After he finalized the deal with Chet, he wanted to share his new found glory...with Peyton. But first he had to face the demons chasing his dreams and holding him back. This was his first fear.
Get on the ice Patterson. You basically put make up on your face today, this is nothing.
It wasn’t nothing. It was the opposite. It was everything. It was his life, or it had been his life and he’d thrown it away.
But that was the past. Chet’s words came to his mind, If you keep that thought in your head, you’re going to be sitting around not doing much for the rest of your life.
He was deciding tonight that he was ready to do something again and he was starting by getting on this damn ice.
He didn’t move.
“You’re right...you do surprise me.” Peyton appeared at his side out of nowhere. He pulled his eyes away from the taunting ice and enjoyed the porch light reflecting off her hair and highlighting the smooth edges of her face.
She looked up at him with dare glimmering in her eyes. “I’m surprised you haven’t got on the rink yet.”
“I’m debating the quality.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “I can understand. I will take the first plunge.” He hadn’t noticed she was wearing old-school, white ice skates until she easily slid on the ice like he couldn’t. Her long legs glided her around the rink surprising him with her smoothness. He’d kind of expected her to land on her bottom.
Skidding to a stop in front of him, she placed her hands on her hips. “Hmm,” she debated stomping her blade on the ice. “Seems alright. I mean we won’t fall through it into a water pond underlying it, so we have that going for us.” If only that was what his hesitation was about. “Are you coming?”
It wasn’t that easy. She had no idea. But what other option did he have, get on the ice or pour his soul out to her. He wasn’t ready for that. One step at a time.
“You offered me a hockey lesson Patterson and I am ready to take you up on that offer.” He had offered her lessons on the spur of the moment when he really wanted to give lessons to her lips. He hadn’t ever thought she would take him up on it.
Colt slipped into his skates, pushing down the resistance climbing up his chest. Do it. Do it. Then without another thought his blades touched the ice and he soared across it in a motion that made him feel like he was on top of the world. He closed his eyes and let the ice carry him into the fantasy that had once been his reality where he was the star of this rink and it was going to be a helluva good game. The rink was small and cut the high he’d once felt short.
He was surprised that the heavy pity party, which often remained in his stomach, was a little less tonight. His new future in Chet’s Shop came to him mind instead. He was wiping his life clean and starting over. First the shop, followed by a new house close to his mom and plans on spending evenings having supper with his new friend: Peyton.
Colt could even stop in at her soap shop with coffee and a pastry from Mrs. Calvert’s every morning on the way to his own shop. Then he would help kids and adults get the gear for the sports they were perusing with a passion he was just starting to get back himself. Maybe not every morning, that might be overstepping friendly, but then again, he didn’t do anything in order with Peyton.
When Colt opened his eyes, Peyton was standing on the other side of the rink watching him with pride, as if she knew how hard it was for him to get on that ice. That was ridiculous. Yet, there was something about her smile.
“Alright. Come over here,” he said dropping a row of pucks on the ice.
Peyton skated to the first puck. “Can you image the aunt I will be when I can score a goal from across the ice? Rosemary will think I’m a superstar.” She turned to Colt and pointed a finger at him. “And none of that arm wrapping, hand touching nonsense trying to seduce me,” she warned, but only half joking.
He sent her a seductive look. “Can’t guarantee anything,” he teased, but he would keep his distance. They had an agreement.
He held the stick out to her. “Let’s see what you got.” The best way to teach someone was to evaluate their current playing condition.
She accepted the stick with a smirk. It was too big for her but she lined it up with the puck, squinted her eyes lining up the distance, stood up and swung. The swing was good, the speed was impressive...for someone who had no idea what they were doing...but the puck remained in front of her. Untouched.
Peyton’s eyes searched the distant net and area beyond while Colt crossed his arms trying not to laugh at her. Then her eyes fell in front of her to the black circle that remained at her feet perfectly aligned in the row.
She laughed out loud. At least she could laugh at herself.
Colt smirked, about to give her more advice, but she held her hand up to shush him. “Just a little rusty.”
She swung again and made contact. Her aim was as poor as her contact. It landed nowhere near the net.
He chuckled skating around beside her. “Are you ready for arm wrapping and hand touching?” he asked.
Her body stiffened. I can loosen every inch of your tender body.
“Friendly arm wrapping and hand touching?”
“Cross my heart.” Colt skated behind her trying not to press against her and wrapped his arms around to her front. He could smell all the essential oils she spoke of at the retirement home still lingering on her. He’d showered immediately after telling his mother about his future purchase, washing all evidence he’d used as a facial product model all afternoon. Shower. Peyton. Move your thoughts away.
Colt slid her cold bare hands along the stick to the proper location. He wanted to keep his hands flesh against flesh until they warmed...but he didn’t. He adjusted the position of her arms trying not to linger entangled in them. With his skate he carefully moved her feet apart. She gasped, startled and jiggled a bit, but kept her balance.
