It should have felt ordinary. I'd spent most of my life around ice rinks. But standing there beside Kieran made this experience feel different somehow. A good different.
I watched him tilt his head back to look at the lights stretched overhead. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Yet I found myself watching him instead of the lights. That probably should have concerned me.
It wasn't because I was attracted to him. That ship had sailed days ago. It was the ease of it all. The way he'd slipped into my day without effort.
The way of making plans for tomorrow already felt natural.
The way I kept catching myself thinking in terms of us instead of me. I wasn't ready to examine that too closely. So I pushed the thought aside and pulled open the door.
Warm air immediately spilled out to meet us. The rink was busier than I'd expected for Christmas evening. Skaters of every age moved across the ice. Some glided effortlessly. Others looked one bad decision away from disaster.
Kieran watched them for a moment. "I'm not sure this is helping."
"It wasn't supposed to."
His glare suggested that the answer had not improved his confidence.
As we made our way toward the rental counter, a woman carrying two cups of hot chocolate caught sight of me. For a second, recognition flashed across her face. Then she smiled. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Hale."
"Merry Christmas."
That was the end of it. No request for a photo. She simply continued on her way.
Beside me, Kieran glanced over. "That's it?"
"What were you expecting?"
"I don't know. At least one dramatic fainting spell."
"Wrong town."
When we reached the rental counter, the employee took our sizes, disappeared briefly, and then returned carrying two pairs of skates. We found an empty bench near the rink entrance and sat down.
He turned one skate over in his hands. Then he frowned. "These are basically knives."
I looked down at the blade. "They're skates."
"They're knives attached to shoes."
"That's a little dramatic."
"Is it?" He pointed at the blade. "Look at that thing."
I laughed. "You're going to be fine."
"That sounds exactly like something people say right before somebody falls."
"Only if you're planning to."
Kieran narrowed his eyes at me. The look promised retribution if the lesson went badly. Honestly, that seemed fair.
Kieran started working on the laces. He got most of the way through before pausing to stare at the knot with visible suspicion.
I watched him tug at it twice. Then I set my own skate down. "Give me that."
He looked up. "I'm managing."
"I know." I reached for the skate anyway.
