“God, that’s so depressing,” Stephanie said.
My chest ached as I pictured tiny Josh… sweet, shy little Josh… so desperate for a relationship with his dad that he made up an imaginary father who would always be around. Already high on emotion from the crazy day, I felt myself about to burst into tears. I had to get out of there before I made a scene.
“I need to go to the ladies’ room.” I shed Josh’s jacket and high-tailed it away from the table.
I had to fight my way through the crowd, and I was almost to the edge of the bar when a hand shot out and grabbed my arm. I swung my head around and saw Roxanne sitting at a high-top table.
“Excuse me.” I pulled out of her grasp.
“Can you tell your future mother-in-law that money can’t buy you a spot in the team event?” Her twangy voice slurred as she spoke.
My urge to cry had died, and now only annoyance bubbled in my chest. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw her running her mouth at the party. What’s she trying to do? Bribe the fed to get you in?”
“No one is bribing anyone. I think you’d better cut yourself off.” I pointed to her half-empty glass.
“You guys will do anything to be the darlings of the federation, won’t you? How long did you have the proposal planned?”
“That wasn’t a publicity stunt.”
“Right. I was shocked you didn’t do it when the cameras were rolling, but your home video is all over the internet already, so congratulations.” She did a slow clap.
I stared at her, stuck for words. Sergei had recorded us on his phone so we’d have the moment captured forever, but he would never have posted it online.
Mrs. Tucker. She must have asked him to send it to her.
I folded my arms over my chest. “Josh and I didn’t post the video.”
“It doesn’t matter who in your little circle did it. All the publicity in the world isn’t getting you our spot in the event.”
“They don’t need publicity,” Stephanie said as she came to my side. “They’re the better team.”
“We are the champions.” Roxanne grew louder. “They got lucky that other teams screwed up or Courtney here would’ve been a loser for the third time.”
Stephanie reached out and knocked over Roxanne’s glass, spilling white wine all over her gold dress. Roxanne gasped, while my mouth fell open with no sound. The people standing around us watched with wide eyes.
Roxanne jumped up, stumbling on her platform heels, and got in Stephanie’s face. “You bitch!”
“And proud of it.” Stephanie smirked.
I took hold of her waist and pulled her away from Roxanne. “I think it’s time to go.”
I hustled her back to our table, where Josh gave us a curious look. “What did I miss?”
My roller coaster of emotions took a sharp curve into amusement, and I dissolved into laughter. “Your sister almost started a rumble with Roxanne.”
“No, she started it.” Stephanie dropped into her chair. “I was shutting her up.”
I gave her a big smile. “You stood up for me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get all sappy on me. I’ve always hated that girl and have been waiting to do something like that.”
I nodded slowly, but I knew there was more behind her actions. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed Stephanie would ever come to my defense, but the weekend had been full of surprises. It was only fitting that it ended with the most bizarre one of all.
Chapter Eleven
WITH THE VOLUME ON JOSH’S CAR stereo cranked up, he and I sang along to The Temper Trap as we made the familiar drive to the restaurant for work. Our awful attempts at singing falsetto sent us into a fit of laughter, and I didn’t realize my phone was ringing until I noticed it lighting up my purse. Liza’s photo filled the screen.
“Hey, Cap,” I shouted and turned down the stereo volume.
I’d started addressing Liza as such since she’d been named the captain of our Olympic figure skating squad. She was taking her role very seriously, texting all of us daily inspirational quotes and clips from famous sports movies. We weren’t leaving for Sochi for ten more days, but I was already so pumped.
“Are you at the party?” Liza asked.
“What party?”
She didn’t answer, and I looked at the screen to see if the call had dropped.
“Oh… umm…” she sputtered. “It sounded like you were at a party with the loud music.”
“I’m in Josh’s car. We’re just jamming on our way to work.”
She paused again, adding to the weird vibe she was giving me. “Maybe you should put me on speaker,” she said. “I have some news.”
