AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I smile and shake my head. “Some days, my kids make me crazy. Trust me, I’m not one of those moms who post pictures on Facebook about them being my whole reason for breathing.”
“Good, because that’s annoying as fuck. It’s not about what you say but what you do. The way you taught Zane what was going on with my car. Driving him here to work off his debt so you can teach him stealing has consequences. You’re a good mom.”
I swallow, fighting back the burn in my eyes. The last thing I want is for him to see how emotional those words are making me. When was the last time someone told me I’m a good mom? I can’t remember if anyone ever has. My grandparents did when Zane was a baby, but the only family I have left is my mom and we don’t talk much.
“I have my moments,” I say, deflecting the compliment. “I had to help Hannah build a replica of a castle last year for school and we were up until eleven. I didn’t even realize until it was done that our towers looked like dicks and I was too tired to change it. She got made fun of pretty hard over it and wouldn’t talk to me for two days.”
He grins, the dimple in his cheek I’m trying so hard not to notice catching my attention. “Were the towers at least circumcised?”
I burst out laughing as I remember the towers I constructed out of paper towel holders and an egg carton. “They were, and they were above-average towers if I do say so myself.”
“Nice. Those other kids just had tower envy.”
Movement in the bleachers catches my eye, and I see Zane standing there, looking pointedly at Dom.
Dom follows my gaze, then calls out to him. “Hey man, are you done? Ready for the next thing?”
We’re turning again, and when we hit the straight part of the ice, Dom picks up speed, so we close in on Zane quickly. He slows and then does something with his skate to come to a stop, snow flying up as he brings me to a halt with him.
“Whatever, man, I’ll just ice-skate,” Zane says. “It’s probably that or cleaning up more pubes.”
I force myself not to react. Dom managed to get my stubborn son to give in.
“Cool,” Dom says, wisely not reacting either. “You remember that shelf of extra skates by where you cleaned the gloves? Just find a pair in your size and come on out. Clip the blade guards on.”
Zane looks between the two of us and I drop my hold on Dom’s wrists, feeling busted by my own kid. He turns toward the locker room and walks away, leaving me alone with Dom again.
He grins and glides back a couple of feet. “Ready to try on your own?”
“Um...no.”
I reach out for him again, but he’s too far away.
“Come on,” he says. “You can do it. Not that I don’t like having a beautiful woman hanging on to me.”
I glare at him. “This has been fun so far, but it won’t be fun if I fall. Seriously. I can’t work if I’m injured.”
He motions me to come toward him with his hands, looking unfazed. “I promise I won’t let you fall.”
A promise from a man means nothing to me, but I’m not going into that. With a sigh, I slide one skate forward, and then the other one. Slowly, I advance closer to him.
“There you go. Keep going.”
I flail my arms out as I continue, not at all convinced this is a good idea.
“I’m going to end up with a broken tailbone because I stopped to help someone with car trouble. This is the literal meaning of no good deed going unpunished.”
“You’re doing great, Tess.”
It takes one second for me to fall apart. My left skate slides too far ahead and there’s nothing to grab on to. I feel myself falling backward when I’m stopped suddenly.
“I’ve got you.”
Dom’s looking down at me, his arms around my waist. I’m still tilted back, one skate on the ice and one in the air. I’m breathing hard because I almost fell. That has to be the reason. Just being in the arms of a strong, attractive man who smells amazing and thinks I’m a good mom wouldn’t have that effect...would it?
“Let me take you out on a date,” he says.
My hands are braced on his shoulders and I don’t move them as he gently helps me back into an upright position with both feet on the ice.
