A Feel For The Ice Ch. 01

"Is this your way of asking me out?" he asked.

"No," Anna whispered.

"So... you don't want to go out with me?"

"I didn't say that," she replied quickly and blushed when Hayden laughed. "Are you laughing at me?" she demanded in mock anger. "Don't make me drive over there and beat you with a hockey stick."

"Wow, I've got a whole new fantasy now," Hayden stated

"Fantasy!" Anna squeaked, sitting upright in her bed.

"Oh, yeah," Hayden replied in a low voice. "I can picture you now, in skates, on the ice, stick in the air, coming after me with that look in your eyes..."

Anna rolled her eyes and pressed a hand to her fluttering stomach. It just would not calm down. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"A little," Hayden replied. "So will you go out with me?" he asked, throwing Anna for a loop.

"I... what?"

"You will! Great," Hayden said and laughed when she sputtered in response. "I'll call you when I get back to town and we'll hook up."

Anna's face turned beet red at the words 'hook up' and she still struggled to find the words to respond.

"Anna?" Hayden spoke her name slowly, his accent rolling the two syllables out far more sensuously than should be legal. "I want to see you again."

"Are you sure?" she managed after a moment. She exhaled gradually and drew in another deep breath. "I mean, you've got this whole fantasy of me in skates chasing you with a stick. I wouldn't want to ruin that."

"You couldn't," he protested with a light laugh.

"Well, a mind can play tricks on people," Anna said. "You might remember me as this sexy coach-lady you fantasized about and then you'll see me again. It'll totally burst your bubble."

"I doubt that," Hayden replied.

"Hmm," was all Anna could add.

Hayden sighed on the other end and Anna blushed as her stomach turned over yet again. "Well, I suppose I should let you get to sleep," he said. "You've probably got a class first thing in the morning."

"Probably," Anna echoed.

Hayden chuckled. "Good night, Anna."

"Good night, Hayden," she replied.

***

Hayden kept his promise and called Riley the day after his game. After enduring another eight-year old conversation, Hayden agreed to call Riley when he was back in town the next day. He called again the following day as promised, but this time a strange man answered the phone at Riley and Anna's house.

"Uh, hi, is Riley in?" Hayden asked when he answered.

"Sure thing," the man replied. "Riley, buddy! Phone call for you!"

After a few seconds, Hayden could hear thumping and then a scuffling as the phone changed hands.

"Hello?" Riley's voice came across the line.

"Hi, Riley," Hayden said. "It's Hayden."

"Hi!"

"Riley, where's your mom?" that strange man called from the background.

"She's upstairs in her room!" Riley shouted back at the top of his lungs. "She said she's waiting for you to come up!"

Hayden frowned at Riley's words and wondered what the hell was going on.

"Sorry, Mr. Zimmerman," Riley said into the phone.

"Who was that who answered the phone, kiddo?" Hayden asked, striving to sound casual. Although he wasn't certain a child could understand all the nuances of adult tones.

"That's Kevin," Riley said. "He's our next-door neighbor."

"Oh. Is he over a lot, then?" Hayden asked, cringing as he spoke the words. He hated that he was pumping a child for information.

"Sure," Riley replied. "He came today to get me so Mom could go to her parents and teachers Show-and-Tell and Mom can't decide what to wear and she says Kevin always knows what looks best so she said when Kevin comes over that he needs to go upstairs right away."

"Oh," Hayden said, at a loss for words. Riley's mix-up of parent-teacher interviews made him smile but the fact that Anna sought Kevin's opinion on wardrobe made him feel... strange. He brushed it off, telling himself he was being silly. Not only did he have no claim over the woman, but asking for clothing advice from a guy wasn't something a woman did if she liked a guy. Right?

"I watched the game last night, Mr. Zimmerman and I saw you score two goals," Riley went on when Hayden said nothing more. "It was so awesome and I liked how you skated faster than that Karl Jonsson and he like, totally fell into the boards when you pushed him and then he got a penalty for holding so you got to score on the power play and it was so cool how you guys won the game and I was cheering so loud!"

Hayden laughed at Riley's enthusiasm, glad his young friend had enjoyed the show. It had been rather satisfying to sink two goals past Baddano, the Blue Jackets' goalie. In the end, he'd helped the team win and it certainly went a long way towards making up for his loss two nights before that.

