Jesse and the Ice Princess (Gulf City High Book 1)

by Michelle MacQueen

She smiled, her face almost freezing in place. The feeling was mutual. "I'll make you a deal. Your friendship idea still stands. But no kissing."

  He nodded. "I can do that."

  "Do you promise?"

  "What?" He grinned. "You don't believe me?"

  "I mean... you've kissed me both times we've been alone. Your track record isn't exactly stellar."

  "I'll keep my lips to myself."

  She held out a hand.

  A laugh burst out of his mouth. "So, we're shaking on it now?" He shook his head and water dribbled into his eyes. "You are not like most girls." He clasped her hand.

  "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not."

  "Oh, it is." He released her. "Come on, we should get back before we freeze to death."

  15

  Jesse

  By the time they reached Charlotte's house, all Jesse knew was he couldn't let this girl go. Not yet.

  They froze when they entered the house to find both her parents waiting for them. Jesse averted his eyes from Coach, but that wasn't any better because he found himself staring into Mrs. Morrison's more terrifying eyes.

  "Charlotte, how is it that every time you return from spending time with this boy, you're soaking wet?"

  Charlotte sighed. "It's called the rain, Mom. And the ocean."

  The woman started to say something else, but Coach cut her off with a kinder tone. "Go get changed, sweetheart."

  Charlotte looked from her mom to her dad once more before bolting up the stairs, leaving Jesse to face them alone. She’d admit it. She was a coward.

  His eyes followed her, only returning to her parents when Coach cleared his throat.

  "Put your shirt on, kid." Coach gestured to the shirt clutched in Jesse's hand.

  Mrs. Morrison crossed her arms, her gaze more curious than stern.

  Jesse shrugged his shirt on over his head. "Coach, Mrs. Morrison, I... I like your daughter. A lot. I think I need to be her friend. She's smart and determined. She doesn't smile easily, but for some reason she smiles at me. Please, don't punish her for spending time with me. It's my fault."

  Mrs. Morrison glanced at the stairs. "Jesse, I know what Charlotte thinks of us. Maybe we've made mistakes, but..." She took her husband's hand.

  "Friends." Coach eyed him like a father commanding his son. Jesse couldn't remember the last time his dad gave him a stern talking to or even advice. Was it before his mom died?

  Jesse nodded. "I just want her in my life."

  They looked to each other. Coach sighed while his wife's lips curved into a hesitant smile. "Charlotte has a competition to prepare for. As long as you don't interfere with her training, she can spend time with you." Coach put a hand on his shoulder. "I trust you, son."

  Hearing that meant more than Jesse would ever admit.

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Jesse turned to find Charlotte in the same relaxed outfit she'd worn when he arrived. He grinned up at her. "Have I told you I like your hair yet?" She had it pulled back into a half ponytail.

  Her eyes drifted to her parents, but they stayed quiet. He took that as a good sign. "Want to come over to my house?"

  She nodded, her shyness returning. It was hard reconciling the shy version of Charlotte Morrison with the one who shrieked as they wrestled in the ocean, or the one who fought with him in the halls of Gulf City High.

  But she wasn't just one thing. Shy and feisty. Strong and vulnerable. A figure skater and a hockey player.

  Well, he still had to convince her of the last thing.

  With a wave goodbye to her parents, they stepped out into the sun and climbed into his jeep. When he turned on the car, Ed Sheeran blared from the speakers.

  Charlotte sent Jesse a smirk before rolling down her window and gazing out at the passing palm trees.

  Cold wind whipped through the car, but neither of them seemed to care. There was no need to talk as the music pumped through them. She tore her eyes from the window, looking back at him with a small smile playing on her lips.

  She averted her eyes when he caught her looking.

  Yeah... friends. That was such a great idea.

  All he had to do was not fall in love.

  Easy, right?

  When they got to Jesse's house, Will and Eli were nowhere to be found.

  Cassie appeared from her room. "Dad took them to the park after Mary dropped them off."

