Page 49 of Sweet Trouble
“Do you want to tell me what about it feels scary?” Tripp asked.
“I don’t want to fall,” Mari whispered after a moment.
Jillian’s heart gave a tug. Posey had always been very agile, but Mari was a little more awkward, and a recent growth spurt hadn’t made things any easier for her.
“That’s a really good reason to be scared,” Tripp told her. “And most people do fall down at least once or twice their first time ice skating. I sure did. But if you don’t want to fall, and you decide youdowant to give skating a try, you could hold onto the rail with one hand and me with the other. That way you couldn’t fall even if you tried.”
“Really?” Mari asked, perking up a little.
“Definitely,” Tripp told her. “I’d be honored to be your first skate partner. But only when you’re ready.”
Mari didn’t respond, and Jillian waited for Tripp to fill the silence.
But he stayed silent as Mari considered her options.
“Okay,” Mari said at last. “I’ll try.”
Pride filled Jillian’s chest.
“Today?” Tripp asked, looking really pleased. “Right now?”
“Yes,” Mari said, laughing. “Right now.”
“Awesome,” Tripp crowed, throwing his head back.
Both girls laughed.
And Jillian felt her cheeks heat as her crush on Tripp Lawrence came roaring back so hard it almost made her breathless.
The next few minutes were a funny mix of laughter and encouragement.
Tripp had Mari under his wing, and was easing her along the outside of the rink, not saying a word about her stiff, fearful movements, but instead telling her what a great jobshe was doing.
That left Jillian to work with Posey, who was nothing if not confident. No sooner did they reach the ice than Posey was eagerly learning the basics of skating forward, and trying her best, though she clung to her mother’s hand.
The air was fresh and cold, and there were only a few other families on the ice, which gave them plenty of room to go slowly and make mistakes.
An hour slipped by before Jillian even thought about the time.
“Ho there,” a familiar voice called out from the park.
“Grampy,” she said, turning to find both of her grandparents standing just outside the rink.
“I’m skating,” Posey gleefully informed them.
“What a wonderful job you’re doing,” Gram told her encouragingly. “We were going to go get some hot cocoa and we wondered if you and your sister might want to come with us. Then we can sit on the bench and watch your mom skate.”
Posey frowned thoughtfully, but they had been on the ice for a while now, and ultimately her desire for asecondhot cocoa in one day won out over her desire to keep skating.
Jillian was honestly impressed the little ones were still on their feet. They’d both had a big day.
Mari was happy to finish up her first skating lesson and go off with her sister. They let their great-grandparents help them return their skates while Jillian took a quick spin around the ice.
It had been forever, but it was funny how fast it cameback to her. She spread her arms and sped up until she felt weightless.
“Wow,” Tripp said, sliding up beside her, and sending flurries of ice shimmering through the air by his skates. “I never knew you were a real skater.”
“Oh, I’m not,” she told him. “I just like it—especially going fast.”
