Page 6

6

Rory

Skiing is fun, but have you ever been ice skating?

It’s far superior.

It also requires far less coordination than skiing. At least for me anyway. I mean, skis are practically as long as I am tall. Don’t get me wrong. I had fun yesterday, but my muscles still ached.

“I’m so excited,” I said, bouncing in my fur-lined boots as I carried my rented skates toward the lake.

“Rory.”

My snow dancing faltered a bit at my name passing Ryan’s lips. He only used my actual name when I was in trouble.

Making a face, I spun, nearly pitching sideways in the snow.

Alarm deepened Ryan’s eyes, and he shot forward to slide an arm around my waist. He made a growly type of sound that made my stomach dip and scowled. “I swear, woman, you are a walking hazard.”

“I am not,” I refuted.

“Is that why you were dancing around and then almost face-planted while carrying a set of razor-sharp knives?”

I glanced down at the skates in my hands. “Well, I wouldn’t have almost fallen if you weren’t back there calling to me so ominously.”

One of his near-black eyebrows arched. He was so handsome. All dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin standing out here amongst a wintry white backdrop. “I said your name.”

I gave him a baleful look. “You know what you did, Ryan Stephen Walsh.”

“Pardon me for not wanting you to impale yourself on ice skates.” His voice was dry, but his gaze held a bit of amusement. Reaching over, he grabbed my skates by the laces and hauled them out of my arms.

“The blades have guards on them,” I pointed out. I mean, it was obvious, but if he wanted to act like a moron, then I would treat him like one.

“I saw you on those skis yesterday, camera girl,” Jamie said, hijacking the conversation per usual. “Guards or not, you’d have found a way to do some damage.”

“And just what is wrong with my skiing, Jamie?” I asked, hands on hips.

“Well, by the end of the day, the kids on the bunny hill seemed to teach you a few things, so it improved.”

My mouth dropped open.

Jamie laughed. Ryan followed until I gave him the evil eye.

“I’m much better on skates,” I told Jamie. Glancing at Ryan, I said, “Right, Ry?”

He nodded. “It’s true.”

“It was always my favorite thing to do in the winter, especially around Christmas in Chicago.”

“You’ll have to give me some tips because, growing up in California, my feet never touched a pair of ice skates,” Madison said, joining the conversation.

“Don’t you worry, Maddie baby, I’ll hold your hand,” Jamie said, draping his arm over her shoulders. She looked more dwarfed beneath him than usual because of the red puffer jacket zipped around his upper body. The boots he wore added another inch to his six-foot-three frame.

“It’s really fun,” I told Madison. “You’ll get the hang of it. I’ll take my skates,” I told Ry.

“How about you hold my hand instead?” he asked, flashing a charming smile, reaching out his arm.

My stomach somersaulted. Instead of taking his hand, I looped my arm around his, our sides brushing. His coat was thick like Jamie’s but blue, and I knew I probably looked dwarfed like Madison standing beside him.

Up ahead, everyone had commandeered a bench a few feet from the ice.

“This is so much bigger than the rinks I’m used to in Chicago,” I said, gazing out over the lake that was frozen solid.

Only part of it was sectioned off for skating, which was probably a safety precaution so people didn’t end up way out in the middle on their own.

It was snowing today, the flakes small and light. Large deep-green pine trees created a border around the landscape. The sky was dull blue, the sun hidden behind clouds. People were already skating. String lights glowed from where they hung over the ice. The scent of hot cocoa and cinnamon swirled in the air, drawing my eyes to the small snack shack nearby. There was a line of people waiting and some sitting at tables around it with paper cups and plates that were hidden beneath giant cinnamon rolls dripping with icing.

“Ow!” Bodhi howled from the bench. “Are you trying to cut off my circulation?” he demanded, trying to snatch his foot away from Emmett who was kneeling in front of him with a pair of laces in his fingers.

“Don’t be a drama queen,” Emmett grumped, snatching his foot back. “I’m not having you roll an ankle out there because then I’ll have to carry you around.”

“You’d like it,” Bodhi sassed.

“That’s beside the point,” he grumbled, head bowed as he finished his job.

Bodhi smirked and sank against the seat to let him finish.

“Have you ever been skating before, Bodhi?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Malibu Barbie goes skating,” Kruger quipped.

Bodhi gave him the finger. “Rush’s never been either.”

Rush made a face.

“If you fall, do it away from my daughter,” Emmett told him. “And don’t hurt yourself. You still have to swim.”

