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Charli gripped Layla’s hand tightly as they hurried across the short distance from the parking lot to the front doors of the arena. They’d gotten snow twice already that week, and it was snowing yet again. Now that they were into November, the colder temperatures had definitely arrived, bring with them shorter days.
There were only a few cars in the parking lot, so it didn’t look like the rink was going to be too crowded. And from a quick glance around, it didn’t appear that Blake was there yet.
It was a relief to step into the foyer of the arena and escape the bite of the icy wind. Layla quickly opened the second glass door and led Charli into a large open space. It was brightly lit, with a canteen and a place that had a limited number of skates for rental, since most people in the area who liked to skate had their own.
Amelia had her own pair of skates and had been taking lessons along with Layla. She would still need help on the ice though, so Charli went over to the rental place.
“Hey, Randy,” Charli said, smiling at the man behind the counter who had been in school with her and was now the father of one of her students that year. “How’s it going?”
“Really well. How about with you?”
They chatted for a couple of minutes before she said, “I’m going to need a skate trainer.”
Randy’s brows rose. “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you skate before. Do you think you’ve forgotten how?”
Charli laughed. “It’s not for me. We’ve come so Layla can skate with a friend, and the friend is still a novice, so it’s for her.”
“Okay. That makes sense.” He got her sorted with a skate trainer, and she carried it over to where Layla sat on a bench, taking off her shoes.
“Why aren’t you skating, Mom?” Layla asked as she shoved her foot into one of her skates and began to lace it up.
“I haven’t skated in a very long time, and I don’t feel like changing that at the moment. Plus, I don’t think Amelia’s dad skates, so I’ll keep him company while we watch you guys skate.”
“Amelia said he’s never skated in his life.”
“Not everybody is interested in skating,” Charli said as she kept an eye on the entrance. Though this wasn’t a date for her and Blake, Charli still felt excitement for the evening, and she was looking forward to seeing him again.
“Peyton hates skating, and he said Uncle Jay doesn’t really like it either.”
“Yep. Some of us prefer to watch from the sidelines.”
“There’s Amelia and Blake,” Charli said as she spotted the duo coming through the second door.
Amelia waved, then ran over to them, while Blake moved more slowly, carrying Amelia’s skate bag in his hand. He wore a pair of jeans and a black leather jacket with a scarf tucked into the neck.
“Hi, Layla,” Amelia said with a huge smile on her face. “I can’t wait to skate!”
“Me, either.”
The little girl sat on the bench beside Layla and took off her boots. As Blake went down on a knee in front of Amelia, he gave Charli a quick smile.
With smooth movements, he helped Amelia put her skates on, then laced them up the way he’d learned how to since Amelia had started lessons. Layla could tighten her laces to a certain point, but then Charli had to finish them. When she got to that point, Layla turned and lifted her skate with a purple plastic guard protecting the blade onto the bench next to Charli.
Once the girls’ skates were ready, they all moved together through the door that led from that area into the part with the rink. The temperature was definitely colder in this part of the building, but it was tolerable as long as they kept their outerwear on.
There were rows of seats around the ice, since they also used the arena for hockey games and ice skating lessons. However, she and Blake stayed right at the boards, standing side by side as they watched Layla skate beside Amelia as she gripped the skating trainer with her gloved hands.
“How are you doing?” Blake asked as he rested his arms on the boards in front of him.
“I’m good. Glad it’s almost the weekend.” Charli glanced over at him. “How about you?”
“It’s been a good week. But yes, I’m glad it’s Friday tomorrow too.”
They’d continued their nightly conversations, and Charli felt herself falling deeper and deeper into her feelings for Blake. Whether it was a long or short conversation, she left each one with a growing confidence that they might really be able to move beyond their past to build something in the future.
“Layla really is a good skater,” Blake said, his gaze on the girls as they circled the far end of the arena. Thankfully, there were only a handful of other people on the ice with them. “She’s looks like a natural out there.”
“She’s been skating for a lot of years, but she started out just like Amelia. All of us did. As long as Amelia sticks with it, she’ll improve quickly, I’m sure.”
