Chapter 10
Hudson joined the other six men who were ready to race at the starting line. He turned to his right, where Dakota watched
him with an expression of disbelief.
“No one else?” Brice asked the crowd. A chorus of cheers went up when two more men in the audience decided to join them for
the race.
Kayleigh took the microphone. “Let’s see which of you is the fastest. Now, this race is two laps, just like the one the ladies
just finished. The first to complete two laps will be our winner.” She beckoned for Dakota to come over to her, and they both
bent down beside Gigi.
Together the three of them chanted, “Ready...”
Hudson crouched down.
“Set...”
He bent his arms.
“Go!”
Kayleigh waved the checkered flag, and Hudson took off. Adrenaline shot through every cell of his body as he weaved past the slower skaters. He felt like he was floating, flying above the rink floor while he negotiated two curves and then headed down the straightaway. The noise from the crowd became background to his heart pounding against his rib cage.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted someone gaining on him. He peeked over at the young man who looked to be at least
five years his junior. Hudson quickened his pace, speeding through the curves to the straightaway, where he and his opponent
crossed the finish line together for the first lap.
Hudson pumped his arms and legs, and his spirit soared along with his speed through their second lap. The young man gained
an advantage on him, but Hudson wasn’t about to give up. He caught up with the young man, and they shot around the curves
together.
When they reached the last straightaway, Hudson felt a burst of adrenaline that powered him forward. The roar of the crowd
echoed in his mind when the finish line came into view. He pushed himself, moving faster and faster, until he flew across
the line.
The clapping and whistling continued while Hudson slowed and spun. He swiped the back of his hand over the sweat beading on
his forehead.
“Who won?” he asked Brice, still gasping for air.
Brice grinned. “You did.”
Hudson skated over to the other young contender and shook his hand. “Great race.”
“Yeah.” The kid laughed. “I can’t believe you beat me.”
“Hudson Garrity is our winner,” Brice called. “Great job to all of you who competed. Now, we have our final showdown between
Dakota and Hudson.”
Kayleigh tapped her husband’s shoulder and whispered something in his ear, causing him to grin wider.
“We’re going to handle this last relay a little differently,” he said into the mic. “Instead of Dakota and Hudson skating
two straightforward laps, they’ll skate forward for the first lap and backward for the final lap.”
Hudson held up his hands. “No, no, no.” He made a sweeping gesture toward Dakota, whose pretty face seemed full of surprise.
“You’re the winner, Dakota. Enjoy your trophy.” He started toward the other side of the rink.
“Are you too chicken to race me, Hudson Garrity?” Dakota’s voice rang out over the speakers.
A chorus of “Ooh!” sounded, along with some laughs and playful jeers.
He sighed before turning to face her. She had taken the mic out of Brice’s hand and was staring at him, her dark eyes glittering.
Leave it to Dakota to call him out in front of a crowd.
“No,” he responded, raising his voice over the rowdy folks around him. “I just know you’ll win.”
“I remember when you were competitive and loved to race. Did New York City change you?” Her expression seemed to challenge
him.
Hudson shook his head. “No, I’m still that way.”
She handed the mic back to Brice and glided over to Hudson. “Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m rusty.”
She scoffed. “You didn’t look rusty to me.” She rested her hands on her hips. “What’s the real issue, Hud?”
“There’s no issue.”
“Then why won’t you race me?”
He rubbed the scruff on his neck. Why was she making such a big deal about this? “Dakota...”
“What is it, Hud?” Her brow pinched. “Am I not good enough to race?”
“Fine,” he said. “I don’t want to beat you in front of everyone.”
“Oh, so you think you’ll be beat me then?”
“Yeah, I do.”
They studied each other.
“Then prove it,” she snapped.
The chorus of hecklers sounded again, while a woman added, “She told you!”
Dakota started to skate backward, away from him. “How about it, Hudson Garrity? Are you going to race me, or are you too chicken?”
“Come on, Hud,” Brice yelled. “You gotta represent us guys.”
“Yeah, Hud,” someone else yelled. “Show her how it’s done.”
