Page 171 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

For a second, I simply stare at him. Those are almost the exact words that have been echoing through my mind since the day Jamie told me about receiving the captaincy.

Liam notices my expression. "What?"

"Nothing."

I smile into my cup. "I was just thinking..."

My eyes find Jamie again. "...I think you're right."

Liam studies me for a second, then a slow grin spreads across his face.

"Oh."

"What?"

"Nothing."

His grin grows wider. "I was just thinking."

He takes another sip of hot chocolate. "This charity skate just got a whole lot more interesting."

Before I can ask what he means, someone across the lobby calls his name. He points his cookie toward me like a salute. "Don't let Captain Serious work too hard."

Then he's gone. I watch him disappear into the crowd, wondering if I've just been teased without realizing it. Knowing Liam, the answer is almost certainly yes.

Across the lobby, Jamie finally looks up. His eyes search the room for only a moment before finding mine, and the smile that appears is completely different from the one he's been giving to everyone else.

Smaller.

Warmer.

As though simply seeing a familiar face lets him take one quiet breath before turning back to the next person waiting.

And for reasons I can't quite explain...my heart smiles right along with him.

***

The charity skate settles into an easy rhythm once the opening ceremony ends.

Children wobble cautiously across the ice while parents cheer from the stands. Volunteers fit borrowed helmets, tie loose skate laces and hand out cups of hot chocolate. Every few minutes another child discovers enough confidence to let go of the boards, and the entire arena seems to celebrate the tiny victory.

Jamie spends nearly an hour doing little more than encouraging people.

He skates slowly along the boards, never drawing attention to himself, yet somehow becoming the person that every nervous child wants beside them. He steadies one little girl after she loses her balance, races another boy to the blue line at half speed and spends five patient minutes helping a teenager with a prosthetic leg find a comfortable stride.

***

None of it looks rehearsed. It simply looks like Jamie.

Eventually he glides toward the bench where I am standing. "Having fun?"

"I'm beginning to think this isn't a fundraiser."

"No?"

"It's an excuse for you to spend an evening making children believe they can do impossible things."

He laughs. "I've been caught."