“Oh, don’t think an injured wrist is going to stop me,” she comments as a woman walks in. “I’ll be back on the slope showing you up in no time.” I notice the red medical sign around the woman’s bicep.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” the woman says with a friendly grin. She walks up to Hadley and introduces herself as Doctor Lane. “So, tell me what happened.”
“She was trying to prove she could fall better than me.” I smirk. The doctor stifles a laugh while Hadley gives me a look that screams “I will kill you.”
“Why on Earth would you try to fall better than your…” Doctor Lane trails off, looking between us.
“Friend.” Hadley and I spit the word out at the same time and at the same hurried speed. Doctor Lane raises an eyebrow, but continues questioning Hadley about what happened. I listen as she recounts her fall, wincing a little when she tells how she landed on her wrist and heard a pop.
“You’ll need to get an x-ray to know for sure, but I think it’s a mild sprain,” Doctor Lane says to Hadley. “I recommend going to the hospital in the city to be sure. In the meantime, no more skiing for you. You need to ice your wrist, take ibuprofen for the pain, and keep it wrapped until you can get a brace.”
“But I paid for this,” Hadley sighs.
“We can offer you a partial refund. Especially since it’s so early in the day.” Doctor Lane turns to look at me after fishing out a wrap from a bin. “Would you like to continue, or are you tapping out with her? I’ll be on break soon.” I don’t miss the suggestive smile in her words. Heck, Hadley and I said we were just friends, so I can’t blame her. She’s got to be close to our age, and she’s pretty—honey blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, soft blue eyes, and a kind smile.
But I’m not the kind of man that would flirt with another woman just to make the love of my life jealous. I’m all in for Hadley, and I’m desperately trying to prove it even if I’m moving at a sloth’s pace to respect her recent breakup.
“I need to be there to help her if she needs it,” I say to the doctor while smiling at Hadley. Hadley, who had been scowling only moments ago, smiles back.
“Alright then,” Dr. Lane says, still as kind as ever. “Let me wrap your wrist and then we’ll get you two up to management.”
Hadley
I’vebeenwatchingthosevideos where best friends kiss.
Some unaware guy gets one planted on him by his female best friend. Sometimes, I’m pretty sure it’s all just a setup for internet clout. But there are some where the girl kisses him, ever so gently, and then his eyes clear as if he is finally seeing the world for the first time. That wasn’t planned, nope. But their lives just changed forever.
I wonder if I could pull that on Braxton? Grown adults can do the trend, right? That way if he brushes me off, I can simply blame needing the views for my boutique. Karoline would eat it up.
But until I build up the willpower, guts, bravery, and all the other things to dothat, I’ll happily bask in the fact that Braxton chose me over the cute blonde doctor. When she invited him to go on the mountain with her on her break, my heart sank. And in that moment, I realized I never wanted to see Braxton with another woman ever again.
I’m in love with him.
He’s a good-looking man with his onyx black hair, trimmed facial hair, dark emerald green eyes, plush and kissable lips…
Snap out of it, Hadley.But dang, he’s fine. And seeing him with nothing but base layers on…gulp!
But it’s not just his looks. IknowBraxton. He is the man who would take in a stray cat despite being allergic. Everything he does, he puts his heart into it. He loves people, delights in serving others, and has always been there for me. When no one else was there, Braxton was. Even if I didn’t necessarily want him there. He sang for me last night when memories ofthat nightreemerged from the pit I had buried them in. He would love me wholeheartedly and with every fiber of his being.I know it.Can I accept that I’m possibly worthy of that love?
“How’s the wrist?” Braxton asks, setting a cup of water beside the bed after handing me two ibuprofen. This simple act of caring has Salt-N-Pepa's "Whatta Man" playing over and over in my head.
“Aches, but nothing these pills won’t fix.” I wince at my words, thinking they sound a little too familiar. A little too much like Mama.Chill, Hads, it’s just ibuprofen.
“You sure you’re good?” Concern flashes in Braxton’s face. I nod, picking up the water to wash the medicine down.
“Well, what do you want to do with the rest of our day?” I ask. I’m still bitter over not being able to stay on the mountain. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. The sheer beauty of the world around me on that ski lift, with Braxton by my side, convinced me there was a Creator. There’s no way that beauty just happened. But I still have questions. So many questions. Like how could a loving God let me be born into the messy situation of my mother? Or how could a God that supposedly had my best interest in mind allow me to fall victim to a horrible, soulless man who treated me like an object? Who allowed me to see a future with a good man for a split second before ripping it away? Well, at least I thought he was good. Maybe God really was looking out for me with Cheater Dank Nose Daniel.
“You need to rest, Hads,” Braxton says, sitting down beside me on the bed. He’s too close. He pushes all thoughts of my ex from my brain.Gah,it’s suffocating how my stupid, hormonal body reacts to Braxton these days. And it’s amazing how he makes me feel like I could enter into another relationship so soon.
I try to envision the scrawny kid I once knew in grade school, but nothing comes to mind. It’s all man in front of me today. A kind and caring man, which makes him all the better looking in my eyes. “Besides, don’t we have to get up early to head to Chesapeake for the wedding in the morning?”
“We do, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have a fun day. My wrist is fine. I’ve taken the medicine, we went and got a brace from Walmart, and Ipromiseit’s not broken. I’d feel it,” I plead. I’m incredibly thankful I talked him out of taking me to the hospital. Technically, he let me win our Rock, Paper, Scissors game, which allowed me to make the choice not to go. The hospital is the last place I want to be. “So, I’ll ask you again. And if you don’t answer, then I’ll take it upon myself to pick something. What do you want to do?”
Braxton stiffens, his facial expression pained. What in the world? He swallows, his cheeks turning an attractive shade of pink. Isn’t it something when you can make a man like Braxton Rawls blush? I don’t know what I did or said to cause it though.
“Want to explore the town?” he finally asks.
“Why yes, I do,” I say, already hopping out of the bed and heading for my luggage. I’ve been researching what there is to do around here on a Saturday afternoon and evening. I grab my cowgirl boots, ripped high-waisted skinny jeans, a tank top, and flannel. “Wear your boots, Rawls.”
