CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Back off, Mik,” Lexi said as she skated away from him, frustration bubbling in her stomach.
Conflict between them wasn’t entirely new, although they definitely clashed more now than they had in the past.
“It’s a waste of time,” Mik yelled after her. “Everything here is a waste of time.”
Lexi jerked around to face him. Narrowing her eyes, she headed straight for him, stopping in a spray of ice.
“This is my life now,” she hissed at him. “The one I was forced to build after my dad torpedoed my life and you walked away from me. So you don’t get to come in here and tell me that my life—the one I’m putting on hold to help you out, by the way—is a waste of time.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“No. I’m done.”
She skated for the exit where Irina greeted her with a frown, which deepened into a scowl when she looked past Lexi to Mik.
Good. Let him deal with her temper.
“The rink becomes unavailable in half an hour,” Lexi muttered. “Be off it by then.”
Lexi snatched her guards off the boards and shoved them on her blades before leaving the ice. She headed for her office, tuning out the yelling in Russian that was going on behind her. If she’d focused, she could have understood what was being said, but she just didn’t care.
Mik had sometimes been selfish before. But then, so had she.
Now, however…
He had gone past selfish to arrogant, telling Lexi that she should be thanking him for giving her a break and saving her from her pathetic life in a small town in Idaho. Like it hadn’t been him who’d contacted her, begging Lexi to help him out .
The fight had just been stupid and, yes, a waste of time. She had told Mik and Irina that her time off for the fundraiser was non-negotiable. And yet, Mik persisted in bugging her about it. All because it meant a shortened training day followed by a day completely off the ice.
There was nothing that could be done about it, even if she’d wanted to. Which she didn’t.
In about an hour, people would be arriving to begin decorating the space in preparation for the fundraiser the next day.
Lexi didn’t have a lot to do with that part of things, but she’d let Mik and Irina believe she did. Otherwise, they would have insisted on meeting at the rink in town for more training. She hadn’t wanted that. She’d wanted a break.
From the training. From Irina. And most definitely, from Mik.
“We’re going.”
Irina’s harsh voice drew her attention. Lexi looked up and nodded.
“Be at the rink Sunday at two.”
For a moment, Lexi hesitated, then she gave Irina a firm look. “You need to talk to Mik and make sure he understands that I am giving what I can. If that’s not enough, he can walk away. And if his attitude doesn’t improve, we’re not going to be able to pull together enough to medal, let alone win.”
The fact that Irina nodded and didn’t argue was telling. She agreed with Lexi. At least to a certain extent.
“I’ll talk to him.” Irina turned and walked out the door without looking back.
Lexi blew out a long breath, her shoulders slumping. Not for the first time, she wondered if this had been a mistake. Where was the joy in winning if she did it with someone she couldn’t stand?
Sure, the gold medal might give her the redemption she needed to attain the future she wanted. However, at moments like she’d just endured, she felt like the price might be too high.
Leaning forward, Lexi unlaced her skates and slipped them off, wiggling her toes as she recalled the time Wilder had rubbed her feet. She knew it had been a spur-of-the-moment thing and meant nothing more than someone realizing that she’d been on her feet all day.
However, she’d been careful not to let it happen again, regardless of how much she’d enjoyed it. She’d known it would be far too easy to get addicted to those foot rubs. And something told her it was best not to get addicted to anything tied to Wilder.
When she heard the door to the rink open, followed by the muffled sound of conversation, Lexi got up and slipped her feet into her comfortable shoes. As she left the office, she spotted a few familiar faces.
“Hey there,” Charli said when she spotted Lexi. Behind her, Amelia and Janessa were removing their outerwear.
“Hi.” She saw the little girl had her skate bag. “Are you planning to skate?”
“Is it okay if she does?” Charli asked.
“Yep. That’s not a problem. I won’t be joining her, though. I just took my skates off a little while ago, and I’m not keen to put them back on just yet.”
“I’m sure that’s true,” Charli said as Lexi led them over to where a couple of tables had been pushed together so they could set the boxes and bags they carried.
Whoever the resort had hired to decorate the buildings for Christmas had done a great job. It was a very rustic décor, with lots of greenery, buffalo print ribbon, and pinecones, which suited the look of the resort very well.
Soon, jackets were piled up on a nearby chair, and the women were pulling stuff out of the boxes and bags. In another chair, Amelia took her skates out and shoved her feet into them. Lexi went to her and helped her tighten and tie them.
“How’s the training been going?” Janessa asked.
“Good. How’s the pregnancy going?” Lexi asked as she quickly finished the first skate.
It seemed that Janessa didn’t care who knew about her pregnancy. In fact, according to Wilder, she had done everything but take an ad out in the paper to let people know.
