Read Twist of Fate (A Holiday Romance Novella) for Free Online Page B

door shut hard behind him. Down the hall and down the stairs he went, pausing at the bottom when Kenzie’s voice called out above him.
    “Ty, wait.”
    Light, quick footsteps sounded behind him, and a hand on his shoulder had him turning around.
    “I’m sorry you had to see that,” said Ty, hating that he’d lost his temper in front of her.
    “See what?” Kenzie surprised him by wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tight.
    Ty rested his forehead against the top of her head and breathed in the citrusy smell of her shampoo. If this was what happened when he lost control, maybe he should do it more often. “She makes me so crazy.”
    “She hurt you,” Kenzie said. “You can’t expect to just sweep those feelings under a rug and forget about them. I actually thought it went pretty well for a first meeting. I mean, you didn’t throw any punches or swear or threaten to disown her or anything. That’s good.”
    Ty chuckled, feeling the tension ease from his body as he held her close. “I can’t guarantee I won’t do that if I have to see her again.”
    Kenzie pulled back and looked up at him. “We spent all afternoon chatting, and believe it or not, she really is sorry for what she did to you and Nicole. She misses you, Ty, and who can blame her? I know I’d be devastated if you stopped talking to me.”
    A few sentences, a look, a hug, and Ty’s frustration practically melted away. Kenzie was like a large dose of Prozac. How did she do it? “I’m not sure I can face her again.”
    Kenzie’s hands moved up and down his arms. “What about giving it one more day? She told me earlier that she loves ice skating and hasn’t been in years. Why don’t we do that tomorrow night? I mean, if we’re all skating, you won’t have to talk to her very much, right?”
    “You hate ice skating.”
    “I know.” Kenzie nodded. “But you don’t like being around your mom, so we’ll be even.”
    Ty almost laughed. Did she really think that a trip to the ice skating rink would somehow fix his relationship with his mother? That a few hours together would somehow erase past wrongs—especially after what had just happened?
    He studied her face, her expression, her wide blue eyes. “Why is this so important to you?”
    “Because you’re important to me.”
    Ty’s heart seemed to beat double-time. If she had any idea how badly he wanted to kiss her right now, would she let him? Or would she retract her offer to go ice skating and run back up those stairs? He didn’t dare find out.
    Yet she’d admitted to caring about him in some way. She’d even opened her home to a relative stranger because she thought it would somehow help. It wasn’t a confession of love or anything, but standing in the foyer with her in his arms, it felt like a baby step in the right direction.
    He’d take it.
    “I’ll think about it,” Ty finally said.
    A huge smile spread across her face, and she gave him another hug. “Thanks, Ty. You’re the best.”
    Yeah, he’d take that too.
     

KENZIE LACED UP her rented ice skates on the outskirts of the outdoor rink. Surrounded by brightly lit trees and high-rises, they couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place to skate.
    If only Kenzie knew how.
    “Just so you know, LouAnn,” Kenzie said as she pulled her laces tight, “I’ve never been ice skating before.”
    “Ever?” Ty’s mother shot her a look of surprise. “How can you grow up in New York and not know how to ice skate? That’s like growing up near the beach and not knowing how to surf.”
    “Well,” Kenzie said. “I shouldn’t say never. I did try it once. When I was six. My mom signed me up for skating lessons, and halfway through the first lesson, I attempted to show off by doing an axel jump and ended up with a broken arm. After that, I never tried again.”
    LouAnn blinked at Kenzie with wide green eyes—Ty’s eyes. The resemblance made it easy to like LouAnn despite her strong opinions and Ty’s