My smile faded. She didn’t exactly sound excited to deliver the news. I tapped the speaker icon and propped my elbow on the armrest.
“What’s up?”
“Roxanne and Evan were given the team event spot, and they chose to do both the short and the long. They could’ve just done one and let you guys do the other, but that would be too unselfish for them.”
I rested my head against the seat as I lost some of the excited energy I’d had all week. “That really blows.”
“You had a better Grand Prix season and finished higher at Worlds last year,” Liza said. “But all the federation cares about is the stupid quad Roxanne did at nationals. What are the odds they’ll land it again in Sochi?”
“How could the fed not even give us a chance to do the short program? After how well we’ve skated the past few years?” I said.
“The rules say it’s the skaters’ choice to do one or both,” Liza said.
“But they could step in,” Josh piped up. “They do it with everything else.”
“It’s total BS,” Liza said. “You deserve a shot at a medal.”
My grip on the phone tightened. Once we’d gotten over the big hurdle of winning an Olympic spot, I’d let the possibility of competing for a team event medal creep into my dreams. What had I been thinking? I’d already been blessed with so much good fortune lately. No way should I have expected more.
“I think they’re making a huge mistake,” Liza said. “I’d feel more confident with you guys skating. You’ve been more consistent than Roxanne and Evan all season. They just happened to have the competition of their lives last week.”
“Are you doing both the short and the long?” Josh asked.
“Yeah, the fed would kill me if I don’t.”
“You are the best weapon we have,” I said. “No pressure.”
“What’s a little more pressure when I’m already drowning in it?”
Josh and I exchanged concerned glances over the anxiety in her voice. I started to speak, but Liza interrupted, “I’ll let you go. I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but I didn’t want you hearing it from someone like Roxanne.”
“I’m glad you called. Thanks for giving us a heads-up,” I said. “Try to take it easy, okay?”
“I will. Just ten more days and we’ll be in the Village, where we can block out everyone on the outside.”
She quickly said goodbye, and I dropped the phone into my purse.
“She’s really feeling it now,” Josh said.
“Trying to be America’s next golden girl… that’s a daunting task.”
Josh pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and slowed to search for a spot. “Why are there so many cars here so early?”
I spotted a few vehicles with Lighthouse Skating Club decals, and Liza’s initial question suddenly made sense.
“It must be a surprise party for us,” I said.
Josh turned into an empty space and switched off the engine. “That explains why Mrs. Cassar was acting weird when I saw her this morning.”
I opened the mirror on the visor to check my appearance since a roomful of people was soon going to be staring at me.
“Let’s not mention Liza’s call to anyone. It’ll just put a damper on things.”
“I�
�m getting more pissed the more I think about it,” Josh said. “If we’d been picked, we would’ve shared the spot.”
I removed the band from my work-required ponytail and fluffed my hair over my shoulders. “On the bright side, we won’t be getting any more hate tweets from Roxanne’s minions, accusing us of trying to bribe our way in.”
Josh groaned. “My mom is going to blow up my phone when she finds out.”
“You might want to change your number.”
We climbed out of the car, and I zipped my jacket, blocking out the damp evening chill. Josh took my hand, but I pulled up short before we reached the door.
“I’m wearing my uniform.” I frowned. “So much for cute party pics.”
“Hey, I fell in love with you in that uniform.”
“Was it the necktie or the starchy white shirt that sealed the deal?”
He treated me to a charming sidelong smile. “You wear that shirt and tie like a boss.”
I laughed, and Josh swung open the door, triggering a chorus of “Surprise!” from everyone inside. A huge Congratulations, Courtney and Josh banner hung above the bar, surrounded by red, white, and blue balloons and white paper bells. They’d covered both our milestones with the decorations.
Josh and I were swallowed up by the crowd, which was an eclectic mix of skaters, coaches, and restaurant regulars. Em grabbed me first and led me behind the bar.
