Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com.
Shivers of excitement zipped through me when the ice show began. I’d been to a handful of the summer performances, but the last had been more than ten years ago. The professional ice rink stayed open year-round, and nothing quite compared to skating outdoors in the heat of the summer. Dallas put his arm around me when a cool breeze drifted through the arena, and I let my thoughts wander. At barely six feet, he was shorter than my ideal guy, but that was mostly because I knew if I wore my three-inch heels I might be taller than he was. I glanced at his fine profile and the glossy blackness of his hair and mused that I might be okay with the height issue.
Several figure skaters entertained us with performances to popular music. They each had their own flair, but I could hardly wait for Sasha Cohen to hit the ice. The audience applauded as another skater finished a rendition to a movie theme song.
“This is great. I never would’ve thought this kind of entertainment could be found so far off the beaten path,” Dallas said. “I can see why people want vacation homes here.”
“Ah, that’s the realtor speaking, isn’t it?”
“It is.” He covered my hand with his. “Thanks for coming with me, Adri. I hope we can go out again soon.”
“Thanks. Me too,” I whispered. Surprisingly, I meant it.
Dallas scooted closer, and I noticed a slight tremor in his left hand, particularly the shortened ring finger. I hoped his shyness would dissipate as we continued to get to know each other, but if it didn’t, that would be a deal breaker for me. I hated feeling like I had to tone down my vivaciousness so I wouldn’t overshadow the quieter types. I wanted someone who could steal a kiss without having a panic attack.
His arm tightened around me, and I noted that he was strong, an impression his lanky figure didn’t give at first. I was just about to ask him what he liked to do for exercise—maybe running, like me—when the announcer shouted Sasha’s name.
The Olympic medalist circled the ice with grace, and my arms tingled when I heard the scrape of ice as she catapulted into a double axel. I cheered when she landed in perfect form and sped past us on her way to the other side of the rink.
“Isn’t she fantastic?” I asked Dallas.
He applauded along with me. “It’s different watching in real life. I don’t know how they do it.”
The performance ended all too soon and had my feet itching to skate around the rink, even if I could do so only in clunky rental skates. “Have you ever been ice skating?”
Dallas shook his head. “You know how people say there are some things that are better left undone?” He pulled his thumb toward his chest. “That goes for me and any slippery surface.”
My hopes deflated. Guess there wouldn’t be an ice-skating date in the near future. He must have noticed because he took my hand. “But I’d be willing to try it. Who knows? Maybe I just need the right teacher.”
I smiled. “Maybe so.”
We walked back to his car in a relaxed silence—or at least, I felt comfortable. I glanced at Dallas, wondering if his hands trembled with nerves again. He seemed to be deep in thought, maybe trying to figure out what he wanted to say.
We passed under a stand of blue spruce trees and the night sky twinkled above us. Dallas lifted his face toward the heavens. “Look, there’s Cassiopeia.”
“And there’s the Big Dipper.” I pointed toward another area of the northern sky. “That’s the extent of my stargazing skills, but you sound like you have more expertise.”
“The Big Dipper is also known as the Plough, or the Saptarshi, after the seven rishis or sages in Hindu literature.”
Leaning back, I widened my eyes in appreciation of his knowledge. I couldn’t resist teasing, “I’m impressed, Professor Reynolds.”
“Astronomy is a hobby of mine. I have a telescope. Maybe I could show you the sky sometime.”
“Do you use that line with all your dates?”
Dallas stiffened. “Well, no, I, uh—”
“I’m teasing. But it is a good line.” He relaxed and gave me an easy smile. He really was good-looking, and I’d had a great evening. Probably in part due to Lorea’s advice.
I could be patient. His shyness was no problem with his killer good looks and sweet personality, but I did wonder if he had enough confidence for my taste. My dad told me that confidence was definitely my strong suit, and my brother just said I was full of myself. I called it independence and knowing what I wanted out of life. I knew I couldn’t reach my goals if I reined in my natural “conquer the world” attitude.
We stared at the sky for a few more minutes, and then Dallas led me to the car and opened my door. “I had a great time tonight,” he said. “Those figure skaters were awesome.”
“They were. I loved it when that guy did a back flip—I thought you were going to fall off your seat.”
Dallas laughed. “He surprised me, that’s for sure.”
We continued to talk during the ten-minute drive to my house. He pulled up beside my condo and put his car in park, leaving the engine running as he hurried to open my door.
“Thanks for being a gentleman.” I allowed him to help me from the car. “And thanks for the nice evening.”
“My pleasure.”
He looked at me and a strange flicker of emotion crossed his face. I had noticed it before, and now I wondered if it might be fear. Was he that anxious about the doorstep scene? If so, it was kind of cute. For half a second I thought about initiating a kiss myself.
“I’d really like to take you out again, Adri.” He hesitated and then leaned toward me and kissed my cheek.
Dallas and his insecurities passed through my mind, and even though I
