Avalanche Page 5

  I supposed that would all come tomorrow. We’d go celebrate his gold medal and hash out logistics.

  I still didn’t want to leave.

  “Hey,” he said, lifting my chin to make me look at him. “Good luck tomorrow. Go out there and make yourself proud. Okay? Don’t worry about what anyone else wants from you.” He kissed my forehead. “I’ll text you, and we’ll get together after the competitions. Maybe, grab dinner?”

  “Yeah,” I agreed, the word barely making it past the lump in my throat.

  “I love you,” he told me, bending down to kiss me again.

  “I love you, too.” I reached behind myself and opened the door. “I have to go. I’m late.”

  “I know. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I nodded then turned and walked out. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done. I knew it wasn’t the last time I’d see him. But I was really scared it was just the precursor to a breakup I didn’t want.

  We lived in different worlds. As I ran across campus to the rink, all I could think about was how we’d manage to stay together. Could I pick up and move to Minnesota? Would he be willing to live in Michigan? Would we spend months flying back and forth only to realize being in love wasn’t enough to make a relationship work?

  I burst through the doors of the arena and ran down the stairs toward the bench where I kept my gear stored.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Charlie yelled as I laced up my skates. “I gave you all the time in the world, and you still couldn’t manage to be here on time? Do you even want to win tomorrow?”

  Well, that was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it? I’d put in the time and the work, but honestly, skating in this stupid competition tomorrow was the furthest worry in my heart.

  “I’m sorry,” I told him. “I overslept.”

  “Not in your dorm,” he snapped.

  “Nope,” I agreed, getting to my feet and putting my hands on my hips. “And that’s none of your business.”

  “I didn’t say it was,” he said. “Sit down.”

  “What?” I stared at him but lowered myself back to the bench.

  “You’re really unhappy, aren’t you?”

  I shrugged, unsure how to answer that. In some ways, I was the happiest I’d ever been. But my fear for the future of my relationship, my resentment at skating in general, weighed heavily on me.

  “I’m sorry, if I’ve pushed you to a point you hate skating now.” He climbed up the stairs and sat next to me. “I just wanted to give you the best chance at getting the gold. I know how disappointed you were at the last games to come in silver. I thought I was doing this for you.” He blew out a sigh. “But maybe, I’ve been going about it wrong.”

  Charlie reached over and took my hand in his. “When you were four years old, and you put on your skates for the first time, you were amazing. You loved it. It would take an hour for your mom to coerce you off the ice. It lit your heart on fire. But over the last few years, I think that’s changed. This life isn’t a joy for you anymore. It’s a chore. A job. A thing you do because it’s all you’ve ever known.”

  I blinked back tears. He was right. I just hadn’t realized he’d seen it. I thought I’d hidden it from him. But as he spoke, it was as if he were reading the thoughts from my mind.

  “I want you to win. But we’re family. More than anything, I just want you to be happy, Delia. So, let’s go skate. Run your routine for me. And, after you’ve hit every landing, you have to decide if you want to win or if you want to be happy. Because baby girl, I don’t think those things are connected anymore.”

  I nodded, squeezing his hand before getting to my feet. As I stepped out onto the ice, my heart felt lighter than it had in years.

  While I spun and turned and jumped, my thoughts were only for James. I’d go anywhere for him. If he needed to be in Minnesota, then I’d move there to be with him. If he wanted to come to Michigan with me, we’d find a cute little house and set up a home together.

  We loved each other; that was the hardest step. Everything else would figure itself out. As long as we were together, did it matter where we lived? He could train anywhere with snow. And I could skate or work in a bank; I didn’t really care. As long as I got to come home to him every night, then my dream would be complete.

  I finished my routine with a bounce in my step that hadn’t been there in months. Tears pricked my eyes, but they were happy. I’d skate tomorrow, and win or lose, I’d give it everything I had. Charlie was right, my happiness and a medal weren’t intertwined anymore.

  But James and I were.

  Chapter Ten

  ~ James ~

  Never in my life had I wanted a medal ceremony to end as much as I needed this one to be over. Tomorrow, there would probably be photos of me all over the internet, standing on the gold medal podium, looking at my watch.

  But no one else would understand. I needed to get to the rink. She wasn’t expecting me, but I needed to be there for her. And this was taking forever.

  Finally, after a million hundred hours, we were allowed to leave, and I took off at a sprint across campus.

  As I barreled into the ice arena, I was relieved to see Pierre standing at the door.

  “Oh good!” he called when he saw me. “I knew you’d come. Follow me. Her parents have a space for you.”

  “Wait, what?” I stopped, staring at him. “I can’t meet her parents right now.”

  “You can, and you will,” he demanded, reaching out and pulling on my arm. “Congratulations.”

  “On what?” I asked him, reluctantly following him down the stairs.

  “Your medal.” He pointed at my chest.

  “Oh, jeez.” I pulled it over my head and shoved it in my pocket. I’d forgotten I was still wearing it. “Thank you.”

