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“Will you skate with me, Aidan? I came here without a date tonight, so you’d be doing me a big favor.”

Aidan turned toward his father. He looked up at him with solemn brown eyes. “Daddy. Do you mind if I skate with Declan?”

Liam lovingly tousled his son’s cap of brown curls. “Not at all, buddy. It sounds like fun. Have a great time!”

Liam mouthed the words thank you to Declan when his son wasn’t looking. It was a well-known fact that none of the three Prescott brothers could skate a lick, which was pretty hilarious considering that learning to ice-skate in Alaska was a rite of passage. Declan didn’t mind one bit filling in for Liam. Spending time with Aidan was priceless. With his dark hair, olive skin and expressive eyes, he almost made Declan yearn for a kid of his own.

“Come on A-man,” Declan said, using the nickname Boone had given his nephew. Aidan quickly left his father’s side and joined Declan. He sat Aidan down and began to lace up his brown ice skates. As soon as he placed his own skates on his feet, he began to lead Aidan onto the ice. Aidan’s movements were tentative. Although he knew how to skate a little bit, Declan realized he had a way to go before he could skate around the lake by himself.

A glint of pink whipping around the lake suddenly caught his eye. It was Annie, spectacularly decked out in a pink parka jacket, black leggings and a pair of winter-white ice skates. She came to a stop right next to them, gifting him with a dazzling smile.

He looked around the skating area. “Where’s Dwight?” Declan asked with a scowl.

“He can’t skate,” Annie said with a shrug. “I was so excited about skating here tonight, so he insisted I head out to the ice without him.”

“How considerate of him,” Declan said, trying to keep his tone neutral. As if he wasn’t annoyed enough by Dwight being Annie’s date, now he’d just discovered that he didn’t even know how to skate. Count to ten, he reminded himself. It wasn’t fair to take out all his frustrations on Dwight.

“Mind if I join you?” Annie asked. “I can help with Aidan if you like.”

Declan nodded. He couldn’t think of anything he would like better than to glide around the

lake with Annie. It would restore his good mood. From the looks of it, she was a really good skater. Growing up in Maine had probably helped her hone those skills.

“Hey! I don’t need help!” Aidan protested. “I’m a big boy.”

Annie and Declan shared an amused glance. Declan bent down so that he was on eye level with Aidan. “You really are a big boy, Aidan. I can’t believe you’re going to be five on your next birthday. But here’s the thing.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Annie isn’t the best skater in the world. So we’re going to hold hands with her so she doesn’t fall.”

“Are we going to be heroes?” Aidan asked.

“Yes, we are,” Declan said with a nod.

“Daddy says my mommy was a hero. She saved lots of lives,” Aidan said. “And now she’s in heaven.”

Declan placed his arms around Aidan. “She was a true-blue hero, buddy. She was one of the bravest people I’ve ever known.” He placed his hand over his chest as a sharp pain stabbed him. All of sudden, he was catapulted back to his own loss of his beloved mother. The ache never really faded.

It didn’t escape his notice that Annie brushed a tear away from her cheek, clearly moved by Aidan’s poignant words about his mother.

Aidan nodded solemnly, then glanced over at Annie. He stuck out his hand. “Grab ahold of me. You won’t fall. It’s not scary at all.” Annie took his hand and hung on tightly. Declan skated to the other side of Aidan and grabbed his hand. As a threesome, they began to glide across the lake. The sound of Aidan’s carefree laughter carried with the wintry breeze. He glanced over at Annie and locked gazes with her. She smiled at him—a beatific, dazzling smile that caused his pulse to race at ten times its normal pace.

For a man who hadn’t had a lot of perfect in his life, Declan relished this carefree, lighthearted moment. It was sheer perfection. All of his troubles seemed to have been swept away by the gusty Alaskan wind. Declan wished this interlude could last forever. Gliding around Deer Run Lake with Annie and Aidan gave him the feeling of soaring, and it was almost as if he had his wings back.

Moved by immense joy, he uttered a prayer of gratitude. Thank You, Lord, for giving me this moment of pure happiness.

* * *

Annie felt a stab of guilt at how much enjoyment it had given her to skate around the lake with Aidan and Declan by her side. After all, Dwight was her date, not Declan. Aidan was such a little sweetheart. She ached to think of him losing his mother at such a tender age. She knew what it felt like to walk through life without a mother by her side. But she’d always had Gram as a surrogate mother to fill the void. Having met Liam at the opening of the library, she felt certain that he would shepherd his son through life with compassion, hope and an abundance of love.

And Declan. Funny, brave Declan. He was turning out to be so much more than she’d ever imagined. When she had first met him, Declan’s handsome face had bowled her over. She had instantly assumed he was nothing more than Alaskan eye candy. How wrong she’d been. There was so much more he had to offer. Personality. Wisdom. Courage. She let out a sigh. Despite her best efforts, she was falling for the gorgeous pilot. Tumbling headlong for the very type of man she’d hoped to avoid—one who didn’t want to settle down. One who seemed to embrace his bachelor status.

Dwight had rushed to her side as soon as she’d left the ice. He’d taken her over to the concession stand for hot chocolate and cider donuts. Annie had felt the first stirrings of jealousy when she’d spotted Declan standing with a group of women. His head was thrown back in laughter, and he appeared to be the life of the party.

“Annie? Annie?” Dwight’s voice crashed over her, causing her to realize she’d zoned out and was staring at Declan and his entourage.

She turned toward Dwight, who was eyeing her with suspicion. “Is something wrong, Annie? You look a little out of sorts.”

“N-no, Dwight. I’m fine,” she said, rubbing her mittened hands together. “Just a little nippy out here. The wind is really kicking up.”

“We might just see the northern lights tonight if we’re fortunate,” Dwight said.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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