Page 21 of His Arranged Plus-Size Mate

“Years of practice.”

She took my hand, slowly pulling herself up. Her legs started to woggle, and she clung to me. I held her up, unable to hold my laugh.

“This isn’t funny,” she whispered. “People are looking.”

I held her close as I started to move us. “People are looking because they can relate. Everyone is wobbling on their first try.”

I could see worry forming in her eyes as we moved closer to the entrance. “I don’t know if I want to do this now. I’m not very coordinated, and I’m going to fall.”

I pulled us to the ice, where the worry shifted into fear. Her fingers tightened on me, and I didn’t let go. “Give it a try at least. You might find yourself loving this.”

I stepped onto the ice, letting her watch as I moved smoothly over it. All the years of training and practice came back, and it was like I never left. I listened to the sound of my skates on the ice and watched the line that they left as I moved.

I moved backward, moving myself around a little before sliding back to her. Hazel looked at me, surprised as she licked her lips, looking determined now. I could see excitement as she reached for the door.

She slowly stepped onto the ice, her fingers tightening onto the edge. She placed her other skate down and stared.

She panted. “Okay, what do I do now?”

I chuckled. “You move. Slid one foot over the other. You can hold onto the edge if you want.”

She shook her head. “No….no…I…”

I could see panic in her eyes, so I moved closer. I reached my hands out for hers. “Give me your hand.”

She looked worried now. She looked around us, toward the others who were skating and the people sitting on the benches. “What if people see me fall? Everyone is going to be watching.”

“Let them. Hazel, people will look at you regardless. You’re married to me now, so people will stare. You just have to be okay with it. Have to learn to block them out.”

She chewed on her cheek, and I knew it wasn’t something that was going to be fixed over an afternoon. But I didn’t want her fear to stop her from enjoying herself.

She reached out, her fingers clasping over mine. I felt a spark roll up my arm, a sensation I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I shook it off and slowly started to move us. Her fingers were white as she held onto me as I slid us slowly around the ice, moving only when she was ready.

“You just push your leg forward. You don’t even need to lift it. Just slide your feet forward.”

She moved her legs, and I felt her shake. I held her up, not letting her fall. We did this for a while, making an entire lap around the rink.

I watched her smile after a while, her legs growing more confident as she tried to move them. She even laughed when we didn’t turn in time and hit the edge of the rink.

“You’re a good teacher,” she said as we stopped. She held onto the edge as I moved backward on the ice.

“I did teach the little ones for hockey when I was in high school.”

“Why did you stop?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I did it for the rush. The release of anger. You body check someone on the ice, it feels pretty good.”

She scrunched up her nose. “That seems like an unhealthy way to look at it.”

I snorted. “Well, when you’re an angry teen, it’s better than beating the shit out of someone in the locker room.”

She chuckled, moving along the edge. Her legs moved with ease now, but I could see she would catch herself every few steps and recorrect.

“Why were you so angry?”

I gave her a face. “You met my father.”