Crossing Center Ice

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “I’m doing well, Kenton,” Rowena said, taking a step toward him. “How about you?”

  “Well, considering I’m still on these crutches, I can’t say I’m doing terribly great.”

  Both of them turned to look at Avery who just shrugged. “I’m only following directions given to me by someone else. But you will be happy to know, we’ll be mixing it up a bit today.”

  “Yay! I can hardly wait!”

  From the way Avery stared at him, he had a feeling she’d caught on to his sarcasm. Not that he’d done all that much to hide it.

  “Well, on that note, I’m out of here,” Rowena said. “See ya tomorrow.”

  Knowing the drill, Kenton left his crutches against the wall and hopped on one foot to the table. He laid back on the padded surface and went through the motions that Avery needed in order to take her measurements.

  “So, what’s on the agenda today?” Kenton asked when she was done.

  “A couple of things, starting with another version of the heel slide and quad sets.”

  Though it wasn’t quite what Kenton had been hoping for, he dutifully did the work until she stopped him.

  “Next, I want to show you again how to massage your scar.”

  “Massages are usually something I enjoy,” Kenton told her. “This one doesn’t sound like much fun.”

  “Are you still experiencing a lot of pain around the incision?”

  “No, but I would think rubbing it might change that.”

  “Let me show you, and you can tell me if you feel pain.” She placed her fingertips on his knee once again.

  Kenton leaned back on his hands, watching her fingers work around the scar on his knee. Her fingers were dainty but surprisingly strong. The nails were short and rounded with a coat of pale pink polish on them. She wore no rings, but he realized that didn’t mean much when it came to revealing whether or not she was single.

  “So, is that painful? Or more just tender?”

  He considered for a second before saying, “I would say it’s more to the tender range than the painful. At least not painful like it was shortly after the surgery.”

  “Good. Keep watching for swelling though, and you know the drill if you see that.” She paused. “Ready for some work on the bike?”

  The brief flare of excitement made Kenton want to laugh. Seriously? Getting excited over being allowed to workout on a stationary bike? Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

  His first instinct was to go flat out, but she put a stop to that right off the bat.

  “You’re going to start off slowly,” she said once he was settled on the bike. “And by that, I mean that your uninjured leg will be doing all the work.”

  It took all of three seconds for him to realize that meant he couldn’t even do a full rotation of the pedals.

  “I’m used to a little more of a challenge,” he told her. “At least on the exercise equipment.”

  She rolled her eyes as she gave a shake of her head. “You’ll find you’ll have more challenging things to come.”

  That made him grin. “Good thing I’m up for it. Never met a challenge I didn’t appreciate. In one form or another.”

  Though he was low-key flirting with her, Kenton had no idea if she was actually single. She’d mentioned kids, but that didn’t necessarily mean there was a Mister Avery in the picture. However, he wasn’t really looking for anything, so any bantering was just in fun. Hopefully, she’d realize that since he’d made it clear, his goal was to get back to his team in LA, and her home was there in Winnipeg.

  “Maybe you could bring your music next time,” she said as he continued to do slow half circles on the pedals of the bike. “No hardcore workout music though.”

  “So classical then?”

  A quick smile curved her lips. “Something like that. I could always create a playlist for you, if you’d like.”

  Curious to see what type of music she might put together for him, Kenton said, “Sure. That’d be great. I’m pretty sure what I usually work out to wouldn’t suit this rather…uh…laidback pace.”

  Once he was going at a steady pace, she went out into the hallway, and he could hear her talking with someone—probably another therapist or nurse. There was a large window next to the workout equipment, and he turned to look out at the view, glad that the temperature inside was significantly warmer than what it appeared to be outside.

  The sky was overcast with heavy gray clouds making Kenton think that there might be snow on the way. As a kid, the first snowfall of the season and then each one that followed had been exciting. As soon as they had that first snow, his dad had started to build the rink that they’d be skating on by Christmas. Something told him that his dad wouldn’t be doing the rink this year.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The pang of loss at the thought of not having the rink that year took Kenton by surprise. But it would be the first time since they’d moved to the countryside that he could remember that his dad hadn’t done a rink. Even though he hadn’t been home to skate on one in several years, he’d seen pictures of the rink each year. Maybe it was time for the younger generation to take up the responsibility. The only problem was that the two who enjoyed the rink the most were in the worst shape and wouldn’t be able to help much. Gabe might be able to skate, but Kenton was pretty sure Avery would say that was a big no-no for him.

  “How’s the knee feeling?” Avery asked as she walked back into the room. She stood watching him for a moment, no doubt making sure that he wasn’t pushing it harder than she wanted. “Still keeping a good steady rhythm.”

  “Knee’s fine,” Kenton said. “Do you like to skate?”

  Avery’s gaze jerked up to meet his. “Skate?”

  “Ice skate. Do you like to ice skate?”

  “Sure. I took figure skating lessons through most my younger years.”

  “Were you any good?”

