Fresh Ice (23 page)

“It was.”

“Please tell me you two didn’t go on a date to the Waffle House!”

“What would be wrong with that?”

Cat laughed. “I think what we really are hoping is that you didn’t have the big rogerin’ on one of the tables, and then don that outfit to cover your shame.”

“We’re British this morning again, are we, Cat?” Izzy set her cup on the nightstand.

“I’m all about Sherlock Holmes this week.” Cat assumed a very proper air. “What I deduce from the state this woman is in, Watson, is that she was the victim of some very active lovin’, and didn’t want the rest of the world to know that she’d spent the night in the arms of a lover.”

“But perhaps she was on an early morning jog, Holmes.” Jenna attempted a British accent. “Which would be far more preferable to those of us who would rather not think about it.”

“Quite impossible, Watson, so suck it up. You see, there, on the floor, next to her bed, is a pair of high heeled dress shoes. The very shoes, I might add she was seen wearing at a half past two when she arrived home.”

“Holmes, you’re a genius!”

“Holmes, you’re nuts.” Izzy lay back on her pillows, trying to ignore the gales of laughter from the other two. “Not that it’s any of your business, but that kiss was all the active loving that happened.”

“I, for one, do not believe you.”

“And I, for one, am relieved to not have the image in my brain. Oh geez, I’ve got class.” Jenna glanced at her watch. “I’d love to stay and hear all about it but, well, you’re my mother so, no thanks.” She hopped up and kissed Izzy. “See you later!”

Izzy waited until the door closed before hopping onto the bed. “Cat, I have to talk to you!”

“Oh so we were just playing innocent for the girl, right? The two of you are actually lovers, right?” Cat couldn’t contain her giggles.

Izzy hesitated. “I don’t think so.”

“It’s a yes or no question. Either you did the deed, or you did not.”

“There’s a bit more to it than that.”

“I’m not following you.”

“Well, you’ve…you know…”

Cat’s mood sobered. “What, had sex? Yeah. I mean, not recently, and not with anyone as gor-ge-ous as Mr. NHL, but yeah.”

“Okay, well, I’ve only ever been with Jason. And he was very…it was sort of …” Izzy bit her lip.
How can I explain this? In all those years with Jason I didn’t feel one tenth of what I felt in that one kiss from Quinn. How do I explain that?
“Last night, we just kissed, really. But the kissing, Cat…it was…I really can’t explain it. I felt more, I was more involved, you know, than I’ve ever been…before.”

Cat absorbed this without comment, for which Izzy was thankful.

“And then we stopped.”

Cat was silent, tapping her fingers on her chin. “Quinn Murray stopped at kissing?”

Izzy shook her head. “It was me. I got nervous or something. I stopped everything. He said it was okay.” Izzy sighed. “Cat, I’ve never had that before, that feeling of…want. I’m not entirely sure what I would have done if we hadn’t stopped. I’m not what you’d call prepared for…that.”

Cat patted her hand. “Well, I’d say you are the luckiest girl on the planet.”

“Not the response I expected.”

“I’m serious. I have yet to meet a guy who sets up a romantic date, gets the girl willing and ready with a good lip lock, and then stops without the encouragement of a swift kick to the jewels.”

Izzy laughed at Cat’s depiction, but something nagged in the back of her mind. “So, then what, he’s not into me, so it was no big deal for him?”

“Maybe it means he is trying to be a better man with you. Do you have any idea how much control a guy like Quinn would have to exert to stop at kissing? Especially with you all dolled in that most excellent dress?”

Izzy unwrapped a muffin and took a bite. “What do you mean ‘a guy like Quinn?’”

“Well look at him, for number one. For number two…”

“Wait, I know that accent! ‘Cold Mountain.’ That’s the Renee Zellweger character. Ruby!”

Cat feigned impatience. “Anyway, secondly, he had quite the reputation during his playing days.”

“He told me.”

“Doubtful he told you everything. He was a real animal. Drinking, women, all the time. All the time.”

“I get it, Cat.”

“I mean, the man was a legend. He’d walk in to a place and half the women would want him and half the women had already had him.”

Izzy grit her teeth. “I get it, Cat!”

“Sorry. Then a few years ago, he stopped everything. Quit playing for the Preds. Quit partying. He started filling in at the radio station, and he really went crazy with the charity work. Like he was rebuilding his image from scratch.”

“We talked about his past a little, but he didn’t say much about his life here.”

“Well, when did he have time between dinner and face-sucking? I’m surprised you got any conversation in. At any rate, I think you can look at this first date as a complete success. You’ve hooked him. There’s no keeping him away.”

Izzy was unconvinced, but wasn’t going to push the point. “Well, I won’t be seeing him for a week. He’s on the road covering the Preds. He left for San Jose this morning.”

“Don’t be too sure about that. A man doesn’t give a girl the kind of good night kiss I witnessed and then put a country and a week between them.” Cat checked the clock. “I have to get downstairs. If I’m not there at the start of the lunch rush, I know three or four regulars who will leap over the counter and clean me out!” She hopped off the bed and left the room without another word.

Izzy hugged her knees to her chin, breathing Quinn’s scent from the sweatshirt. Peace and a sense of safety blanketed her.
He won’t let me fall.

Quinn parked his car in front of Silver Screen. Every window was full of light and he was suddenly very nervous.
What’s the big deal? Just get in there and talk to her.
He squared his shoulders and walked around the building to the front entrance. It sounded as if a very loud party was going on.

Once inside, he noted an odd assembly of people gathered around the big television in the front room. Some sort of heated game seemed to be happening. At the counter, Cat read a paperback. The phone rang, and she answered it.

