I is for Ice Skating

Sam and Heather go for a skate in Debra's A Christmas to Remember.

I'm running short on time these days, so I'm going to cheat a little here and post an excerpt. Sam and Heather meet at a ski lodge, and in this scene, it's Christmas Eve and they've been exploring the village at the bottom of the mountain all day.

After dinner they headed to the ice rink. As if she’d ordained it by wishing it into being, the light snow had stopped and stars were visible overhead. White lights twinkled in the trees lining the frozen
oval. The crowd, less boisterous than earlier in the day, consisted mostly of couples skating hand in hand.

Heather tugged at the laces of her skate to tighten them. After tying a neat bow at the top, she stood, testing her balance on the slippery surface. She slid one skate experimentally forward, then the
other, pleased when she didn’t immediately fall down.

Sam slid to a smooth stop next to her. His skates sent up a small spray of ice. “You all set?”

“I think so.”

Even though it had been years, like the old adage of riding a bike, she soon fell into the remembered rhythm as she glided over the surface. Her first turns were wobbly to say the least, but after a few laps around, those too, smoothed out, and she gracefully maneuvered the oval ends of the rink.

Sam skated by her side, looking as comfortable on the ice as he had on the ski slopes. Was there anything the man couldn’t do?

He shifted in front of her, then turned so he now skated backward, facing her. “Want to try something fancy?”

“How fancy?”

“Here. Give me your hand.” He held his out.

She placed her hand in his. Their feet glided in a synchronizing scissor, hers going forward when his slid back.

“Okay, now follow my lead.” He raised their joined hands, then twisted his wrist. She spun in a circle before facing him once again.

Her eyes popped wide. “Did I just do that?”

He laughed. “Very gracefully, too.” He snaked one arm around her waist to draw her closer. With the other he took her hand in the conventional dance position. She laid her free hand on his shoulder. They coasted across the ice. With expert precision, he guided her through a series of turns.

“How do you know how to do all this stuff?” she asked breathlessly.

He winked. “If James Bond can do it, so can I.”

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com