“She’s saved a seat for me at the bar.” Marisa pointed to a Bluetooth earpiece hanging on Jason’s ear. “You all holler if you need anything.”
“We will,” Carol and Jason said at the same time.
Now came the awkward part. Jason couldn’t hold the menu, and Carol wasn’t sure if she should hold it for him, or read it off for him.
She scooted her chair to sit catty-corner to him. Since he’d suggested the restaurant, she assumed he had a favorite dish. “What do you recommend?”
“Everything’s great. Me and my buddies used to come here for the burgers. They’ve got every type of beef you can think of. Bison, Wagyu, Angus, free-range, you name it.”
“I’m not much of a beef eater.” Carol flipped through the menu, angling it so he could read it. “What about the omelets and scrambles?”
She scoured the menu for something easy to feed him. Maybe he would order a steak scramble and she could cut it up for him into small pieces.
“Nah, I always go for the biggest, juiciest, drippiest, messiest burger, the one with barbecue sauce, jalapenos, jack cheese, grilled onions, and guacamole.” He glanced sideways at her and grinned.
He sure was mischievous, and Carol wondered if she’d been too hasty in sending Marisa away.
“Okay, let’s get two of these jalapeno, cheese, guacamole contraptions,” she agreed.
“With the barbecue sauce,” Jason said. “That’s important.”
“Yeah, uh, important.” She ran her eyes over his tight white t-shirt. Wisps of hair peeked from the v-neck and she had the sudden urge to rub her hand over his chest—to clean up after him, of course.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a server taking their drink orders.
Jason ordered an ice tea to be poured in his portable cup, and Carol ordered a mineral water with a lime twist. Despite all her exercising, she was well aware that she needed to control her weight in order to move herself around with only her arms.
A few minutes later, the server returned with the drinks. “Will you two be having any appetizers? Or are you ready to order?”
“Do you need a few minutes?” Jason nodded toward Carol.
“I’m good. I’ll have whatever he’s having.” Carol flashed him a smile.
Pretend everything’s normal. Let him lead. Give him space. He’ll ask if he needs help.
“Then we’re both having your messy burger. Make it free-range. Medium-well.”
“With all the fixings?”
“All of it. Oozing over the sides.” Jason winked at the server.
“Okie dokie,” she said, gathering the menus. After checking that they didn’t need anything else, she departed.
Carol wasn’t sure what to say next. Small talk wasn’t easy when all she wanted to know was how Jason was injured. It was one of those things everyone with a spinal injury wanted to know about everyone else. What happened? Which level injury? Prognosis and therapy notes.
“You’re looking at me all bug-eyed,” Jason drawled, amusement written on his face. “So, let’s get this over with. I’m a C5 incomplete. Broke my neck in a freak accident.”
“Was it on the job?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t claim heroics.” Jason’s mouth turned down. “Wasn’t saving lives or putting out a fire.”
Carol waited for him to expand on the accident, but he only stared at her, his eyes gray as flint. “No feeling below my pecs, minimum arm movement. Biceps only, no triceps. No fingers either, but I’m hoping to regain more functionality as the swelling goes down.”
“How long ago?”
“About six months. They say the most improvements happen within the first year.”
That was what she’d heard too, but rather than wish for improvements, Carol had changed her focus to finding different ways to use her chair and the abilities she retained. Although deep inside, she never entirely gave up hope for a miracle.
It was her turn to answer and get the basics out of the way. She hated when complete strangers acted like they had a right to know what had happened to her and ask personal questions, but this man had asked her on a date.
“So you’re wondering about me?” She gave him a wry smile.
“Your sister’s told me a lot, but I’d like to hear your own words.”
She inhaled and pressed her lips together before answering. “I fell off an icy trail. Conditions were bad, but all I cared about was my training schedule. I was a mountain climber and wanted to eventually climb Everest.”
Jason whistled and nodded. “Everest. That’s hard core.”
