Melting Away The Ice (THE ICE SERIES)

by Smith, Mary

Chapter 22 – Lucas

  “I actually planned to have dinner first,” I heard Sara yell from the kitchen as she gathered the food. She was placing it on the table as I came from the bathroom to get the rest of my clothes. I had picked up my shirt and went to put it on as Sara gasped.

  “Oh my gosh, did I do that to your back?” I turned to see a shocked and hurt expression plastered on her face.

  “Yes, you did, and I paid hell for it in the locker room today from the guys,” I laughed at her.

  “Oh, Lucas, I am so sorry. So very sorry.” She looked like she was about to cry.

  “Hey, beautiful, they don’t hurt. Well, they don’t hurt a lot.” I had forgotten about them until we were on the couch and she went to dig into my back again.

  “Hang on.” She ran down the hall to the bathroom and came back holding a bottle, bandages and Q-tips.

  “Sara, its fine.” She pushed me back until I was sitting on the couch.

  “Hush and turn around.” I rolled my eyes and turned around. She began to clean the wounds. Once she was satisfied with bandaging me up, I turned back around.

  “I am really sorry, Lucas. I don’t know why I dug in so hard like that,” she said in a soft voice.

  I shrugged. “I will consider it a war wound.”

  “Ha! Ha!” she fake laughed as I stood up and put my shirt on. We walked hand in hand to the kitchen and ate. I was getting a little nervous about telling her my plan. I wondered if she would be upset that Charity helped me. She made small talk about being busy at work and that was when I saw an opening to execute my plan.

  “Coach D let us off for a three-day weekend. So, after Thursday’s game I am free until Monday morning.”

  “Nice,” she exclaimed. “Do you have plans?”

  “Yep, I do.” I stood up and headed over to my jacket.

  Please let her say yes, I silently prayed.

  I grabbed the e-ticket that I printed out and handed it to her. She looked confused as she read it.

  “Montreal? You want me to go to Canada with you?”

  “Yep, I want you to meet my family.”

  “Do what?” she shouted, her eyes huge from shock.

  “I know.” I held my hands up in surrender. “I know that we have not been together long, but this is the only chance that I see for you to meet my family. Plus, you get to see where I grew and I would like to show it all to you.” I was almost begging for her to come with me. I had already told everyone about Sara and my mom was dying to meet her. My mom knew how long it had been since I had someone in my life that I cared this much about.

  “Wait a minute; this ticket is for Friday morning, and what if I am busy?”

  I laughed. “A little elf told me that she would make sure you were off.”

  “Charity,” Sara hissed through her teeth and I laughed harder. Sara hung her head and was still staring at the ticket, “Lucas, I am not sure.”

  “Why?” My heart was pounding. I really wanted her to go with me.

  “Well, this is a big step and I’m not even sure the status of our relationship.”

  “What? Do you mean like if we are boyfriend and girlfriend?” Did she really not know how much I loved her?

  Wow where did that come from?

  She shifted nervously in her chair. “Well, yeah. I mean are we just friends having fun or are we serious? I’m not sure.”

  I tried to hold back a smile as I reached for her hand. “Sara,” she looked up at me, “would you do me the fine honor of being my girlfriend and going home with me this weekend?” I was trying to sound as formal as possible without cracking up. The thought that she didn’t know what she meant to me was funny. She was so perfect in my eyes.

  She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, “Sure, why not?” I saw the corners of her mouth twitch as she held back a smile. I laughed at her. I laughed at my girlfriend.

  Chapter 23 – Sara

  In the back of my mind I kept thinking about the court day with Jake. It was looming over me like a black cloud. I didn’t want to think about it as I was on the plane heading to Canada with Lucas, but couldn’t help it. Memories kept flooding my head, even as Lucas held my hand. I counted to ten and took a deep breath and focused on what was about to happen. I was about to meet Lucas’ family.

  I was shaking with nervousness and excitement. I couldn’t wait to meet his mom because he talked about her all the time. However, I was nervous, worried that they wouldn’t like me. I don’t think that Lucas would hang around long if that was the case. I looked over to him and saw that he looked tired. I was unable to go to the game last night due to work, but I did hear on TV how well he was doing. I couldn’t be more proud of my boyfriend.

