Chapter Twenty-One Skating Lessons
JULIAN
Later, after practice, Jensen skates up beside me, spraying a light dusting of shaved ice against the boards as he brings his massive frame to a halt.
He’s already shedding his gear, his jersey hung loosely around his neck like a scarf, exposing his soaked gray t-shirt.
He runs a thick hand through his sweat-damp brown hair, scratching at his closely trimmed beard, his sharp green eyes bright with the remnants of his adrenaline from practice.
“Hey,” Jensen says, leaning his broad shoulder heavily against the glass. “You coming over later?”
“To Carson’s?” I ask, unbuckling my chin strap and pulling my helmet off.
“Yeah,” Jensen nods. “His turn for guys night. He’s got a demo copy of Skyler’s newest game for us to try out.”
“Her last one was so fucking cool,” Zander declares, coming up to my other side and sounding giddy. “This latest one is like zombie superheroes and shit!”
“Yeah, you can tell us all about the obscure comic it’s based on later,” Jensen laughs. As we make our way into the locker room, all around us, the post-practice chaos is in full swing.
I move to sit on the wooden bench in front of my locker, wrestling out of my heavy chest protector.
Stripped down to my compression shirt, I can’t help but feel a sudden, sharp prickle of self-consciousness.
Compared to the lean, unbroken bodies of the guys around me, I feel bulky, scarred, and heavily aware of the stiff ache in my hip.
My eyes flicker across the room to where Theo is peeling off his wet socks. He leans back, catching my eye with a lazy, knowing tilt of his head. The memory of him with Hadley yesterday flares in my mind, and I grit my teeth before looking away.
Jensen spots Owen, who’s already at his locker, and asks, “You coming tonight?”
“Not until later,” Owen shakes his head. “I’ve gotta pick up Millie from skating after her class ends. Then I’ll pop over.”
I perk up at that. “Mind if I come with?” I ask.
Owen looks at me with a frown.
“Uh…why?” he asks.
I shrug. “It’s Hadley’s first day. I want to celebrate with her.”
There’s a moment of silence as Owen and Jensen look at me with varying degrees of shocked expressions.
Then Jensen makes a low sound under his breath. “Ooooh, that’s interesting.” He’s getting ready to head to the shower, his green eyes glinting with pure mischief as he looks between me and Owen.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I mutter, shoving my pads into my hockey bag.
Owen grins. “You’re going to celebrate?”
“I’m going to hang out,” I clarify.
From two lockers down, Jayce tosses a roll of sock tape at Jensen’s head, laughing. “Just hanging out, huh?”
“What, you guys don't want to support her too?” I shoot back, glaring at the three of them. I stand up, towering over the bench as I pull my shirt off. “At least I’m actually being a decent friend.”
“Hey, I didn’t say anything,” Zander grins, throwing his hands up in mock surrender.
They’re all smiling at me like fucking idiots. I flash them a dark, murderous glare. It works just enough to get them to stifle their laughs, but the broad, knowing grins stay firmly plastered on their faces.
Owen shakes his head, chuckling as he grabs his car keys. “Yeah, you can come, Wilder. You wanna ride with me?”
“Thanks, but I’ll drive myself,” I grumble, stuffing my sneakers into the bag and pulling a dark t-shirt over my head, doing my best to ignore the hushed chuckles behind my back.
The energy at the rec center’s rink is way different from the stadium.
It’s more chaotic and carefree. The kids are laughing as the teachers call out instructions that half of them don’t listen to.
It’s a lot more innocent and just fun. I hang back near the entrance when Owen and I first arrive, my hands shoved into my jacket pockets as I scan the ice.
Hadley’s in the middle of a group of kids, crouched down as she talks to one of them. Another kid is clinging to the boards behind her. One more wobbles beside her. They look like they can’t help but be drawn to her, and they hover around her with eager faces.
She laughs at something one of them says, the sound carrying just enough for me to catch it, and something in my chest shifts. I’ve seen her smile and heard her laugh, but not like this. She looks so at ease, as if she’s totally in her element doing what she was meant to be doing.
