My inspiration muse seems to be taking the weekend off, which is really annoying because in the last two days I've chosen taking a nap and cleaning the bathrooms over writing. While taking a nap is generally the thing I like to do best, cleaning the bathrooms...really?
But, I having gotten back into "Spark of a Hero" which is the novel I'm determined to wright by the end of November and get released by the time you're all opening your shiny new Kindles and Nooks under the tree.
To that end, I had to delve into Lies in Chance and Fresh Ice since ""Spark" draws characters and storylines from both those books and is actually built around Collier James, who many of you might remember was Izzy Marks' best friend, and was deep in love with Izzy. Well, Collier is getting his own novel with "Spark" and I thought I'd wet your whistle for him with this election from "Fresh Ice." Enjoy!
Izzy found the rink without much
trouble. What troubled her was how dilapidated it looked. She eased the car up
the rutted drive to the ratty, cracked parking lot. There were few cars parked
around the building.
“This
is where you trained?”
Izzy
shared Jenna’s doubt. “Yes, this is the place. I guess when Coach died, Collier
sold it or something. Coach would hate how it looks.”
They
got out of the car and walked into the cavernous building. Once inside,
memories, good memories, flooded Izzy. The feeling was as powerful as the
emptiness at her childhood home had been. Now I’m home.
On
the ice, a few children, possibly stragglers from a recently ended birthday
party, slid around on wobbly legs. Izzy led Jenna to the boards where they both
leaned against the worn wood and stared at the children.
“So
that’s how you started?”
Izzy
shook her head. “No, I started out much younger. There were no parties here
then, nothing like that. My parents put me into training on the ice and ballet
classes off it. Every day, six days a week.”
“That
sounds horrible.”
A
tear welled in Izzy’s eye as she glanced toward the door that led to Coach’s
office. She wiped her eyes and smiled at Jenna. “I loved it. I loved being
here. This is where I belonged and I rarely felt I was missing out on a real
life.”
“How
could you not hate it?”
Izzy
turned and leaned her back against the boards. “Well, let me put this into
terms you can understand. Do you hate volleyball? All the hours of practice,
the traveling, the aches and pains, do you hate any of that?”
“No.”
“Well,
that’s how I was with skating.”
“But
Mom, I still have a normal life. I hang out with friends, I go to school.”
Izzy
nodded. “When you were young, we knew you were going to be an athlete. We
agreed you’d have as normal a life as possible. It was one of the few things we
agreed on.”
Jenna’s
eyes darkened. “You two really had no business getting married, did you?”
Izzy
shrugged. “After a few years we fell into a routine and I didn’t question it
often. I wouldn’t let myself think about it. I had you, and you filled my life
plenty.” She squinted up past the rows of bleaches to the top of the seats. “Is
that Collier?”
Jenna
followed Izzy’s line of sight. “Looks like it. What’s he doing here?”
“Guess
I’ll go find out.” Izzy climbed the steps and met Collier halfway.
“I
figured I’d find you here.” Collier spoke in a low voice.
“You
knew. About Jason and the money, and how everything would have been okay if
only I was an obedient child?”
Collier
nodded. “I’m sorry, there’s no way I could just tell you that. You needed to
hear it from them.”
“As
far as I’m concerned, Coach was the only parent I needed anyway.”
“How’s
Jenna handling it?”
Izzy
glanced at her daughter, who’d returned her attention to the children on the
ice. “She’s taking it like she takes everything, calmly, and in stride. We’ll
be okay.”
Collier
wrapped his arms around her. “You know I’m always here for you.”
Izzy
melted into his comfortable embrace, her tension easing. “I know,” she murmured
against his beating heart. Unbidden, the image of Quinn’s face after their kiss
flashed through her mind. She stiffened.
“You
okay?”
Izzy
broke from his arms and nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She looked around the arena.
“So what’s the deal here, Col? What happened to the old place?”
Collier
shrugged. “After Pop died, I couldn’t keep it up. I sold part ownership to a
group who wanted to open the place to the public. You know, skating lessons,
high school hockey games, birthday parties,” he nodded to the small group
assembled at the concession stand. “I haven’t paid much attention. Obviously,
it’s a bit worse for wear.”
“I’ll
say.”
“Still,
the ice is in good shape. Care to put on a bit of a show?” Collier’s eyes
twinkled.
“Tempting.
Very tempting.” The memory of Quinn’s hands on her waist warmed her, emboldened
her. “But I don’t have any skates.”
“Skate
rental is right there. Come on. I’d love to see you skate again.” He led her to
the counter.
“Are
you joining me?” She arched an eyebrow.
Collier
laughed. “Not a chance. I haven’t put on skates since the day I quit.” He
walked behind the counter and stared at the rows of skates. “Size seven,
right?”
“Better
make it six. I’m not wearing thick socks.”
Collier
handed her the skates. She sat on a bench and started unlacing them. “Col, I
think there’s something I should tell you.”
