Just One Kiss (Whisper Lake #4) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,73
to get to?"
"There are a couple of spots on Victory Peak and Shelter Mountain, but it will happen someday. I just need the right set of conditions in order to make that happen. Now, let's find you some skates."
He led her over to the skate section and pulled out a pair of white boots with a shiny, sharp blade, and her heart skipped a beat.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"They're beautiful." She felt strangely reluctant to take them.
He gave her a quizzical look. "Want to try them on?"
"They'll fit," she said, knowing he'd grabbed the right size. "I just realized I haven't skated since high school, since you and I went out to Baker's Pond."
"Seriously? Not since then?"
"No. But it wasn't because of you," she added quickly.
"Thank goodness. I don't think I could handle being responsible for ending something you loved as much as skating." He paused. "You used to tell me that skating reminded you of your dad. It was bittersweet. But you still seemed to have fun when we did it."
"You made everything fun," she admitted. "After high school, I just stopped thinking about skating, and when I moved to Denver, it got further from my mind. It felt like something from another lifetime."
"But you've been back here for three years. You've never been tempted?"
"A little, but no one pushed me to get back on the ice."
"Good thing I came along."
"Is it a good thing?" she asked with a helpless shrug.
He smiled. "I think so, and hopefully you'll think so, too, at some point."
"Well, I don't need these new skates. I can rent a pair at the rink."
"Think of these as an early Christmas present."
She hesitated.
"Don't say no," he added quickly. "It's just a pair of skates, Hannah. They don't come with strings."
"I'm sure I have my old skates somewhere, and it's not like I'll be needing new skates in the future."
"You never know. You might hit the ice and want to come skate as often as you used to."
"I don't think I have time for that."
He dangled the skates in front of her. "Please take 'em."
"Fine," she said, not wanting to argue about it. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'll just grab my skates from upstairs. Want to come with me?"
Since she was somewhat curious to see his apartment, she gave a nod and followed him up the stairs.
As she entered his apartment, her first impression was that it was very masculine, from the hardwood floors and wood paneling to the brown leather couch and matching armchair. What surprised her most was the absence of a large TV, which in her mind was a staple in a single guy's apartment, but there was no television in the living room. There were, however, two floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that were filled with books.
She wandered over to those shelves, noting a mix of fiction and nonfiction on a wide range of subjects. "I like that you still read."
"I didn't see very many books at your house," he commented. "Why is that?"
"I've gone digital. I still have some print, but most everything is on my tablet. It's much easier to take to work and read on my break."
"So you're still reading?"
"Every chance I get." As she looked away from the books, she noticed a comfortable clutter in the room: a couple of coffee mugs scattered between the coffee table and the kitchen island, as well as a sweatshirt tossed over the back of a chair. There were also golf clubs in a corner of the room and a set of skis leaning against the wall. "This apartment feels like you." She gave him a smile.
"Messy and disorganized?" he joked.
"More like comfortable and unpretentious."
"I'll take that."
One of the framed pictures on the wall caught her eye. "That is an amazing photo," she said. The photographer had captured a ski jumper in mid-air on one of the steepest, most spectacular mountains she'd ever seen. "Where was this taken?"
"Norway. My form wasn't bad, so I decided to hang it."
"Wait a second, this is you?" she asked in surprise. "I thought it was just something you bought."
"Nope, it's me from years ago."
She looked back at the photo. The athleticism and fearlessness of the skier was unbelievable. "I can't believe you did this. You're literally flying. Weren't you terrified?"
"I was focused. I'd been training for that jump for several months."
"Several months? Seems like it would take years to really prepare. What drives you to do this kind of stuff, Jake?"