“Obviously it won’t ever happen. I fell and broke my back. T7 or 8, depending on who you talk to. Incomplete. I have some feeling below my waist, but it comes and goes.”
“I can’t say I don’t envy you. Biceps, triceps, and all that movement.”
“I’m envious of everyone with a lower level injury, but I have to tell myself every day that I’m lucky for what I can do.”
“Same here.” He hooked his neck and looked over his shoulder. “Could you look in my backpack and take out my fork and knife? There should be cuffs there to strap them onto my hands.”
Heat flooded Carol’s face at how condescending she had been to imagine Jason needing her to cut his food and feed him like a child. She was glad she hadn’t mentioned a word on how he’d eat. Her questioning of him when he chose the burger was insulting enough.
She hid her face by diligently rummaging through his backpack. Marisa had acted like Jason needed extra care on a date. Marisa also treated Carol like a child. She meant well, but she was so insensitive.
“Left or right with the fork?” She picked up Jason’s left hand and wrapped the Velcro strap around his palm.
“Left. I cut with my right. I obviously don’t switch my fork from left to right when I eat.”
“Saves time.” She slipped the utensils in their proper place. “Is there anything else you need?”
“I hate this part, but could you tuck a napkin in my shirt? And don’t tie it like a bib.”
Of course. No man wanted to be treated like a baby.
Carol picked up the napkin and slid it down the v-neck of Jason’s t-shirt. She spent several seconds adjusting the napkin so it would fan out and protect his shirt. It was hard keeping the touch clinical, especially since his skin was warm and the feel of his soft hair reminded her of lazy mornings spent with a man in bed before her accident.
Jason’s breath caught, and his eyes focused on her. He wet his lips and swallowed, looking in all the world like he was hungry for her.
The two plates of oozing burgers arrived and broke the moment.
“Be careful. Hot plate,” the server said. “Could I get you anything else? Ketchup? Mustard? A refill?”
“We’re good,” Jason said. After the server left, he bowed his head and silently gave thanks.
Carol hadn’t expected it, but she also bowed her head and waited until Jason was done.
“Before we start, I need to tell you something,” Jason said, holding his fork and knife above the plate. He glanced over her shoulder and then averted his eyes. “I didn’t hire the singing telegram. I’m not surprised other guys are interested in you, and I don’t want you to treat me any differently than anyone else.”
“You didn’t? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I was nervous, and it all happened kind of fast. But I wanted to set the record straight.”
Wow. Not only was he sweet and masculine at the same time, he was also honest.
A shot of guilt swept over Carol’s spine. Did that mean Nick had sang his heart out for her? But then, Nick was an ass, and Jason was adorable. Jason understood her, and Nick had no clue what it was like to live the way she did. All Nick was good for was sex.
Where had that thought come from?
Carol felt a distinct prickling over her shoulders. She turned around and faced a pair of dark brown eyes boring into her.
Nick sat at the next table, all alone
, nursing a bottle of beer. The idiot was still wearing his half-Santa costume. His black tank top and tattoos made him look like Fright Night at the North Pole.
“Cheers.” Grinning, he raised his bottle to Carol and Jason. “Don’t forget this Christmas.”
Thirteen
“Do you know how rude this is?” Carol’s green eyes turned brown as she glared at Nick. “Why are you following me around?”
“Can’t a man have a beer in peace?” Nick tipped the bottle and swallowed. Sure, he was intruding on them, but getting Carol riled up was about the only emotion he could render. “Thanks for your generous tip.”
“Not at the table right next to us. Can’t you see Jason and I are having a date?”
“It’s okay,” Jason said. “Your friend can join us.”
“No, it’s not okay.” Carol pushed away from the table and waved to the wait staff. “Can we get the bill here?”
“Wait, you’re leaving?” Jason’s voice broke above the murmur of the other people’s conversations on the deck.
“Either I’m leaving or this stalker is. I’m tired of having my rights ignored.” Carol turned to the waitress who’d returned. “Can we get these boxed?”