“Wretched,” Janessa said with a grimace. “At least until about two in the afternoon. Like, right about now, I finally start to feel better. They don’t tell you that morning sickness can last well past morning.”
Lexi got to her feet, watching as Amelia made her way over to the entrance to the ice. She slipped off her guards, then stepped on the ice, pushing away from the boards with more confidence than she’d had when she’d first started skating with Lexi.
“Oh sure we do,” Charli said. “I remember telling you about that a lot.”
“I know, but I didn’t believe you.”
“What?” Charli sounded indignant. “Why not?”
“Because I thought you were just saying that so I wouldn’t go out and get pregnant before I was married.”
“Oh, shut up,” Charli said with a laugh. “You did not. And besides, I think Lexi would have a hard time believing that a nurse doesn’t know about a lot of the more common aspects of pregnancy. Plus, Aria was sick during different parts of the day throughout the early part of her pregnancy. She’s your best friend, so I know she told you, like she told me.”
“Yeah, but mine is worse than either of your experiences.”
Lexi lifted her eyebrows at Janessa. Sometimes the way the sisters interacted made her laugh. Having never had a sibling, she didn’t have that type of relationship with anyone. They sniped at each other, but even she could tell that it came from a place of love.
“Regardless,” Janessa said. “I’m surviving and praying that the second trimester will bring relief.”
“When is that?”
“One more week, and I’ll be in my second trimester.”
“Hope you feel better.”
“And then you can finally tell everybody you’re pregnant,” Charli said as she leaned to pull something out of the box.
Again, Lexi’s eyes widened. She’d been sure Wilder had said Janessa had been telling everyone.
“It’s not my fault that I’m not super good at keeping a secret,” Janessa said. “I was excited. Plus, this is my secret to tell. I’d never tell someone else’s.”
“By the time you have this baby, you will be wishing that you’d kept it to yourself a little while longer.”
“What do you mean?”
“By the end of your eighth month, people are going to see you coming into church with your belly and comment on the fact that you’re still pregnant. Right about when you’re feeling your worst, waddling around with swollen ankles, all the comments will make you feel like you’re enormous.”
“Well, it’s too late to do anything about it now,” Janessa remarked. “I’ll keep that in mind for the next one.”
“Speaking of babies, where’s Shiloh?” Lexi asked.
“Denise was at the house to clean today,” Janessa said. “And she offered to keep an eye on her.”
“She has Ciara too,” Charli added. “But Peyton and Layla still had school.”
“No school for you and Amelia?” Lexi asked.
Charli shook her head. “Something happened to the heater overnight, so they cancelled school today.”
“Since Mom already had Timmy for the morning, she offered to watch him for the whole day so Aria could cover for me at the clinic today,” Janessa said. “She took pity on my sick, pregnant self.”
The door to the rink swung open again, and this time it was a small group of ladies. While Janessa and Charli went to greet them, Lexi made her way to the boards. Amelia was in the middle of the ice, practicing a spin.
Watching the girl, Lexi was struck again by how at ease Amelia was on the ice. Layla still had some stiffness when she moved. Amelia, on the other hand, had really loosened up over the past few weeks. Like she was no longer afraid of falling. Of the ice hurting her.
“How is she doing?”
Lexi glanced at Charli, then looked back at Amelia, who’d just landed the jump she’d been practicing. She hadn’t spoken to her and Blake yet about the girls beyond saying they were doing well. Because they were. She just wasn’t sure how to tell them that their younger daughter was probably going to surpass their older one fairly soon.
“She’s doing really well,” Lexi said, then decided to test the water. “How does she feel about figure skating?”
“She loves it. I thought she might like ballet better, but she’s definitely talked about figure skating more, especially since you started teaching her.”
“Is Layla in ballet too?”
Charli nodded. “I think she probably prefers ballet, though she’ll never actually say that since she really likes you.”
“Do you make the girls take both?”
“No. We give them the choice. Should they only be in one?”
“Not from a teacher’s perspective. In fact, ballet can be beneficial for figure skaters. Especially those who go on to compete.”
“And do you think they could go on to compete?”
“I’m sure they could,” Lexi said. “You’ll just have to be prepared that one might do better than the other.”
“Really?” Charli was silent for a moment, then she said, “Are you talking about Amelia?”
“I’m not saying that Layla can’t achieve success with hard work, but it will likely come a lot easier for Amelia.”
“Huh.” Charli stared at the little girl.
Lexi had no clue how Charli felt about that revelation. Still, it felt wrong not to let Charli know about her younger daughter’s potential, even if it might not be what Layla would want to hear.
Someone called Charli, drawing her attention from the ice. She glanced back at Amelia, then said, “Thanks for letting me know.”
