He met her gaze for a moment before giving her a tense smile.
"Good," Joel said. "Now just stand here for a bit, focusing on your balance."
He had Damon do a few small movements—shifting his weight from side to side, then forward and backward, and do a shallow squat—then asked, "Are there any spots in the sleeve that feel uncomfortable?"
They talked more about what Damon should and should not be feeling, made an adjustment, then got Damon on his feet again.
"Are you ready to walk?" Enthusiasm filled Joel's voice, but uncertainty still covered Damon's face.
He looked at Grace, and she gave him another broad smile as she blinked back the tears again. Finally, his lips lifted in a semblance of a smile.
They helped him take a few unsteady steps to the walking pad between two parallel bars that he could use for support. Grace couldn't help the little cry of excitement that escaped heras Damon took his first steps by himself. She pulled out her cell phone and took pictures and a video to share in his family chat.
Damon shot her a little scowl, but it was quickly followed by a smile. A genuine one this time.
Joel made Damon walk the length of the mat several times, coaching him on how to pivot to turn at each end. Then they talked about additional adjustments that needed to be made.
After almost an hour and a half, they walked out of the building, feeling giddy. Well, Grace felt giddy, Damon looked content and almost happy. When he scheduled his appointment to pick up what they hoped would be his permanent prosthetic next week, Grace volunteered to drive him again. She almost cheered out loud when he accepted her offer.
Once they were settled back in her car, Grace looked at Damon. "Are we headed straight home? Or do you need to make any other stops?"
"No, I don't want to go home yet." Damon sucked in a deep breath. "I've been cooped up in the hospital, the rehab center, and now at home for two months. I want to do something."
"Like what?" Grace was game for anything as long as it meant spending more time with Damon.
"Let me buy you dinner as a thank you for driving me today."
Her elation took a nosedive. Grace didn't want him to buy her dinner out of obligation. She wanted him to do it because he was dying to spend more time with her. But she couldn't say no. She would eagerly lap up any attention Damon threw her way, all the while praying they could get back to where they were.
She glanced at the clock on her dash and laughed. "It's only three-thirty. A little early for dinner, don't you think?"
"Then...let's go to a movie first."
Grace's heart did another happy dance; the salsa this time. There was no holding back the smile that covered her face now."Great idea. I'll buy the tickets; you buy the popcorn." She pulled her phone from her purse to see what was playing.
"I'llbuy the ticketsandthe popcorn." A determined look covered Damon's face. "ThenI'llpay for dinner afterward."
Was this a date?
Her pulse accelerated. He'd told her not to get her hopes up, but how could she not when he did things like that?
"It's the least I can do after you gave me such expensive and thoughtful Christmas gifts."
And her hopes were dashed again. Like waves against the jagged cliffs.
She could point out how much money he spent on Lily and all the puppy supplies but doing so cheapened both their gifts and would only make her feel worse.
She averted her head, blinked back the tears that flooded her eyes, swallowed her disappointment, and forced a smile. "So what movie are we going to see?"
CHAPTER 31
Two weeks later, Damon looked out the window at the gray sky. He was tired of being cooped up. Tired of watching TV. And tired of feeling like he didn't belong here. Other than fresh paint and some new decor, little had changed in the house, but it didn't feel like home anymore.
He balled his fist then flexed his fingers. He belonged with his unit. He couldn’t help feeling like he’d them down. Romero, Flores, and Doc needed him. He’d even be glad to see Howie if it meant he could be back with what was left of his unit again. They were the only ones who could understand the pain of loss that he suffered.
He wanted to go for a jog—or even a walk—but he didn't trust himself to go out alone yet. Asking one of his brothers to take him for a walk made him feel like a child.
He kicked his left foot up, examining his new prosthesis. He'd only had it for three days and was still getting used to it.