He
sat next to her. “What’s that?”
“I
agreed to do something the other day. I agreed to skate at a charity thing in
the spring. The one you’re playing at.”
Collier
nodded, his eyes narrowing. “I’m guessing your hockey player had something to
do with this?”
“Apparently,”
she focused her attention on the ratty laces of the old skates, “he knew who I
was all along.”
“Not
surprising. He doesn’t strike me as a guy who wouldn’t know the identity of
every attractive woman in Nashville.”
“You’re
upset.” She finished lacing the skates and looked at him. “Be honest.”
He
helped her stand on the carpet and smiled. “I’m not surprised, and I’m
definitely not excited at the prospect of my best girl spending quality time
working up a routine for the guy, but I’m not upset.”
“Not
for, the guy. With, the guy. I’m skating with Quinn at the event.”
Collier’s
expression darkened. “You’re skating with him?”
Izzy
stepped on the ice and waved at Jenna. “Yes. I am. Turns out, he’s a good
skater, and he can throw decently.”
“So
it’s decided.” There was a sense of defeat in Collier’s voice. “You’ve already
started working with him.”
Izzy
nodded. “I gave my word, so yeah, it’s decided. You should give him a chance,
Col. You might like him.”
Collier
shook his head, but said nothing for a beat. “Well, we should see what we’re
working with, shouldn’t we? I think your old music is in Pop’s office. Want me
to go find it?”
I
guess I didn’t expect him to love the idea of Quinn skating with me. “That
would be great.”
Collier
disappeared into the dark hall beyond the ice. A few moments later, “I Won’t
Hold you Back,” floated through the speakers high above the ice. Izzy closed
her eyes, took a deep breath, and started to skate. The years melted away, and
with it, the shabbiness of her surroundings, until all that was left was
smooth, fresh ice, and a black sky broken only by a silver spotlight on her.
She had no conscious thought, she never did when she skated. She just moved as
if her body was the link between the ice and the music, and her movements
created the light between both.
Too
soon, the music was over. Thin applause from Jenna, and the few people behind
the concession counter barely reached her.
Izzy
leaned against the boards, out of breath and waited for Collier’s commentary.
“So, what do you think?”
“I
think you’re insane. You’ve been out of this for almost twenty years. You think
you can do a four minute routine with a hockey player and not be laughed off
the ice?”
Izzy
looked at Collier. “So what am I doing wrong?”
“You?
You’re perfect. Every element you do out there it’s like you’ve been skating
every minute of every day.”
“Really?
You’re not just saying that?”
Collier
shook his head. “You want my opinion? Dump the hockey player and skate a
single.”
The
old argument. “Col, we’re not going there.”
“Well
it’s past time someone did. Pop always said you were better without a partner.”
“And
my parents disagreed. Vehemently.”
“They
paid my father to coach you and never listened to a word he said.” Collier’s
face tightened. “Iz, think about this, because I know I have a million times
over the years: If your parents had listened to my father, you and I might be
living a very beautiful happily ever after.”
Izzy
laughed, mostly because the earnest look on Collier’s face seemed comical. Then
she realized he was serious, and she laughed harder, because the idea seemed
even more comical. “How do you figure that?”
“I
don’t want to go dredging up bad memories.”
Izzy
waved a dismissive hand. “After what I heard today, why stop now?”
“Well
since you asked; if you skated as a single, you wouldn’t have a partner. You
wouldn’t have needed Jason. Jason wouldn’t have convinced you to sleep with
him. You might have left skating at some point, but you wouldn’t have left
Nashville. We would have stayed together long enough for me to prove to you
that I’m an amazing romantic hero in spite of the fact that I don’t live on the
ice.”
“I
wouldn’t have Jenna.”
“Maybe
you would. Maybe you’d have Jenna, only with lighter hair and my nose instead
of Jason’s. The point I’m making, is that if you had a crumb of self
confidence, you’d be practicing on wide open ice during the day, getting ready
for an exhibition that would be aired on network television instead of trying
to teach a muscle head how to throw you without doing any permanent damage.”
Izzy
studied her friend. “You’ve been thinking about this a while, haven’t you?”
Collier
nodded. “You came back, and I’m so thankful for that. And you’re skating again,
which is awesome. But now I have to picture you skating with him.”
“He
has a name.”
“Whatever.
You have too much talent to waste trying to teach the unteachable.”
Izzy
closed her eyes, recalling the strength of Quinn’s hands on her waist. “You
haven’t a clue what you’re talking about, Col.”
“Maybe
not. But I’ll bet he doesn’t disagree with me.” Collier nodded to the upper
ring of seats.
Izzy
looked over her shoulder. There, in the shadows, was Quinn. She blinked, and he
was gone. An overwhelming sense of panic gripped her, and she started racing
off the ice and up the stairs.
“Mom,
what are you doing?” Jenna called from the other side of the ice.
