Free Walk on Water by Laura Peyton Roberts

with him either. But that didn’t make his words sting less.
    “I understand it’s not what you wanted, but you’ll see it’s for the best. At this point, at your age, you’ll be far better off with an experienced partner. Two green singles skaters would only double the learning curve.”
    Lexa nodded, not trusting her voice.
    “Do you two need me here?” Clara asked with a meaningful glance at the clock. “I could go get some coffee and come back later.”
    “No, carry on. I have a spare coffeemaker somewhere. I’ll find it and set you up in here.” Beth paused in the doorway on her way from the room.
    “Don’t you worry, kitten—G-mom has a plan. Give me a few more days, and you’ll be skating pairs.”

 
—19—
     
    Lexa tried to remain calm as Beth pulled into the parking lot at Cleveland Ice Arena, but she was already a bundle of stress and the sight of her new skating home nearly pushed her over the edge. Everything about the rink’s exterior was clean, modern, and imposing. Even its parking lot put Ashtabula Ice to shame. “Wow,” she said, heart racing. She had competed at a lot of rinks, but she hadn’t previously been to this new ice arena.
    “Best facility in Ohio,” Beth said proudly, parking her Mercedes right up front.
    Following Beth inside through the two-story glass facade, Lexa tried not to gawk like a tourist. Centered in the entry was an enormous fire pit ringed by curved benches. On its right was the office and a shop stocked with an inventory of skating and hockey equipment that Blake could only dream of carrying. On the left were a snack counter and a glassed-in restaurant with a prime view of the ice. Risers dominated the rest of the space, enough to seat huge crowds for competitions and matches.
    “Wow,” Lexa said again.
    “You’re going to be so happy here. They have a members-only weight room, dance studio, locker rooms, lounge. It’s everything you need, right here in one place.”
    “Do they have a dorm?” Lexa joked.
    “Everything you need to skate . Clara and I wouldn’t dream of missing your company in the evenings. You’ll get used to commuting, kitten. It won’t be that bad.”
    Lexa nodded. Considering what she was about to embark on, the drive from Ashtabula was the least of her concerns.
    A fire-haired woman emerged through a doorway marked PRIVATE and waved when she spotted Beth.
    “There’s Candace,” said Beth, waving back. “Come on.”
    Lexa walked forward to meet her new coach in a state of disbelief. She had seen Candace Zaharian at competitions—Candace was hard to miss with her not-remotely-natural hair color and trademark full-length furs—but she had never spoken to her, not even to say hello. Not only did Candace coach exclusively pairs, she and Blake still nursed some kind of grudge from the days Zaharian and Gibson had been pitted against Kaitlin and Blake at nearly every competition.
    “Beth!” Grabbing Beth by both shoulders, Candace laid up air kisses as if greeting an old friend. She was wearing a short white rabbit fur jacket, purple yoga pants, and—to Lexa’s delight—skates. “And you’re Lexa, of course. Are you ready to work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life?”
    “Definitely.” She swung her skate bag off her shoulder. “Should I lace up?”
    “Yes, go ahead. Might as well see what we’re working with before Boyd gets here.” Candace checked her watch, then turned to Beth. “I’ve got a pretty full day planned. Do you want to pick her up at four?”
    Lexa heard her own gasp and hoped Candace hadn’t. “I’ll go get my skates on,” she said to cover her lapse.
    “I planned to stay and watch,” Beth said as Lexa hurried off to the nearest riser.
    Seven hours! she thought, trying not to panic while she put on her skates. She wasn’t opposed to working so long; she just didn’t know if she could. With Blake, her training had always been broken up by school and her job at the rink.