Taking the Ice (Ice Series Book 3) (13 page)

Josh and I exchanged concerned glances over the anxiety in her voice. I started to speak, but Liza interrupted, “I’ll let you go. I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but I didn’t want you hearing it from someone like Roxanne.”

“I’m glad you called. Thanks for giving us a heads-up,” I said. “Try to take it easy, okay?”

“I will. Just ten more days and we’ll be in the Village, where we can block out everyone on the outside.”

She quickly said goodbye, and I dropped the phone into my purse.

“She’s really feeling it now,” Josh said.

“Trying to be America’s next golden girl… that’s a daunting task.”

Josh pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and slowed to search for a spot. “Why are there so many cars here so early?”

I spotted a few vehicles with Lighthouse Skating Club decals, and Liza’s initial question suddenly made sense.

“It must be a surprise party for us,” I said.

Josh turned into an empty space and switched off the engine. “That explains why Mrs. Cassar was acting weird when I saw her this morning.”

I opened the mirror on the visor to check my appearance since a roomful of people was soon going to be staring at me.

“Let’s not mention Liza’s call to anyone. It’ll just put a damper on things.”

“I’m getting more pissed the more I think about it,” Josh said. “If we’d been picked, we would’ve shared the spot.”

I removed the band from my work-required ponytail and fluffed my hair over my shoulders. “On the bright side, we won’t be getting any more hate tweets from Roxanne’s minions, accusing us of trying to bribe our way in.”

Josh groaned. “My mom is going to blow up my phone when she finds out.”

“You might want to change your number.”

We climbed out of the car, and I zipped my jacket, blocking out the damp evening chill. Josh took my hand, but I pulled up short before we reached the door.

“I’m wearing my uniform.” I frowned. “So much for cute party pics.”

“Hey, I fell in love with you in that uniform.”

“Was it the necktie or the starchy white shirt that sealed the deal?”

He treated me to a charming sidelong smile. “You wear that shirt and tie like a boss.”

I laughed, and Josh swung open the door, triggering a chorus of “Surprise!” from everyone inside. A huge
Congratulations, Courtney and Josh
banner hung above the bar, surrounded by red, white, and blue balloons and white paper bells. They’d covered both our milestones with the decorations.

Josh and I were swallowed up by the crowd, which was an eclectic mix of skaters, coaches, and restaurant regulars. Em grabbed me first and led me behind the bar.

“I brought an outfit from home for you if you want to change,” she said.

I started unknotting my tie. “You’re the best.”

I ducked into the restroom and did a quick change into the dress and boots Em had packed for me. When I rejoined the party, I was immediately tackled by Chris.

“Congrats, Kid.”

“Are you still going to call me Kid even after I’m married?”

“Yes, I am.”

His wife, Em’s best friend Aubrey, gave me a one-arm hug as she held their eight-month-old daughter on her hip.

“Hi, Noelle.” I smoothed my hand over the baby’s soft little head. She had her dad’s dark wavy hair and her mom’s stunning green eyes.

“She loves watching you and Josh skate,” Aubrey said. “She was perfectly still the entire time you were on the ice in Boston.”

“Aww, that’s so cute.”

“I’ve tried showing her videos of me and Em, and she couldn’t care less.” Chris laughed. “So, you should feel honored.”

A couple of singles coaches from the rink crashed our circle, and they started a parade of well-wishes. Many of the restaurant regulars who didn’t follow skating asked if Josh and I were going to win a medal in Sochi. I had to explain that we weren’t one of the favorites, but we were shooting for a top six finish. What I didn’t say was we would’ve indeed had a strong shot at a medal if we’d been picked for the team event. My anger began to boil again as I was reminded of Liza’s news.

Em tapped me on the shoulder, and I put on an extra big smile to hide my disappointment.

“Can you grab Josh so I can get some pics of you with the cake?” she asked.

“Sure. I’ll go find him.”

I worked my way around the perimeter of the bar and came up empty. Aubrey saw me standing on my toes, trying to see over heads, and she asked, “Looking for someone?”

“My fiancée.” I loved saying that.

“He’s over by the piano with Chris.”

