Page 24 of The Rebound Play
That fact still makes me want to punch the air.
She’s in the same red jacket from the other day, only this time she’s not hiding beneath its hood. Her blonde hair is tied up in a ponytail, her face makeup-free, in stark contrast to so many of the women I meet. She’s effortlessly beautiful in a natural, girl-next-door kind of way, and my chest squeezes, just as it does every time I lay eyes on her.
“Dan the Man!” Benny squeals excitedly. “I’m gonna be a hockey player just like you!”
“You sure are, Benny and The Jets,” I reply, using Keira’s term of endearment for him. “Put it here, dude.” I hold out my gloved right hand and he slaps it in a high five, leaping off the ground with impressive athleticism.
I turn my attention to his aunt. “It’s good to see you again, Aunt Kiki,” I say, teasing.
She smiles at me and it’s as though I’ve won the state lottery.
Man, I have got it so bad for this woman.
“She’s not your aunt!” Benny exclaims with a laugh.
“You’re right, Benny. My bad.”
“Thanks again for doing this,” she says. “Clara wanted me to let you know how grateful she is. How grateful we both are.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I want to do it,” I say, my gaze holding hers for a beat, or two, before she looks down.
I turn my attention to Benny. “I’ve got some skates for you to try on.”
“Cool!” Benny exclaims as I step off the ice and onto the floor, showing them where to find the skates.
Ordinarily, I tower over Kiki’s 5′6″ height, but in my skates, I feel like a giant next to her.
“No need. We brought a pair, so there’s no problem.” Keira holds up a pair of figure skates. “These were Hannah’s. She outgrew them. I know you said he needs hockey skates, but I didn’t want to put you out and I haven’t had the chance to get some second-hand ones. I figured these will do for now, at least.”
“I don’t like them. They’re girl skates,” Benny complains, his bottom lip pushed out in a pout.
“Honey, they still work just the same on the ice.” Keira offers them to him, but Benny crosses his arms and looks away.
“May I?” I ask, and Keira nods. Taking them in my hands, I say, “Benny’s got a point, but it’s less that they’re girl skates and more that they’re for figure skating. Remember I told you that hockey skates need to do different things? It’s why they have a stiff pad and a curved blade for quick turns. See?” I point at my own skates. “Figure skates have ankle support for jumps and spins, with a longer, flatter blade.”
“See, Aunt Kiki? I told you,” says Benny.
Keira’s face colors. “These are all we’ve got,” she says to me quietly, and although I know she’s embarrassed, I admit I love the intimacy in her soft, feminine voice.
“That’s why I got some hockey skates for him. We talked about this, and I thought you were okay with it?” I ask, hoping I haven’t overstepped the mark again.
This feels like a minefield.
“I remember.”
“If it’s a problem?—”
“No. It’s fine,” she replies, pulling her lips into a smile.
“I want the skates. Real hockey skates, not dumb figure-skating ones,” Benny says, and Keira’s eyes flash to mine.
“Only if it’s okay with Aunt Kiki,” I reply.
She pauses for a beat before she replies, “It’s okay. Thank you, Dan.”
I grin. “Do you want to try some on?” I ask Benny. “I’ve got a bunch of kids sizes because I didn’t know which to get.”
Keira finds the right size from my embarrassingly large selection, and then she helps him into a pair of lightly padded ski pants, so that when he inevitably falls on the ice, he’ll at least be cushioned.