  Boyfriend? Yeah that will take some time to get used to.

  I didn’t think I could be any happier than I was when I was with him. I just had to get Jake and the court date out of my life. I needed to keep myself sane and focus on what was happening now, Lucas and meeting his family.

  Lucas slept on the plane. He told me before, it seemed to be the only real sleep he got when the team traveled. We shared small talk when he was awake. He could not wait for his aunt’s famous dinner and dessert. He wanted to show me all over town and the place where he grew up. I thought about what it would be like if Lucas ever met my parents.

  That will never happen.

  I hadn’t talked to my parents in months, it wasn’t like they were ringing my phone to speak with me. Rachel was my only family. I even counted Charity and Betty as family, more than my parents.

  “Hey, you okay?” Lucas squeezed my hand and brought me back to reality.

  “Yes, just a little nervous,” I smiled at him.

  “Don’t be nervous. You will be great.” He kissed my hand as I heard the ding of the seat-belt light come on. The plane made the descent into Montreal. Lucas explained that his mother was going to pick us up because she refused to let him to waste money on a rental. Lucas grew up in a smaller town outside of the city and said it was the best place in the world to grow up.

  We got off the plane and headed to baggage claim. It seemed like forever to get our bags, and I noticed that some people were staring at Lucas, but he pretended not to see.

  I wonder if this is going to be like it was in Chicago.

  Lucas was always recognized in the city, but was polite with his fans. He turned to head to the main door to head out. It was then that Lucas hollered out, “Ma!”

  An older woman on a bench near the door stood up and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. The woman had dark hair, like Lucas, with a few gray streaks in it and deep blue eyes. Lucas was a foot taller than her and I was at least six inches taller. Besides a few wrinkles around her eyes and laugh lines, she was a beautiful woman. However, Lucas didn’t look anything like her, besides the eyes and hair, and I assumed he looked more like his dad. They wrapped each other up in hugs and were talking, very fast, in French. I just stood there, still a ball of nerves.

  “Ma, this is Sara,” Lucas finally introduced me.

  “Very nice to meet you,” I stuck my hand out to shake it.

  “Dear girl, I don’t shake hands with family.” She hugged me tightly. I could see out of the corner of my eye Lucas shaking his head. “You can call me Victoria,” she said as she pulled out of the hug. Her eyes were kind, like Lucas’.

  “I am ready to go home,” she announced and wrapped her arm around my elbow. Lucas picked up all the bags and we headed out the door towards the parking lot.

  Lucas told me to dress warmly because it was going to be cold. This weather was nothing like it was in Chicago. The word “cold” didn’t even begin to describe it. There was snow and ice everywhere and I think it was well below zero. Lucas and Victoria didn’t seem to mind it as we all climbed into her car. She made Lucas drive and he did without a single protest. We made small talk in the car about the plane ride, the length of our stay and the weather. Victoria spoke often in French and Lucas explained that I didn’t know Frenc
h. “Well, that is going to change,” she stated firmly. Lucas just smiled. He had told me before that his mother was very passionate about their French culture.

  It wasn’t too long before we pulled into a suburban neighborhood. Lucas pulled into a drive way where a two story house stood. It was simple but beautiful. Even with everything covered in snow, I could still tell it was a family neighborhood.

  “How long have you lived here?” I asked Victoria.

  “Since Lucas was a baby,” she stated. Lucas grabbed the bags and we headed in. I could see as soon as I walked in that the house was simply decorated. There were no fancy paintings on the wall or brightly colored furniture. I saw a picture of Lucas on the wall when I heard someone yell, “Creep,” and a mass of blonde hair flew by me and leapt into Lucas arms.

  “Hey, Nerd,” he laughed back as he easily caught her. A small ping of jealously hit me. I wasn’t sure who the blonde was or why Lucas was so giddy about her.

  Please don’t be an ex-girlfriend.

  He set her on her feet “How is my favorite girl?” He beamed with pride on his face and in his voice.