She’s wearing a purple skate dress with long, sheer sleeves and a short skirt. Her hair is braided in a side braid, and her skin is flushed with a warm, radiant heat.
There is this literal light around her right now, glowing and incandescent, and I can't help but feel like a moth hopelessly drawn into the flame.
She looks so at ease and completely in her element.
Watching the animated way her hands move as she talks, the sudden, fierce pull of attraction hits me like a physical blow to the solar plexus.
I want to step into her space, to feel that warmth firsthand, to trace the line of her jaw and find out if she tastes as intoxicating as she looks.
My gaze lingers on her curves, the heavy desire pooling low in my gut.
We’re just friends, I force myself to think. You’re the broken-down hockey player, and she’s the coach’s granddaughter. Keep your hands to yourself.
I move further inside and join Owen, who’s leaning against the boards, watching Millie’s group across the ice. He glances over at me with a grin and nods toward Hadley.
“Dude, she’s good.”
“Of course she is,” I smirk, my gaze still locked on her.
At that moment, the kid hovering closest to her side loses his edge.
He’s about four years old, wearing a neon-orange padded snowsuit that is so ridiculously thick and puffy he looks like a mini marshmallow mascot.
He can barely bend his elbows, let alone balance on two blades.
His skates slide outward in a perfect V, and he drops straight onto his padded butt with a dull whump.
“You’re okay,” I hear her saying in a calm, reassuring voice. “That was actually a solid fall.”
He blinks at her. “It was?”
“Yeah,” she nods. A stray lock of her hair falls across her cheek, and she doesn't even bother to brush it away. “You stayed sitting up and didn’t hit your head. That’s top priority.”
He appears to consider that.
“Okay,” he replies at length.
“Okay,” she echoes, smiling. “Now try again.”
She helps him to his feet, and he begins trying again without hesitation. Damn, she knows what she’s doing.
I continue to watch her, the cold air of the rink stinging my cheeks.
Just as the session wraps up, a tiny whirlwind comes flying down the boards. Millie, wearing a kid-sized Night Hawks jersey with leggings and figure skates, spots me and immediately skates over.
“Uncle Wilder!” she screeches, throwing her hands up in the air.
I chuckle, stepping closer to the boards and leaning over to scoop her up. She feels like a featherweight. I hoist her up onto the ledge of the boards, and she twists around, crossing her small arms over her chest and glaring out at the ice.
“Miss Hadley is teaching babies,” Millie declares, her lower lip jutting out. “I'm a pro. Why am I not in her class? I need a private lesson, Uncle Wilder. Tell Dad.”
Owen chuckles as he trudges over. “Millie, Miss Hadley is busy teaching the learn-to-skate program. You already know how to skate.”
“But she's cooler than my coach,” Millie insists, turning her fierce green eyes on her dad. She tosses her head back, her ponytail of red curls bouncing. “Dad, if you say no, I’m just going to talk to Coach. He’s her gramps. He’ll make her coach me.”
“Don't you dare go over my head to the head coach, young lady,” Owen warns, while fighting a massive smile. He starts unlacing her skates to remove them. “Come on, menace. Time to go. Your mom is waiting.”
Millie gasps. Her eyes go wide. “No! Dad, we have to go to the store first. For our weekly ice cream sundaes. Henry wants one.” She pats her stomach, attempting a serious expression. “He told me he wants chocolate chip cookie dough.”
“Oh, your infant brother told you that, did he?” Owen laughs, shaking his head. He looks up at me, giving me a knowing, subtle nod toward the ice where Hadley is currently skating back and forth. “We're heading out, man. Don't stay here all night.”
“See ya, Uncle Wilder! Tell Miss Hadley I'm her new best friend!” Millie yells as Owen slings her over his other shoulder like a sack of potatoes, her little legs kicking in the air as they head toward the lobby doors, her skates dangling from his other hand.
I watch them leave, a quiet laugh shaking my chest, until the heavy doors click shut.
Then, the arena grows quiet. I linger by the boards, the silence rushing back into the chilly space, broken only by the rhythmic, hollow scritch-hiss of sharp blades cutting through ice.
Hadley is moving around the perimeter, bending down with effortless grace to pick up the orange cones scattered across the surface.