  We reached the bottom of the bleachers, and he pointed to a couple I would have been able to pick out of the crowd on my own. Cordelia was a perfect mix of the attractive man and woman staring over at me.

  “See you later,” I told Pierre before sitting down and holding my hand out to Delia’s father. “Sir, I’m James Pryor. Ma’am.” I nodded to Mrs. Quinn.

  “Nice to meet you,” they said together.

  “I didn’t miss her, did I?” I asked anxiously.

  “No. There was a scoring discrepancy earlier, so everyone’s been delayed,” her mother informed me. “You’re right on time.”

  “Thank goodness.” I sagged in relief.

  “Delia tells me you competed today, as well. How did it go?” her father asked.

  “It went well,” I said. “Thank you so much for asking. That’s actually what took me so long to get here.”

  “So, you medaled?” Mrs. Quinn asked. “That’s fantastic. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Dan, switch seats with me.”

  I shuffled over while her parents moved so her mom was sitting next to me.

  “James, I’m Molly, and that’s Dan.”

  I nodded, unsure if I was comfortable calling them by their first names just yet.

  “My daughter talks about you quite a lot,” Molly told me. “She’s never had a boyfriend before. I’m sure you know she’s spent her whole life focused on skating. It’s nice to see her so happy.”

  “Making her happy is all I want to do, ma’am. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I’m very much in love with your daughter.”

  “And she seems to be very much in love with you, as well,” Molly said with a smile.

  “I’m glad to hear that. I’m hoping to get your blessing to propose to her, actually.”

  They both stared at me for a moment, before sharing a look. Though they didn’t speak, I knew they were communicating, and my heart clenched. Part of me couldn’t wait to get to the point where Delia and I would have a look like that. And part of me was terrified they wouldn’t approve of me.

  “Cordelia doesn’t do things by halves,” her father said. “When she wants some
thing, she goes all in. To the detriment of everything else. She has a one-track mind. So, after she skates today, ask again, and we’ll know our answer.”

  I could totally see what he meant. Delia was a passionate, driven woman. But she did tend to give all of her focus to a single thing. My stomach dropped as I realized what he was saying.

  If Delia won gold today, it meant she wasn’t that invested in me. Not yet, anyway. I knew she loved me, and we had our whole lives to get there. But if she lost, it would mean her head and her heart were somewhere else.

  “You understand,” her mom said, her hand on my arm. It wasn’t a question.

  “I’m in love with your daughter,” I said. “But I would never, ever root against her to get what I want. If you’ll excuse my language, Delia has worked her ass off for this. And I’ll cheer louder than anyone when she gets on that podium. And in a year, five years, ten years, when she’s ready, I’ll ask you again.”

  Her mom beamed at me, squeezing my arm before turning back to the ice as Delia was announced.

  My little princess stood in the center of the rink, her black skating dress tight and short and sexy as hell. There was a look of determination on her face, as always, but even from a distance, I saw something around her eyes that didn’t feel right. She was nervous. Delia was never nervous on the ice. I’d seen her skate in person, but I’d also watched hours of competitions. That tightness had never been there before.

  The music started, and she pushed off, spinning and turning and jumping like a gazelle through the air. Technically, she was flawless. But the tension was still there, and as I watched her gain speed, I suddenly knew what she was going to do.

  She flew into the air, and I was already on my feet when she contorted, her body turning into a backflip before she landed smoothly, her leg extending behind her, then going up, her hand gripping her blade and her body spinning like a top.

  The stadium exploded, thunderous applause drowning out the music. I watched Delia’s face light up as she came out of her spin, her arms wide and a grin across her beautiful face.

  As she skated off the rink, the applause died down, and I sat back down, running a shaking hand through my hair.

  “Are you responsible for that?” her father asked, his tone sharp.

  “I think I am,” I admitted. I’d told her she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. I’d told her to make herself proud today. And she’d gone out there and done it. I looked over at her dad and was surprised to see a smile on his face.

  “Son, you have my blessing,” he said, reaching across his wife to shake my hand.

  “What?”

  “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen my daughter do exactly what she wanted to do, consequences be damned,” Molly said, tears lighting her eyes. “You’ve inspired something in her, James. We would be honored for you to marry her.”

  I wasn’t sure what they meant by consequences. She’d absolutely nailed her performance. The audience was still buzzing about the amazing feat my girl had just accomplished. It had been incredible.

  But when an announcement came over the loudspeaker, and the cheers turned to boos, I finally understood.

  It had been an illegal move. Cordelia had been disqualified from the competition. I remembered her uncle warning her about it the first time I’d seen her do the flip, but I’d forgotten. So much had happened in the days following, it had completely slipped my mind. But she knew. And she’d done it, anyway.

  My brave, beautiful girl had been determined to show off that athleticism, and she’d cemented herself in the hearts of everyone watching, even if it meant she couldn’t medal.

  I was so fucking proud of her I was bursting. Looking around, I wondered how I would get to her, but I didn’t have to. She rushed through the stands toward me.

  Standing up again, I opened my arms and caught her in a hug. She squealed when I spun her around, and even the people she knocked against in the crowd had nothing but smiles and congratulations for her.

