“Yeah, well, maybe this year will change all that,” I heard myself say. What the hell? I stepped back, as Chris took Charlie’s hand, and tugged her away.
“We’d better go, I have to get back to the orphanage,” Chris was saying, and then nodded toward me. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. And Charlie, I’ll be seeing you soon. Think about that offer. Better make it impossible to resist.”
I watched as they walked away, crunching through the fallen branches and thin coating of ice that had crept through the more exposed parts of the wood.
A new feeling simmered in my chest, as I watched her go. It was hard to place for a second. It wasn’t the adrenaline of performing or the steady pleasure of playing alone in practice. It was excitement, thrumming in my veins. Excitement for something other than music, for the first time in forever. Excitement for her.
I turned back toward the house, feeling more renewed than I had when I’d finished my run in a sweaty mess. New energy sparked in my body, and I took up a light jog to finish the distance to the entrance. I went inside to shower, all thoughts of ghosts and drinking away painful memories disappearing, in a puff of hopeful smoke.
CHAPTER5
Charlie
It was a family tradition to go every year to the local ice rink. Technically, it was the huge pond in the middle of town, iced over to skating perfection.
“Is your brother coming?” Lily asked, craning her neck to look around.
“Yes, he’s coming, he better be, anyway. It’s tradition. If you two are going to compete the whole time, you should just go now,” I warned her. Lily was an honorary member of the Winter family, and the only person who couldn’t seem to remember that was my older brother, Will. The two fought like cats and dogs and drove me crazy.
“Don’t worry, Will can’t compete with me, we’re on a different level, baby,” Lily cracked and grinned at me. I spied my family coming down the slope toward us.
“Charlie! Lily!” My mother always greeted me like she hadn’t seen me in months, despite the fact that I still lived under her roof. To be fair, I was out a lot, often leaving the house before she was up, and back after drinks or dinners with friends and missing her.
She pulled me close and hugged me hard and then turned to Lily.
“Why, Lily, you look pretty as a button today! Did you do something with your hair?” Martha said, running her fingers through Lily’s blond curls.
“This is why I love you, Martha,” Lily grinned at my mother, and then hugged my silent, looming father. Buck Winter didn’t speak much, but when he did, it was usually something important.
“What, no hug for me, Lily pad?” Will’s teasing voice floated to us, as he sauntered down the rest of the slope.
Lily scowled at him. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?”
“At least once more,” Will murmured, reaching out and snagging my best friend around the waist and pulling her into a bear hug. There had been a time in school where Will, despite being older than us, had been smaller, and we’d pushed him around mercilessly, with the righteous privilege only sisters felt. Then, he’d suddenly shot up and out, becoming a football player for the school team, and getting strong enough to lift us both at once.
Lily flushed and wriggled in his arms. “Let go, Will,” she ground out. “No hug for you.”
Will laughed. “What if I want one,” he murmured in her ear, before letting her go.
My parents had moved off to a nearby bench to strap on their skates, so I was the only witness to the look that passed between Lily and Will before she turned away and stomped toward the ice.
“Hey, sis,” Will said, finally turning his attention to me.
“Hey yourself. When are you going to quit riling her up?”
“When she really wants me to, and not a moment before,” Will laughed good-naturedly.
“You two are the worst, just be friends, or get married already,” I muttered, pulling my gloves on. Will was stunned into silence by that statement, and I stuck my tongue out at him, as I made my way to Lily’s side, and took her hand.
“Shall we?”
Lily nodded, and together, we stepped out onto the ice. I nearly fell right away, of course, and the thrill made me laugh. Moving carefully, we started to skate. Lily was way better than me, so I released her hand, and let her go on without me. Kids slid into my path, kissing couples, as well as the odd person who’d fallen and needed help to get up. Tinny music played from a small speaker, only heightening the festive feeling.
My mother skated up beside me and linked my arm through hers.
“How are you doing, hun?”