“So, take the stick up like this.” He didn’t mean for his words to come out low, husky and filled with desire. He cleared his throat as he demonstrated slowly guiding the stick in the air, his hands on hers. He could feel her body moving against his. “Then swoosh down the exact same path like this.” Keeping his hands on hers she followed through with her arms and stopped directly beside the puck enjoying all the pressure of her body against him. “And you should come into direct contact with the puck. You got that?”
Peyton nodded, tilting her head to look at him. She didn’t hide the desire in her eyes. “I think so,” she breathed barely a whisper of a breath that kissed his face.
Game plan. Game plan! Walk...skate away.
Reluctantly, enjoying the intimate position he skated backwards letting the cold air, that didn’t feel cold enough, crisp his heated body.
Peyton raised the stick in the air just as he’d instructed and swooshed it down, quick but lacking accuracy.
Colt rubbed his hand over his face in shock. The puck sat where he left it, again untouched.
She swung again. Apparently the second time was her charm because she hit it and it landed much closer to the net...which was so close to them on this short distance of ice it was tough to miss.
“Yay!” she cheered at her missed shot raising her hands in the air. “And the crowd goes wild!” How did she find the good in everything?
“You missed,” he pointed out. How did he always manage to find the bad? He was officially changing that outlook he had on life...starting now.
Peyton turned and handed him the stick. “And you’re my teacher,” she accused, pinning her luck on him.
Colt took the hockey stick and went down the row of pucks slamming everyone into the net across the ice. It felt amazing.
Peyton was smiling at him when he finished. “That’s what I’m talking about. Let’s try this again.” Her excitement was contagious.
They skated to the other side and Colt lined the pucks up.
“You surprised me today,” Peyton said.
He leaned against the top of the stick. “Becau
se I didn’t cheat on my wife?”
Peyton looked embarrassed, which was his intention. “That which I also apologize for, but honestly you can’t really blame me. I mean you let everyone think you were responsible and you let everyone think you sleep around, then you ended up in the shower with me and the next day you had a blonde on your arm. What was I supposed to think?”
He knew how it looked and he felt awful that he made Peyton feel like just another girl in his bed. “I’m sorry.”
“I wasn’t fishing for an apology.”
“It doesn’t make it less genuine.”
“You surprised me today when you let me put a mud mask on your face.” She laughed. It surprised him too. “I mean if I asked you to jump in a mud puddle and you did it, I wouldn’t be surprised. Boys and mud...that makes sense. However to let me smear mud smelling of essential oils on your face, well...that’s entirely different.”
“I kind of enjoyed it.”
She stopped laughing and stared at him shocked. “You did?”
“No.” He pointed at the first puck waiting for her to join him if she wanted to master this shot.
Peyton skated into position, tried to line her hands and arms up like he had demonstrated quite clearly, but failing miserably. He skated back to his teaching position.
“I think I might have overreacted this morning demanding you to change your reputation for me,” she said as he readjusted her hands. This time his warmer hands remained as he rubbed the bitterness away slowly and softly.
“I do agree with you,” he whispered in her ear.
Peyton’s worries were stemmed by her sister’s revealed fears over the weekend, nothing more. “But I understand.”
“You do?” She sounded surprised.
“I was at the arena when Sydney had her breakdown remember?” His hands continued to slowly stroke her warming skin.
“Right...that’s right. I forgot. Thank you for understanding and helping today. I know you didn’t have too.” She seemed to have a difficult time pushing the apology past her lips and he wondered it was because of the warm flesh sending fire down their arms.
“You’re welcome.”
Peyton pulled her hands away suddenly and turned around in the tiny circle he created around her to face him. She’d left the hockey stick in his grasp wrapped around her waist, merging their bodies together. “I was wrong about you.” Her eyes were always full of feelings. If she was sad they sang heartbreaking poems. If she was angry they sneered fuming flames of fire. If she was entertained they lit up like a firework show. “I judged you like the very people I was trying to make you look better for and I’m sorry.” And her apology was so wholehearted.
“You don’t have to keep apologizing to me.”
“I want to and I want you to know I had a lot of fun with you this weekend at the restaurant, the ice maze, skiing, the retirement home and if part of who you are results in people taking shots of us together I want you to know that I don’t mind. I don’t want to lose your friendship because I was so worked up today.” She shivered under his arms.
Colt held the stick in one hand freeing the other to move her hair off her shoulder and touch the side of her face. “I think Sydney was quick to judge your rock heart. I see a gentle, compassionate heart.”
Peyton swallowed hard. “Was that before I almost gave you the pneumonia or after I accused you of being a flirting tramp?”
He laughed under his breath. He couldn’t deny she was opinionated. “It was after you almost gave me the pneumonia and hasn’t stopped since.”
“Oh, that’s just the side of me I let you see.” He wanted to see all of her.
“Why aren’t you married?” The question had been plaguing him. She was young, beyond beautiful, talented, determined...the list could go on, and she was single.
“That’s a personal question.”
“Friends ask personal questions.”
