Crossing Center Ice

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Once the program was over, the pastor stood to give an invitation to anyone who might be searching for the real meaning of Christmas and what it could mean in their life. Avery glanced over to see Kenton staring at the man, his expression chiseled, and she couldn’t help but wonder what might be going through his mind.

  Before the closing prayer, the pastor invited everyone back for their Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Avery would have loved to go, but she couldn’t leave her mom home alone on Christmas Eve. Maybe she would ask her if she wanted to go. It had been awhile since she’d last asked her to leave the sanctuary of their home. She’d always loved the Christmas Eve services before Avery’s dad had died. Maybe she’d be willing to try again.

  “Any chance I could take Benjie and Elliot out for a little while after school one day?” Kenton asked as they stood together in the foyer following the program.

  “Uh…” Avery was uncertain what to say since she’d been hoping to try and keep some distance between Kenton and the boys…especially Benjie.

  “Please, Mom?” Benjie asked, his brown eyes wide and pleading. It was a look she had a hard time resisting.

  “I suppose.” She looked from Benjie to Kenton. “What day were you thinking?”

  “Whatever works for you and the boys,” he said. “My schedule is kind of wide open.”

  She quickly thought through the schedule for the week ahead before saying, “How about Tuesday?”

  “Perfect. What time can I pick them up? I’ll take them for supper too.”

  Avery frowned then said, “The bus drops them off at four, so maybe four-thirty?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “I can’t wait,” Benjie said, bouncing from one foot to another.

  The time between then and four-thirty Tuesday afternoon was going to seem like an eternity for him, Avery was sure. “We’d better go since the boys have school tomorrow.”

  On the drive home, the boys were chatting about what they might be doing with Kenton while Avery hoped she hadn’t made a big mistake.

  Kenton pulled his car to a stop in Avery’s driveway. Before he’d made it halfway to the front door, it flew open to reveal Benjie, already wearing his jacket and boots. Elliot appeared behind him, also ready to go. Once the boys were headed toward him, Avery stepped into the open doorway.

  He’d thought she might read him the riot act when they saw each other the morning after the Christmas program, and while she’d called him on his unfair tactics at gaining permission to take the boys, it hadn’t seemed like she was too upset with him. Though he’d known she’d likely be upset with him for doing it that way, he’d been willing to take the risk since he’d really wanted to have this time with the boys.

  Even with his brothers’ warnings ringing in his ears, he still wanted to do this. It was important to him, and, he suspected, it would become important to the boys. That was all that mattered.

  “Go on and get in the car,” Kenton said when the boys reached him, then he continued on to where Avery waited, her arms crossed. “Hey.”

  She smiled, and Kenton found himself wanting to always have her smiling at him. At work, she was intense, focused on the job they had to do. Sometimes she smiled, but it was more in response to how well things were going. It wasn’t necessarily directed at him. This time, however, her smile was for him, even if there was a bit of reservation in it.

  “Do I get to know where you’re going?” Avery asked, crossing one socked foot across the other as she leaned against the door jamb. She seemed oblivious to the cold, though the thick sweatshirt she wore might be helping to ward it off.

  “Supper will be the boys’ choice, so where do you think it will be?” Kenton asked.

  “Probably Five Guys,” she said, her smile widening. “One likes their burgers, the other their hotdogs, and both love the fries.”

  “Good thing I like their food too then,” Kenton said. “I’ll text you when we get there and then when we leave there for our next destination. Which—for now—will remain a secret.”

  “Well, I hope you have fun.”

  “I think we will.” Kenton reached out to touch her arm briefly. “I’ll take good care of them.”

  “Thank you.”

  The boys peppered him with questions as they drove away, and it was quickly confirmed how well Avery knew them when they both agreed where to go for supper. It wasn’t until they were seated with their food in the restaurant that Kenton revealed his plans for the evening.

  “I know this is probably not what you were hoping for, but we’re going shopping,” Kenton said.

  “Shopping?” Benjie’s brow furrowed. “For what?”

  “Here’s the thing,” Kenton began, “at Christmas time, when someone is a single parent, they might not get a gift because there’s not another parent there to help choose and pay for a gift. Does that make sense?”

  “You mean like how I can’t afford to buy my mom a present, and Elliot can’t get Grandma one?” Benjie asked, his hotdog temporarily forgotten.

  “Exactly. Do you ever ask them about presents?”

  “I have asked my mom what she wants,” Elliot said. “But she always says she doesn’t need anything. That just having me is present enough. I don’t have a job yet, so I can’t save up money.”

  “Does your mom give Benjie money to buy for Avery?”

  Elliot shook his head. “They just say that Christmas time is for us kids. On Mom’s birthday, Avery will take us out to buy a present for her, and on Avery’s birthday, Mom will help us order something online.”

  “Okay. Well, today I’m going to take you shopping to buy stuff for both your moms.”

  “Whatever we want?” Benjie asked.

  Kenton nodded. “Whatever you want.”