“I brought an outfit from home for you if you want to change,” she said.
I started unknotting my tie. “You’re the best.”
I ducked into the restroom and did a quick change into the dress and boots Em had packed for me. When I rejoined the party, I was immediately tackled by Chris.
“Congrats, Kid.”
“Are you still going to call me Kid even after I’m married?”
“Yes, I am.”
His wife, Em’s best friend Aubrey, gave me a one-arm hug as she held their eight-month-old daughter on her hip.
“Hi, Noelle.” I smoothed my hand over the baby’s soft little head. She had her dad’s dark wavy hair and her mom’s stunning green eyes.
“She loves watching you and Josh skate,” Aubrey said. “She was perfectly still the entire time you were on the ice in Boston.”
“Aww, that’s so cute.”
“I’ve tried showing her videos of me and Em, and she couldn’t care less.” Chris laughed. “So, you should feel honored.”
A couple of singles coaches from the rink crashed our circle, and they started a parade of well-wishes. Many of the restaurant regulars who didn’t follow skating asked if Josh and I were going to win a medal in Sochi. I had to explain that we weren’t one of the favorites, but we were shooting for a top six finish. What I didn’t say was we would’ve indeed had a strong shot at a medal if we’d been picked for the team event. My anger began to boil again as I was reminded of Liza’s news.
Em tapped me on the shoulder, and I put on an extra big smile to hide my disappointment.
“Can you grab Josh so I can get some pics of you with the cake?” she asked.
“Sure. I’ll go find him.”
I worked my way around the perimeter of the bar and came up empty. Aubrey saw me standing on my toes, trying to see over heads, and she asked, “Looking for someone?”
“My fiancée.” I loved saying that.
“He’s over by the piano with Chris.”
I peeked through an opening in the crowd, and I had no trouble smiling sincerely at the sight before me. I could even feel my heart smiling. Josh was holding Noelle in his arms, and she giggled with delight as he tickled her belly.
“My ovaries just exploded,” I said.
“Wait until you go through labor,” Aubrey said. “It feels like they really do.”
I laughed and slipped between a few adult skaters to get to the piano. Josh grinned at me, and I fingered the hem of Noelle’s blue velvet dress.
“I see I’ve lost you to another girl,” I said.
“She’s pretty cute, and she doesn’t spazz out when I tickle her like someone else does.”
I laughed harder, and Chris said, “I asked Josh to hold her while I finish my sandwich. I couldn’t bring her back to her mom with roast beef on her dress.”
He shoved the last bite into his mouth and took Noelle from Josh so we could meet Em at the dessert table. The large white cake was trimmed with red and blue swirly hearts, and it was topped with the Olympic rings and a fondant American flag. Once again I loved how our engagement and our Olympic berth were celebrated together.
Em made us pose behind the cake with my left hand strategically placed on Josh’s arm, and I joked, “This feels like a cross between a prom photo and a wedding portrait.”
As soon as Em put down her camera, the twins rushed the table, begging for cake slices heavy on frosting. I barely had a piece in hand before I got swept away from Josh by two of my long-time Saturday night bar patrons.
“Are you and Josh going to win gold like Emily and Chris did?” I was asked.
Jeez, not this question again.
I launched into my explanation of how our career was different from Em and Chris’s, but a loud cry of pain from the bar stopped me mid-sentence. I looked over, and my stomach dropped to my toes when I saw Josh holding his hand and grimacing.
The Daruma popped into my head, and all the fears I’d had about bad luck bombarded me. Visions of Josh’s hand being sliced open or broken flew through my mind. I hurried toward him, terrified of what I was going to see.
“What happened?”
“Quinn stabbed me with a fork,” he said through gritted teeth.
“What?”
Quinn sat behind him on a barstool, and tears poured down her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to. Alex pushed me.”
“No, I didn’t,” Alex cried.