As Hayden listened, Riley went on and on about his own hockey game the night before and his most recent math test at school. Hayden barely had to say anything before Riley was off and running on a new topic. Hayden idly flipped through television channels as he listened, adding a comment here and there.

Man, the kid really knows how to chat, he thought with a grin. He didn't mind. It was almost refreshing after the endless locker room chat he dealt with on the road. Plus, if it scored him points in Anna's eyes, it was an added bonus.

"Oh, I think my Mom's calling me," Riley said, breaking himself off mid-sentence when a female voice sounded in the background.

Hayden smiled and then he heard Anna's voice again, much louder this time.

"Let poor Mr. Zimmerman off the phone, Riley," she admonished. "He's had a long trip and is probably tired."

"I'm not tired," Hayden said to his little buddy.

"Mo-om," Riley whined. "He can hear you, you know."

Hayden had to laugh at that.

"Say good-bye and give me the phone, Riley," Anna ordered firmly.

With a great and terrible sigh, Riley did as his mother asked. "Bye, Mr. Zimmerman. Have a good night."

"You too, kiddo," Hayden replied. "Let me know how your next reading test goes, OK?"

"OK."

There was a shuffling sound and then Anna's voice came on the line.

"Hi, Anna," Hayden said.

"Hello," she replied. "I'm sorry Riley kept you so long again. You must be exhausted from your trip."

"It's not bad," he said with a shrug. "We don't have practice until tomorrow afternoon so I have lot's of time to sleep in."

"I envy you," she breathed. "I've got parent-teacher interviews tonight until nine and then I'm up and back to school before eight tomorrow."

"You must love it," Hayden said. He could hear the weariness in her tone, but stronger than that was the note of pride.

"I do," she agreed and then laughed. "Most days."

"What grade do you teach? Or can you even remember yet?"

"I can now," she replied tartly and Hayden chuckled. "Grade nine. Fourteen-year olds mostly."

"Oh, wow," Hayden whistled through his teeth. "You're a better man than I, Anna."

She laughed, the sound going right to his groin. He gritted his teeth and told himself to behave. "That's nice, Hayden. I haven't had a compliment like that in weeks."

"I can give you one every day if you want," he replied quickly.

She laughed again, pleasing Hayden to no end. "I wouldn't want you to strain yourself."

"Anna, I'm taking Riley now," Kevin's voice came over the line in the background.

"Thanks, Kevin!" she called and Hayden thought he could hear the sound of a door closing. "I should probably go. Lot's of interviews and some will probably not go so well."

Hayden smiled as she sighed. "How late will you be there?" he asked before he let her hang up.

"The last one I have starts at eight forty-five," she answered. "But it might go longer than fifteen minutes. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking I could come meet you after," he said. "We could go for coffee."

"But... it'll be late. After nine," she protested.

"I don't mind staying up after nine," he replied with a grin.

She sighed. "I realize that made me sound like an old woman but I meant that I won't be able to leave until nine at least," she explained.

"I don't mind," he repeated. "I'd like to see you."

She didn't answer right away but Hayden waited patiently.

"I'd have to be home by midnight," she replied at length.

"Is that your curfew, Cinderella?" he teased.

"You could call it that," she replied. "I can't leave Riley at Kevin's for the entire night."

Hayden's eyebrows shot up and he grinned, letting his blood go where it would. Her words had just lifted him past uncertainty and right into the most immense success he'd felt in weeks. "Well, it's nice to know where your mind is but I think I can manage to get you home on time," he said, his voice low.

He heard her sharp intake of breath and pictured the color filling her round cheeks. He couldn't wait to see it in the flesh again. He hoped she was as playful in person as she had been over the phone.

"OK," Anna replied. "Let me give you the location of the school."

As she listed the address of the school in her neighborhood of St. Clair Shores, Hayden calculated the time it would take to get there. They said good-bye and Hayden hurried to shower and dress before leaving his house.

***

Later Anna wished she'd never spoken to Hayden. She'd meant to get Riley off the phone so he could leave with Kevin; she'd never meant to chat with him again or to suggest he keep her out all night long. Even with a set of parents in front of her, color filled her face as she recalled their words to each other. Even worse was the pooling of moisture between her legs when she recalled the sound of his deep voice.