“Mark, you butt. I’m not going out with you again! Because you make my brain sad. Because I know that the National Anthem doesn’t end with “Land of the Free.” No, I’m sorry but anyone who mistakes Annette Benning with Annette Funicello is not someone I’m going to be able to date. Because one is an Oscar winning actress and one was a Mouseketeer. Oh, and that thing you do with your thumb? No, no woman likes that. Stop calling here!” She slammed the receiver into its cradle.

Wonder if I should ask her what the thumb thing is?
Quinn took a cautious step toward the counter. “Wild night?”

“That? That was just some moron who thinks he can be an idiot and still get somewhere with me. And then we have the funky bunch over there.” She nodded vaguely in the direction of the loud the group around the TV.

“What are they playing?”

“Oh, we just got the latest copy of that movie game ‘Scene It.’ This is one of the Twilight movies.”

“Team Jacob!” Someone yelled over the din.

“Team Jacob sucks!”

“Vampires suck!”

“Werewolves blow!”

“Hey, you guys? If you can’t keep it civil, I’m going to take it away.” She returned her attention to Quinn. “If you’re lookin’ for Izzy, you’re in the wrong place. She’s working tonight.” She held his gaze. “You may have already thought that might be the case.”

“I guess I did.”

“You’re here to check the weather?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Look, you might be a very delicious chunk of yum…”

That’s a new name for me.

“But you haven’t been completely up front with our mutual friend.” She leaned on the counter, low enough that he had to sit down to hear her, “You knew exactly who you were dealing with all along, am I right?”

“You are.”

“I figured. So let me tell you something: Izzy’s a world class skater who’s had a sucky life.” Cat shook her head. “Her sister-in-law dumped on her, I know that. I also know Jason didn’t make her feel in all their years together what you did in one kiss.”

Her comment surprised Quinn. He closed his eyes, remembering the feel of Izzy’s fingers on his face, the thrill as she responded and returned to his kiss.

“Hey, hey!” Cat snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Focus here.”

“Oh sorry.”

“I saw that good night kiss. That was great theater. But dude, you dumped her off and flew to San Jose in the middle of the night? That’s not romantic.”

“I’m aware. That’s why I came back.”

“Which is a positive move. You’re no saint, but you’re taking some steps toward being a hero. You’ve got the look of one for sure. I respect you taking it slow with her. Let’s face it, if a kiss sets her world on fire I can’t even imagine what the full treatment from someone with your skill set would do.”

Quinn nodded, unable to form words in response.

“But get this: If you go back to your wicked ways and do to Izzy what I know you’ve done to half this town, I will hurt you.”

“I believe you would.”

“So we understand each other?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now do two things for me.”

“Okay?” He was not about to turn her down.

“First, get to Waffle House and see your woman. And second…” she hesitated.

“Go ahead.”

Cat picked up her book and sighed. “It’s a perfectly beautiful night and I’m a perfectly lovely person. I’m sitting here giving out romantic advice, listening to the idiot patrol play a board game over there, and reading only the good parts in romance novels. If you know a guy who’s not a complete moron, or just out of jail, could you send him my way?”

Quinn smiled. “I’ll do what I can.” He took a few steps toward the door.

“Oh one other thing?”

“Yeah?”

“He doesn’t have to look like you. It would be nice, but it’s not a deal breaker.” Cat’s smile was shy, and a little sad.

Quinn walked back to his car. Sitting behind the steering wheel, he stared at the back door of the coffee shop for several minutes.
She’s right. I have to be a much better person, I have to be honest.

Not a chance.

Quinn started the car, but didn’t put it into gear. The radio started playing Toto’s “I won’t Hold You Back.” Closing his eyes, the music carried Quinn back to the rink, to the one place where he felt good about himself, the place where Izzy was truly her most beautiful. He called to mind the feel of her skating, floating above the ice as if her skates never touched the surface. The memory of her from the night before, and that last night at Nationals, flashed before him, melding into one perfect image.

His hand on her waist, one holding her hand, twirling her, letting her go, the landing, like a flower on a still country pond, the feeling of control that flowed through him, even now, when he thought of her. Quinn tried to forget the look of her
in the glow from his bedroom fireplace a halo around her lithe form.

She needs a hero.

I could be that hero. I could at least give it a good try.

He put the car in gear and drove to the Waffle House.

***

This is ridiculous. I’m standing here staring at the phone like he’s going to call.

I have become every bad romantic comedy movie ever.

Cat would be so proud.

The bell on the door jangled. Izzy couldn’t pull her gaze away from her cell phone display. “Just sit anyplace. I’ll be with you in a minute. You want coffee?”

“Most guys wait a few days to call. I’ve never been a patient person, so, I thought I’d show up instead.”

“Quinn!” She leaped into his arms, not caring one bit that Carlo was laughing out loud over the grill he cleaned. “I thought you had to be in San Jose?”

“I did. I do. I was standing there on a sidewalk, Benny was getting into the cab and I just couldn’t
, I just couldn’t get into that cab. I turned around, went back into the airport, paid a ridiculous amount of money for a plane ticket, and here I am.”

She didn’t want to let go because none of it seemed real.

“I can’t be here too long. Benny and Bob can cover for me, but I do need to get back to them by Friday. So we have a couple days to just…” he set her down on her feet and sat on a stool. “In all absolute honesty, Izzy, I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Oh thank heavens!
“Well, I’m glad you came back.” She reached for a coffee cup.

“So am I. See, we left some unfinished business the other night.”

Her cheeks heated. “What are you talking about?”

“The business about…” he lowered his voice instinctively “the charity event.”