“Izzy,
you can’t run in those crappy skates. You’ll break something.”
“Watch
me!” Izzy ran up the stairs and out the main door. From where she stood, she
could see the entire parking lot, but saw nothing of Quinn or his car. Just a
few scattered cars, the last of the birthday partiers inside. “Quinn!” She
shouted through the cold air.
“What?”
He emerged from the door behind her.
“Quinn!”
She threw herself into his arms, careful to keep her feet on the wood planks
beneath them.
“Wow…if
I thought I’d get this reaction, I wouldn’t have stopped at the concession
stand for a candy bar.”
His
arms were warm around her, secure. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry?
For what?”
She
eased an inch away from his chest. “Well, for what Collier said.”
“Collier?
Oh, wait, Singer Guy? He said something about me?”
Izzy
studied Quinn’s face. “You know he’s a singer?”
Quinn
smiled. “I know a lot of things, Miss Izzy.”
“How
did you know I would be here?”
Quinn
looked the tiniest bit guilty. “I stopped and talked to Cat who said you were
off to see your parents. I figured that wouldn’t end well, and that you’d come
someplace where you really felt good about yourself. So I thought I’d try your
old training facility. I didn’t expect to see you in skates, but then I also
didn’t expect a full snack bar either. So it’s a win for me.” He bit into the
candy bar.
“Well
I am glad you’re here. It’s about time you and Collier met.”
“I
don’t think I need to do that.”
Izzy
took his hand. “Quinn, if you and I are going to skate together, we are going
to need some outside help. And that is going to include some coaching. And
since my coach is no longer with us, Collier is the next best thing…he’s
Coach’s son and he knows a lot about skating.”
“And
about you.”
Izzy
turned on him. “You two are going to get along, right?”
Quinn
took another bite and chewed slowly. “I can’t promise anything.”
“Quinn!”
“Fine.
Fine. I promise to get along.”
Izzy
led him to the rink where Collier and Jenna were deep in conversation.
“Collier,
there’s someone here I’d like you to meet.”
Collier
looked over his shoulder at Quinn. “Hello, Hockey Head.”
“Hello,
Singer Guy.”
“Guys!”
Quinn’s
hand tightened around hers. “Come on Izzy, you can’t expect us to play nicely
right out of the box. Give us a few minutes.”
“You
know, like dogs,” Jenna added with a grin.
Izzy
wanted to turn the hose on both of them. “Fine whatever. Look, Quinn, we need a
coach, and Collier can give us a lot of pointers. So go get some skates.”
“Do
you need some cash, Quinn? I know you retired guys don’t always have a lot of
cash on you.”
Jenna
burst out laughing, but Izzy was horrified. Quinn went to get some skates, and
Izzy glowered at her old friend. “Can’t you just be nice, for me?”
“Izzy,
it’s too easy. Anyone else in the world, and you know I’d be nice. But Quinn
Murray? Come on! There’s just too much material.”
“Well,
wait until you see him skate.”
Collier’s
grin widened. “You’re right. This could be fun. So much so, I think I’ll offer
you my rink as a place to practice.”
Izzy
beamed. “Do you mean it, Col?”
“They
don’t have hockey skates in my size.” Quinn looked uncertain. “As for
practicing here, I’m not sure.”
“Granted,
it’s not NHL ice, but it was good enough to train a whole series of Olympic
caliber skaters.” Collier glared at Quinn. “What, you’ll only skate at the
Bridgestone Center?”
“No,
nothing like that.” Quinn looked surprised. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
offend. I meant I didn’t know if it would conflict with your other, clearly
thriving business ventures for the place.”
Collier
followed Quinn’s line of sight to the now abandoned concession stand. He
chuckled. “You got me there. Look, it would be perfect. It’s pretty much this
dead all the time, except on Saturdays.”
“Oh
it would be great to practice here!” Izzy couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
“Collier, you’re the best.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his
cheek. She didn’t miss the wicked grin Collier fired at Quinn. Whatever, you
two.
“Mom!
Mom I was just sort of looking around this place and I saw the most amazing
thing…” Jenna ran up to them, breathless and beaming.
“What’s
that?”
“There
are pictures of you all over the place. It’s so cool! You look so young!”
“Oh
thank you. Yes, now that I’m ancient, it’s nice to see what I looked like in
the Dark Ages.” She turned to Collier. “You never took down the pictures?”
Collier
shrugged again. “I’m gone all the time. Clearly my business partners don’t give
two craps about much besides the concession stand and the rental skates.”
“Well,
whatever. Quinn, do you have your skates in the car?”
“Of
course, but you know they’re hockey skates.”
Izzy
waved her hand. “Go get them and let’s practice!”
Quinn
studied the ice. “How about a pass or two with the Zamboni first?”
“No
way Studs McHockey.” Collier held up his hand. “First show me what you’ve got.
Then we’ll decide if you deserve fresh ice or not.”
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