I groaned. “Fine.” I gave in. Knowing I couldn’t keep Jax from this one after being in the house all day. And it would have been unethical to leave him in Sam’s care just because I was in no mood.
We arrived at Buffalo Gaters Arena at close to nine. A security guard let us in after I flashed my pass and we made our way to the rink. It was only Josh and Brody out there.
“Are we early?” I called after we put on our skates and met them on the ice. “Where is everyone else?”
“They’ll be here soon,” he turned to Sam. “Hey beautiful, you need some help over there?”
Sam didn’t skate. And I was tremendously surprised she agreed to this in the first place. A few minutes ago, she had asked if skates were necessary and I shot her a look that read “you didn’t talk me into this if you’re backing out now”.
She was tethering herself to the plexi-glass and lingering by the exit.
Josh skated over and peeled her hands off the wall and into his.
“Good luck,” I said to Josh and skated to the kids, who were enjoying being on the big boys rink where their dad’s played.
If it weren’t for my utter enjoyment watching Josh and Sam from across the rink, I would have questioned if anyone else was really coming. It was already half past nine and I was skeptical.
Josh helped Sam out of the rink and skated a few feet back to us. “Sam’s getting cold so I’m going to go grab her some hot chocolate.”
The kids roared behind me. “Oh yes. I want hot chocolate.” I heard Brody. “Come on, Jax,” he urged.
“Okay, why don’t we all go get some and then one more circle around the ice before we call it a night,” I offered.
“No no,” Sam called. “I was just about to get really good. “I’ll stay here with you, Ray, the boys will just go.”
I slumped my shoulders and skated over to Sam when the boys had gone up to the self-service café. “Alright, come on. Let’s see what you got. Cause hanging onto another person for dear life doesn’t count as ‘getting good’,” I laughed.
“Oh shoot, I would. But I really have to go pee.” She started to unlace.
I shrieked. “Then I have to tie you back up, can’t you hold it?”
“Super quick.” She slipped on her shoes and raced up the stairs.
I turned back to an empty rink. God it was truly enormous, the pro sized rink. The air from my lungs rose and I released it, seeing it spread through the cool air.
Did it get colder here?
Or had the feeling of loneliness finally set in? I skated around the ice to keep warm and decided the moment they all returned; we were leaving. Maybe Sam would stay, and Josh could drive her back later.
The lights suddenly started to fade and my head popped up. “Guys, that’s not funny, I’m still here.”
Where the hell was that coming from? The booth was the only place that had control over the lighting.
“Okay, seriously not cool leaving me alone out here…in the dark,” I called as the lights continued to dim to near black. Unsure if anyone really heard me from where I stood.
“Who said you were alone?”
I gasped at the sound of Logan’s firm, husky voice.
My eyes searched for him and then I turned at the sound of the scrape along the ice near me.
The little light we had illuminated him and I breathed his name when he came to a stop directly in front of me.
“Rayne,” he breathed back.
Flustered and avoiding his eyes, I looked around us. “They’re not coming back, are they?”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “It’s just you and me.”
