Page 34 of Tye

Demi

Damn, how the hell did I end up on a date with this amazing man? Ice was showing he was thoughtful and kind. This night would be forever etched in my brain. It was one of the most romantic things I’d ever seen. Ice had created magic tonight, and he spellbound me. This whole scene was magical. As we ate, we talked about various stuff, and I found conversation flowed.

We shared completely different tastes in music and film, but we both enjoyed swimming and horse riding. Ice shared his dream that when he retired, he’d find kids with talent from underprivileged backgrounds and help them rise. I liked that. I even loved the fact that he didn’t take his fame seriously.

Ice explained that being famous was a fleeting thing. There were always people looking to tear you down and be jealous of what you’ve achieved. He mentioned the social media trolls, and I discovered he was fully aware of the sites I’d found last night. I could see he tried not to let those comments bother him, but there was some hurt and worry that showed through.

He explained that being in the public eye meant people like that would fixate on him. I felt sorry for him. Ice said that whenever he was in public, he had to be on guard because anything he did could be twisted. That hit home. I couldn’t imagine having to have a public face constantly.

“When do you relax?” I asked.

“Here, my apartment back in Chicago, on Rage, but even going to the shops, I have to be Mr Genial. I get approached while shopping, jogging, eating out, the life can be frustrating. But Ilove hockey, it’s my thing. I am never happier than when I’m on the ice and have a stick in hand. It is a part of me,” Ice answered.

“What would happen if you couldn’t play again?”

“It would be fine because I could teach. I can coach for schools, my scholarships, my love with ice hockey doesn’t have to stop.”

“That’s a really healthy attitude,” I replied, surprised.

“I watched my younger brother lose his dream. Believe me, I realise I’m lucky to be living mine,” Ice murmured. His face took on a pained expression.

“What happened?”

“Harley. He was attacked, and a couple of older kids bashed his head in. They’d been picking on Christian about Carmine. Harley intercepted them, there was six of them, but none of them wanted to fight him face to face. When Harley turned his back, one of them hit him. Harley was in a coma for a year before he woke up, and he took a long time getting on his feet. When he did, he couldn’t play baseball professionally. He’d been heading in that direction, had a lot of clubs interested in him.”

“Shit!” I exclaimed.

“Harley lost his dream and his way for a while. One day, he got up and asked to do blacksmithing. He has been hooked since.”

“I’m glad he’s found another love.”

“Yeah, me too. Which is why I won’t ever take ice hockey for granted. Some of the guys out there, it’s their entire life. Not me. I have plans for when my professional career ends, but they don’t. It’s something the NHL is now tackling, giving them tutoring for the future. A lot when their career ends aren’t sure what to do with themselves. It is a big issue. Some take a career into coaching, but considering how many professional players there are, there’re not a lot of options for them.

“That’s why I’ve made sure that when my pro career ends, I have something to focus on. I love the game, but I do not eat, sleep, and breathe it. What about you?”

“I’m happy with my dressage competitions and training horses. We’ve got a good reputation for that, the ranch, that is. My uncles also run cattle, so the ranch serves two purposes. Uncle Gid is one of the best horse trainers I know. He’s like a horse whisperer.”

I take a sip of wine that Ice had poured and wipe up the last of the stew with a piece of roll.

“That was amazing. I need your mom’s recipe.”

“I’ll get it for you. Would you like to explore before dessert?”

“Yes!”

Ice smiled at my excitement.

Ice

An hour later, I left Demi in the Lilac Cabin and headed out for our wine and dessert. The snow was falling faster and thicker, and I knew it would now be too cold to stay outside. Luckily, I’d thought ahead and turned the heating on. The cabin was toasty.

When I barrelled back into the cabin, Demi’s mouth dropped open, and she laughed at me.

“You look like a snowman!” she gasped as she giggled.

“Yeah, the snow’s really coming down now. Come and see,” I said, looking out the window and beckoning her.

Demi joined me, and a soft noise left her lips. “Oh, Ice, that’s just… I’ve not got the words…”