She’s focused on her task, her breath pluming in small, white clouds in front of her.
It doesn’t seem like she’s noticed me yet.
I lean against the boards and just watch her.
She skates over to the boards, pulling off her gloves as she talks to another instructor. At last, she looks up and spots me. She freezes for half a second, then her face lights up with a huge smile. Waving, she excitedly skates to where I’m standing.
“What are you doing here?” she asks with a laugh.
I shrug, like I didn’t just spend the last thirty minutes watching her like a hawk. “I came over with Owen.”
“Oh!” Her eyes widen. “You’ve been watching my lesson?”
I nod. “Some of it, yeah.”
Her cheeks turn pink, and she lets out a groan, then a nervous chuckle. “That’s…okay, that’s kind of intimidating. Having a pro watching my first class.”
“You were good,” I assure her with a smile.
She studies me for a second, biting her bottom lip.
My eyes are drawn to the motion, and heat unfurls deep in my belly.
She’s got such soft-looking lips. What would they feel like against mine?
The image of them parted as her breath slips past them in needy pants suddenly pops into my mind, and my cock twitches.
Fuck, what am I thinking! I shove the image away as quickly as I can, but the heat in my body continues pulsing through me.
Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to notice anything as she murmurs, “Thanks.”
“You look like you're officially off the clock.” I grin and arch a brow. “Are you done working for the day?”
“Just finished,” she breathes, a proud, tired smile curving her lips. “The marshmallow crew took a lot out of me, but they survived.”
“They did more than survive; you were incredible out there,” I say, keeping my voice steady despite the way my chest is tightening just being this close to her.
I clear my throat, pushing past the sudden spike of nerves.
“So… since you survived your first official day on the job, I was thinking we should celebrate. Let me take you out to get some food.”
There’s a bit of an awkward silence after that as I struggle to get my body under control, and she appears to be trying to figure out what to say next.
“Give me like ten minutes?” she finally asks. “I need to change, and then we can go.”
“No problem,” I nod.
“I’ll meet you out front.”
“Alright.” I manage to keep my voice steady as I will my cock to calm down.
Thankfully, she disappears toward the locker rooms the next moment, and I turn, quickly heading back out to the lobby to wait. Getting away from her helps my body relax, and my semi-stiffy retreats.
Shit, I’m like a horny teenager. Get a grip, motherfucker. Remember, off-limits. Just a friend.
Sighing, I start wandering the lobby idly. I come to a large corkboard on one wall with different flyers and messages attached to it. I scan them, trying to keep my mind distracted, and my gaze falls on one flyer that stands out in particular.
Experience-Based Teaching Scholarships
Huh. That’s interesting. I read the flyer more closely. It’s for people with practical experience looking for opportunities to transition into education programs outside of the traditional track.
I immediately think of Hadley. This is just the kind of thing that could help her not have to rely on her dad for her schooling. Looking around to make sure no one’s watching, I reach up and grab the flyer, pulling it from the board, then I fold it up and slip it into my pocket.
Footsteps echo behind me at that moment, and I turn to find Hadley hurrying toward me, now dressed in hip-hugging jeans and a loose sweatshirt that slips past one of her delicate shoulders, leaving it bare.
“Ready?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I manage to choke out, forcing my eyes away from her bare shoulder and to her face. “Where do you want to eat?”
She appears thoughtful a moment before answering, “Well, we could go back to my place. I just need to stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things first.”
I shrug. “Sure, that’s no problem.”
She arches a brow. “Really? You want to come grocery shopping with me?”
Chuckling, I nod. “Why not? I can grab a few things and cook you dinner.”
Her lips part, and she looks surprised. “Oh…okay.”
She sounds a little breathless and drops her gaze from mine as she blushes again. It’s actually pretty easy to get her to blush…it’s kind of adorable.
We turn for the door and walk out together into the cool, early evening air. I let my hand hover over the small of her back, guiding her without touching, reminding myself again and again that anything more is crossing a line that can’t be uncrossed.
Still, there’s a small amount of heat inside me, almost taunting me as it tempts me with the idea that it might be worth it.