  A coughing fit had Jesse doubling over. "Dad?" He couldn't remember the last time his dad did anything fun with his kids.

  Cassie shrugged, eyeing Charlotte.

  Charlotte smiled at her, and Cassie frowned.

  Jesse led Charlotte into the living room. Toys scattered around the floor along with bits of food. Saturdays were normally reserved for cleaning, but he hadn't been able to keep himself inside. "Just kick stuff out of the way. I'll be right back." He ran up the stairs to change.

  By the time he returned, Charlotte and Cassie sat on the oversized leather couch, laughing about something.

  Cassie rarely laughed except with her brothers.

  "What's so funny?" Jesse asked, hopping onto the massive beanbag chair in the corner.

  Charlotte shrugged. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

  Cassie smirked.

  Shaking his head, Jesse reached for the remote and flipped to the Saturday afternoon game. It wasn't the hometown Lightning playing, but the Capitols and Penguins would do.

  "Ugh my eyes." Charlotte slapped a hand over her face. She lunged off the couch, landing on the other half of the beanbag as she reached for the remote. "You can't make me watch the Penguins."

  Jesse held the remote above his head. "What if I like them?"

  "No one likes the Penguins except Penguins fans." She tackled him.

  As he kept the remote out of her reach, he repeated the mantra in his head. Friends. Friends. Friends.

  The channel changed, and they both looked up to find Cassie crouching in front of the TV. Now on the screen were the Blue Jackets and Sharks.

  Charlotte jumped off him to high five Cassie.

  "She's right, bro." Cassie put her hands on her hips. "Putting on the Pens is a total party foul."

  "All right, I give up."

  The doorbell ringing sounded throughout the house. Knowing his sister wouldn't get it, Jesse stood. He pulled the door open to find Roman standing there in his Lightning jersey. "Hockey Saturday!" He pushed past Jesse. "I checked the schedule. There are like three games this afternoon." He stopped when he reached the living room. "Jackets/Sharks? Dude, I thought you'd make me watch the Pens because of your stupid hero worship." He stole Jesse's place in the beanbag. "Hello, ladies."

  As soon as he entered the room, Cassie went still, her anxiety taking control. Jesse wished he knew how to help his sister, but she only rebuffed every attempt.

  Charlotte leaned forward. "He tried to put them on but some of us have better taste."

  "Heck yeah." Roman lifted a fist and Charlotte bumped hers against it. "Heard about your little date with Damien last night." He waggled his eyebrows. "Can't believe Coach said yes to that."

  All the air deflated from Jesse's lungs. He'd tried his hardest to forget she'd agreed to Damien's date, and she hadn't brought it up.

  Charlotte shrugged. "He's a nice guy."

  "Nice is boring." Roman winked. "Admit it, you only said yes because you felt bad for the kid."

  She swatted the back of Roman's head. "That's awful. What if I actually like him?" She shook her head. "Jesse, mind if I get a drink?"

  "I'll help." Cassie's voice was small, unsure, so different from how it was only moments before Roman arrived.

  The girls left and Jesse stared at his friend. "You're a jerk, Rome."

  Roman held his hands up in surrender. "I met with Damien to lift weights this morning. He told me they had coffee. I was just giving her a hard time."

  He huffed out a breath and turned on his heel to walk into the kitchen where Charlotte and Cassie were talking in hu
shed tones.

  They stopped when he appeared.

  "I'm going to my room." Cassie lifted her can of seltzer.

  Charlotte tried to call her back. "Stay, hang out with us."

  She only shook her head and left.

  "It's because of Rome." Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. "She won't talk to people outside the family."

  "She talks to me."

  He shrugged, not understanding it either. What was it about Charlotte that put Cassie's anxieties at ease? He shook off those thoughts. "Why did you go out with Damien?" He needed to know.

  "He's nice." She averted her eyes.

  "Charlie." He stepped closer.

  "I'm not proud of it."

  "Proud of what."

  She set her can on the counter and met his gaze. "My dad only gave him permission because he thought I'd say no. So, I said yes."