I peeked through an opening in the crowd, and I had no trouble smiling sincerely at the sight before me. I could even feel my heart smiling. Josh was holding Noelle in his arms, and she giggled with delight as he tickled her belly.

“My ovaries just exploded,” I said.

“Wait until you go through labor,” Aubrey said. “It feels like they really do.”

I laughed and slipped between a few adult skaters to get to the piano. Josh grinned at me, and I fingered the hem of Noelle’s blue velvet dress.

“I see I’ve lost you to another girl,” I said.

“She’s pretty cute, and she doesn’t spazz out when I tickle her like someone else does.”

I laughed harder, and Chris said, “I asked Josh to hold her while I finish my sandwich. I couldn’t bring her back to her mom with roast beef on her dress.”

He shoved the last bite into his mouth and took Noelle from Josh so we could meet Em at the dessert table. The large white cake was trimmed with red and blue swirly hearts, and it was topped with the Olympic rings and a fondant American flag. Once again I loved how our engagement and our Olympic berth were celebrated together.

Em made us pose behind the cake with my left hand strategically placed on Josh’s arm, and I joked, “This feels like a cross between a prom photo and a wedding portrait.”

As soon as Em put down her camera, the twins rushed the table, begging for cake slices heavy on frosting. I barely had a piece in hand before I got swept away from Josh by two of my long-time Saturday night bar patrons.

“Are you and Josh going to win gold like Emily and Chris did?” I was asked.

Jeez, not this question again.

I launched into my explanation of how our career was different from Em and Chris’s, but a loud cry of pain from the bar stopped me mid-sentence. I looked over, and my stomach dropped to my toes when I saw Josh holding his hand and grimacing.

The Daruma popped into my head, and all the fears I’d had about bad luck bombarded me. Visions of Josh’s hand being sliced open or broken flew through my mind. I hurried toward him, terrified of what I was going to see.

“What happened?”

“Quinn stabbed me with a fork,” he said through gritted teeth.

“What?”

Quinn sat behind him on a barstool, and tears poured down her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to. Alex pushed me.”

“No, I didn’t,” Alex cried.

I took Josh’s elbow. “Let me see your hand.”

He uncovered it, revealing four punctures marks near his wrist. Small drops of blood seeped from the wounds. I exhaled deeply as all the terrible injury possibilities evaporated from my mind. This could be fixed with a Band-Aid.

“There’s a first aid kit in the kitchen,” I said.

Sergei broke through the gawkers around us and gave the twins a stern look. “Come here now. Both of you.”

“I’m sorry, Josh,” Quinn wailed as she slid off her stool.

Sergei ushered them away from us, and I swiped a napkin from the bar to put pressure on Josh’s hand.

“How in the world did she stab you?”

“I was talking to Em’s dad and had my hand on the bar, and the next thing I knew Quinn was bumping into me and the fork was in my hand.”

“Good Lord. You’d think a seven-year-old could be trusted with real silverware.” I shook my head. “Let’s go bandage you up.”

It took us ten minutes to get to the kitchen because everyone in our path had to see the damage Quinn had done and make jokes about it. While Josh washed his hand in the big industrial sink, I opened the kit and picked out a medium-sized bandage.

“You don’t wanna know the thoughts that went through my head when I saw you in pain,” I said.

“Sorry I scared you. It just hurt like hell.”

“I can imagine. Who knew we had to watch out for runaway utensils?” I tore open a packet of antibiotic ointment and squeezed it onto the tiny holes in Josh’s skin. “I swear, these next ten days can’t go by fast enough.”

“Are you still thinking about the Daruma?”

I kept my head down and mumbled, “Maybe.”

“Would it help if I carried around a four-leaf clover and a rabbit’s foot until we get to Russia?”

I glanced up at his teasing smile and couldn’t help but crack one myself. “Throw in a horseshoe and we’re in business.”

****

F
RESH FROM A LONG
, hot shower, I stole a T-shirt from Josh’s dresser and sat on the bed to comb the tangles from my wet hair. Josh had gone to the main house to borrow bandages from Mrs. Cassar, but he’d been gone longer than such a trip should take.

My stomach rumbled, and I realized I’d done way more talking than eating at the restaurant. I went into the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal and almond milk, and I carried it back to the bedroom. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I clicked on my phone and scrolled through the party photos Em had posted online. Lots of heart-eyed emojis were included in the comments from our fans.

