seen in the rink. There were a few on the ice, but most of them were seated at the tables around the ice.
A fire was glowing in the large stone fireplace set in the far corner of the space. It took some of the chill out of the air the closer someone sat to it, but it wasn’t strong enough to make the area nice and cozy.
He glanced around for Lexi and spotted her on the ice. Before heading in that direction, he took the bag of food to her office and dropped it off.
It didn’t look like she was working with anyone, so Wilder approached the boards. The sound system was playing some upbeat pop music, and the people on the ice appeared to be couples. All teens or older.
“Hey there,” Lexi said as she skated to a stop in front of him, a smile on her face and her eyes sparkling.
“Hey.” Wilder smiled at her, glad that she seemed happy to see him. “Looks busy here tonight.”
“Yep. But not a lot of people are wanting to skate. I guess they just like the atmosphere here. I wouldn’t think this would be the favored destination since it’s colder here than in most buildings at the resort.”
“Can you take a break?” he asked. “I put the food in the office.”
“Yep. I’ll just let George know.”
She skated to the entrance to the ice, then grabbed her guards. After she had them on, she walked to the skate rental area and spoke to the man working there. Wilder waited for her, then they went to her office.
“This looks so good,” Lexi said as she opened the lid of the container that held her steak salad. “I’m starving.”
“Do you follow a special diet when you’re training?”
“I did last time,” she said. “But I had someone who prepared all my food for me, so I didn’t have to think about it. I’m not sure what to do this time around.”
“What was the prepared food?”
“My dad hired a nutritionist to work with a chef, and she gave the chef all the details on what each meal should contain. I don’t have that this time around.”
“It’s too bad my brother’s not here. He’s a chef.”
“I was wondering if there was someone in the area that did meal prep.”
Wilder hadn’t heard of anyone specifically, but he could probably check around. “Let me ask Charli and Janessa if they’re aware of anyone.”
“I’d need someone who will cook to my specifications.”
“It’s possible there’s someone who could do that for you,” Wilder said. “We just have to find them. I know Denise loves to cook, and she probably would do meal prep for you. The only downside is that her specialty is comfort food. It is all yummy, but probably contains more calories than you’d want.”
“I might have attempted it myself, but I just don’t have the time.”
“How did it go yesterday?” Wilder asked after he said a quick prayer for his food.
“It went about as well as I expected it to. We’re rusty, but I don’t think it’s anything a little practice won’t clear up.”
“It looked really good to me, but I realize coaches and judges look at things differently than I do.”
“Irina seemed satisfied with what we were able to do, given we haven’t skated together in over a year and a half.”
“She yelled a lot.”
Lexi smiled. “That’s just how she is. She and her husband have been my coaches since I was five years old, so I’m very used to how she communicates.”
“It was a little surprising to me, but then I’m not used to being around people yelling like that.”
“I imagine that’s true for a lot of people.”
“So you’ve decided to go ahead with it?”
Lexi nodded. “Do you know if there is a place in town that they could rent for the next few months?”
“I don’t, but I could ask a couple of people who might be able to help.” He knew that Jackson’s parents owned rentals, but he didn’t know if any were available and would work for this situation.
“How was it training with them again?” Wilder asked as they continued to eat.
Lexi shrugged. “It was fine. We didn’t discuss the past. Just focused on the present and the future.”
“Do you see this turning into a long-term thing?”
She stared down at her salad, stabbing at a piece of lettuce. “I don’t know.”
For some reason, Wilder didn’t like the uncertainty. He wanted her to say that she was only training for the Olympics, and that she wasn’t going to go back to training and competing full time. But he knew that was completely selfish of him.
He shouldn’t be selfish about something like that. Not wanting her to leave Serenity to go back to training wasn’t fair when he was going to be leaving in April.
He had no idea why he felt that way, except that he really enjoyed being around her. Even more so now that she’d begun to warm up to him. Her smiles were more genuine these days, and they came more easily, which was also something new. And something he really liked.
