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SOPHIE CALHOUN HADto be about the most adorable thing in the history of ever, but I was quickly learning that her status on that list was followed close behind by how sweetly Levi treated her. I’d gotten a sense of their relationship last night, but hanging out with the two of them at the rink today had proven to be as illuminating about the man he truly was, deep down, as anything.
It wasn’t only one thing; it was everything. He hugged her as fiercely as she hugged him. He always held her hand if she wanted him to, but he never tried to force his help on her, giving her the freedom to try things on her own. He gave her his full attention any time she demanded it, and he never once looked like he begrudged her for stealing his focus. Even though he probably had dozens of things he could be doing—things that most twenty-four-year-old millionaires would far rather spend their time on—he stayed out on the ice with Sophie as long as she wanted, and he never voiced a word of complaint.
Clearly, Sophie had stolen his heart.
And now that I was watching him with her, he was stealing a piece of mine.
“Do another jump!” Sophie called out to me. She was shuffling along next to Levi, but she wasn’t holding on to him for support this time. “A big one.”
It hadn’t taken me long at all to figure out Sophie valued height and air time far more than the number of revolutions I made in the air. Sometime, I’d have to bring her along when Anthony and I practiced, so she could see the throws and lifts. She’d probably eat those right up.
I gathered some speed and did a single lutz, soaring through the air for a moment before landing on one foot, to Sophie’s applause. Then I skated over and joined them, coming up on Sophie’s free side so Levi and I were surrounding her.
“You liked that?”
“Yep. Now Levi do it.”
He laughed. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can,” she said adamantly. “You’re the best skater I know.”
“I’m a good skater when it comes to hockey,” he said. “But Cadence can skate circles around me with this stuff.”
“You can teach us, can’t you, Cadence?” Sophie wobbled, but she put her arms out for balance and steadied herself without either of us reaching in to rescue her.
“Well…” For a moment, I debated giving her excuses as to why I wouldn’t be able to teach her, but the thought behind my indecision was a bunch of crap. Clearly, this girl could do a lot of things. Who was I to tell her otherwise?
Levi raised a brow expectantly at me.
“You, I bet I can teach,” I said to Sophie. “I’m not so sure Levi can learn, though. Besides, he’s not even wearing the right kind of skates.”
“We got on our hockey skates,” Sophie said, looking down at her feet quizzically.
“Yeah. To jump like I did, you need figure skates. They’ve got a toe pick.” I came to a stop and showed her the one on my right foot. “Hockey skates don’t have them.”
She took a moment to compare the end of her blade to the end of mine. “Why do you got a toe pick?”
“It helps you get a grip in the ice so you can jump high.”
“No jumping in hockey.”
“Nope,” Levi said. “No jumping.”
She nodded thoughtfully. Then she turned toward the other side of the rink and started skating that way. We went with her, with the wordless acknowledgment that we should be close by in case she struggled. “Bergy?” she called out. “I need figure skates! Levi needs some, too.”
Bergy’s laugh rang out in the arena as we got close to the boards. “We’ll see what we can do. Is Cadence going to teach you?”
“Yeah. She’s teaching us.”
“I’ll have to work out some lesson times with her and see what she charges then,” he said. He caught my eye. “Assuming you actually did agree to give Sophie some lessons?”
Lessons hadn’t exactly been in my plans. But then again, I still hadn’t found a job, and I’d have to start working at some point. The money from my endorsement deals was running low.
I wasn’t about to ask Mom for anything more. She’d sacrificed so much for me over the years, paying for ice time and lessons and costumes when the money wasn’t there. Then Cam had gotten into the NHL, and probably half the money he earned had gone to helping me. At least it had always felt that way to me.
Even now, Cam and Sara had been letting me stay with them while I sorted everything out. I couldn’t keep relying on my family forever, and there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d let Anthony foot the bill for all of our expenses. We were a partnership. That meant we both had to contribute, and not just on the ice.
Yeah, I had sponsorship deals, so there would be more money coming in eventually. I wasn’t completely broke. But I needed a job with a steady paycheck so I could pay my own way. Besides, teaching figure skating might not be a horrible idea, especially if I could work with some kids like Sophie. If our lessons went well, there was no telling what else it might lead to.
