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announced the next song is for couples only. Would you like to be my partner?”
    Couples only?
She nearly jumped. Her face, neck, and ears were impossibly hot.
Oh, my. Maybe Darin is interested in me.
Kristi hesitated but finally nodded. “Sure.” She tossed the trash from her meal in the garbage, cleaned her hands with a disposable wipe, and followed him out to the skating floor.
    Darin took her hand, and they skated easily along.
This is actually kind of fun.
Even though she doubted Darin would be a potential guy for her to go out with, she began to have second thoughts as she continued to skate with him. He seemed so gentle and kind. And the way his eyes sparkled when he talked to her made it feel almost like they were on a date. That thought was quickly dispelled, however, when two of the teens—Rick and Connie, skated up to them.
    Connie’s cheeks flushed pink, while her blue eyes danced merrily. “This is fun, isn’t it, Darin?”
    “Sure is.” He grinned at Kristi. “We should do this again sometime.”
    Kristi couldn’t believe Darin allowed the teens to call him by his first name. It seemed disrespectful. At the very least, Connie could have called him “Pastor Darin.”
    He acts like he’s one of them
,
instead of their pastor,
she thought when Darin let go of her hand and skated in circles around Rick and Connie.
He’s just a big kid at heart.
Kristi guessed that wasn’t all bad. Some people took life too seriously.
    “Wanna see me skate backward?” Darin asked, returning to her side.
    “Sure, if you want to.” She looked at him and giggled nervously.
I hope neither of us falls.
    He turned and got in front of her, then reached out his hands. She was about to take hold of them when the guy who looked like he could be related to Joel came by, hold ing hands with the little girl Kristi had seen him with earlier. Being this close to the man, she realized he didn’t resemble Joel as much as she’d first thought. His eyes were blue, not brown, and there was a slight hump in the middle of his nose.
Guess everyone has someone who resembles them,
she thought, clasping Darin’s hands.
    They skated for a while, facing each other, until Darin started skating too fast. Suddenly, he stumbled, let go of her hand, and fell.
    “Are you okay?” Kristi stopped skating and reached out her hand to help him up.
    “I don’t think anything’s broken, but my knees sure hurt.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Guess that’s what I get for showin’ off.”
    Holding tightly to Darin’s hand, Kristi guided him off the floor and over to a bench. “Should I go to the snack bar and get some ice for your knees?”
    “Yeah, I’d appreciate it.”
    Being careful not to fall herself, she made her way to the snack bar. When she returned with two small bags of ice, she found Darin surrounded by several of the girls from their church, all wearing concerned expressions.
    “Thanks, Kristi.” He took the ice from her and placed it on his injured knees. “It hurts more now that I’m sitting than it did when I fell.”
    Kristi checked his knees to be sure nothing was broken. “I think they’re both just badly bruised, but the ice should help.”
    “It’s kinda handy to have a nurse along to take care of me. Maybe we can go out for supper sometime next week, and I’ll reward you for your kindness.”
    Kristi’s face heated, and she turned her head away from him, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “There’s no need for that.”
    “Are you saying you don’t want to go out for a meal?”
    “No, of course not. I only meant—”
    “Hey, Darin, my dad just called. He wants to know what time to pick me up at the church.” Rick squatted in front of Darin, holding a cell phone. “What happened to you?”
    Darin explained his accident, then told Rick to tell his dad he could pick him up in an hour. He looked up at Kristi. “Would you mind driving the van? I’m not going to do any more skating, and with my knees hurting,