“I told my mom this morning that I’m going to be skating with Mik again.”
Wilder looked up from his burger to see Lexi frowning at her salad. “How did she take that?”
“About as well as I expected.”
“Not happy, huh?”
“Not at all,” Lexi said with a sigh, her shoulders slumping. “She really doesn’t like Mik and the coaches.”
“From what you’ve said, perhaps she has good reason to feel that way.”
“I know. I don’t really like them myself, but this is a chance to write another more positive chapter to the story of my competitive skating career.”
Wilder could understand that. He just hoped that it didn’t affect her mentally. Working with people one didn’t like could be a strain.
“Do you need to connect emotionally to skate together?”
“For sure it’s better if you can connect that way, but there have been times we’ve skated while being annoyed with each other. We’re not perfect, but the show has to go on, regardless of where we might be in our relationship as pairs skaters.”
Wilder wanted to ask if she thought she’d get back together personally with Mik instead of just professionally, but he also wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.
“Do you think your mom will come around?”
“Well, that depends on your definition of coming around. She won’t ever have anything to do with Mik or the Ivanovs, but she and I will be fine.”
“Will she come to visit?”
“She might. And though I’d love to see her, I’m not sure I want her to come while Mik and Irina are here.”
“Does she go to your competitions?”
Lexi shook her head. “She can’t handle being there in person, though she does watch from home.”
“Did your dad go?”
A fleeting emotion crossed her face. “Yes. He was always there.”
Wilder realized that she’d be competing for the first time without him. That would probably be a difficult thing for her.
“Is it hard to get tickets to the competitions?”
Lexi gave a huff of laughter. “I have no idea. I’ve never had to buy one. My dad always bought his own tickets. Or had his assistant get them for him.”
The phone on Lexi’s desk rang, and she stared at it for a moment before picking up the receiver. “Hello?”
After listening to whoever was on the other end, she said, “I’ll be right there.”
Hanging up, she gazed down at the remainder of her salad with a rueful look. “Guess this will have to wait.”
“Make sure you eat it later,” Wilder said. “You’re going to need to keep your strength up.”
She gave him a quick smile. “I will. Thank you for getting it for me.”
“Anytime.” He closed the lid on his own food and got to his feet. “I’ll see you later.”
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and left the office, heading in the direction of the skate rental. Wilder put his jacket back on, then picked up his takeout container and walked out of the office. He paused to observe everyone there before he went to the exit and left the rink.
What was he doing?
For the first time, Wilder had to admit that the time he spent with Lexi was more than just a guy hanging out with a friend who happened to be a girl. Lexi had started out as a mystery that he’d been interested in unraveling. And he’d thought she needed a friend.
Now, though, he’d gotten a glimpse behind the walls she’d erected, and he’d discovered a woman with passion, humor, and a strength that had allowed her to walk through the fire of her father’s making. She’d come out on the other side singed, but not burned beyond recognition.
She had a physical and inner strength that he could only admire.
But his life wasn’t really suited for a person like her. He’d always thought that any woman he got serious about would be someone who could embrace the nomadic lifestyle with him. She’d have to have a job she could do from anywhere.
That was definitely not the case with Lexi. She was firmly stuck to the ice. Even if she didn’t choose to continue to compete, she would want to coach, which she also couldn’t do remotely.
Wilder had never bothered to try to cultivate something with women who wouldn’t fit into the life he’d chosen for himself, and regardless of his developing feelings, he wasn’t sure that now was the time to change that practice.
His thoughts went to Miriam, who worked with her parents in the orphanage. Her commitment to the kids at the orphanage had been something Wilder admired, but it had also been what kept him from pursuing a closer friendship with her. Her life was firmly rooted in the orphanage in Thailand.
And for all that he enjoyed traveling around that part of the world, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to live there permanently.
But he had to be honest that his interest in Miriam hadn’t come close to what his interest in Lexi had become, which was probably why he hadn’t even considered settling down in Thailand.