  A smile lifted one corner of her mouth. “Well, I had no interest in competing, but according to my coach, it wasn’t because of lack of ability but rather a lack of ambition. I just wanted to put my headphones on and skate as the music led. The first few times I worked on a program, I liked it, but then doing it over and over again was just too boring for me.”

  “My youngest brother refused to play hockey, so he took figure skating lessons.”

  “Did he compete?”

  “No. Like you, he had no interest in competing. He just did it to get out of hockey. How about your kids?”

  “They’re all about hockey.” She didn’t expand on it any further, but he couldn’t just ignore a comment like that.

  “Do they play on teams? Maybe I could visit them.” He remembered how excited he’d been when one of the Jets had visited his team when he’d just been starting out. Then, of course, the Jets had left Winnipeg for a time before coming back. To his teenage mind, it had been a hardship growing up in a city without an NHL team.

  She glanced at him. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. You’re not allowed on the ice.”

  Kenton frowned, somehow getting the feeling that even if he had been, Avery would have declined his offer. Rather than push the subject, he asked, “Do they have a favorite team?”

  “They’re definitely hometown proud,” Avery said.

  “Yeah. The Jets were my team too when I was growing up.”

  “Why don’t you play for them?”

  Kenton considered how to answer her question. It wasn’t the first time he’d been asked that, and he usually just brushed it aside, saying he was happy to be in LA. That he loved the sun and beaches instead of the snow and freezing temperatures. But the reality was, he’d needed a break. He’d wanted to just be able to focus on his career and living his life. He’d needed to be away from the pressures of family. And Bennett.

  “Well, at first, they weren’t the Winnipeg Jets anymore when I started playing professionally, and by the time the team came back here, I was already settled in LA.”

  “You didn’t a
sk to be traded?”

  “No. I’m happy where I am.” Or at least he had been. It had been in the back of his mind since his mom’s collapse that perhaps he should look into requesting a trade with his next contract.

  Although now, with the injury, who knew what his next contract might look like. He was just happy that he’d had enough good contracts over the years, and enough endorsement money that he didn’t really have to consider the financial side of a new contract, but he still wanted to play. Still wanted to be part of a good team. A team with playoff potential. He’d already been part of a team who’d won the Stanley Cup twice, but that didn’t put an end to the desire to win another one.

  They moved from the bike back to some stretches before Avery did another set of measurements. Kenton could tell that his leg was extending more and more each day, and he was able to bend it more than he could on the first day she’d started working with him. As long as he kept focused on how far he’d come since the surgery and not how far he still had to go before he could get back on the ice, he didn’t get too discouraged. Thinking about being only two weeks out from surgery and still having at least six months before he could skate again, caused him more discouragement than he wanted to admit to anyone.

  “Kenton?”

  He looked over to find Avery watching him expectantly, her delicate brows arched high above her eyes.

  “Sorry. What?”

  “Just wanting to know if there was anything you were concerned about with regards to what we’ve been doing.”

  Kenton pushed up into a sitting position, careful to let his knee not bend completely. That ninety-degree angle was still a bit uncomfortable for him. Avery handed him his crutches, so he could slide off the table and let his leg hang with a lesser degree bend to his knee.

  “No. It all seems pretty straightforward.” He leaned forward, letting the crutches take more of his weight as he looked at Avery. “When do you think I can try walking?”

  “So far I’ve been instructed to start limited weight-bearing exercises next week. I know you’re eager to be free of the crutches, but we can’t rush things.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Promise?”

  Kenton gave her a half-smile. “You think I’d do something that would jeopardize my recovery?”

  “Well, no. I don’t think you’d set out to do that, but sometimes having the best of intentions can end you up in the wrong place.”

  “Okay. I promise.” He smiled more broadly. “Hey, could you please bring me a Tims tomorrow?”

  Her brow furrowed. “A Tims? You want me to bring you a coffee?”

  “Sure. It’s one thing I really miss, and I have a hard time talking my siblings into bringing me a cup. Unless you’re clearing me to drive so I can get my own.”

  Avery regarded him for a moment, clearly perplexed about his request. “No promises, but what size and what in it?”

  “Extra large. Double, double.”

  “You take sugar in your coffee?”

  “Not all the time, but I figure I work it off quickly enough. Well, when I’m working out.” He hesitated. “Maybe I shouldn’t be eating too many sweets since I’m still fairly immobile.”

  “You’re not totally immobile,” Avery said. “You could, if you wanted to, work your upper body. I realize that’s not necessarily helpful for your skating, but it could be something to help keep you occupied. Keeping the rest of your body fit while waiting to build up the strength in your legs.”

  “There used to be a gym set up in the basement. Not sure if it’s still there, but if I can manage the stairs, I could make use of that.”

  “Just resist the urge to have leg day,” she said with a knowing look.

  “It’s like you know me or something,” Kenton replied, grinning at her.

  She crossed her arms. “Let’s just say I’m familiar with your type.”

  “So, you have worked with professional athletes before?”