I giggled under my breath, and Emmett glanced up at me and winked.

“What about you guys? Ever been skating?” Ryan asked Arsen, Prism, Kruger, and Jess.

“We’re from New York, bro,” Kruger said, and Jess nodded.

Prism looked at his boyfriend. “What about you, bear?”

I mean, how adorable was it that Prism called him bear? Every time I heard it, I squealed a little inside.

Arsen nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been a few times.”

Bodhi stood from the bench, and Emmett held his hands, making sure he was balanced.

“Sit down, baby. Here’s your skates,” Ryan said, gesturing to the bench.

I sat and tugged off my boots instantly. The thick leggings and socks I wore made a nice buffer for the wind. Excited to get on the ice, I tugged on the skates and then tightened the laces, tying them in a bow.

When I was done, Ryan reached down to double-knot them. “Can’t have them tripping you.”

Leaning forward, I pursed my lips, and he leaned over to grant the request. His lips were cool just like mine, but they warmed almost the instant we pressed together. We parted at the same time, his tongue flicking over the tip of mine. He tasted like mint, and I leaned a little closer. His fingers played with the ends of my hair that fell over my shoulder beneath the white beanie I wore.

When he pulled back, the skin around his eyes crinkled, and he dropped a kiss to the tip of my icy nose. “You look pretty sitting there in the snow.”

“Kiss me again, Ry,” I whispered.

Our lips were dancing, generating their own heat, when smacking lips broke into the spell Ryan always created. “Bro. This is the best cinnamon roll I ever had.”

Ryan pulled back, and I glanced behind me at Jamie who was standing over us, plowing through one of those giant cinnamon rolls.

“We haven’t even skated yet,” I told him.

“Carb loading,” he said, stabbing the entire round pastry with a plastic fork and dragging it up to his lips to take a massive bite out of the side.

Landry’s laughter carried in the air, and we all looked to the ice where she and Rush were already skating. I burst out laughing, seeing Rush, the big, intense swimmer, clinging to her hands as his legs shook like a newborn calf.

“Someone better get a picture of this,” Ryan mused.

“I’m on it,” Kruger said, pointing his phone in their direction. “I think this calls for a video.”

Just then, Rush’s feet slid out from under him, and he hit his ass.

Ryan clapped and whistled.

Rush gave him the finger.

Landry gasped and grabbed his arm, yanking it down. I could see her scolding him, and then he pulled her down on top of him so the pair were lying there tangled on the ice.

“He should have carb loaded too,” Jamie said, still chewing.

As soon as Ryan’s skates were on, we stepped on the ice, and I pushed off, gliding forward. The wind stung my cheeks, and the scarf around my neck fluttered around me.

I spread my arms, feeling like I was in the center of a snow globe. The sound of blades flying over the ice came fast. Before I could look, Ryan grabbed me from behind, and I squealed, lifting my feet as we slid over the ice together.

Coming to a stop, he lowered me, and I turned. His cheeks were red from the cold, his hat slashed low over his brow, and he was smiling. “Do I need to remind you to be careful?” he asked.

“Skating is not new to me.” I reminded him.

“I know, but you’re used to a rink. This is a lake.”

“The manual at the cabin said the snow patrol checks it every morning, and it’s roped off too.”

“I still want you to be careful.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

He caught me around the waist, and I slid into his chest. “I can’t help it that the thought of anything happening to you makes me crazy.”

“I’ll be careful, Ry.”

“Thanks, baby.”

“Race you!” I said and shot off.

“Hey!” he called, and I laughed.

I was fast, but he caught up. His long legs were my disadvantage, and we skated a lap hand in hand. Snow continued to fall, dusting the ice and our hats. The sky turned a little dim, but it only made the string lights glow brighter.

Over near the shore, Jamie and Madison were skating slowly, hand in hand. Jess and Kruger slid past, buzzing right by Bodhi who seemed startled, flinging both arms out for balance.

He grappled and flailed and would have fallen if Emmett didn’t catch him. Bodhi looked up, and even from a distance, I saw the sheepish relief on his face. Emmett said something and pulled him upright. Bodhi smiled and wrapped his arms around Emmett’s neck.

“This trip was a good idea,” I told Ryan, turning away from our friends to look at my favorite guy.

“You having a good time, Carrot?” he asked, skates stroking over the ice and creating a deep, mellow tone.