As the woman walked away, Lexi was left feeling that perhaps she shouldn’t have let her know. Sometimes navigating these situations with people she didn’t know well was a challenge she wasn’t sure she wanted to take on.
For the next hour or so, she helped out where needed. They were setting up tables with Christmas tablecloths for the bake sale and other auction items. There were signs that someone had drawn that looked quite amazing. She’d never been to a fundraiser before, and though this didn’t have the most polished presentation, everything was welcoming and cheerful.
When she had a free moment, Lexi wandered back over to the rink. She stood at the boards, watching Amelia again. The young girl seemed to be tireless. She hadn’t come off the ice since first arriving.
Shortly before four, Will arrived with Layla and Peyton in tow. He greeted Janessa with a hug and a kiss, then stood with his arm around her, taking in what had been done so far.
“Are we going to practice tonight?” Layla asked as she joined Lexi at the boards.
“I’m not sure if your uncle is coming here after he’s done work or not,” Lexi said. “If he does and wants to skate, we can run through it a couple of times.”
“I’m excited to do it,” Layla told her. “It’s almost like my ballet recital.”
“Do you enjoy ballet?”
“Yep. I like it a lot.”
“Better than skating?” Lexi asked.
Layla paused, her gaze on her sister. She gave Lexi a quick look, then said, “I like them both.”
“It’s okay to like dancing more than skating,” Lexi told her. “I took ballet lessons as well, but I always preferred skating. For some people, ballet is what makes them happier.”
Layla gave a slow nod. “I do like skating, but I really love ballet.”
“How about Amelia?”
“Oh, she likes skating a lot better.”
“Hey there, Elf number one and Mrs. Clause.”
Lexi turned to see that Wilder had arrived while she’d been distracted by her conversation with Layla. His cheeks were reddened from the cold, and his hair looked disheveled, like he’d been running his hand through it.
“Hi, Uncle Wilder,” Layla said with a grin. “Are you gonna skate?”
“We should probably do a run-through one more time if everyone is up to it.”
“I’ll go get my skates.”
Layla darted away, but Wilder stayed at the boards with Lexi.
“How’s it been going?”
“Pretty good, I think.”
“From what I’ve heard, we’re going to have a good turnout.”
“I hope so.”
Wilder turned to face her, leaning an arm along the boards. “How was your day?”
“It was fine,” she said. “Mik wasn’t happy about our training being interrupted, but he’ll get over it.”
“Do you want to come for pizza once we have everything ready to go here?”
Over the past couple of weeks, Wilder had extended the invitation each Friday, but Lexi had declined to go. She’d tried to offset that rejection by attending church with them.
Lexi just wasn’t sure that she should spend more time with the Halversons. At least attending church involved other people, not just Wilder and his family.
But that day, she was finding it difficult to say no to him. Maybe it didn’t matter. They’d both agreed that they were just friends.
“Sure.”
Wilder’s expression brightened as he raised his hands like he’d just won something. “Excellent!”
Layla returned with her skates, and while Wilder helped her, Lexi went to her office to get her and Wilder’s skates.
By the time she got back, Layla was out on the ice with Amelia. Wilder sat down on the bench beside her and took his skates.
“Do you need help lacing your skates?” Wilder asked as they sat down on the bench.
“No, sir,” Lexi said. “I’ve been lacing my own skates since I was about ten.”
“How are you feeling about tomorrow?”
Lexi considered it for a moment, then said, “A little nervous.”
Wilder paused mid-lacing, turning to look at her. “Nervous? I wouldn’t expect that, given the experiences you’ve had.”
Lexi shrugged. “What can I say? This is much more personal than any competition I’ve been in.”
“It’s going to be great,” Wilder said with a grin. “Just have fun with it. People will be entertained by whatever we do. They don’t really have any expectations. They’re not going to mark you down if you do a double jump instead of a triple.”
“You’re right.”
She just wasn’t used to skating for something so casual. Even when they skated for the galas following competitions, there was still a high expectation of what she and Mik would perform. They might not have been judged officially, but people still liked to see perfect programs.
“Let’s go have some fun,” Wilder said as he stood up.
He offered her his hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, she took it. Once she was on her feet, he let go, and Lexi missed the feel of his hand in hers.
Shaking it off, she went with him to the ice, took off her guards, and stepped out on the ice. There were still lots of people setting up for the next day’s activities, but a few came to the boards to watch them.
They didn’t go right into the program. Lexi did some stretches as she skated, feeling her muscles protesting being put to work again that day.
Wilder chased after the girls, who shrieked with laughter as they darted away from him. Even in this, Amelia showed herself to be a lot more at ease on her skates, as she evaded Wilder for much longer than Layla was able to.
