Did shelike? In one way, more than anything. In another? All she wanted was to be someone else in a working body.
“Of course,” she said, hearing a bit of her spunk fade with the words.
“I’ll text you, Elise.” Wade tipped his hat. “Nice meetin’ you. See you soon.”
With that, he strode away toward the lodge, six-foot-something and so gorgeous that all she could do was stare at his back and whimper.
“Well, well, well.” Nicole clucked noisily enough to get Copper’s attention. “Look who has a date.”
“Stop!” The order sounded harsh, and Elise regretted it the minute she spoke.
“Why?”
She huffed out a breath, turning Copper to head back to the stable. “Don’t give him my number.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I’m…not a fan of bone-deep, life-long, soul-breaking disappointment.”
Nicole stopped mid-step. “What are you talking about?”
“Nic, don’t.”
“Don’t what?” her friend pressed. “Act like you can’t have a date? Because I don’t buy that, not one bit.”
Elise swallowed and let her eyes close. “Who’s here to help me off?” she asked, her voice low and stiff.
“My dad’s in the stable and Cam, who I pray did not see you on this horse alone.” Nicole eyed her and guided Copper toward the open doors. “Don’t sell yourself short, E,” she whispered. “He obviously liked you.”
“He…doesn’t know. He couldn’t see the harness holding me in place, or the fear in your eyes when you had to step ten feet away. He doesn’t know I’m not a…regular girl.”
“Well,Iknow you’re not a regular girl,” Nicole quipped. “I know you’re beautiful, hilarious, brilliant, tender-hearted, exuberant, delightful, and?—”
“Crippled.” Elise blinked hard against the sting in her eyes.
Nicole put her hand on Elise’s leg. “Are you going to force me to make your dreams come true again, sister-to-be?”
Elise gave a shaky smile. “You know something?” she asked. “I can’t feel your hand on my leg. Not a thing from the top of my thighs to the bottom of my feet. When a man courts a woman, falls in love with a woman, and gets close to a woman, he’s going to want her to feel it when he touches her. I can’t and never will. So no matter how beautiful or tender or delightful you think I am? I will never be normal or regular or…or…”
Nicole looked up, her eyes swimming in tears. “You feel things in your heart,” she said simply. “That’s all you need. Let me give him your number.”
Elise took a slow, deep breath. What was the worst that could happen? She’d never tried…anything before. She’d never been on a date. She’d never kissed a boy. She’d never been in love.
And this guy was a visitor, so…
“Why the heck not?” she asked on a whisper, as much to herself as Nicole.
Why not? Because she could get her heart shattered as bad as her legs were in an accident fifteen years ago. Well, she’dsurvived that, so no doubt she could survive a little heartbreak from Alabama.
At least she’d go down smiling.
“’kay,” she whispered, closing her eyes so she didn’t have to witness Nicole’s victory fist pump.
Red Starling tugged at the fur-trimmed collar of his ill-fitting Santa coat as he trudged up the snowy path from the lodge toward his house. Leftover pasta and a steaming hot cup of coffee waited for him.
A couple of sleigh rides andeverythinghurt.
Well, not his heart. That seemed to be ticking along just fine, but after the nightmare at the ice rink a week ago, he’d been more aware of it than ever before.