“You remember that when it’s my turn to ask.” She looked up at the sky thinking about her answer. “I’m too bossy, too judgemental and I have a mouthful of sass. I scare men away.” She was quoting the things he’d said about her. He wouldn’t scare away from her because those qualities were the very ones that intrigued him.
“You haven’t found the right man yet.” His voice sounded like the darkness around them and he swore it came out telling her, I’m your man.
Peyton took a deep breath. “Me and my rock heart haven’t been looking,” she whispered.
I’m right here.
“Okay.” Peyton pushed backward through his arm barrier. “My turn.” Even from the distance and night wrapped around them he could see her heavy breathing reflected his own. “How often do you color your hair?’
That was not a question he was expecting. She was moving away from the personal unchartered area in their lives and sticking to the game plan.
“I do not color my hair.” He was insulted.
“I don’t believe you.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “Woman, this color is all natural.”
“Hmm. I’m a retired hair dresser and I say otherwise.”
“It’s a good thing you’re retired then.”
“Hey!” She laughed.
He tapped the hockey stick on the ice. “Are you ready to master this shot?” He was mastering his feelings on the ice, thanks to her encouragement onto his fear so the least he could do was teach her to shoot...decently.
Chapter Seventeen
The visit to the children’s wing in the hospital had turned into a huge event. How Elaine planned and composed it all in a day was amazing.
Peyton was proud of how her community could come together with a little inspiration that would help raise money for new equipment and that would benefit kids from the town and surrounding area. She was proud of Colt for participating in what wouldn’t have been as successful without him. And she was proud of her dad’s newest love interest for making it all happen.
The local radio station was hosting the day and Colt was their main source of encouragement. He spent time with each live on-air person talking to the town and encouraging them to come out and make a donation or phone their donation in because every dollar counted.
Colt surprised everyone when he first arrived by announcing live on-air that he would double whatever was raised. The unexpected offer had thrilled all the staff, parents and by-standers and brought him closer to a Prince Charming title in Peyton’s eyes.
Almost immediately the phone calls and visits had increased. Local businesses raised hundreds of dollars and personally brought their donations to the hospital for free advertising time on the air. Colt personally thanked each one usually with one of the sweet little children on his lap. The whole scene seemed so natural to him.
The main area streamed to its full capacity with a lineup waiting and security escorting people in and out.
Peyton mingled with the children that were permitted to attend the main area. However others were bed-bound so Peyton found comfort frequenting the rooms reading, coloring and simply listening to their stories.
When she was in the main area her eyes often found Colt and his words haunted her, I will surprise you. He’d already surprised her plenty. Without the walls of caution built around her to keep him at bay, and keep herself from letting him tempt her back into the sheets, she could step back and watch as he interacted with everyone she had once assumed he was trying to get into the sack...like he had with her. She couldn’t believe she’d ever seen him as that man when she now looked at him and found absolutely no trace of a womanizer.
He was certainly a charmer in all the sense of the word. But it wasn’t just the women he was charming and he wasn’t charming them to get into their pants. He never left a single woman hanging with the possibility that there was something more between them. But he charmed the children the most. Oh, how he made them smile and laugh. He even set up a mini hockey game where he’d play on and off with the kids. The men were also charm
ed by this pro hockey legend. Those grown men were almost the worst at sending Colt love glances and long stares. It made her smile every time a grown man lost his wording during a handshake. Colt was a hero. He was, in fact, their Prince Charming.
Peyton stood watching from the doorway where she’d just finished coloring with little blonde-haired Chloe down the hall. Chloe was the sweetest little six-year-old and had charm of her own behind those lake blue eyes.
How hard that must be for Colt who couldn’t let his facade down for a second with all the cameras and people around him. He had to force that beautiful white smile. He had to be nice. He had no choice.
His eyes searched the room like they had every so often during the day until he found her and then she saw his shoulders relax a bit. It excited her that she relaxed him. Then he would send her his true smile. The one she’d grown accustomed to from spending so much time with him and not the one he wore for everyone else. That also excited her. But it mixed in with the confusion that had been weighing heavily on her. What were they doing? Was this only the friendship they had agreed upon? And even so, she could feel things between them beyond that friendship. Things that she never felt before and never had the desire to feel. He was stirring it all up inside her. She feared it was only friendship for him because he was still in love with his first wife.
“He used to attend plenty of these functions.” Elaine had joined her by the doorway. She held a paper cup of water for her.
“He’s very good at it.”
Elaine smiled. “It consumed a lot of his summers. He didn’t mind though. He enjoyed giving back and he would work his schedule around events.” Peyton didn’t know any of that...another surprise. She hadn’t followed Colt’s career or given him any thought while she was in the city living her life. It hadn’t been until he popped back into her life on that cold January day that she had researched all that was him and basically the last two years of his life consumed page after page with only the destruction and downfall he had caused himself.
Lakeshore Legend: The McAdams Series (By The Lake Series Book 2) Page 15