Lexi pulled up their song on her phone, then connected it to the Bluetooth sound system. When Wilder and the girls joined her, she said, “Ready to go?”
“Yep!” Layla said, while Amelia nodded.
Seeing Janessa at the boards, Lexi gave her the phone to start the song when they were ready.
They got into position, with Wilder and the girls at the entrance to the ice. Wilder had his hockey stick, and as Here Comes Santa Claus began to play, he and the girls headed out first.
After they’d skated through the first verse, they circled back around, and Wilder dropped his stick on the ice by the boards and reached out to take Lexi’s hand. Together, they executed some turns and spins, while Layla and Amelia followed them, also doing some jumps and spins.
It wasn’t a complicated program, and they didn’t even do it perfectly, but it was fun, and Lexi couldn’t help but smile when they finished. She was perched on Wilder’s knee and the girls were standing with them, their arms raised like Lexi and Wilder’s.
The people who’d gathered at the boards applauded and cheered. Lexi stood up and turned to face Wilder as she skated backwards a few feet. He remained on his knee, watching her for a moment, then he gave a grin and got back up to his feet.
He held out his hands to the girls, and then the three of them were off around the ice again. Lexi skated over to where Janessa stood and took the phone back from her.
She pulled up the playlist she’d created with all kinds of upbeat Christmas music, both traditional and contemporary. When she clicked on the first song, the girls let go of Wilder’s hands and skated to the music, using their own choreography.
Wilder skated over to her, leaning over the boards to hug Janessa. “What do you think, Nessa? Will tomorrow be a success?”
“It’s going to be great,” Janessa said. “I think it will be the best Christmas fundraiser ever.”
Wilder chuckled. “Never mind that it’s the first one we’ve ever done.”
“You guys are so cute as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, with the girls as elves. I can’t wait to see you in your costumes.”
Lexi shared Janessa’s excitement, though she wasn’t as vocal about it.
“How close are we to being done here?” Wilder asked, waving his hand at the space.
Charli turned to look at the part of the building where most of the stuff had been set up. “We’re probably done for tonight. We’ll come back a few hours before the start tomorrow to set up the last few things. Most people will be dropping off their baking at our place, but some will be bringing it out here.”
When Kayleigh and Hudson showed up, they had a familiar man with them. Wilder had said he hoped that Alexander would show up, and it appeared that he had.
The older man shook hands with those present, smiling and chatting. He was definitely good at making people feel at ease. His presence could be imposing—given the perfect cut of his suit, his perfectly styled hair, and his expensive watch and shoes—but his smile was warm and seemed genuine.
“Alexandra,” he said as he held out his hand to her. His smile creased the corners of his eyes and seemed to grow from the smile he’d given others. “It’s so wonderful to see you again.”
“Please call me Lexi,” Lexi requested as she shook his hand. “It’s good to see you again, too.”
“I hear you have a fun program planned for tomorrow.”
“I think it is,” she said. “You just missed our practice of it.”
“I’m kind of glad I did because I’m looking forward to seeing the actual performance tomorrow.”
“Layla, Amelia, and Wilder are part of it too,” Hudson said. “So we’re all looking forward to the antics.”
“Are you two coming for pizza?” Charli asked.
“Nope,” Kayleigh said. “We’re going for dinner with Alexander.”
“All the more pizza for us,” Wilder told her.
“Like you aren’t going to just order less pizza,” Kayleigh retorted.
Most of the non-Halversons left as they stood talking to Alexander, calling out their goodbyes as they walked to the door. A few minutes later, Alexander headed off with Kayleigh and Hudson. Will and Wilder helped the girls out of their skates while Lexi took hers off.
They put the skates and the hockey stick in her office, then they all left the rink. The others headed for their cars, but Wilder walked with Lexi to hers.
“So you’re coming over?” he asked as she pressed the fob to unlock the doors.
“I guess so.” She still wasn’t sure it was the best idea, but she needed a break from her own company or that of Mik and Irina.
“What type of pizza do you want? Or will you bring your meal prep?”
She was so tempted by the idea of pizza, but in the end, she knew she couldn’t take time off from training and eat badly. “I’ll bring my meal prep.”
“Sounds good.” With a smile, he opened her door for her. “See you in a bit.”
With a nod, she slid behind the wheel. He closed the door, then gave a wave and jogged to where he’d parked. Lexi watched him go, feeling a weird sense of happiness just from having been in his presence.
It wasn’t something she’d experienced before, and as she glanced in her mirror to see his car behind hers as they pulled out of the parking lot, she wasn’t sure she could be strong enough to put the distance between them that she knew she should.
For sure, she wasn’t going to put that distance between them before the fundraiser. It wouldn’t do if Santa and Mrs. Claus were estranged.