The front door opened, and Josh walked through the living room/kitchen, stopping in the bedroom doorway.

“That took a while,” I said.

“Mrs. Cassar was still wound up from the party.”

“I’m surprised you were able to escape.”

I took in a big helping of cereal, and Josh leaned against the door frame, watching me with a little smile. I chewed slowly and smiled back.

“What’s that look for?”

“I was just thinking that soon I’ll get to see you like this every night.”

“Stuffing my face with cereal at midnight?”

He came over and sat beside me on the bed. “It’s a very hot look for you.”

“I’ll have to remember that for future seduction purposes. Candles… lingerie… and cereal.”

We laughed together, and Josh scooted closer. “Can I have some?”

I fed him a large spoonful, and he hopped off the bed and tugged his sweater over his head. As I watched him rummage through his dresser, my phone dinged. I took one last lingering look at his ridiculously fit body and opened the text.

Em:
Quinn drew a picture for Josh before she went to sleep.

The phone dinged again, and a photo popped up. I enlarged it and turned the screen toward Josh. “Quinn made this for you.”

On the blue paper she had drawn a curly-haired stick figure wearing a sad face. Below it was neatly written —
Josh, I’m so sorry I hurt you. Love, your friend Quinn.

Josh smiled. “I’ll have to go over there tomorrow and assure her I’m okay.”

I typed a quick response to Em and scooped the last few flakes in my bowl. “I didn’t think an edible American flag could cause so much drama.”

“That’s what they were fighting over?” He laughed as he stepped out of his jeans and pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants.

“They usually share so nicely. I’d love our kids to get along as well as they do.”

“Our kids.” Josh wore the same little smile he’d had earlier, and I found myself mirroring him.

“Speaking of, you looked like a natural with Noelle,” I said.

He stretched out next to me on the bed. “I must’ve learned it from all the family sitcoms I watched growing up.”

I recalled the conversation we’d had with Stephanie at nationals about their childhood. Being so busy with Olympic preparations since then, I hadn’t brought up the subject, but I’d wanted to talk to Josh about it.

“Your dad wasn’t much of a role model,” I said, setting my bowl on the nightstand.

“He was a role model for how not to raise a kid.”

I chewed on my lip, unsure if I should ask Josh the question that had been on my mind. “Would you tell me about Bob?”

His head dipped, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I wish Steph hadn’t mentioned that.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. You haven’t heard half the goofy stuff I did when I was young.”

“I just don’t want you to think that I needed major therapy.”

“I don’t think that.” I caressed his arm. “We all have our issues.”

He was quiet for a minute. “I don’t remember exactly when I made up Bob, but it was when we were at the beach house during the summer. I was maybe five or six.”

“You said your dad wasn’t there much because he was always working.”

“Yeah, it was just me, my mom, and Steph. And Teresa when my mom went out shopping or to play tennis or whatever. Steph didn’t like the sand, so she’d never leave the blanket, but I was all about building sand castles.” He picked at the bandage on his hand. “I just remember telling Bob my ideas and him helping me.”

A slow burn crept into my throat, and I swallowed hard. The image of Josh as a lonely little boy was too much for my heart to handle.

“I guess I got so used to talking to him that I started doing it other places, too. I’d pretend he was there when I skated and when I practiced piano. It makes sense now because my dad hardly ever came to the rink or to my recitals.”

I wanted to say something, but the damn tears were choking me. I reached up to blot the corners of my eyes, and Josh lifted his head and caught me.

“Please don’t cry.” He touched my cheek. “This is another reason I didn’t want to tell you about it.”

“I’m sorry. It just makes me so angry and so sad that you didn’t have the love from your parents that you deserved.” I caught my breath and gazed into his beautiful soul. “How could anyone not adore you?”

He didn’t speak, but his glistening eyes said it all. He sat up and pulled me into his arms. His hands stroked my back and my hair, but I sensed he needed the comfort as much as I did. I pressed my mouth to his shoulder and kissed his warm skin, and I slowly raised my head to look at him.

“I wish you’d had my parents,” I said. “I mean, not my exact parents because then we’d be brother and sister, and that would not be cool.”