On his way to realizing his Olympic dream, Tom Alan Baranowski finds himself in the midst of a dilemma. His traditional Japanese coach is insisting upon an arranged marriage between his biological daughter Erika and adopted son Tom Alan, who are partners on the ice. Tom Alan loves Erika, and his coach literally saved his life, rescuing him from an abusive home. How can he say no?<br><br>Somewhat resigned to his “not so bad” fate, everything changes when Tom Alan meets British ice dancer Milo Fisher. The spark between them is almost hot enough to melt the ice beneath their blades, and the two fall into an affair.<br><br>What about Erika? What about loyalty? What about gold? For Tom Alan, the impossible throw quadruple jump is suddenly the least difficult thing in his life.

Quadruple Flip

They weren’t the last words Tom Alan had ever heard from his mother, but they were definitely the ones he most recalled. He turned back and headed for the bedroom door Milo had closed behind him upon entering. He was suddenly claustrophobic, like a caged animal. “Should we go?” A tear rolled down his face as he opened it.


“I’m sorry, man.” Milo rose and patted Tom Alan’s shoulder. “I ask too many questions.”


“Lead the way, Skater Boy.” He took Tom Alan by the hand. “Let’s make magic.” 6


At the practice rink, after getting a few more words from Tom Alan about his childhood—only four words, “Yeah. It was bad.”—Milo had excused himself to put in a call to his father. “I wished him good luck on his tests,” he said afterward. “The old man seemed nervous, alternating between ‘All I probably need is a healthy diet, more exercise, and a daily aspirin’ and ‘I hope I live to see you at the Olympics.’ I told him I’d be saving him a seat.”


Chapter 16