"Ms. Willis?" the father in front of her drew her out of her silent contemplation.

Shaking her head, she apologized and ordered herself to focus. Later, after several more interviews, she felt completely drained. Then she heard a low murmur spread across the room where she was conducting her interviews with three other teachers. A few parents were left in the room along with her and the teachers, but every head was turned towards the door. Anna's eyes followed their gaze and her body ignited when she saw Hayden Zimmerman standing in the doorway. His dark eyes swept over the small crowd and he smiled at everyone before his eyes lit on Anna. Then his teeth peeked through his full lips and he started walking towards her.

"Hi, Anna," he murmured.

Blushing, Anna rose to her feet. "Hi," she said, more than aware of the curious gazes on them both.

"I'm a little early," he said in a sheepish voice, his eyes flicking to the clock on the wall.

"It's all right," she assured him. "My last interview cancelled so I can leave anytime."

His face relaxed and he grinned at her. She thought her knees might give way. God, she wished she'd chosen something less frumpy to wear. Kevin had assured her that her long brown skirt and floral blouse was perfectly suitable for parent-teacher interviews. She'd agreed, then not even considered that she'd be wearing it out with Hayden after. She plucked self-consciously at the sleeve of her blouse as she smiled up at Hayden.

"So you can leave now?" he asked politely.

"Yes," she breathed. "Let me just tidy up and sign out."

He nodded and waited patiently by the doorway as she took care of everything she needed to. She glanced over a couple of times to see a couple parents talking to him. Hayden was smiling at them and shook their hands. One woman produced a day-timer from her purse and Hayden nodded before taking it and a pen from her to sign an autograph. Smiling to herself, Anna quickly finished her tasks and grabbed her purse and jacket from the rack in the corner before joining him at the door.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Zimmerman," the woman he'd signed the autograph for gushed. "My son will be so pleased to get this."

"I'm glad," Hayden said with a smile. "Tell him to keep watching the Wings."

"Oh, I'm sure he will," she agreed before following her husband out the door.

Hayden turned to face Anna and his smile turned to a full-fledged grin. "You're ready?"

"Yes," she said with a nod and pulled her jacket on. "Are you finished with your rabid fans?"

Shaking his head, he reached over to help her adjust her heavy winter coat on her shoulders. She shivered at his fingers brushed the nape of her neck. She'd managed to wrangle her unruly brown waves into something resembling a bun before coming to the school tonight so her neck was bare. She almost wanted to pull her jacket off and put it on again, just so she could feel the touch of his fingers on her skin again.

"Shall we?" he asked and gestured for her to go out the door ahead of him. "Where would you like to go?"

"There's a coffee shop just a couple blocks from my house," Anna suggested.

"Perfect," he agreed and they walked across the parking lot.

When they began to veer away towards their own cars, they glanced at each other and laughed, their breath forming small clouds before their faces.

"How about we go in my car and I'll bring you back here after?" Hayden suggested.

Anna agreed and he led her to his where he was parked. She directed him to the coffee shop she'd mentioned but other than that, they didn't say much. Anna chewed the inside of her lip and wondered for the thousandth time why Hayden was here. She stifled a sigh after a moment and decided she should stop questioning it. Even if he only wanted her friendship, and Riley's, she would be glad for that.

Inside the coffee shop, Hayden bought their drinks and they sat down together at a table in the corner with the window on her right.

"How did your interviews go?" Hayden asked as he tested the heat of his coffee.

She shrugged and twisted the warmer around her own coffee cup. "The same as always," she replied. "Some parents are very pleased with how their child is doing and others are wondering why they struggle."

"Fourteen-year olds must be a good mix of good and bad kids," Hayden commented.

"That's for sure," Anna agreed with a laugh. "I shouldn't complain. My classes are pretty good overall and there are just a few troublesome kids."

They chatted for a while. Hayden asked questions about her work and smiled as she relayed stories of her years at the school. She hesitated before telling him about how she'd ended up in this neighborhood and he seemed to have noticed because the next thing out of his mouth was more direct.

"Do you mind if I ask a question about Riley's father?" he asked, watching Anna's face as he spoke.

She grimaced involuntarily and offered him a weak smile.

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want," he added. "I won't pry and it's none of my business."