Kayleigh clapped and started a chant. “Race! Race! Race!”
“Okay, okay.” Hudson held his hands up in surrender, and everyone cheered.
Dakota grinned, and his heart felt light. For a moment it was as if he’d gone back in time. She was the funny, flirty, outgoing
woman he’d fallen in love with when he was a teenager. And this rink had been his home away from home. Being back here sent
an exhilaration through him that surprised him.
Brice spoke into the microphone. “Hudson and Dakota, you two line up. Remember, two laps: one forward, one backward.”
He took his place beside her on the line, and she crouched down, looking ready to sprint into action.
“Ready?” Kayleigh asked, holding up the checkered flag.
Hudson and Dakota glanced at each other and nodded.
“May the best skater win,” Kayleigh said.
Dakota turned her focus straight ahead.
Hudson crouched, and his heart began to pound again.
“Ready... ,” Kayleigh and Gigi yelled. “Set... go!” Kayleigh dropped the flag, signaling the start of the race.
Hudson took off just as Dakota leapt into action. They skated together toward the first curve and both took it via crossovers
before picking up speed on the back stretch.
When they came through the next set of curves, Dakota moved ahead of him, but Hudson worked to catch up on the straightaway.
They hit the line together, then both spun into their backward skate positions.
Hudson craned his neck to look over his shoulder, skating the scissors move as fast as he could but transitioning to crossovers
on the turns. Dakota scooted ahead of him, and he tried his best to gain on her on the straightaway once again.
When she slowed on the curves, he caught up to her, and they headed neck and neck down the second straightway as the crowd
went wild. As they came to the finish line, they each sped up.
When they crossed the finish line together, Hudson faltered and overcorrected. He righted himself, gliding to the left, and
just before running into her, he held out his arms.
“Whoa!” Dakota cried, reaching for and taking hold of his hands. Her skin was warm, and his pulse rocketed from a mixture
of exertion and something more potent. “Steady there, Hud,” she said. She continued to grasp his hands, which flabbergasted
him. “That was fun. Just like old times, right?”
She grinned, and Hudson felt something warm unfurl inside him.
“Right,” he said, “just like when you beat me at nearly every race.”
Then, to his surprise, she laughed. He hadn’t realized until that very moment how much he’d missed that sound. Every muscle
in Hudson’s back and neck loosened as he laughed along with her.
“Well, folks, that was exciting, wasn’t it?” Brice called over the rink’s loudspeakers. “And believe it or not, we don’t have a winner.”
“What?” Dakota pivoted, and Hudson released her hands.
“It was a tie,” Brice explained.
Kayleigh and Gigi skated over to them, and while Gigi held up a trophy, Kayleigh carried an envelope. They placed both in
Dakota’s hands.
“We have gift certificates for the snack bar, two bring-a-friend-to-skate coupons, and a trophy,” Kayleigh said. “But you’re
going to have to decide between yourselves who gets what.”
“Thanks to everyone for participating. Now—back to the general skate.” Brice waved toward the DJ booth.
When hometown music group Kirwan’s “Dance All Night” began to play, a collective cheer sounded from the audience. Before long,
the rink filled up with skaters moving to the beat.
Hudson held his hand out for the trophy. “I’ll take that, thanks.”
“Whoa, Garrity,” Dakota said. “Who said you get the trophy?”
“Fine. You can have the trophy, and I’ll take the gift certificates.”
“But what if I want the trophy and the gift certificates? I think we need to share custody of the trophy.”
“Share custody?” He couldn’t stop his smile.
Kayleigh nodded toward the oncoming crowd of skaters. “I think you two need to take this to the snack bar before you get run
over.”
They all moved to the side of the rink.
Dakota made a big deal out of her sigh. “Fine, you can have the trophy.”
He held his hands up. “No, you keep it.”
She shrugged, setting the trophy down on a bench. Then she opened the envelope, sifted through the gift certificates, chose
one, and handed the rest to him. “I just wanted a drink.”
“Fair enough.” Hudson took the envelope and started toward the concession stand.
“Wait up,” she called, grabbing the trophy and skating up beside him. “Thanks for racing me.”
