“Well, I originally planned on bringing you here to ice skate, but Brett asked if I wanted to join their rec team, informally, the other day.” I rubbed my hand against the back of my neck, feeling the hair beneath my palm that needed a trim. “Today is their first practice.”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up as she looked up at me. Her joy was unmistakable. “I get to see the great Colton Crawford on the ice?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say great, but yeah.”

“This is awesome. I’m going to go sit in the stands,” she added, clapping enthusiastically as she moved past me.

“Hey,” I called out, jogging over to her. That tiny woman sure could move fast. Searching inside my bag, I found my clean sweatshirt and handed it to her. Luckily, Brett brought all my hockey equipment with him when I started helping with the high school team.

“What position do you play again?” she asked as she took a seat right behind the bench.

“Center, but they may move me around. Brett’s the coach, but he plays sometimes too if they’re short on people.”

Rubbing her palms together in glee, her eyes shimmered when she asked if there were going to be any fights.

“It’s just practice, so I doubt there will be any fights. Why? Want to see me all bloodied and bruised?”

“Maybe I want to play nurse,” she said, winking at me before turning her attention back to the ice.

“Little minx.” Reaching down, I forcefully cupped her jaw in my hand and sealed my lips over hers. If I was going to be away from her for the next hour or so, then I was going to leave her wanting me just as much as I wanted her.

“Don’t go anywhere,” I told her as I made my way back to the locker room to change.

I changed quickly so that I could make my way onto the ice. Something I’d been looking forward to since Brett called me that afternoon. He’d mentioned the team when I first arrived, but knew I’d probably be hesitant to get back on the ice.

But this was the closest thing to home I’d ever had.

He quickly introduced me to the rest of the team, who all varied in age. None of them seemed starstruck or put out by my joining them, even when I mentioned I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to devote time for each game with my potential traveling schedule. Not a single one of them cared, they just wanted to play the game.

I learned some of the guys traveled from surrounding towns and a couple all the way from Knoxville. They’d settled there when they’d played for the minor league team Brett had coached.

After the introductions, Brett put us through our paces, running drills and skating laps. The man was tough and didn’t care that we were professional.

It felt amazing to feel the stick in my hand and pass the puck back and forth as we lined up shots. I may have lost the love of the competition when I played for the Renegades, but not for the game of hockey overall.

At the end of practice, Brett had us run a fifteen-minute scrimmage. The small team I played against didn’t hold back and it felt good that they treated me as they did the others. Especially when I stole the puck and landed a goal within the first five minutes.

Hearing Autumn’s cheers from the sidelines wasn’t something I’d ever forget. I wondered how good it would have felt to have had her in the stands rooting for me instead of my ex who was too busy schmoozing with the celebrities that were in attendance.

“I see you brought a guest,” Brett said, as I snuck in a quick shower after practice.

“I did. Mind if I steal the rink for a little while?”

“Sure. So, Autumn Easterly, huh? She’s a nice girl. I know Lily adores her.”

“She is. I’m enjoying my time with her.”

“And how long will that be? I know the house isn’t your end all. You’ll get antsy. You were the kid that always had to be moving.”

“I’m not sure how long, for either of us. We’re just enjoying our time together right now.”

“Just don’t hurt her. You’ll have an entire town coming after you.”

Turning off the water, I grabbed a towel and draped it around my waist. “What makes you think she won’t be the one hurting me?”

He shrugged off his response and clapped me on the shoulder as I sat on the bench with my clothes from earlier.

“Lily wants to come see the house over the weekend.”

“Yeah? I may be out of town, but you’re welcome to go check it out. I’ll leave you the keys. Man, it’s coming along really nicely. We worried about the damage after the storm, but the crew cleaned up everything and got to work.”

“Pay for progress.”

“Something like that.”

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your girl. Maintenance will close up the rink in about an hour.”

“Thanks, man.”

Bag and skates in hand, I stopped by the rental stand and grabbed the pair I’d set aside for Autumn. Thankfully, her sister had provided her shoe size ahead of time.

“Oh, my gosh.” She bounced over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck enthusiastically. “That was so exciting to watch. When is the first game? I definitely want to come.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised, adjusting the skates in my grasp.

“Yeah, of course. I mean, I’ve seen some clips on television before, but it was so different in person, and that was just practice.”

“Well, now I wish you could have seen me play professionally. It would have been nice to have someone cheering for me in the stands.” Nodding to the bench, I handed her the skates while I dumped my bag on the seat beside me and followed suit.

“Your girlfriends never came to the games?” Melancholy rang through her words.

“I don’t want to talk about them,” I said as I relaced my skates. “Have you ever ice skated before?”

“Not since I was little and I don’t recall it going well at that time.”

Standing, I gestured for her to follow me through the rink’s opening, taking her hand when she wobbled on the blades. Autumn hesitated as I glided on the ice.

“Come on.”

Her knuckles were white from where she gripped the ledge and took a step onto the ice. “I don’t think this is the best idea.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” I told her as I pried her hands free and took them in my own. In slow steady movements, I pulled her along with me across the hard surface. When her body started to rock as she tried to push off on her blades, I said, “Don’t look down. Look at me.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t focus on your feet. Focus on me. You’re less likely to lose your balance that way.”

Autumn adjusted her grip on my hands and I worried she was going to break my fingers with her surprising strength.