Outside, Danny stopped to suck in a lungful of air. This wasn’t the end of the world. Losing a leg wasn’t the end of the world. Hadn’t they told him that a million times?
And they’d surprisingly been right. Walking away from Sarah, clutching a cane, and using his buddy to hurry his exit was the end of the world.
Every far-fetched dream of ever being with Sarah had died. Not only diedmore like gasoline had been liberally poured on those ridiculous fantasies and fate had lit the match.
Mitchel coughed, and Danny looked at him. He was rubbing the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry, man. I assumed they’d know. I mean”
“Don’t worry about it,” Danny interrupted. “It was bound to happen. I just wish…”
“I know. You’ve been in love with that girl for forever.”
“What? You knew?”
“Everyone knew, except her. You two were pathetic. Both of you looking at each other with lost puppy dog eyes.”
Danny reached out to punch his friend in the shoulder. “I wasn’t that pathetic. Wait… Sarah looked at me like that?”
Mitchel stared at Danny. “Yeah. She was looking at you like that when I walked in. I’d thought you’d finally gotten the nerve to ask her out.”
Hope swelled in Danny’s chest. He turned, thinking he might go back in.
Pain shot through his knee---all hope vanished. “You’re a real jerk sometimes. I can’t ask her out. Look at me!”
Mitchel sighed. “The doc said you’d be running in a few months’ time. What’s the problem?”
Danny wanted to strangle Mitchel. Didn’t he see? Didn’t he realize that he was only half a man? He’d always hoped that the Army would build him up, make him a hero. Then, he could come home and maybe, if luck was with him, Sarah would still be single. She was single alright, he thought with bitterness, but the Army had broken him.
When Danny didn’t answer Mitchel shrugged. “I think you should still ask her out.”
Yeah, right. Not anytime in this lifetime.
Chapter Six
Katy hadn’t had any idea that Danny was missing a leg. She glanced over at Sarah who sat in one of the stools, looking as frozen as a statue. Katy bit her lip. Despite this incident, she still had the innate feeling that Danny and Sarah were meant for each other. I should talk to Sarah. Katy crossed the diner, but before Katy got there, Sarah got up in a rush.
“I should get back to the bakery,” she said quickly, her words stumbling over one another.
Katy watched her go. A hollow feeling took residence in her heart. Those two are meant for each other. Katy hated to see true love get lost due to a misunderstanding. She vowed to do something about it if they didn’t figure it out themselves.
Sarah raced out of Cupid’s like it was on fire. Her mind felt numb, and she couldn’t stand to be in there for another minute. When she was outside, the cloying confusion and shock began to wear off. Her mind began running through the possibilities. Had Danny lost his leg in the war? If, so how?
She tried to imagine what the prosthetic looked like when it wasn’t covered by his pants. She bit her lip and shook her head. It was probably best not to think about it. With a heavy heart, she opened the door of her bakery, the sound of the door chime getting under her skin.
“What’s wrong with you?” Ming asked from behind the counter, working on restocking the display case. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Sarah didn’t answer, and Ming went back to organizing the cupcakes by flavor. The silence stretched out, and Sarah felt no need to fill it.
Ming, on the other hand, hated silence. “Oh, the paper just came in. Big news. Apparently, some war hero just got back. He’s on the front cover.”
Sarah rushed to the counter. There on the front page was her Danny all decked out in his military uniform. He looked so brave and handsome. Her heart about broke when she thought about his missing leg.
Sarah slumped into one of the nearby chairs, tossing the newspaper on the table next to her.
Ming stopped sorting and stared at Sarah. “What’s with you? Do you recognize him or something? It says he grew up here.”
“I know him. In fact, I just saw him.”
Sarah's voice felt hollow. Too many emotions had cycled through her. Shock at seeing Danny. Excitement at just being with him and then just when she was about to ask him out... The shock at seeing metal instead of flesh stabbed her in the heart.
“Where?” Ming asked, straightening herself out and raising an eyebrow.
“At Cupid’s. He was the customer that Katy ordered the shortcake for.”
“He was someone special,” Ming stated.
Sarah looked at Ming. She waved the last cupcake at Sarah and closed the glass doors of the display case.
