Epilogue
Sam didn’t mind going and sitting at the ice skating rink at all. It was adorable to watch all the tiny ones in their hats and mitts, zooming around the ice.
And Evan was a damn force of nature in skates, even when he was playing a game called sharks and minnows with the wee bitty hockey kids.
They never went in the evening, though, and it was going to be Christmas Eve tomorrow with all the family insanity that went with it.
They were doing Thanksgiving on New Years, so Hil could have her turkey and—
“What are we doing here again, guapo? You leave something behind?” The place was closed up for the holiday, dark and quiet.
“Nope. We’re here on purpose.” Evan grinned at him, his eyes twinkling in the gloom. “Give me a mo. I’ll be right back.” Evan left him at the side of the rink, right where everyone sat on a bench to put on their skates.
He’d only been gone a few minutes when some of the lights came on. Not all of them. Just enough to give everything a bit of a glow.
He grinned. Evan had wrapped up a pair of tiny booties that looked like ice skates for Tasha’s stocking. His man was addicted to the ice. That grandbaby was going to be skating as soon as she could walk, using one of those tiny PVC frames.
Evan came back carrying a duffel bag, and Sam raised his eyebrows. “Are we moving in?”
“Nope.” Evan set the bag on a bench and unpacked some gloves, scarves, and hats, as well as two pairs of skates.
He arched an eyebrow. “What is this?”
Evan arched one eyebrow back at him. “What does it look like, cowboy?” Evan’s smile lit up the rink as much as the lights did.
“You said you wouldn’t learn to skate and make an idiot out of yourself in front of all the kids and people watching, so you can make an idiot out of yourself in front of me. ”
Sam couldn’t decide if Evan was a huge asshole or the most weirdly romantic man on earth.
He was going to have to go with romantic, at least until the first time he fell on his ass; then it was just going to be stupid.
“You going to hold my hands, guapo?” He was nervous, but excited too, he couldn’t help it.
“I am. I will have you all the way. And I will do my best not to let you fall, though I can’t guarantee anything.” Evan winked. “Boots off, cowboy. Let’s get these skates on you. With your muscle memory, you’ll be wicked good in no time.”
“Uh-huh.” But he was going to be game.
Evan had learned to feed horses and shovel manure, hadn’t he?
The skates felt remarkably like his work boots, which were lace-ups too. That would have been fine except for the blades on the bottom of them.
“Who decided this was a good idea?”
Evan snorted. “Originally? Hunters. They skated on bone blades.”
“No shit?”
“True story. Come on, babe. Up.”
He took a deep breath; he needed to man up. His ankles felt like they were going to snap they trembled so much, and he had to look like a newborn foal taking its first steps.
They got out on the ice, and he got a death grip on the wall. He was not going to do this.
“Here, take my hand.” Evan smiled at him, moving backward with this enviable ease.
“If I let go, I’m gonna fall.”
“You won’t fall. Trust me.”
“If I do and I crack an elbow, you’re in such trouble.”
“I’ll get you some pads for next time.” Evan held his gaze, not even needing to look where he was going. Asshole. “I’ve got you.”
“Yeah.” He knew that, down in his soul. In fact, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure Evan didn’t have his soul. The last month had been— Well, it was like Evan had always been right there.
They moved out into the rink, the wall seeming farther and farther away. His heart pounded, and he took weird little steps.
“Bend your knee, then glide. No need to walk your feet for what we’re doing now. The back foot can come up while you glide, but that’s it.” Evan was doing this odd in and out motion to go backward.
“You know I’m never going to get this, right?”
“Are you kidding, babe?” Evan chuckled. “You’ve got the smartest body ever. Relax and let yourself feel.”
“I feel like Bambi. Like my legs don’t work.”
“I know. But you can do this.” Evan brought them to a stop, and he bumped into Evan’s chest. “Okay. So put both feet down, side by side. Center over them, bend your knees, and get your balance.”
He did, and he felt more solid for a moment.
“Now I’m going to pull, and all you have to do is glide on both feet. Just let me tug you.”
He made himself relax. He dealt with two thousand pound bulls for a living. This had way fewer hooves and—
Well, shit. Evan had managed to get a whole rink opened for him to try ice skating for the first time.
He held on, smiling into Evan’s eyes as they glided, trusting Evan to lead him into a whole new world.
It was more than fair.
It was love.
The End