  He’d come up with the idea as he’d watched the Christmas program and had been transported back to the time before his dad and Emily had gotten married. He remembered Christmases when his dad had gotten presents for each of the boys but had nothing to open himself on Christmas morning. Maybe it was different for single parents who had a larger support system, but his dad hadn’t had that, and from what he’d seen of Avery, neither did she and her mom. He wanted to give Benjie and Elliot the opportunity to buy whatever they wanted for their moms.

  Back out in the car a short time later, Kenton texted Avery to let her know they were moving to their next destination and included a picture of Elliot and Benjie eating their burger and hotdog. It didn’t take long to drive to the nearby mall and begin the quest for the perfect gifts.

  Benjie had much more fun searching for gifts because he totally ignored price tags and just went for whatever he thought his mom would like. Surprisingly, Kenton agreed with him on most things, but he had a feeling Avery was going to object. Elliot had a more difficult time settling on anything because he did keep looking at the price tags.

  Finally, Kenton laid a hand on his shoulder as Elliot kept looking at a particular piece of jewelry then moving away to look at cheaper ones. “Elliot. If you want that necklace for your mom, we’ll get it. You, of anyone, should know that I can afford that. You could buy ten of them, and I’d still not feel the hurt in my bank account. You know that, right?”

  Elliot’s gaze went to the necklace as he nodded. “I know, but it’s still a lot. My mom will probably say I shouldn’t have bought it.”

  “I know. Avery will probably say that as well for the things Benjie’s got her, but don’t you think they both deserve to be spoiled?” Kenton asked. “I don’t know everything about your family, but I do know enough to understand that it hasn’t been easy for your mom and Avery.”

  Elliot looked at him for a moment before his mouth tightened and he turned his head. Kenton hadn’t wanted to remind him of bad things, but he did want the teen to know that Kenton understood.

  “Could we get my mom a laptop too?” Elliot asked.

  “Sure,” Kenton said. “Probably not here at the mall, but I’ll get one for her before Chr
istmas. Does she use one a lot?”

  Elliot nodded. “She likes to watch videos, and that’s how she watches the church services. Also, she posts stuff in her shop on Etsy. She does lots of stuff on it, but the laptop she has is old and really slow, so it crashes on her a lot.”

  “Okay. That gives me a good idea of what to get for her. Now, how about that necklace?”

  Kenton was sure that Avery and her mom were going to object greatly to the gifts they opened on Christmas morning, but seeing the joy on the boys’ faces as they searched for what they wanted to give their moms made it all worth the risk for Kenton.

  By the time they were done, they had quite a few large bags which contained some clothes the boys had thought their moms would like, and in among the bigger bags were smaller ones with some pricier items.

  “I’ll take care of wrapping them, and then I’ll drop them off on Christmas Eve, okay?” Kenton said as they drove back to Avery’s house. “And don’t say a word about what we’ve done. Can you keep it a secret?”

  “I can,” Elliot said then laughed. “Not so sure about blabbermouth Benjie.”

  “I can keep it a secret too,” Benjie said, his tone earnest. “I promise.”

  “I hope so. Don’t you think it would be more fun if they were surprised on Christmas morning?”

  “So what do we tell them we spent the evening doing?” Elliot asked.

  “Just tell them the other stuff we did. Played some arcade games. Played some games on the PlayStation at the gaming store. Ate food. And you each have a new game to show for our time too, right?”

  Kenton wasn’t totally convinced that the boys would be able to keep the secret, but Christmas was only a few days away, so he hoped they would. He had interspersed enough fun things in their evening that he hoped Avery wouldn’t question them too much when they recounted their time with him.

  He followed the boys to the door, wanting to see Avery for a few minutes before he headed for home. “I’m afraid they probably had more junk food than you might have allowed, but it was a night for fun, so I hope you’re not too mad.”

  She gave him a smile that warmed him even while he stood in the freezing cold. “I’m not mad at all. They deserve a fun night out, so thank you for that.”

  “It was my pleasure. Seriously. You have no idea how dull things can be right now. This was the highlight of my week.”

  Her smile widened further. “And theirs too, I’m sure.”

  “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She gave a nod, and as he walked away, he glanced over his shoulder to see her still watching him. He wondered what she’d say if he asked her to accompany him for a fun night out. Just the two of them. There was no doubt his brothers would tell him to back off, and they’d be right, but his heart was telling him to get closer to her, not further away.

  He hadn’t mentioned where he was going when he’d left earlier, and he had no intention of telling them. This evening had been about helping the boys get things for their moms when they might not be able to otherwise. And if he got to see Avery again—even for just a few short minutes—that was just a bonus.

  He would have enjoyed having Tristan along, but they still hadn’t managed to work past the tense words of the other night. After watching the Christmas program though, he knew he needed to make things right not just with Tristan and the twins, but with Bennett as well. He just wasn’t sure how to do it. At this point, reconciling with Bennett seemed to be the easier choice. He wasn’t sure he could fall in line the way Tristan and Gabe had been most vocal about wanting him to when it came to the boys and Avery.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Mom?” Avery said as she walked into the kitchen. She’d been putting off the conversation she wanted to have with her mom, but Avery knew that sooner was better than later when it came to broaching the idea with her.