“The look on your face says it all. Who was he?” Ming asked as she moved on to arraigning cakes.
“My old, high school crush, Danny FitzPatrick.”
“Oh. That’s exciting.” Ming said, the tip of her tongue jutting out between her lips as she tried to balance a large cake on a stand. It was a little lopsided, and she sighed. “A little help would be nice.”
“Right,” Sarah said absentmindedly, walking over to the display case. She helped Ming remove the cake and center it once more, but her mind was too preoccupied with Danny to fully focus. Once again, the cake ended up being crooked.
“I give up.” Ming threw her hands in the air and walked over to the sitting area. “Spill the beans. What has got you all wound up? I would think seeing an old high school fling would be exciting or at the very least interesting. You look like your cat just died.”
“I don’t have a cat,” Sarah said.
“It’s an expression.” Ming took the other seat, next to her friend and boss.
Ming eyed Sarah suspiciously for a few seconds. It was so unlike her to be this quiet. Whatever had happened must have really upset her. Before Sarah could explain, Ming picked up the newspaper from the table between them. A handsome, bordering on movie-star sexy, guy stared back at her. She’d read the first paragraph of the article but hadn’t finished.
Ming began to read the rest of the article, hoping to find a clue as to why her friend was in the dumps. Maybe he was married and had five kids or something. She got two paragraphs in before Sarah snatched the newspaper away from her. But she’d read enough to guess what was bothering Sarah.
Ming watched Sarah pour over the article. Sarah’s face turned grim. Not exactly what one would expect after reading about a real life hero.
“This guy’s amazing, huh?” Ming said, looking over Sarah’s shoulder. “He saved his unit and a friend.”
“Yeah…” she mumbled, running her fingers through her dark hair. “I just can’t believe it…”
“What?” Ming asked.
“He lost his leg. He has a prosthetic,” Sarah stated.
“So?” Ming retorted. She had to save her friend from herself. Sarah was the best friend and boss she’d ever had. But Sarah’s love life sucked. Maybe it was a sign that her long-lost high school crush was back in town. Maybe he was what she had been waiting for. “Why does that matter?”
“I…” Sarah began.
Ming cut her off, a blazing look in her eyes. “The guy is gorgeous, Sarah. Not to mention accomplished.”
“He is…” Sarah agreed, remembering his breathtaking gray eyes, his soft brown hair, and the way his broad shoulders gave him an air of importance. Somehow, he had gotten even more handsome over the years, aging like a bottle of fine wine. Sarah bit the end of her lip, pulling up a mental image of his smiling face, her heart skipping a beat. In the end, she couldn’t deny that she was still attracted to him.
“And you said he was your high school crush?”
“Yeah. He was the nicest guy and my best friend since we were little. Someone I could count on when I had a bad day.” Sarah spoke about Danny with a nostalgic tone, remembering all the times he had taken care of her when sh
e had been sick. “But I was a fool and had this dumb plan to date his best friend to get him to notice me. Completely backfired.”
Ming shook her head. “Dating the best friend was a bad move but… let’s focus on the now. You have a guy who is gorgeous and nice. Plus, he’s a decorated war hero. You don’t meet men like that every day. So, why are you complaining?”
“I don’t know…” Sarah looked down, wringing her fingers together. Something about him missing a leg felt a little weird. Intellectually, she knew she shouldn’t be hung up about Danny missing a leg. Ming was right but… “I just don’t know how to deal with something like that. Do you think it could work out between us?” she asked, looking up at Ming.
Ming let out a loud sigh. “You’re telling me this guy is absolutely amazing by any standard, and you’re worried about him missing a leg? There could be far worse things wrong with him. Count your blessings,” she said fiercely. “Seriously girl, get yourself together. As far as dealing with it, Danny’s only been dealing with it for a couple of months. You’re both newbies. You could figure it out together.”
“When you put it that way…”
Ming’s words had pretty much put her in her place. Sarah felt completely and incredibly shallow. Had she really considered not dating Danny just because he’d been injured? Guilt racked her mind, just adding to the headache she already had. “I guess I was just in shock. There he was, my Danny, and then… well… he wasn’t whole.”
