Help Me, Hold Me: Full Heart Ranch Series #5 by Barbara Gee

Author:Barbara Gee [Gee, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2017-04-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 24

The next week had been full of crazy ups, and disheartening downs. Callie’s mornings at the retreat center had been so good. She loved working with the horses there, but that had only part of it. Spending time at the ice rink had been the clincher. Watching Vince and Boone work with the veterans had shown her what she already knew. They were good, good guys. Caring and patient and encouraging. The vets responded so well to them, laughing and having fun, learning the sport of hockey, and not focusing on their disabilities.

Some of the men and women were able to skate with regular skates, others had to use the sleds. Those were the ones Vince seemed to gravitate toward. He made sure their sleds were adjusted just right, and got on a sled himself to teach them specific plays. He wasn’t all that good yet, which made him the butt of a lot of good-natured jokes, but he obviously enjoyed himself and didn’t mind the teasing.

Callie tried to spend at least an hour at the rink all three days, because she loved watching him so much. On the third day, Thursday, she got an unexpected treat. She walked over to the rink right after the morning feeding, not realizing that the sessions with the retreat goers didn’t start for another half hour. She saw Boone and Vince out on the ice, though, so she snuck into an unlit section of seats.

For the next thirty minutes, she watched two masters of the sport work out. They skated drills, they worked the puck up and down the ice over and over, taking turns handling the puck and trying to steal it from the other. They took at least a hundred shots each, from every location in the zone. It wasn’t for fun, either. It was a serious workout, and they were both sweating and breathing heavily after finishing up with several fast laps around the rink. Racing, of course. Those two were always competing.

They were hanging over the rink wall laughing at something when she made her way down to them.

“Hey, guys.”

Two handsome heads swiveled, one smile a little bigger than the other.

“Callie. You’re early. The first session hasn’t even started yet.”

“I’ve been watching you guys for half an hour. Thanks for keeping me entertained.”

Vince grimaced. “You didn’t see him beat me on the backwards skate, did you?”

“Mm hmm. I’m sorry to say he showed you up pretty good. You need to work on your corners.”

He groaned and Boone laughed. “Care to put on a pair of skates and show me how it’s done?” Vince teased.

“I can’t now,” she said, glad for an excuse. “I have to get back to the barn. But I will soon, I promise.”

Boone skated away but Vince stayed put. “I’ll hold you to it. Seeing in you in skates is one of my fantasies, you know.”

Her cheeks got warm. “Stop, Vince. I’m going to stink it up on the ice, there’s no doubt about that.”

“You might be surprised.

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