Fresh Ice (38 page)

Did she go after Serena?

He looked at her face again. There was no question. Izzy intended to fight this battle. They were a team, and she was as ready for whatever happened as he.

“It’s over, Serena. You have one shot, if that. Put the guns down.”

Serena didn’t flinch. “I may have only one shot, but which gun? If I fire, someone will die.” Her face broke into a strained smile. “You’re going to pay, both of you. One will die, and the other is just going to have to live with that.”

Izzy bit her lip, her eyes resolute. Watching her body tense, Quinn realized their weeks of skating practice paid off. He was ready to move in sync with her. He didn’t even need to count to three.

He sprang forward and slammed Serena’s arm down the same moment Izzy leapt and forced her other hand up. The pistol fired, harmlessly, into the ceiling. The hall filled with the stink of ancient gunpowder and security guards. Quinn pulled Izzy to him in an iron embrace.

Amid the confusion as the guards dragged Serena away, Collier reached them. “Are you guys okay?”

Quinn loosened his grip on Izzy. “I think so. Izzy?”

“I’m fine.” Her voice quavered.

“She was pointing the loaded gun at you. You could have been killed.” Quinn held her close to him again.

“We didn’t know that. It could have been the other one. You’re the one who knew she only had one bullet. How?”

“I used to have to listen to Burkes brag about those pistols. I knew they were muzzle loaders. I also knew Serena wouldn’t have a clue how to load one.”

“So you saved her life, and she almost took a bullet for you. How can I ever compete with that?” Collier’s smile held a shadow of loss.

Izzy left Quinn’s embrace and hugged Collier. “Col…”

“No Izzy. Don’t be sorry.”

“But, Collier…”

Collier gave her a tight squeeze and handed her back to Quinn. “A little heartbreak is great for my line of business. I’ll be able to write tons of great songs.”

“Any chance there could be a happy song in there?” Izzy’s concern for Collier echoed in her words.

“Only if there’s a happy ending to this. So, you have to skate.”

Izzy and Quinn exchanged a glance. “I don’t know. Everyone’s pretty shaken up out there,” Izzy smiled. “We’ll do it another day.”

Collier shook his head. “Like hell. You have to skate. Right, Quinn?”

Quinn closed his eyes. Above them, he heard the sound of the loudspeaker, as Benny assured the crowd that Serena had, indeed, been caught. There was a thunderous cheer. “It doesn’t sound like anyone left. I think we need to give them a finish that’s a bit more upbeat, don’t you?”

“Right. You’d hate to end a charity event with a shooting.” Collier relaxed.

Izzy turned to Quinn. “Are you sure?”

“After everything we’ve been through to get you on that ice in front of those people I think, if you’re up to it, you should do it. But it’s your call.”

A tear welled in her eye.
What did I say? I’m an idiot.
He brushed the tear away. “Don’t cry. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to do it.”

“No, it’s my call.” She beamed. “I’m doing it.”

She’s never been given a choice. To this moment she’s had exactly one choice at every turn of her life. No one gave her more than one choice, one way to go.

He knew the look on her face very well.
She’s finally seeing a full sheet of fresh ice in front of her, no expectations, no demands, just the perfect ice.

“Come on,” he held out his hand, “I have an introduction to finish. And I want to do it from center ice wearing my skates, like I always meant to.”

***

After putting on his skates, Quinn waited at center ice for the crowd to settle down.
What do I say to an audience that came for a charity event and wound up witnessing an act of insanity?

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, when I promise a day full of surprises, I mean it.”

He smiled and let the ice breaking applause go for a moment, needing the time to calm the nervous energy that flooded through him. “We were talking about skating on lousy ice, weren’t we? Well, that’s been my life for a long while. Then several months ago, I was blessed to run into a woman whom I have loved from afar for a long time. She’s that rare sort of person that makes everyone’s life around her better.”

He waited for the hum of speculation to die down. “You’ve all waited quite long enough for my surprise.” Quinn skated to the open gate, and stepped off the ice. Benny turned off the house lights and pointed a single spot on Quinn.

“Ladies and gentlemen: Twenty years ago, Nashville called her the First Lady of Pairs’ Skating. Today, she’s come home. Isabella Landry.”

The ice went dark, and when Benny focused a small beam at center ice, Izzy was there, a lone sparkling star against a black sky. The audience gasped, then fell silent, as the first notes of “I Won’t Hold You Back,” echoed.

Alone on the ice, Izzy was mesmerizing. Quinn sensed the energy, in spite of the eerie hush settling around them, and he knew the crowd was as captivated with her as he was. Every element, every spin was flawless, fluid. She moved as if no more than a moment passed between that long ago night in the Twin Cities and this afternoon in Nashville.

Halfway through the routine, she waved to the tunnel where Quinn stood next to Collier. “Why is she waving?”

“She’s trying to get your attention.”

Izzy passed by them again, waving. “What? What does she want?”

“You still don’t get it, do you?”

She passed by them, third time. “She wants me on the ice?”

“Yes, you idiot. She wants you to do a throw.” Collier laughed and elbowed him. “She can’t fly herself, can she?”

I would drop her. I’m not strong enough. Her arm is still too tender.

“Get your butt out there or I will. And you won’t like where I put my hands.”

As Izzy neared, Quinn jumped out and caught her. His hands on her waist and arm, he let her lead him around the arena to thundering applause. “What are we doing?”

“A throw triple Salchow.” Izzy skated under his arm. “Ready?”

“Iz…”

“Don’t worry.” She forced his hand to her flat stomach. “Now!”

He tensed, lifted and let her go. The applause and cheers were deafening as she flew through the air and landed, like a piece of silk, fifteen feet away. Quinn stopped short on the ice, breathless at the
sight of her.