Hudson cocked an eyebrow. “Uh... you’re welcome, I guess?”
“Oh, come on, Hud.” Dakota gave him a playful nudge. Was she actually flirting with him? Had she lost her mind? “You have
to admit it was fun, and you were a worthy opponent.”
He shook his head.
“I remember you actually beating me a few times back in the day. And there was that one time when you tried to trip me so
you could win.”
Hudson stopped and faced her. “Oh no. I didn’t try to trip you. You got too close to me and ran into my skate.”
“You tripped me, Hudson.” She shook the trophy at him. “You cheated.”
“I never had to cheat, Dakota. I won fair and square. You’re rewriting history.”
“No, I’m not.” She grinned. “I clearly remember—”
“Dakota?”
Parker interrupted her words. He stumbled toward her on the skates, half skating, half walking. “You were fantastic out there.
You’re like a professional.”
Hudson resisted the urge to roll his eyes, then moved along to the snack bar. He used his gift certificate for a large plate
of nachos and three drinks before skating to the table where Gavin and Anissa sat.
“Congratulations,” Gavin said. “You were impressive out there.”
“You’re the best, Mr. Hud,” Anissa announced.
“Thanks for cheering for me, Anissa. Wanna share some nachos?” Hudson placed two drinks in front of Gavin and Anissa and the nachos in the center of the table, then sat down across from them in the booth.
Anissa bit into a nacho and beamed at him. “These are yummy, Mr. Hud.”
“Thanks for the snack,” Gavin said.
“You’re welcome.” Hudson turned toward where Dakota was talking to Parker and Kayleigh. He tried to decode her body language
as she waved her arms and seemed to be sharing a story. Her dark eyes sparkled, and Parker hung on her every word, clearly
infatuated. Not that Hudson blamed him. He had once been that guy, completely and utterly in love with her.
A coil of envy wrapped around his insides and tightened. He was being ridiculous. Why would he be jealous of his ex-fiancée’s
boyfriend after the way she’d hurt him?
Hudson lifted his cup before taking a drink.
Gavin studied him. “You and Dakota looked like you were having a good time together. Seemed pretty cozy to me.”
Hud shook his head. “Not even close.”
“I know it’s none of my business, but you two were together for a long time.” Gavin lifted his dark eyebrows. “What happened?”
Hudson ate a few nachos and then wiped his hands on a napkin, trying to keep his expression devoid of emotion. “We were engaged,
but she broke it off right before I left for New York.” His lips formed a sarcastic smile. “And that was that.”
Gavin nodded slowly. “That was a long time ago. People change. Circumstances change.”
“Not this circumstance. She decided she didn’t want to marry me.” He said the words simply, as if they weren’t still a punch
to his gut nearly a decade later.
“Well, as an outsider looking in, it sure seems like there’s some serious chemistry between you two.”
“There isn’t,” Hud said tersely. He nodded toward Parker sitting beside Dakota in a booth across the way. “And even if there was, she’s obviously seeing someone now.”
She already destroyed me once, and I’m not likely to take that chance with her again.
“When I met Jeannie, I’d recently gone through a bad breakup. I was certain I’d never get married. Now I have Jeannie and Anissa, and I’ve never been happier. Who knows? You and Dakota might get a second chance.”
Hudson picked up another nacho and considered his friend’s words. He couldn’t imagine ever trusting Dakota again.
At the same time, he couldn’t deny that he’d felt his heart starting to come back to life tonight.
“Want to skate with me, Mr. Hud?” Anissa said.
Hudson turned his focus to the sweet little girl. “Of course I do.”
He wiped his hands, took one more sip of his drink, and followed her back out to the rink.
***
“Tonight was so fun,” Kayleigh said while she and Dakota stood by the party rooms in the rink. “You were amazing in that relay
race, Dakota. No one skates backward better than you.”
The rink had closed and patrons were filing through the exit doors toward the parking lot. Brice and Parker were only a few
feet away, talking while Brice balanced a sleeping Gigi in his arms.