  A smile spread across his face. "So, you don't like him?"

  "Like I said, he's perfectly nice. We had a good time, but I told him there wouldn't be a second date."

  "Good."

  "Good? That's not something a friend should say."

  "It's what this friend says." He snatched her seltzer, feeling like he could breathe again. "I'm sorry." His smile dropped.

  "For what?"

  "For turning on the Pens." He shook his head like he was disappointed in himself.

  She turned to open the fridge to get a new drink since he'd stolen hers. When she straightened and faced him again, she sighed. "Some things, Jesse, are just unforgivable."

  "Charlie! Charlie!" Jesse cheered from his spot on the couch. In front of him, Charlotte stood on one leg with the other stretched out behind her.

  Beside her, Roman tried to do the same. Where she was still, he wobbled. Where she looked graceful, he looked goofy.

  His leg shook beneath him before he pitched forward, his hands hitting the ground before his knees.

  Charlotte laughed, not moving from her pose. "Too hard for you?"

  It all started with a comment. Roman said anyone who knew how to skate could pull off the basic figure skating moves.

  Charlotte lowered her leg before using it to propel herself into a spin, her sock sliding against the wood floor.

  The move looked effortless, the flight of a graceful bird. Even Roman's eyes widened from his position on the floor.

  She laughed as she came to a stop, pure light emanating from her expression. He hadn't seen her look so effortless in the training session he attended. She'd still been beautiful, but there was a tension in her body. Not here. Not now.

  "You really love it, don't you?" He'd doubted her love for the sport, wondering if she was truly meant for it or if she continued because of her mom.

  She nodded. "I do. I really do. It’s just the competition circuit I’m not crazy about."

  "If you could have both—hockey and figure skating—if there was a way... would you do it? If you could play that game against Venice with us, would you be there?"

  His question seemed to surprise her. "That's not possible, Jesse."

  "But if it was." He leaned forward, wanting her to see what he saw. She could do anything. And if she wanted it, he'd... well, he'd do anything to help her get it.

  "Don't ask me that, Jesse. Please."

  "I just want an answer."

  She only stared at him for a moment, her eyes glistening.

  "Jess," Roman warned.

  Jesse ignored him. "Charlie."

  "Yes." Her voice was so quiet he barely heard her. "If I didn't have to choose..." She closed her eyes. "I love hockey." She opened them and looked from Roman to Jesse. "But I'm not willing to give up everything I have for it."

  Maybe she didn't have to. But he didn't say that. Instead he turned the TV volume back on as the final period started. The game no longer held his attention as Charlotte sat beside him, all smiles gone from her face.

  With a single sentence, he'd stolen them.

  And now, he had to find a way to give them back.

  16

  Charlotte

  Charlotte didn't know how she got through the week with the nerves constantly rolling through her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd dreaded a competition so much.

  In twenty-four hours, she'd skate in front of thousands of people in Tampa. She knew her program front to back, but as she visualized the jumps in her mind, she saw herself tumbling to the ice.

  On the day before a competition, she had to conserve her energy, so this morning's training was only a light skate. Her mom watched her from the bench while her dad stood at the glass.

  Both of them refrained from any lectures the entire week. Instead, they tried the support thing, the trust your daughter thing. It was new.

  Not only that, but they'd come home early a few nights during the week to eat as a family.

  Maybe they saw her slipping away.

  Maybe they finally saw the sadness in her eyes.

  Tomorrow was a big day. She lifted her eyes to the stands where people would crowd into the seats to see their team play their biggest rival. It didn't matter to the town how many games the Gulf City Hurricanes lost. They would come out to support them.

  For a moment, she wondered if anyone from town would be at her competition? Her mom would be there, of course, but not her dad.

  She came to a stop in front of the bench.

  "I think that's enough skating for today." Her mom stood. "Just make sure to do your stretching before bed."