  “No. Athletes aren’t the only ones who think they know better than the people trying to help them. Believe me.”

  “I’m going to follow the rules. My dad made it pretty clear to me—as only a dad can—that the only way I was going to be allowed to work with you was if I followed your direction and didn’t make things difficult for you.”

  Avery’s eyes widened at that as if surprised that his dad would be looking out for her. “Well, so far you’re doing admirably.”

  “It’s not that I don’t know how to follow the rules. I wouldn’t have had the success I’ve had if I hadn’t followed the directions of coaches and trainers. And even my agent. I won’t do anything that might ruin what the surgery has fixed for me. Trust me. I know what’s at stake.”

  She gave a quick nod of her head. “We’ll get you back on the ice.”

  For the first time, Kenton felt like Avery was truly on board with helping him. It was like they were a team. It was a feeling he’d been missing over the past couple of weeks. Her words were like an anchor for him. He’d been drifting since the injury, feeling alone, not part of his team. They were going on without him while he was trying to figure out how to live the next six months of his life.

  He hadn’t realized that he had needed to feel that he wasn’t alone in this journey. His dad was busy with his mom—which he understood completely. Gabe was caught up in his own recovery. His other siblings all had jobs and families now. He hadn’t considered that when he had made the decision to come back to Winnipeg. It wasn’t that he wanted everyone to focus on him, but he’d wanted to be surrounded by those who supported him.

  Strangely enough, he felt that support in a real and tangible way from Avery. She was now on his team, and he was going to do everything he could to keep her there.

  “I’m going to write up the report for today. Let them know how you’re doing.”

  “Say hi from me,” Kenton said with a grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  His knee was feeling the effects of the workout, so he went to the kitchen to retrieve an ice pack to put on it. The freezer in their home was always guaranteed to have ice packs. Over the years, it seemed there wasn’t a day that would go by without one of the boys needing an ice pack for one thing or another.

  He’d just settled on the breakfast nook, his knee angled up with an ice pack on it, when his sister, Samantha, walked in.

  “Hey,” she said with a smile, her hand resting on her swollen belly as she made her way to the fridge. “You want something to eat?”

  Kenton still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the events that had led to the situation his sister was in. He’d be searching out the dude who had gotten her pregnant if he hadn’t turned out to be a decent guy. So far, the only fault he could find with the guy was that he preferred football over hockey. Other than that, from what he’d seen of how Levi treated Sammi, he was good for her.

  “What are you offering?”

  “Looks like they had soup for lunch. Cream of cauliflower. Want a bowl?”

  “Sure. If it’s not too much trouble.”

  She flashed him a smile as she pulled a large container from the fridge. “No trouble. Plus, you’re hardly ever around for me to help you.”

  “I’m here for a few months this time. You’ll be sick of me.”

  “I doubt that. If I didn’t get sick of Gabe, I won’t get sick of you.” She dished the soup into two large bowls and put them in the microwave. While the soup was heating, she put some thick slices of bread into the toaster. “How is your rehab going? Is Avery able to help you?”

  Kenton told her what they’d been working on as she brought the hot soup and slices of toast to the table. After she said grace, they talked a bit more about his surgery and then about her baby and the plans she and Levi were making together.

  “Are we going to be setting up the Christmas tree soon?”

  Their tradition had been that after Remembrance Day on November eleventh, they would set up the tree. Since, as Canadians, they celebrated their Thanksgiving in October, by t
he time November rolled around, it was time to decorate for Christmas.

  Sammi frowned a bit. “We haven’t really talked about it, to be honest. It was hard enough getting through Thanksgiving without Mom.” She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Have you talked with her at all?”

  “A bit.” Kenton shrugged, embarrassed to admit he hadn’t really tried much. “I haven’t been sure…I mean…I was just...”

  “Afraid to find out how much she’s changed?” Sammi continued for him.

  “Yeah. I think so. It’s hard to see.”

  “It has been for all of us, so you’re not alone in that. Some of us have had a harder time with it than others.”

  “How have you taken it?” Kenton asked. “I know you were there when it happened.”

  “It was a horrible time.” She swirled her spoon in the soup. “I was afraid for the baby. Afraid for Mom. Things were even more difficult after you and Ryan left. It was like reality set in hard when we saw the extent of the damage the aneurysm had wrought on her.”

  “I don’t understand why she isn’t cooperating more,” Kenton said as he dunked the edge of his toast in the soup.

  “I don’t think any of us understand that. It just seems so unlike her to not even try. I don’t know what’s going through her mind that she just won’t do anything to help herself. For a while, I wondered if she had completely lost her communication skills.”

  “She hasn’t though, right?”

  “No. She can still talk. A bit hesitantly at times, but, again, that could be helped if she’d just work with the therapist.”

  “So she won’t work with Avery or Rowena?”

  “Nope. At least not consistently. I’m glad to hear that Avery was able to help you out. Maybe that will encourage Mom to work harder.”

  “You think?”