  “Better now that you are home,” she cooed back. She was almost as tall as Lucas and had a very small frame.

  Please don’t be an ex-girlfriend.

  I saw her profile and supermodel good looks didn’t even begin to cover how beautiful she was: perfect cheekbones, perfect lips, and just perfect all over.

  “Lucas, why don’t you introduce Sara.” Victoria was looking at me. I knew she could see the jealously on my face, so I looked to the ground, feeling my cheeks get warm.

  “Oh yeah, sorry about that. Sara this is-“ Lucas began.

  “I am Ava,” she exclaimed as she threw her arms around me. “I am Lucas’ cousin.”

  Oh thank the stars.

  Pure relief washed over me. I didn’t feel like trying to compete with Miss Perfect while I was here.

  “I am Sara,” I said back as she released me and went back to stand by Lucas.

  “I am so excited to meet you, Sara.” She had the brightest smile on her face, “Lucas has not stopped talking about you.”

  “Shut up, Nerd,” Lucas hissed at her.

  “No,” she said back, placing her hands on her hips.

  “Ignore them,” Victoria said as she grabbed my elbow and steered me to the kitchen. “Lucas and Ava are just like siblings. They are a few months apart and were inseparable as kids,” she explained as we sat down at the table.

  “My sister, Elizabeth, Ava, and I all live here. We have since the kids were little. Elizabeth is out getting food to make Lucas’ favorite dinner tonight. She is the cook of the family, I am not,” she clarified.

  Lucas and Ava walked into the kitchen. Lucas kissed the top of my head as he sat down. Ava began to talk a mile a minute about everything that was going on in town. I just sat there and took it all in.

  This was a real home. I could feel the love as I looked around and saw numerous pictures of Lucas and Ava. It all seemed so right.

  “Lucas Sharp, you better help me with these groceries,” I heard the yell from the front door. Lucas was up in a flash and headed toward the voice. He came back in with three large bags and behind him was a tall older woman. She was older than Victoria but just as stunning with her blue eyes.

  “You must be Sara, I am Elizabeth, Lucas’ Aunt.” She stuck out her hand and I shook it. She stood tall, her shoulders perfectly squared, and looked regal in her stance.

  “Nice to meet you,” I watched as she headed to get the food ready to cook. Ava was able to get my attention and began firing questions to me. She asked me about being a lawyer, law school and growing up in the States. No one asked me about my family or past relationships and I wonder if Lucas had warned them about that beforehand.

  “Lucas has told us that you are not a hockey fan.” Victoria looked over at me. I couldn’t read her expression.

  “Um, well, I am learning about it now, but I am not really a hockey fan,” I stumbled on the words as they came out of my mouth.

  “Girl, you are in Canada now. If you don’t like hockey they might bury you in the snow,” Ava chirped in and then began to giggle. Then the conversation turned toward Lucas’ younger hockey days. His mom and aunt explained that he was a big deal in the area and everyone loved him. I could tell Lucas’ cheeks were getting red as everyone praised his accomplishments throughout his life.

  “Why don’t we get unpacked and then we all can eat,” Lucas announced and stood up. I followed suit and as I walked out, hearing the three ladies talking French. I knew they were talking about me and I was hoping that it was good stuff.

  “Don’t be nervous,” Lucas whispered in my ear as we headed for the stairs, “they are talking about me.” I swore he could read my mind, sometimes.

  At the top of the stairs I realized there were only three doors. Lucas pointed them out as: Ava’s, a bathroom in between and then his.

  “Your moms, and Elizabeth’s are downstairs then?” I asked because I didn’t think the house was large enough for two more bedrooms down there.

  “Mom’s is and then Aunt Elizabeth is in the finished basement because she works odd hours. She has her own entrance so she would not disturb us,” he explained as we walked into his room. I wasn’t expecting to see what I saw; crisp white walls, a single dresser, a book-shelf, and a queen-size bed. The bed was simple and decorated in black and red.

  “Wow, your mom must have redone your room when you left,” I said as I sat my bag on the bed.