  "I will." She glanced up at the clock on the scoreboard. Almost noon. Her parents kept her out of school the day before every major competition. It had become part of their routine. The theory was she'd have more time to clear her mind and rest.

  "Go change. We'll go to Emma's for lunch."

  "Emma's?" Charlotte raised a brow. She couldn't remember her mom ever eating diner food.

  "Your dad tells me how much you like it."

  "I do." Charlotte clasped her hands behind her back. "But—and I can't believe I'm turning down Emma's—it's the day before competition."

  "Honey, I'm sure they have salads. Come on, I'm starving."

  She skated away, catching her father's wink before heading down the tunnel to the locker room.

  After changing and packing her skates into her bag, she met her mom at the front door. An awkward silence hung between them as they drove.

  They reached the downtown area, driving by the Mediterranean style shops on either side of the street. Red terra-cotta roofs stretched down past Main Street to where the roads led to the beaches beyond.

  Emma's was a small diner named after a Hollywood star who went missing many years ago. The owner was supposedly the star's daughter. Charlotte only ever got takeout from the diner, so when they slid into an old wooden booth, the place was unfamiliar to her.

  A woman strode toward them, menus in hand. "Welcome to Emma's." She smiled. "Let me know what I can get you." She left them alone for a few minutes.

  "Charlotte." Her mom stared down at the plastic menu in her hands. "Have you ever had one of their milkshakes?"

  A laugh bubbled up, but Charlotte held it in. Her mom didn't drink milkshakes. Was this a trick?

  "I'm not trying to trap you into admitting breaking the diet I set out for you." She eyed Charlotte over the top of her menu.

  Charlotte bit back a smile. "Sure, Mom. Their shakes are good."

  The waitress returned. Charlotte ordered a salad with grilled chicken—to her mother's approval—and her mom got a burger, fries, and a shake.

  "Okay, I'm confused."

  "About what, dear?"

  "You're eating carbs."

  She clasped her hands together on the table, her back ramrod straight. Just once, Charlotte would like to see her mom relax.

  "I'm hard on you, Charlotte. I know that. When I was your age, the only thing I ever wanted was figure skating. I wanted to go all the way. It was my sole focus. For a while, it was yours too."

  "Mom..." She sucked i
n a breath. Now or never. "I love skating and I don't want to stop, but it can't be everything to me. I don't want to be a robot anymore."

  "Robot? Honey, who would say that about you?"

  "Everyone. I’ve had so much focus on one thing, I forgot everything else. I don't want to spend every free moment of my life training. I want to eat greasy burgers and cut my hair. Heck, Mom, I want to hang out with cute guys." Her cheeks flamed with that admission.

  To her surprise, her mom laughed. "When I met your father, I was on my way to stardom. Still, I couldn't stay away from him. He was kind and handsome and funny."

  "Do you ever regret shifting your focus?"

  She shook her head. "Never."

  The waitress set their food in front of them. Charlotte looked at her salad in distaste.

  Her mom slid her plate forward. "I can't possibly eat all these fries myself." It was a peace offering, one Charlotte willingly took. She didn't want to be on opposite sides of a fight. She may be alone whenever she stepped onto the ice, but her mom was part of her team.

  "I won't apologize for pushing you, Charlotte."

  "I wouldn't expect you to." In truth, without her mom pushing her, she wouldn't be half the skater she was.

  "I hear you're quite the hockey player." For her mom to acknowledge that was a big step, but Charlotte couldn't talk about hockey when all she wanted was to take the ice with the team.

  "I'm quite the figure skater, Mom."

  She nodded. "Yes, you are."

  There was no way she could be both.

  Charlotte couldn't sleep. She'd eaten a late dinner with her parents before doing an hour of stretches.

  Now, she lay in bed cocooned in the warmth of her blanket, yet her mind wouldn’t stop turning.

  Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it from the bedside table.

  Hadley: Good luck tomorrow!

  She typed out a response.

  Charlotte: I'll need it.

  Hadley: No, you won't. You're Ah-mazing!

  She smiled as another text came in, this one from Cassie.