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“Is that a sled?” she asked and laughed.
“Sure is,” he said, just as his feet slipped on the road. In a show of impressive agility, he managed to catch himself before he fell.
“You expect me to sit on that?” Rowan asked, eyeing the blue plastic disc.
“Can’t fall if you’re already on the ground,” Chris said. “I’ll pull you to our driveway. I salted everything earlier, so this is the last part we need to worry about.”
“This is ridiculous,” she said.
I looked at the solid sheet of ice covering the street and gripped her arm tighter. “I think you should ride the rest of the way. Cal would never forgive himself if you hurt your back more, and neither would I.”
She nodded and I helped her lower herself onto the sled after Chris pushed it to the pavement beside us.
“Hey, Theo,” he said. “Mind holding onto me while I pull Ann? Might improve my chances of getting there without wiping out.”
“Oh my gosh, I should have stayed at Cal’s,” Rowan said. “I’m sorry I put y’all through this.”
“I bet your family is happy to have you home, and I needed some space from Aiden.”
“What he do?” Chris asked as he gripped my arm with one hand and pulled the sled with the other.
“He bought a house because my boss evicted me.”
“He bought you a house?” Chris asked.
“No,” Rowan said. “He bought a house and offered to rent it to Theo, but only if he wants to live there.”
“Where is it?” Chris asked.
“Behind Mr. Twillings.” My boot slipped, and I pulled out of Chris’s grip. If I was going down, I wasn’t taking him with me. “Fuck, that was close,” I said, straightening.
“How bad do you want to watch that game?” Rowan asked with a nervous laugh.
“Couldn’t care less,” I said, taking Chris’s arm again. We’d made it halfway across the street, but a sheet of black ice stood between us and the Stevens’s driveway.
“Well, I’m still sorry to be so much trouble,” Rowan said. “I know you were looking forward to the game, Chris.”
Chris shrugged. “I’ll make sure you get in the house. Then I’m taking this for a spin down the street to Cal’s since Poppy won’t let me watch the game on the living room TV. Unless you want the sled, Theo?”
“You have half a chance of not going airborne in that thing. No way I’m making it.”
“Great,” Rowan said as Chris pulled her to the edge of the road. “You sled to Cal’s and watch the game, and Theo can taste test the baklava. Hopefully, they’ll plow or drop some salt before long.”
Chris and I helped her stand on the driveway, which was starting to accumulate ice despite the salt. Once Rowan was safely on the porch, Chris started toward the road with the sled.
“Think about renting that house, Theo,” Chris said. “It’d be nice to have you in the neighborhood.”
I nodded and waved goodbye.
“I can’t watch,” Rowan said, turning to face the house as Chris shoved off down the street towards Cal’s. He laughed as he picked up speed.
“Shit. How’s he supposed to stop?” I asked.
Rowan turned and let out a gasp as Chris careened toward the intersection of Sullivan and Broad. Just as he reached my truck, he tucked and rolled off the sled. The plastic disc shot off through the stop sign, collided with the curb on the other side of Broad Street, and flew into someone’s yard.
Chris stood and gave a loud whoop. Rowan sighed beside me.
“Come on,” I said taking her elbow. “Let’s get inside so you can text Cal before he tries to climb up the street.”