Free Gifts by Stephanie Burkhart

Chapter One
    Christian Jansen had no idea what to expect. He jammed his hands into his jeans pockets and stared out the wide glass windows of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport waiting for her – Famke deVries.
    Her plane from New York taxied toward the gate. He drew in a breath, hoping to calm his nerves. The last time he saw her was four years ago when she was sixteen and went to study in the States. Famke loved ice skating as much as he did.
    Skating was in his blood. Ever since he was two and had received his first pair of skates from his father, he wanted to represent his country at the Olympics. His heart constricted at how he'd almost ruined his dream. Famke offered him a second chance. He couldn't blow it.
    The gate extended toward the plane's door. Christian closed his eyes briefly, trying to push the unbidden memory of that awful day away – the day his blade caught on uneven ice. Christian was a pairs figure skater. He stumbled and dropped his partner whom he had in an overhead lift. Her blade sliced his forearm. Katrien reached for him, missed, and her blade struck his temple. He couldn't remember what happened next – he'd lost consciousness. Later, he woke up in the hospital to a sprained ankle, a broken arm, and a deep scar on his face. It took weeks for him to heal and several more weeks of physical therapy to gain his strength and form back. In that time, Katrien left him to work with another skater.
    Christian had doubts, fears even, about getting back on the ice, but he believed he had recovered in body – and spirit – and he wanted another chance on the ice.
    "Look, they're getting off the plane." Famke's brother, Stephen, put his hand on Christian's shoulder and smiled.
    The knot in Christian's stomach tightened, but he managed a polite grin. Stephen had been Christian's best friend since they were six.
    Chris nervously rubbed his hands together. Here he was waiting for his new skating partner and he had nothing to show for his appreciation. He glanced at his friend. "I'll be right back."
    "She'll be here any minute."
    "I know." Christian spun around and trotted toward the nearest gift shop. Unfortunately, he didn't find any flowers. There were books, shirts, shot glasses, postcards – and chocolate. Next to flowers, a good piece of chocolate could make any woman smile. He picked through the boxes. There was white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, nuts and chocolate, and there in the corner he found his favorite – Mozart Kugel. A slow grin grew across his face as he dreamed about eating a piece. Mozart Kugel was a chocolate ball with a pistachio and marzipan filling. Still smiling, he paid for the box and headed toward the gate.
    Passengers hurried out into the airport. Famke stood next to her brother chatting easily with him.
    Christian froze. His pulse quickened. He remembered how at sixteen, she appeared slender and almost mousy with her black-framed glasses and short brown hair, but now she'd changed. She looked every bit a confident young woman with a dazzling smile and a sparkle of excitement in her soulful green eyes.
    He raked his gaze over her. She was tall, he'd guess 5'8'', but he was 6'2'' and her height would complement his well on the ice. Her hair was long now, a rich walnut color with tight curls that had been teased into place. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds. In that moment, he was very grateful she accepted his offer to be his new skating partner. He stuck one hand behind his back and crossed his fingers. Famke had grown into a stunning young woman, but if they didn't find the professional chemistry they needed on the ice, they didn't stand a chance to be selected for the Netherlands Olympic team.

Chapter Two
    Famke grabbed her bag from the overhead bin and shuffled into the aisle. Her stomach knotted with anxiety, and it was all she could do to keep from biting her nails.
    She had owned a pair of skates since she was three. Ice skating invigorated her soul and gave her a