“Hold it,” Jason said. “I would like to stay. No one’s driving me away.”
Nick wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat back to watch the standoff. The waitress shrugged, glancing back and forth between Carol and Jason.
“Fine, then he has to leave.” Carol pointed a finger straight at Nick.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the waitress said. “I can’t make him leave. Would you like me to find you another table?”
“No, please don’t bother,” Jason said. “Carol, if you want to go, go ahead. But I’m comfortable here in this corner, and we were having a good conversation.”
Nick chuckled to himself. Looked like trouble brewing in paralyzed paradise. He was too busy being amused to notice two pairs of high heels clacking on the wooden deck, until they were right over him.
“Why Nick, fancy seeing you here.” Marisa put her arm over Nick’s shoulder and slid into the empty seat next to him.
“Come join us at the bar,” the other woman, one of the Bumblebees, said.
“We don’t need rescuing.” Carol slapped her hands on the table. “We just want to have a normal date, and all of you are ruining it.”
By now, everyone on the deck was staring at their corner, although people tried to look out the side of their eyes when Nick turned to observe them.
Wow. Talk about drawing attention to herself. Carol was a real firebrand, and something inside of Nick expanded. He loved it when she got hot and boiled over.
“Let’s go, Nick.” A male voice sounded behind him as a hand clapped his shoulder.
His brother, Sam, stood over him, but looked at Carol. “I’ve ticketed all the motorcycles parked in the striped zone, and it looks like I’m going to have a word with the bikers sitting in the handicapped corner.”
“Please don’t,” Jason cut in. “We were having a good time here. I’m sure the tickets will give them the message. Besides, my burger’s getting cold, and I’d like to get to it before my date walks away from me.”
“Right, as if I’ll ever walk again.” Carol rolled her chair back to the table. Unbelievable. She was going to kowtow to the goody two wheels?
Nick smirked and shook his head, disappointed she’d gone submissive Susie so fast.
With a quick glare in his direction, she lifted her chin and addressed everyone who was staring at them. “Show’s over. The able-bodied asses are leaving the scene, especially the stalking Santa.”
Sam hooked his arm around Nick’s neck, pretending to give him a choke hold. “Come on, bro. You’ve screwed this thing up.”
What the heck? Why was his brother here ruining the action? It looked like Carol had called the police on the bikers, and boy were those guys going to be pissed. If he wasn’t mistaken, they were friends or family with one of the Bumblebees.
Before he could ask Marisa’s friend about it, the two ladies strutted briskly back to the bar. Nick had no choice but to vacate his vantage point. His brother wouldn’t let go of him until they were in the parking lot.
“That stunt was low, even for you,” Sam said. “Are you trying to snag her because she’s a challenge or do you really care about her? Because if she’s only a challenge, then you’re more of an ass than I thought.”
“She’s not a challenge.” Nick couldn’t even tell himself why Carol intrigued him. Okay, maybe she challenged him to be a better man, but that wasn’t the same as her being a challenge.
“Then a curiosity, which is just as wrong,” Sam continued his older brother lecture.
“I want to know her more. I can’t explain it.” Nick wiped his hand over his head. “It’s like all I want is for her life to turn out okay.”
“That’s not up to you.” Sam patted his shoulder. “Hasn’t it occurred to you that her life is turning out exactly okay, and she doesn’t need your help? Now, walk off that beer, and I’ll see you back home.”
“I don’t need you babysitting me.” Nick shrugged his brother’s hand from his shoulder. “You know what this looks like?”
“Brotherly love.” Sam’s lawman voice always made him cringe. The guy was always on the side of law and order.
“Like you’re arresting me.” He was well aware of the stares of the other customers as he and his brother marched down the redwood deck.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re such a drama queen.” Sam gave him a noogie and strode toward his patrol car.
Unfortunately, the drama wasn’t over. A stomping set of sharp footsteps charged them.
“You there,” an angry female voice shouted. “You owe me.”
