Icing the Rink

Gunnar's turmoil

Chapter 8

Gunnar’s pov

I am just getting home from visiting some of my dad’s restaurants. It has been a long day. I just wanted to stay in and skip dinner, but alas, that will not happen. So instead, I go take a shower and get ready. The twins texted and told me they had taken Amberlynn to town. I do not know what possessed Sawyer to send me a pic of her smiling and laughing. Made me want to strangle him. I told them I was trying to keep my distance from her, but no, he had to send me that pic. I think he likes to push my damn buttons. Her smile made her entire face light up. Admittedly, she looked beautiful and so full of life smiling like that. Making it harder for me to go through with my plan. But I know it is for the best. Our lives would get too complicated if I did not.

As I was walking into the dining room, I almost ran into Amberlynn coming down the stairs.

“Sorry, I was not paying attention to where I was going.”

“It is fine; we are just trying to make it diner on time.”

“Yeah, I am not used to going to family diners. My mom and I never would eat at the table. We usually would eat at island in the kitchen. It is going to take time to get used to it.”

“We grew up sharing meals together. We did not eat every meal together, but we tried as much as we could.”

Our conversion ends once we enter the dining room. I realized I must sit next to her again! This is complete torture. How am I supposed to keep my distance from her if I am sitting next to her? She even smells good. Her warmth sinks into me. I look over at the twins. They are grinning at me. I want to punch both in their stupid faces. Since being frowned upon, I give them my best glare. I hope they know that this is war.

“So, Gunnar, how were the restaurants today?”

“Most of them were fine, but The Gilded Lily.”

“What was wrong with it?”

“We had another complaint about the manager again. This time he shorted the server on her tips. I looked at CCTV footage. I had seen him put some of her tips in his pocket, so I think it is time to find a new manager. Already put him on suspension without pay.”

“That is good. Did the server want to press charges or anything? She needs to be compensated for his actions.”

“No, I asked her what she wanted to do, but all she said was that she wanted the money that was stolen. So, I gave her the money that was stolen and extra for her troubles. At first, she did not want to take it. I told her that what had happened to her was not right nor was it legal. In the end, she accepted the money and told me how grateful she was.”

“Well, son, you did the right thing. I am proud of you. I will post the job tonight so we can replace him as soon as possible. Do you want to do the interviews, or would you like me to do them?”

“If I am being honest, will you do them? With a lot coming up with the semester starting, and with hockey tryouts coming around soon. I want to focus on getting everything setup. I think this is going to be my last year of coaching. So, I want to give my all this year.”

“You really thinking about quitting?” Foster asked.

“Yeah, I have been doing it for three years. Since I got my bachelor’s in business, it would make sense to use it. I think Dad would appreciate my taking over some restaurants. Then he can get closer to retiring, you know, since he is getting old and all.” I say with a laugh. He looks at me like lost my mind.

“Well, excuse me. I did not know I was getting old. Must have slipped my mind.” We all laugh at that.

“Well, Foster and I have some exciting news.” His eyes stray to Amberlynn. She rolls her eyes at him.

“What is he talking about, Amberlynn? Did something bad happen?” Marie asked.

“No, Mom, but I think Sawyer likes to be a little dramatic. I think he should have picked drama instead of hockey. His acting skills are probably better than his skills on the ice.” She gives Sawyer a grin. We all laugh at that. Sawyer gives a mean look, like she is the problem.

“What Amberlynn means to say is that my hockey skills are subpar, and I will prove it to her.” She shrugs her shoulders, not even bothered by his words.

“You see here, our little Sawyer thought it was a good idea to challenge me, and Foster agreed right along with him. You know me, Mom I take my challenges seriously. They decided they could beat me 2 against 1 in a game of hockey. Which I accepted. We never got around to the details yet.”

Amberlynn, are you sure about this? You want to play against two men. I know you have skills, but I am not sure you can play against the two of them.”

“Yes, Mom, I do not think they would hurt me. I know that I have not known them for long, but I honestly do not think they would hurt me on purpose. These two are good men. They made me feel better today when I was feeling sad. It has been a long time since I felt this happy.”

“Sweetie, I am not saying that these men are bad. I just want to make sure you know what you are doing. You are my daughter, and I want to make sure you are safe. I know you are a grown woman, but your safety means the world to me. You might not be my little girl anymore, but I will still worry about you.” I look over at Amberlynn, and I see tears welling up in her eyes. She gets out of her chair and goes and hugs her mom. She comes, and sits back down, but her leg brushes mine, and I stiffen. I feel bad about my reaction when she gives me a sad frown. I look away fast so I cannot see the hurt in her eyes.

“That is why we are asking Gunnar if he would like to ref for us. Making sure it is all done the right way. So will you do that for us?” Foster asked.

“Yeah, no problem. Just make sure it is on a Sunday. Sunday is my least busy day.”

“Okay, so school starts in about three weeks, so how about we do it the Sunday before. Gives us some time to practice and go over the rules.”

“Since I need to get ready, are there any trails I can go run in the mornings? I was part of my routine before I moved here.”

“Yeah, there is a trail that starts behind the house. It is about 10 miles that come back to where you started. There are smaller trails that branch off it if you want more of a rugged run.” My dad answers her.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Well, I am off to bed. I am going to get up early for that run. Good night, everyone.” We give a chorus of goodnights.