This is the tricky part, but I think even at seven, Maddy is going to understand this better than some adults. “I think it makes him sad. He loved hockey a lot, and when he couldn’t play anymore, getting on the ice made him miss it so much. But I think he misses skating too, so I thought maybe we could go skating with him. Just the three of us. We could try and make ice skating fun for him again.”
Maddy screws up her face in concentration, her eyebrows drawing together while she thinks.
“Like, we could maybe give him some good memories and he’ll think of those when he skates instead of the bad ones?”
I nod at her. “Exactly. And since you’ve been doing so well at your skating lessons, you’re the perfect person for this mission.”
She gives a serious nod. “We can do it.”
Ten minutes later we pull up at the arena. The team is on the road and there’s no after school camp today, so Asher’s Range Rover and Jeremy’s Jeep are the only cars in the otherwise deserted lot.
I get out of the car and walk around to open Maddy’s door. She gets out and looks around.
“I’ve never seen it so empty. Where is everyone?”
I take her hand, and we start walking towards the entrance.
“It’s just us today. We have the ice all to ourselves.”
“The whole thing?”
“You bet. Let’s see if we can get Jeremy to come skating with us, and then we’ll go out for dinner. How does that sound?”
“Can we have pizza?”
“Anything you want. I’m surprised you didn’t say tacos though. That’s been your favorite lately, just like me.”
“I love tacos, but only the ones Jeremy makes at home.”
My heart squeezes at the way she says home, and how she includes Jeremy in that too. It’s all I want—for the three of us to make a home.
“They are definitely the best.”
“They are. And I like when he lets me help. He said one day I’ll be able to do it all by myself.”
“You definitely will. You’re turning into a really good chef.”
“There he is!”
We get to the arena door, and through the glass we can see Jeremy and Asher standing inside, Jeremy standing almost aggressively forward, his back to the arena.
As soon as I push open the door, they both look over at the noise. The grin that spreads over Jeremy’s face when he sees us has my heart slamming against my ribs and butterflies rioting in my stomach.
Chapter Thirty-One
Jeremy
When Emma and Maddy walk through the arena doors, I suddenly understand the saying my heart leaps. Even with my anxiety humming from being so close to the ice, I swear to god the air in the arena changes when they walk in. It’s like suddenly everything I need is in one single place, and for someone who has made it his business never to need anything or anyone, it’s a mindfuck.
I realize Asher is still talking, but I have no clue what he’s rambling about or why my two favorite people just walked through the door.
“Dude, can we finish whatever this is later?” My arms actually ache with the need to get around both of them.
Asher laughs quietly. “It’s nothing. Mostly just a ploy to get you here. For them.”
He gestures over to Emma and Maddy, the latter of whom is now making a beeline for me. She wraps her arms around my legs, and I swing her up, kissing her hair and leaning back so I can look at her.
“Hey, Little Red. What brings you here?”