Of the two women, if he was going to settle down with one, it should be with Miriam because their lives meshed better on other levels. Miriam’s life was definitely more altruistic than Lexi’s. And Miriam had a stronger faith.
And yet… there was no denying that Lexi had captured his emotions in a way Miriam hadn’t, despite the time they’d spent together.
Wilder headed home, pondering the fact that he hadn’t guarded his feelings as well as he should have, and where it had left him.
Maybe it was a good thing that Lexi was going to be busy in the upcoming weeks. He’d be spending time with her because of the Christmas program, but beyond that, her time would be limited by her training and her work at the rink.
When he got home, the house was quiet, unlike how it had been the night before for the pizza supper they’d had. He’d wished that he could invite Lexi. But now, realizing the extent of his feelings, it was probably good that he hadn’t been able to.
“Hey there, brother,” Janessa said as he walked into the kitchen. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” He went to the cupboard and grabbed a plate. After dumping the fries onto it and adding the patty from his burger, he put the plate into the microwave.
“That your dinner?” Will asked. He sat at the counter with a mug and a plate of cookies in front of him. They looked like the gingerbread cookies Will’s mom always made for him.
“Yep. I ate part of it at the resort but brought the rest home.”
“How was work?” Will asked as he picked up a cookie and dunked it into his coffee. “Busy on the slopes?”
“You know it. The first Saturday after opening is always crazy.”
“I suppose the nice weather helped.”
“How was practice with Alexandra?” Janessa asked. “The girls were excited about their part in the program.”
“I think it went well. We’ll be ready.”
“I’m glad it all came together after the mess it was originally.”
“Me too. Even if I have been cast as Santa.”
“You’ll make a great Santa,” Janessa said. “You like kids. Alexandra as Mrs. Claus is a bit more of a stretch, but I think she’ll do okay.”
“It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure.”
Janessa didn’t say anything about the two of them making a cute couple, which made Wilder think that she also could see that it wouldn’t work for them. Usually his siblings were all over matchmaking the ones of them that were still single, especially now that so many of them had significant others.
“What do you think of her chances at the Olympics?” Will asked.
“If they can get enough training in, I would imagine they’re pretty good. Lexi said they’re using an old program, so at least they’re not having to learn a new one.”
“Will they get marked down for that?” Janessa asked.
“No clue, but I suppose they’re better off skating a flawless old program than stumbling through a new one.”
“Are you going to the Olympics to watch her?”
Wilder gave his sister an incredulous look. “No. I’m not going to spend a ton of money to go see something I can watch on my television from the comfort of my couch.”
Plus, being at the competition wouldn’t help keep his emotions in check.
“I would have thought you’d go to support Lexi,” Janessa said, using the shortened version of Lexi’s name for the first time.
“Her own mother doesn’t even go to her competitions.”
Janessa’s brows lifted. “Really?”
“Yep. She said that she finds it too stressful to be there in person.”
“I can understand that,” Will said. “I think my mom would have a hard time watching any of us kids compete in something like that.”
Wilder wished he could go to the Olympics to watch Lexi skate. It would be an experience for sure, on top of being there as a support for Lexi. But she probably wouldn’t even be able to find him in the crowd, especially when she was focused on what she was there to do. Plus, she’d be staying in the Athlete’s Village, so he wouldn’t see her outside of the competition either.
His going to the Olympics to support her felt like it would be making a statement he knew he shouldn’t. He would support her from afar and hope that he could keep his feelings from growing even stronger.
“We’ll need to plan a party around her competitions. All get together and watch on the big screen.”
“She said she was also going to Nationals in January.”
“Yay! Two viewing parties.”
“More like four,” Wilder said.
“Why?”
“Two for the short programs. Two for the free programs.”
“Oh right. Forgot about that.”
Wilder wondered what Lexi would think if he told her his family were planning to have viewing parties for her competitions. He hoped that she’d be pleased that they were excited for her and cheering her on.
They had to get through the Christmas program first though, and Wilder was going to do his best to be a partner she was proud of, even if he wasn’t Mikhail.