I took Josh’s elbow. “Let me see your hand.”
He uncovered it, revealing four punctures marks near his wrist. Small drops of blood seeped from the wounds. I exhaled deeply as all the terrible injury possibilities evaporated from my mind. This could be fixed with a Band-Aid.
“There’s a first aid kit in the kitchen,” I said.
Sergei broke through the gawkers around us and gave the twins a stern look. “Come here now. Both of you.”
“I’m sorry, Josh,” Quinn wailed as she slid off her stool.
Sergei ushered them away from us, and I swiped a napkin from the bar to put pressure on Josh’s hand.
“How in the world did she stab you?”
“I was talking to Em’s dad and had my hand on the bar, and the next thing I knew Quinn was bumping into me and the fork was in my hand.”
“Good Lord. You’d think a seven-year-old could be trusted with real silverware.” I shook my head. “Let’s go bandage you up.”
It took us ten minutes to get to the kitchen because everyone in our path had to see the damage Quinn had done and make jokes about it. While Josh washed his hand in the big industrial sink, I opened the kit and picked out a medium-sized bandage.
“You don’t wanna know the thoughts that went through my head when I saw you in pain,” I said.
“Sorry I scared you. It just hurt like hell.”
“I can imagine. Who knew we had to watch out for runaway utensils?” I tore open a packet of antibiotic ointment and squeezed it onto the tiny holes in Josh’s skin. “I swear, these next ten days can’t go by fast enough.”
“Are you still thinking about the Daruma?”
I kept my head down and mumbled, “Maybe.”
“Would it help if I carried around a four-leaf clover and a rabbit’s foot until we get to Russia?”
I glanced up at his teasing smile and couldn’t help but crack one myself. “Throw in a horseshoe and we’re in business.”
****
FRESH FROM A LONG, hot shower, I stole a T-shirt from Josh’s dresser and sat on the bed to comb the tangles from my wet hair. Josh had gone to the main house to borrow bandages from Mrs. Cassa
r, but he’d been gone longer than such a trip should take.
My stomach rumbled, and I realized I’d done way more talking than eating at the restaurant. I went into the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal and almond milk, and I carried it back to the bedroom. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I clicked on my phone and scrolled through the party photos Em had posted online. Lots of heart-eyed emojis were included in the comments from our fans.
The front door opened, and Josh walked through the living room/kitchen, stopping in the bedroom doorway.
“That took a while,” I said.
“Mrs. Cassar was still wound up from the party.”
“I’m surprised you were able to escape.”
I took in a big helping of cereal, and Josh leaned against the door frame, watching me with a little smile. I chewed slowly and smiled back.
“What’s that look for?”
“I was just thinking that soon I’ll get to see you like this every night.”
“Stuffing my face with cereal at midnight?”
He came over and sat beside me on the bed. “It’s a very hot look for you.”
“I’ll have to remember that for future seduction purposes. Candles… lingerie… and cereal.”
We laughed together, and Josh scooted closer. “Can I have some?”
I fed him a large spoonful, and he hopped off the bed and tugged his sweater over his head. As I watched him rummage through his dresser, my phone dinged. I took one last lingering look at his ridiculously fit body and opened the text.
Em: Quinn drew a picture for Josh before she went to sleep.
The phone dinged again, and a photo popped up. I enlarged it and turned the screen toward Josh. “Quinn made this for you.”
On the blue paper she had drawn a curly-haired stick figure wearing a sad face. Below it was neatly written — Josh, I’m so sorry I hurt you. Love, your friend Quinn.
Josh smiled. “I’ll have to go over there tomorrow and assure her I’m okay.”
I typed a quick response to Em and scooped the last few flakes in my bowl. “I didn’t think an edible American flag could cause so much drama.”
“That’s what they were fighting over?” He laughed as he stepped out of his jeans and pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants.
Taking the Ice (Ice Series Book 3) Page 10