Dakota pulled on her jacket. “You would have beat everyone if you’d raced, Kay. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
Kayleigh leaned in close and lowered her voice. “Parker seems to like you a lot.”
“Yeah, he does.” Dakota was careful to keep her voice soft.
“And...?” Kayleigh prodded.
“And now isn’t the time to discuss it.” Dakota pointed her chin toward Brice and Parker.
“Well, I’m glad to see you finally dating again.”
“We’re not officially dating.”
“You should be.” Kayleigh gently bumped her shoulder against Dakota’s. “He’s a super-nice guy.”
“You know how insane my life is right now.” Dakota lifted her purse and tote bag, which held her skates, onto her shoulder.
Parker had been funny and attentive all evening, and judging by how he and Brice continued to talk, he was a good fit with
her friends. But despite his magnetic personality and his good looks, Dakota wasn’t attracted to him. Her heart just wasn’t
feeling it at all.
And if she were to be completely honest with herself, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Hudson since they’d held
hands after the relay race. She could almost feel his warm skin still against hers, and the way her heart had thundered when
they’d laughed together. The race had taken her back to happier times when they were in love—before he’d chosen his career
over their future together.
She’d spent most of the evening doing her best to focus on Parker, but her eyes and her heart kept defying her. She marveled
at how good Hudson had looked out on the rink floor. He was still graceful and athletic, and she was struck by how he interacted
with Anissa. He seemed so attentive when he talked to her and skated with her. It made her wonder about what could have been
between them if they’d gotten married, had a family...
“Can I help you and Brice clean up before I go?” Dakota asked.
Kayleigh shook her head. “No, but thanks.” She pointed toward the rental booth. “Ryan is handling the skate returns, and the
cleaning crew comes in on Mondays.”
Dakota scanned the last of the patrons leaving. When she saw Hudson talking with Gavin near the rink entrance, her heart hitched.
Brice carried Gigi over to Kayleigh and Dakota. “Me and Parker were just talking about getting together. We should plan a
double date for the four of us,” he said as he turned toward Parker. “We’ll have more time to talk when I’m not at work.”
Parker sidled up to Dakota, and she could feel his gaze on her.
Kayleigh widened her eyes at Dakota. “That would be so fun, right?”
Dakota hesitated. She glanced at Hudson again and felt the familiar, frustrating attraction. She tried to dismiss it, then
smiled at Parker. “Let’s get together at my place next week. Maybe Thursday night?”
“Perfect,” Kayleigh said, and Brice and Parker agreed. Then she hugged Dakota. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
Dakota and Parker said good night to Kayleigh and Brice before making their way out into the chilly night air of mid-March.
She shivered and zipped up her coat before pushing her hands into her pockets. The dark sky above them was clear and sprinkled
with stars, and the warm yellow glow of the streetlights cast shadows on the pavement.
Parker reached for her tote bag. “Can I carry this for you?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
He pressed his lips together before his expression brightened. “I had a blast tonight.”
“Me too.”
They weaved past other cars on their way to her Focus, which sat at the back of the lot.
An awkward silence filled the space between them, and she tried to think of something to say. The moments ticked by while the sounds of cars passing on the street and their shoes on the pavement drifted over them.
Unbidden thoughts of evenings with Hudson came to Dakota’s mind. She couldn’t remember one time when they’d run out of words.
Except maybe when they were too busy kissing. Thrills rushed through her at the memory of his lips caressing hers, and she
swallowed a groan. Why couldn’t she get that man out of her mind?
When they reached her car, she tossed her purse and tote bag onto the passenger seat.
“I look forward to seeing you Thursday,” he said.
She pushed an errant lock of her hair behind her ear. “Me too.” She tried to smile, but it felt strained.
“Good night.” Parker’s expression clouded with a serious look, and when he puckered his lips and ducked his head, panic filled
her chest.
Dakota quickly threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. “Good night,” she said, patting his back.
Then she climbed into her car, started the engine, and lowered the window. “See you Thursday, Parker.”
Disappointment flickered over his features. “Drive safe.”
“You too.” With a wave, Dakota steered out of the parking lot, confusion twisting her up inside.