The applause and cheers continued as the music ended and they skated toward each other and embraced.

“How did you know I wouldn’t drop you?” He shouted.

She pointed down. “We’re on fresh ice.”

Quinn was certain he’d never seen anything more beautiful. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her softly. “I’m glad you got to skate that routine in front of an audience, you know, without being pregnant.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Who says?”

“Who says what?” Trying to hear her over the crowd noise, he leaned closer.

“Who says I’m not pregnant?”

Quinn stared at her.
It’s not possible.
He shook his head, but she shrugged and nodded affirmatively, her eyes shining stars. “I’m going to be a father?” His words were lost in the din of the arena.
So much better than a jersey with my name on it.

Overjoyed, he swung Izzy in a circle, set her gently on her feet, and kissed her.

The cheers faded away as he lost himself in her return kiss.

The check and the letter lay, side by side, on the table. Everyone sat in a circle, staring at the two pieces of paper as if they were magic.

“So,” Cat, sitting on Benny’s lap, tried to break the ice. “This is sort of ‘It Could Happen to You.’ You know, Bridget Fonda, Nic Cage? Cop, waitress, lottery money.”

“Yeah, we get it, Cat.” Izzy leaned against Quinn and stared at the papers.

“Only this is weird.”

“Yeah, we get that, too.” Jenna poured herself a cup of coffee.

The check, made out to Izzy, was the life insurance settlement from Jason’s estate. With Serena’s conviction for assault and attempted murder, Izzy was able to connect enough dots for the insurance company. While no one could officially pin Jason’s death on Serena, the insurance company ruled out suicide and paid the claim.

The letter, addressed to Quinn, was a job offer on official WNSH letterhead. WNSH, now lacking a station manager since Serena’s conviction, wanted Quinn to fill the position.

“We should start with the easy one first.” Quinn draped his left arm around Izzy’s shoulders. His simple wedding band, the twin to the one on her finger, glowed in the yellow overhead light.

“Yeah, let’s talk about the job offer.” Benny nodded agreement, before returning to nuzzling Cat’s neck.

“No, the check.” Cat said. “The job offer is going to take debate.”

“I’m with Cat. What are you doing with that cash?” Mikayla sipped her coffee.

“I’d like to know what Quinn’s going to do about the job.” Jenna’s soft tone barely broke above the noisy conversation.

“Collier could break this tie.”

“Yes, Cat, but he’s not here.” Izzy looked at each face in the circle. Collier was on the road with his band. Izzy knew there was more to it than that. In spite of his convincing words at the fundraiser, Collier needed time to come to terms with losing her again. She hated the gap between them, but was willing to wait until he was ready to come home and be her best friend once more. “We are going to have to figure it out without a tie breaker.”

“Okay, Mom, Quinn, who wants to talk first?”

“I’m not taking the job,” Quinn said quietly.

Izzy smiled. They hadn’t talked about it, but Izzy knew the minute she saw the offer, Quinn would never take Serena’s old job.

After the general uproar around the table subsided, Quinn continued. “I’m not management. I like talking about sports.”

“So you’ll still do color commentary?” Benny asked.

“Not for away games.” Quinn shook his head. “I spent too many years on the road. I’ve got a family now, and I’m not spending one minute away from the baby…or the baby’s mother.” He hugged Izzy close. “I don’t mind giving my opinion on the radio, hanging out at Preds games here in town, but I won’t be flying out of town in the middle of the night and I certainly will not sit in the manager’s office ever again.”

Only Izzy saw the shadow of a dark memory pass over Quinn’s face.

“Oh come on! I was going to use your place to impress my lady when you were on the road!” Benny kissed Cat on the cheek. “Seriously, all I’ve got going for me is the fact that my best friend is a former NHL player with a super cool apartment I can break into. Now you’re staying in town all the time? I’m doomed!”

Everyone laughed.

“Benny, you possess the one thing I find irresistible.” Cat giggled. “You have the ability to recite every line to ‘The Princess Bride.’ With the correct accents. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need anything else.”

They started kissing, and there was jovial groan of disapproval.

“Okay, so you’re not taking the job. But there’s still that sweet check, Aunt Iz. What are you going to do with all that?”

Izzy gave Quinn a soft smile. “The day of the charity event, Quinn talked about skating on fresh ice. I think a lot about how easy it would be if Quinn and I just kept the money and lived like rich celebrities.”

“So easy,” Benny murmured. “I get calls every day at the station, people wanting to book you for interviews, for exhibitions.”

“Right. But the thing is, we know what makes us happy, and it has nothing to do with a big time job or having our names in the papers.”

“We’ve been there.” Quinn’s voice was low.

“So, after talking it over with Jenna, a third of this we’ll split between Make-A-Wish and Aubri Brown. A third of it,” she patted Jenna’s hand, “I’m keeping aside for Jenna. I want you to have everything you need to be exactly what you want to be.” Izzy gave Jenna a one-armed embrace.

“And the rest?” Mikayla leaned forward. Cat and Benny followed suit.

“We happen to know the coffee shop could use a new roof.” Quinn nodded to Cat.

“And we’ve arranged with Collier to buy out his partners at the rink.” Izzy smiled. “That happiest I ever was when I was a kid were the hours I spent in that place. I’d like to buy it, fix it up a bit, and Quinn and I can give lessons. Not big coaching for future Olympians. I want to give all kinds of kids the same love of the ice that we have. I think it would be a good place for a little one to grow up, too.” She patted her stomach. She wasn’t showing, yet, but the flutter of life within her was undeniable.

There was a smattering of applause around the table.

Quinn cleared his throat. “Benny, there is one other thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Izzy and I are going to be traveling for about a month, maybe two. I’ll need you to house sit my place. Starting now.”