“Oh, shit.” Nick recognized Brianna Barrister, the blonde bombshell lawyer who had a habit of embedding her claws into his back.
“Is she one of your clients?” Sam’s eyes narrowed.
“Ex.” Nick spat out the side of his mouth.
The stomping woman marched straight up to Nick and stabbed her fingernail onto his breastbone. “We had an agreement, Nick the Dick. I’ve a Christmas party to attend, and you’re taking me to it.”
“I’m not taking adult clients.” Nick pointed to his Santa’s hat. “Rex has me on Santa duty all of December.”
“Doesn’t matter.” The lawyer’s toothy grin widened. “I’m sure you don’t want to discuss the details of our arrangement in front of this handsome, righteous lawman.”
“You don’t have anything on me,” Nick grumbled. “I don’t have the time to play games with you.”
“Oh, really?” The lawyer tiptoed to whisper in his ear. “You’re not going to win this one. So man up and fulfill your end of the deal.”
“I’m so sorry about that interruption,” Carol said, as soon as the attention seekers had departed. Thankfully, the other people at the restaurant seemed determined to ignore them. Of course, they would probably be the topic of many office conversations.
You can’t believe what I saw at Cooper’s Hangout. A paraplegic with a quadriplegic. How does that even work?
Or, I can’t believe the paraplegic turned down that studly hunk for the guy in the wheelchair.
Or, That guy in the wheelchair was really brave standing up to the asshole.
“Carol? What are you thinking? There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Jason sat across from her, cutting his burger into tiny pieces of meat smothered in sauce, cheese, and bun pieces.
“It’s that bozo Santa guy. I can’t believe he showed up in his stupid costume and made a scene.”
Sure looked like Nick had cast a damper on her date, which had been going just fine before he intruded his hard ass on them.
“You don’t seem to like him very much,” Jason observed.
“It’s not that. He’s an attention hog. Did you see all the people staring at us?” Carol’s heart was punching against her ribcage and rage boiled in her b
elly.
“I’m used to it. It’s really nothing.” Jason stabbed a piece of his food and bent his head to coordinate it into his mouth. His hand zigzagged, and it was painful to watch him make the small adjustments necessary to take his first bite. He chewed on the burger and grinned at her. “Yum. You should eat yours before it gets cold.”
Carol reminded herself to stop staring at him. She picked up her burger and licked the mess oozing out of it. She took a huge bite, and the mixture of flavors exploded over her taste buds.
“Mmm … it is good,” she mumbled and dabbed her mouth with a napkin.
“Told you.” Jason’s eyes twinkled.
She felt guilty that she was using her hands and eating faster than him, but he kept up the conversation, telling her about his life as a firefighter, his proudest moments after receiving an award for Fireman of the Year, and his current job as a dispatcher.
He really was charming, and if she could ignore the smears of barbecue sauce on his chin, she could pretend this was a normal date.
He didn’t seem self-conscious as he lowered his head almost to the table and raked shredded lettuce into his mouth.
His entire plate was a mishmash, and he seemed to stab at random at morsels of food. Some of it dropped off his fork before making it to his mouth and trailed down his chin to the napkin tucked in his shirt.
Carol itched to grab a napkin and clean him up the way Marisa had dabbed his sweat before the meal, but she was his date, not his nurse.
He finished his food and wiped his lips with the back of his wrist, but missed the sauce dripping down his chin.
“Do you mind if I lick that sauce off your chin?” Carol blurted. “Oops. Did I just say that?”
“Guess I’m a messy eater, but yes, if you please.” He leaned to his left and Carol propped herself up on her hand rails and stretched toward him.
What was going on with her? She wasn’t usually such a brazen hussy, but then, she wasn’t the way she used to be either.
She kissed his chin and tasted the sauce, then he moved and brushed his lips over hers. She responded with a light kiss, no tongue, and it was pleasant, but not explosive.
Bad Boys for Hire_Nick Page 8