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He smiles and folds his arms over his chest. “I told you, I play to win.”
“I’ll admit I’m kinda lookin’ forward to the continued attempts.”
“And I’m looking forward to Skating with Santa this week.” It's one of the many holiday events coming up at the arena, and I think it's going to be great. A bunch of guys from the team volunteered to do hour-long skating sessions with all the kids who signed up, and of course a special guest will be skating with them: the Man in Red himself. We’d found an awesome guy who has a real beard and custom-made suit and everything. He just so happens to be a former hockey player himself too, so he can handle himself on the ice and we’ve already shot a bunch of promos of him facing off against Rizz, skating around the rest of the guys, and taking shots at Connor in a custom Vipers Jersey:Clausacross the shoulders and the number25on the back.
“Because of course, I’ll be teaching you to skate during it,” he adds. My smile falters and the shit-eating grin that spreads across his face makes me want to smack him.
Ice skating: not actually so bad. Sort of. I fall a lot at first, but eventually kind of get the hang of it with a lot of help from Connor and the rest of the team, and by the end it's actually pretty fun—when I'm not on my ass. They’d taken it upon themselves to decorate one of those little walker things that they have for kids for me to use after the Skating with Santa event. Connor had told everyone that I was a bit of a Grinch (though not the reasons of course), so they decked the walker out with Christmas wrapping paper, bright red and green bows, and a giant reindeer stuffed animal strapped to the front.
“Your chariot awaits, my lady,” Rizzo had said with an exaggerated bow before the rest of the guys parted like the Red Sea to reveal the walker. I was in such a good mood after the event—it had been such a success that we’d had to add another round of sessions the following weekend—that I didn’t mind the joke. And the walker had actually been really helpful, so I didn’t even care how ridiculous I looked.
"See, not so bad, right?" Connor asks, skating backwards in front of me like it’s nothing and smiling like an idiot. I get the distinct feeling that teaching me how to skate, sharing this part of his world with me, makes him very, very happy. Which, in turn, makes me very, very happy.
"Not so bad," I agree. I ditched the walker about half an hour ago and haven't fallen again since. IthinkI even look mostly comfortable now, though I won't be winning any figure skating competitions any time soon.
"So, are you up for anotherMake Mac Love Christmasescapade tonight?"
"Hmm, it depends. Does it involve my ass hitting ice all night?"
He chuckles. "No skating tonight, I promise. A giant maze of Christmas lights."
"Ok, that actually sounds really cool,” I grin. I’m enjoying the hell out of all of his attempts to turn December around for me, and part of me thinks he may just pull it off.Knock on wood.
"Great."
Rizzo skates up then, stick in hand.
"You can't leave until you let me teach you how to shoot a puck."
"Seriously?" I ask, lips curling upward. That actually sounds pretty fun now that I can stay mostly vertical on the ice. Connor smiles and skates off to grab his own stick and glove.
Rizzo shows me the basics and I spend the next half hour hitting pucks at Connor, a bunch of the other guys gathering around and cheering me on—and booing Connor when he stops my shots. I try not to take it personally that he didn't bother to put on a helmet or any pads whatsoever. He's grinning like a freaking lunatic as we mess around and I know that I'm smiling just as much.
“Ok, I think I might really love hockey,” I admit as Rizzo gives me some more pointers.
“The fact that you ever doubted the level of superiority of it to every other sport makes me question my high opinion of you, Mac,” Rizzo says, his voice mockingly indignant.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I’ll admit that I now see the appeal of whacking pucks at people.”
He laughs and Connor yells, “Is that really all you got, Mac? Come on, ya hoser!” I narrow my eyes at him, but before I can say anything in response, a bunch of the guys rush him. “Hey! What the—”
He cuts off as they tackle him, a giant dog pile forming that leaves the goal wide open.
“Go!” Rizzo yells in triumph. “Just like I showed you earlier. That’s it, move the puck with you as you go. Nice and easy…you got it, Mac!”
Connor tries desperately to crawl back towards the goal with five guys still on top of him, pulling him back. “This is so not fair, you know that right!?” he calls, though he’s cracking up.
“All’s fair in love and hockey!” Jules yells from the top of the pile. “Get in there, Mac! Light the lamp!”
I can’t stop laughing or grinning as I make my way towards the goal.
“Cheaters! All of you!CHEATERS!” Connor roars, laughing when Howey puts him in a headlock.
I smack the puck the last couple of feet into the mostly wide-open net and all the guys cheer when it sails easily inside. They leap up from the dog pile and I yelp as they hoist me up onto their shoulders, the sound quickly becoming a ridiculous giggle. Connor rolls onto his back, and props himself up on his elbows to watch the show, his smile wide and gorgeous and so genuine that it makes something twist inside my chest. I meet his gaze and he winks, mouthingrematch, McNamara.
I smile back and my God, I think this might be the happiest I’ve felt in years.
Chapter Ten