  “That was incredible,” I said against her ear.

  “Thanks!” She kissed me before pulling out of my arms. “Mom! Dad!” She pushed past me and accepted hugs from her parents. “Are you mad?”

  “I’ve never been prouder of you in my life,” her dad said.

  “Me, either,” her mom agreed. “You were so happy out there.”

  “I’m disqualified,” Delia reminded them.

  “Like we care about that,” Molly said, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. “All we’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy, sweetie.”

  “Charlie’s going to be pissed,” Cordelia said, sadness creeping into her voice for the first time.

  “Actually,” Charlie said, walking up behind me. “I’m pretty damn proud of you, too.”

  “This is just like a Dickens’ book!” Cordelia gushed. “Without all the poverty and death and stuff.”

  “So, nothing like a Dickens’ book,” I said.

  “Shut up.” She turned back to me and kissed me again. “Oh my God. I’m so hungry.”

  “Well, we’ll have to skip the crepe place,” I told her. “You’re probably the most famous figure skater who’s ever lived, now. You’re going to be mobbed anywhere you go.”

  “Aren’t we a pair?” she asked, winking at me.

  “Yes, we are,” I agreed. And, she may not know it yet, but we would be for the rest of our lives.

  Chapter Eleven

  ~ Cordelia ~

  We had dinner with my parents in town that night. They’d gotten reservations for a private room, so no one had to deal with the locals fawning over James. It was nice to eat something that wasn’t off of a buffet line.

  I’d insisted on inviting Emmaline and Pierre, and to my delight, they’d spent most of the evening talking, their heads together and a spark of romance flying between them.

  “Did you do that?” James whispered, leaning his head against mine.

  “Maybe,” I said. “They divorced about ten years ago, but every time I saw them together, I knew they were bound for a reconciliation. I may have just…pushed it along.”

  “You little demon,” James said, his tone teasing.

  There was a knock on the door, and James jumped up to answer it. I watched him, and when I saw Mike standing there, I walked over an invited him in.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked, pulling Mike to the table. “We just finished, but I’m sure I can get the waitress back.”

  “No, sweetie. Thank you, though. I just stopped by for a quick word with James.”

  That wasn’t a surprise. My man had taken gold today. He probably had a lot of stuff he had to go over with Mike. I’d been happy to see him, but furious he’d rushed his own celebration to watch me blow my competition.

  He’d promised I could make as big of a fuss as I wanted to over him later, so I’d let it go. But I wasn’t done berating him for it. He should have had fanfare and adulation. I’d just have to make it up to him somehow.

  I excused myself to ladies room, and the second I ducked out of our private area, the crowd in the restaurant started cheering. I looked up in surprise and was shocked to see everyone standing and looking at me.

  My face heated a hundred degrees, and I smiled shyly at everyone. How did I discreetly get to the ladies room with everyone staring at me?

  A soft tug on my shirt made me look down. A tiny, baby bunny of a girl was standing there, looking up at me shyly. She crooked a finger, and I obediently crouched down to be face-to-face with her.

  “Could I have your autograph?” she whispered.

  “Really?” My heart leapt to my throat.

  “You’re so brave!” she said, bouncing on her feet. “That flip was so cool.”

  She handed me a piece of paper and a pen, and I signed it for her. When I handed it back, she threw herself into my arms, and I smiled as I hugged her back.

  When she ran off to her mom, everyone finally went back to what they’d been doing, and I was able to go
to the restroom and return with no more fanfare.

  I slid back into my seat next to James, and he smiled at me. “It’s pretty cool, huh?”

  “What?” I asked.

  He motioned with his head toward the door. “People cheering for you. Not all the time, but sometimes, it’s neat.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “Though, I’d prefer no more standing ovations on my way to the bathroom.”

  He laughed and kissed my cheek. Then, he stood up and tapped his knife against his glass.

  “Hi, everyone,” he said. “Thank you so much for letting me come here to celebrate Cordelia’s spectacular loss today.”

  He grinned down at me, and I swatted his leg as I rolled my eyes.

  “As you all know, Delia has become very important to me. I never really knew someone could fall in love so quickly, but I am hopelessly, desperately in love with her. And I’m pretty sure she likes me a whole lot in return.”

  He turned to look at me then lowered himself to one knee. I gasped, looking around at a tableful of people who didn’t look at all surprised that this was happening.

  “What are you doing?” I asked. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he heard it. Was this really happening?

  “Cordelia Quinn, you are the love of my life. You are the only woman in the world for me. Would you please do me the very great honor of being my wife?”

  He held out a beautiful diamond ring, and for a moment, all I could do was nod. As he slid it onto my finger, a sob escaped my throat, and I buried my face in his neck, shifting out of my chair and sitting on his knees, holding him tightly.

  “Was that a yes?” he teased.

  “Yes,” I whispered. “Yes!”

  He pulled back and kissed me, standing up with me and swinging me around.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I told him. Staring down at my ring, I smiled. “Would you look at that…I got the gold after all.”

  Epilogue

  ~ James ~