  “What’s up, sweetheart?” her mom asked as she looked up from where she was working on her laptop at the dining room table. “Everything okay?”

  Avery slid into the seat across from her, thankful the boys were in the family room playing one of the new games Kenton had bought them.

  “Everything’s fine, but I wanted to ask you something,” Avery said, trying not to show how important this was to her. She didn’t want to put pressure on her mom.

  Her mom slid her glasses off and let them dangle on their chain as she sat back in her chair. “What is it?”

  “Is there any chance you’d want to go to a Christmas Eve Candlelight service this year?”

  Her mom frowned, and Avery could see the refusal forming.

  Please, God, let her say yes.

  She toyed with the chain holding her glasses. “I don’t know.”

  At least it wasn’t an outright no. “It’s the service at the church where we went the other night for the program. I think it will be really lovely, and I know how much you used to enjoy those services.”

  “Are they going to livestream it?” her mom asked.

  Avery’s shoulders slumped, hope seeping out of her. “I don’t know.”

  “Let me…let me think about it, okay, sweetheart? It’s…a lot. I’m not sure I can do it.”

  “I know, Mom. And I understand that just because you might agree to this, that you won’t suddenly be ready to go out all the time. I’m not asking that of you. I just really think you would enjoy the service.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all I ask.” Avery got up and went around the table to give her mom a hug. “Thank you.”

  With a visibly trembling hand, her mom slipped her glasses back on and returned her attention to her laptop screen. Avery left her to whatever she was doing, praying that her mom would agree to go out for this special event. It would be something they would all enjoy, but especially her mom since it had been such a long-standing family tradition before her husband had died. Hopefully, she’d be able to move past her fear just this once. And like she’d told her, Avery wouldn’t push for more.

  It was the last day of their therapy sessions before Christmas, and after completing another test, Avery was cautiously optimistic. Though she had thought Kenton might have made more progress than he had, what he had achieved was well within the parameters of what the team wanted to see. However, she had seen the frustration on his face and knew he wasn’t happy with the result.

  “Are you going to the Christmas Eve service at your family’s church?” Avery asked as she put her papers in her bag.

  Kenton looked up from where he sat on the bench, rubbing his knee. “I guess so. The whole family is going, so I’ll probably be there too.”

  “My mom has agreed to go, so we’ll be there as well. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you, but my mom is something of a recluse, so her agreeing to go is a pretty big thing.”

  Kenton’s eyes widened. “That’s great.”

  Avery couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure she’d agree, but after giving her some time to think about it, she said she’d go. I’m thrilled because this was something she always loved to do before Dad died. I’m not deluding myself into thinking that this is a major turning point, but I think it will help her enjoy Christmas even more.”

  “I think you’re right. I look forward to seeing you all there.”

  Avery got the feeling he really meant the words, and a feeling of warmth spread through her. Though there were so many reasons why she should be backing away from any type of social interaction with Kenton, she found herself being drawn in—like a moth to a flame. Unfortunately, that flame could burn—hurting her once again.

  The brush of her fingertips across the scars on her arm brought with them the memory of pain. Of having flown too close to that flame. Of having been burned in the worst way.

  But was she destined to never have love again? As long as she’d been focused on her family and her schooling, she hadn’t thought much about love. Those other things had been enough for her, but now that she was focused on her c
areer and the future, a desire for someone to share her life with had blossomed within her. Or had it just been Kenton’s arrival that had drawn that desire to the surface?

  Which was ridiculous because of all the men she might encounter, he would be the one least able to share her life. And she needed to remember that most of all when he was standing in front of her, his blue eyes warm and friendly. In reality, it went beyond him being a professional athlete to him also being in the spotlight. Those two things alone should scare her into keeping her distance from the man.

  “Guess we’ll see you there,” Avery said as she reached for her jacket.

  Kenton beat her to it, then stood to hold the coat for her. He scooped her hair out from under the collar as he asked, “Are we still on for the cookie baking this afternoon?”

  Avery turned to face him, pulling her scarf free from her sleeve then draping it around her neck. “Yes. Were you able to get all the ingredients?”

  “Mom gave me the recipe, and we checked last night to make sure we had everything.” He smiled, the tension of a few minutes ago apparently forgotten. “She’s been talking about it every time I see her.”

  “Sounds good. I guess I’ll see you there in a little bit.”

  “Yep. I’m just going to spend a few minutes with Hunter, and then I’ll head home.”

  Back in the therapy room a short time later, Avery recorded the results of her morning with Kenton. Knowing that Emily probably couldn’t deal with a therapy session and time in the kitchen, Avery had chosen not to plan a session for that day. To her, the mental benefit of Emily doing something she’d been looking forward to, even at the expense of therapy, was a good thing.

  Not wanting to intrude on the family home, Avery waited in the therapy room until Kenton came to find her. It was immediately apparent that he’d taken a shower, as his hair was still damp, and he’d changed into a pair of faded jeans and his team T-shirt.