“It’s not a secret I’d go anywhere with you, but I’m glad you picked such a nice place,” I said, cheeky.

His head tipped toward the sky, his laugh mixing with the snow. “Only the best for my girl.”

I spun, the bite of my blades in the ice a distinct sound. He gave me a warning look, and I smiled, skating backward, and reached for his hand. We didn’t say anything for a while, just held hands and floated over the ice. I didn’t glance over my shoulder to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I trusted him. Ryan would never lead me wrong.

The thought filled me with warmth, making my chest feel swollen. “I love you,” I said.

He smiled, lips parting to answer, but his voice was cut off by a scream.

Jerking upright, I changed directions, glancing around.

Another scream, the kind that inspired terror and fear.

At the edge of the lake, there was movement and then panicked yelling. “My son!” A woman in a long brown coat waved her arms and stumbled onto the ice. Her feet went out from under her almost instantly, and she landed in a heap.

Another terrified wail pierced the peaceful landscape, and I whipped around to find a small boy. He was standing frozen, his eyes so wide they looked white.

“Is he hurt?” I asked, then gasped, noticing he was beyond the roped-off section.

“Mom,” he yelled, rocking on his feet before pushing off on one to skate forward.

Crack. The sound was loud, almost like a gunshot. Even before understanding what it was, adrenaline spiked in my limbs and my heart rate shot up. The boy screamed and jolted, body going still as he looked down.

And then I realized.

He was on thin ice. Ice that was threatening to crack beneath him.

Even though my heart was thudding loudly, the blood seemed to roar through my head. Everything else went quiet as if, for a long moment in time, everyone froze in disbelief. As if their very breath would be the thing that shattered the fine ice keeping the small boy from falling into the frigid lake.

And then just like that, the shock bubble burst and people started yelling from the shore. The mother started screaming, and the boy cried for help.

The distance between the child and parent seemed so far, the woman unsteady on her skates.

Crack.

“Noooo!” the woman yelled. “Help!”

I realized then that we were the farthest out on the ice. The closest to where the boy was stuck.

I glanced at Ryan.

He started shaking his head.

I started to skate back, and the grip he had on my fingers turned painful. I pulled them from his and pushed off, power skating toward the boy.

“Rory!” Ryan roared behind me.

The boy looked in my direction, his cheeks stained with tears. Seeing how close I was, his terrified eyes clung to me. “Help.”

“Don’t move,” I told him.

Chaos was erupting behind me. I heard skates over ice. Shouting and Ryan swearing. I kept going, ducking right under the ropes and into the no-skating zone.

The sound my skates made turned into a higher pitch, something I dully noted meant the ice was definitely thin. But I couldn’t go back. Not without helping the boy.

I heard him sniffling and slowed my skates.

“Rory, stop!” Ryan demanded from behind.

The ice cracked again. I froze, holding out my arms as if I could somehow hold the ice together with will.

I glanced over my shoulder at Ryan who was already beneath the rope. “Don’t come any closer,” I called. “This area can’t support your weight.”

“Rory.” His voice was guttural. Helpless. “Come back here.”

“I am. Let me get him first.”

“Help is on the way.” His voice was turning desperate. He started forward.

“No!” I shrieked.

Craccckkkk.

Ryan froze.

The boy was crying again, and I turned toward him.

“Just stay still,” I said, still holding out my arms. “I’m going to come get you. Don’t move until I say, okay?”

He nodded.

“I’m gonna grab you and pull you over here. Once I do, skate. Skate fast. Don’t look back.”

“Am I gonna die?”

“No,” I said, confident. “I’m coming right now.”

I didn’t wait. I just went, my entire body shaking, my mind so panicked I almost didn’t hear or think.

I could feel the ice shift beneath my skates, see water seeping up through the cracks, saturating the ice.

It was dark below. Black and cold. An endless abyss.

Trying to stay light, I lunged, grabbing the boy by his coat sleeve and yanking him toward me. He stumbled. The ice gave way.

I shoved him forward. “Go! Skate!”

He listened and shot forward. More cracking filled the air this time, accompanied by the sound of splashing. A chunk of ice disappeared from beneath my foot.

I jumped forward, falling onto my knee.

Crack.

“ Rory !”

I glanced up, breathing erratically. I watched the ice shatter like fragile glass. Even knowing it was coming, I was unable to prepare.

My eyes found Ryan.

I’m sorry.

And then the thin barrier keeping me safe collapsed and I dropped like an anvil into the icy grip of the lake.