It might have been too soon. He still needed to work on balance and speed before moving with a stick as tall as he was. But I needed to keep this kid motivated, excited. Mostly and unfortunately, I needed to push him the way I knew he would be once we were done here.
Jax nodded eagerly. “Okay. Wait, let me just skate there and back to get used to the speed again.”
“Go ahead.” I took the minute to sneak another peek at Rayne. She blinked away again. The woman kept shifting her gaze from me every time I turned.
What’s up with you?
In the mere two weeks I’d known her, she’d face me head on; challenging, objecting, and in an aggravatingly sexy way. I didn’t think she’d known how to shy away from a glance. Now I’d witnessed it three times in a matter of an hour?
Something was definitely up.
It wasn’t until Jax skated back up and reached for his stick—his blue eyes asking if I believed he was ready—that it hit me.
She knows who I am.
I released a heavy breath and ran a hand through my hair. It was a matter of time.
The ex-pro hockey player. In a town he didn’t belong, spending time with a beautiful woman—a feisty one for sure, but gorgeous all the same. She’d found out somehow and the looks; or lack of—were making sense.
I laughed to myself. If you lived here, you either pitied me or hated me.
I didn’t care which you were.
But with Rayne…I cared.
I needed to know.
Which one are you?
From the looks of it…pity.
I couldn’t imagine hate.
But if I had a choice?Hate me.
I blinked. Jax’s handling of the stick caught my attention.
“Hey,” I called and skated over to him. “Let me teach you a little secret.” I bent down and helped him with his grip of the stick. “When players get the puck, sometimes they get a little overwhelmed of what to do with it and toss it away too soon—blindly.” I grabbed my stick and twisted to face off with him as if he were my opponent. “Keep your focus on where you want it to go. And aim.”
“Which is the goal.”
“Not always.” I demonstrated with my own stick. “Once you have it, take a quick peak so you know if you have room to move—or someone to pass to.”
“Someone on my own team, right?”
I chuckled. Remembering he was only seven. “Yes. Someone wearing the same colors. You’ll get to know them very well.”
He skated to the opposite side of the rink. Where his mother sat. He turned on his skates, smoothly, proudly, facing me with his stick.
I nodded to signal him.
He took off toward me and although it looked smooth and he had speed and grip, it was still off. He was going to lose balance. But before I could react, Rayne shook her head and stood on instinct; just before her son visibly lost balance and fell.
I skated over and helped him up. “You alright?”
He stood, brushing off the ice from his knees. “Yeah. Sorry. I was going too fast.”
I nodded at Rayne to imply he was okay. “Don’t apologize. You’re doing great. I’d be highly suspicious if you didn’t fall at least once during our lessons.”