"It's all right," she murmured, dropping her eyes to the now frayed cardboard warmer around her cup. "I figured you'd want to know eventually."

"Anna," Hayden said her voice in a low tone. He reached across the table and laid his hand over hers, stilling her nervous motion. "You don't have to tell me."

She looked up to met his soft brown eyes and melted. He was smiling at her and his face was so understanding that she couldn't resist. Damn him, she thought as a blush swept over her cheeks. He'll probably never speak to me again after I tell him.

Still, she drew a deep breath and began to tell him. She told him the sequence of events, starting with her parents' sudden death in an auto accident right after Riley's third birthday. She described how her husband was already growing distant by that time and when her parents passed, Loren was hardly there for her at all. He attended the funeral and shook hands with family members but that was about it. Less than a month later she'd come from picking up Riley at daycare and found half the house emptied of Loren's belongings. No note. No messages on the machine. Not even a sign that he'd been a resident of their house for the past five years. Eventually divorce papers had arrived in the mail and that was the last contact - if one even wanted to label it as such - she'd ever had with him. He didn't even bother to call their son or send birthday cards. For that alone, Anna hated him like she'd never thought she'd be capable of.

After her long-winded tale, Anna shyly lifted her eyes to Hayden's face and saw a strange expression there. She frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head, a muscle working in his jaw. Anna watched it, feeling her body grow warm from the inside out.

"He never explained why he left you and Riley?" Hayden responded at length.

Anna blinked, pulled out of her silent contemplation of his wide mouth and fine, dark beard. She'd just noticed it was shot through with strands of golden brown. "I... no, I never heard from him again, except for the divorce papers."

His scowl deepened and Anna couldn't figure it out. "I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable," she murmured, dropping her eyes. "If you want to leave, it's fine."

"Why would I want to go?" he asked, sounding surprised.

Shrugging, Anna avoided looking into his face. Then she felt his warm fingers close over hers, gently tugging them off her coffee cup. She looked up, meeting his gaze and feeling her stomach jump inside of her. She swallowed and waited for him to say something.

"I don't have anywhere else to be," he said. "I would stay here all night if you asked me to."

Anna smiled at his words and shook her head. He turned her hand within his and rubbed his thumb over the skin of her palm. She shivered and blushed when she realized he'd probably felt that. She tried to tug her hand out of his but he wouldn't let her go.

OK, she thought, feeling her heart kick up several beats per minute. Say something. Anything. The weather...

"Uh, you know..." she started and stopped. "You... I don't know about you."

His eyebrows moved up on his forehead and his teeth showed as he grinned at her. With his thumb sweeping over her palm again, he tilted his head to one side before responding. "What would you like to know?"

Anna smiled, charmed yet again by his easy smile and his soft brown eyes. "Where do I begin?" she replied with a laugh.

They spent another hour at least in that coffee shop. Hayden was open and friendly, answering all her questions about his youth in Sweden and the summers he still spends there. His entire face lit up as he spoke about his hockey career. Clearly it was the love of his life and it pleased Anna to know that he so loved his job. She had her moments when she wished she'd chosen a different career path for herself, though they were few and far between, but it was impressive to know that Hayden never seemed to have any of those doubts. She envied him that.

After a long while, she couldn't hide the sleepy droop of her eyes any longer and she no longer bothered to hide her yawns behind her free hand; in all that time, Hayden refused to surrender his hold. With a grin, he stood up and helped her with her jacket before they left the coffee shop. They didn't say much on the drive back to the school and her car. Hayden even got out of his warm car and started hers for her, ordering her to stay sitting in his. She gratefully turned her keys over and rested her head back against the seat.

"Oh, man. I don't want to ruin your mood, but it's cold out there now," Hayden said as he climbed back into the driver's seat.

"Did my car start?" Anna asked, worried that her thirteen-year old sedan might have given him grief.

"Yeah, it started no problem." He cupped his hands in front of his face and blew on his fingers.

Glancing over, Anna noticed the tips of his fingers were bright pink. She shook her head and turned in her seat towards him. "Don't you have gloves?" she asked.

Hayden shook his head, continuing to blow on his fingers. Anna sighed and reached for his hands, grasping one of his in both of hers. She slid her hands back and forth on either side of his hand and shook her head again when she felt the chill against her skin.