  “No, this is how my room always looked,”

  “Oh, I was figuring guy posters and hockey gear everywhere,” I explained.

  “Nah, I was never like that. I like plain.” He shrugged.

  I smiled as I sat on the corner of the bed. Today had already been a whirlwind and I was enjoying it. Even though I was still nervous, I just could not get over how much Lucas’ family loved him and I wished I had that.

  “Hey, beautiful, you okay?” Lucas knelt down in front of me and took my hands.

  “Actually, I am very okay.” I gently kissed his lips. “I am going to wash up because that food smells incredible.” Lucas laughed as I got up and headed to the bathroom.

  Dinner was perfect in every way. The food was completely homemade, the best I’d ever tasted. We all talked and laughed and Victoria started teaching me French by showing me items and making me repeat them. Lucas just laughed each time.

  I learned during dinner that Elizabeth’s husband died in a car accident when Ava was a baby. It was not too long after, that Lucas’ father left and the sisters decided to live together. It was supposed to be temporary, but that idea seemed to leave a long time ago. No one went into great detail about Lucas’ father. All I knew was that he left when Lucas was a baby and never returned. Lucas had never been in contact with him and he didn’t seem to mind. Victoria was still teaching first graders at a French-speaking school. She told me that it was her love and would not stop working for anything. Elizabeth worked as a nurse at a local hospital. Ava was in advertising.

  “Have you ever modeled?” I had to ask because the girl was stunning.

  “Model? No way,” she chirped back.

  “She is too nerdy,” Lucas added.

  “And you are a creep.” She threw a biscuit at him.

  “So, what is up with the nicknames?” Rachel and I never had nicknames.

  Lucas shrugged and Ava laughed.

  “I call her a nerd because she is a book nerd. As a kid she didn’t go anywhere without a book in her hand,” Lucas explained.

  “I call him a creep because he would creep up on me and scare me all the time,” Ava giggled.

  I never had this type of relationship with my parents or family. When we did have dinners together they felt more uncomfortable than anything. I wasn’t nervous anymore as I joined in on the talk around the table. I felt, almost, like part of a family.

  After cleaning up the kitchen we all headed into the living
room. It was not soon after, that Elizabeth, Victoria and even Ava went to bed. Lucas and I sat there a bit longer, silently looking into the fire. We were curled into each other watching the flames dance around.

  “I see you survived your first day,” Lucas whispered in my ear.

  I smiled up at him. “It was perfect. You have a wonderful family.”

  Lucas beamed back before he said, “Let’s go to bed.”

  We headed up the stairs and into his room. I grabbed some things and headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Today was so great that I didn’t even think about Jake or the upcoming court date. However, in the bathroom alone and after seeing the closeness of Lucas’ family, I felt a little sad.

  Maybe if I have kids one day I can keep us as a close family.

  I could feel the tears coming, but I refused to let them fall. I finished in the bathroom and headed back into the bedroom. A small lamp on the night stand illuminated the room and I could see Lucas was already in bed. I stared at him for a moment. He was on his back, shirtless and looked so peaceful. He took my breath away as my eyes scanned his rock hard body.

  Could he be any sexier?

  I climbed into the bed and I felt Lucas curl up next to me.

  “I love you, Sara,” he mumbled in his sleepy voice.

  What?

  I wanted to scream out, but I couldn’t breathe and my heart pounded so loud that it was ringing in my ears. Lucas saying those words made me think of the first time Jake said them to me.

  I can’t lose it right now.

  I was trying to calm myself down but the tears were about to escape. Very careful and quietly I escaped from Lucas’ hold and rushed down the stairs. I flopped on the couch, in front of the fire, and the tears fell. I could not stop sobbing.

  I felt someone sit next to me and for a moment I thought it would be Lucas, but when the small arms went around me I realized it was Victoria. I looked up and she smiles back before whispering, “It’s okay.” She rubbed my back and I lost it after that.

  Every bad memory and feeling that I was hanging onto was unleashed as Victoria rocked me in her arms. I cried and sobbed for who knew how long, Victoria never saying a word. She just held me, rubbed my back, stroked my hair in a way a mother should.