“That’s understandable, but now that I’ve straightened you out, you should go ask him on a date.”
Sarah hesitated, not because of his leg. Instead, she feared that Danny may not give her a second chance. She’d been so rude staring at him. “Well, I don’t know---”
“If you’re set on not dating him, I can set up your online profile again.” Ming teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Oh no, you don’t. The last time you did that, I ended up dating a stalker who didn’t leave me alone for a month. There’s no way I’m going through that again,” she said bitterly, remembering the redhead who waited for her in front of the bakery every morning until she was forced to file a restraining order against him. “I really don’t need another creep in my life.”
“Well then, what are you waiting for?” Ming asked.
“Hmm?”
“Well, it’s obvious you’re into this guy. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be so worked up about this whole thing. He was your high school sweetheart. You have to at least give him a shot,” Ming persisted.
Ming took her eyes off Sarah and looked up at the crooked cake once more. Her fingers twitched slightly, a bout of OCD threatening to overwhelm her. Before Sarah could utter another word, she got up and tried aligning the cake one last time, her face painted in complete focus.
“You know what? You’re absolutely right.” Sarah got up with a flourish, making her way to the display counter.
Sarah bumped into the counter by accident, causing Ming’s arms move and misalign the cake even further. Ming cursed under her breath, her left eye twitching slightly.
“I’m going to call him right now!” Sarah declared.
“Do you have his number?” Ming asked, still focused on the cake. Her friend was already on the right track. Sarah didn’t need her help any longer. She had bigger problems to worry about, like getting the stupid cake straight.
“No…” Sarah frowned, biting her lip. “What do I do?”
“Well, do you know anyone who might have it? A mutual friend or something?”
“Ming, you’re a genius!” Sarah said and stepped into the kitchen.
“I know,” Ming whispered, just as she managed to get the cake settled perfectly.
Chapter Seven
Sarah paced around the kitchen of her bakery, feeling her heart hammer in her chest. She really had been a fool to let Danny’s prosthetic get in the way of her asking him out. It had just seemed so alien, so unlike her strong, capable Danny. And for some reason, the cane he used was even more terrifying. The Danny she’d known was unstoppable, and it hurt to think that he’d been so vulnerable. She rubbed at the ache in her chest. Thinking of him lying in a bed in some Army hospital, shook her to her very core.
Danny’s back, and there’s no way I’m losing him a second time. He was still her Danny---missing a leg didn’t make him any less of a man or any less hers. Sarah squared her shoulders and picked up her cell.
Despite the pep talk, she was nervous. What if I offended him so badly that he never wants to talk to me again? The thought plagued her as she waited for him to answer, the ring, ring, ring of the phone driving her insane. “Come on…” she muttered to herself. Sarah looked down at the tiny pink slip of paper where she had scribbled down Danny’s number from a friend. She was about to crumple it up when he picked up.
“Hello?” Danny’s voice said.
“Danny?” Sarah asked, almost breathless. She leaned against a counter, her fingers wrapped around the phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white. In her stomach, butterflies fluttered here and there.
“Yeah, who is this?” he questioned.
“Sarah.” There was a long pause. Sarah held her breath, waiting for him to say something, anything, but he didn’t.
“I wanted to apologize for being insensitive at Cupid’s earlier. I didn’t know.” Her voice dipped low, and she strengthened her resolve. “Anyway, I wanted to ask if you were free this Saturday.”
There was another long pause, and Sarah feared he had hung up.
“Yeah, I’m free,” Danny answered, warily.
“Great! Would you like to go back to Berkeley High with me? They’re having a football game, and I’ll be there working at a fundraising table, selling some of my pastries. I’d love it if you joined me. But if you don’t want to… I completely understand.”
She hoped that her voice conveyed how much she wanted him to come with her without being too pushy.
“You’re going back to our old school?” Danny asked.
Well, at least it wasn’t a blatant no. Sarah breathed out a small sigh of relief and nodded, momentarily forgetting that Danny couldn’t see her.
“Yeah. Like I said, I’ll be selling pastries, but we can still watch the game. I actually have pretty good seats,” she said, nibbling on a small bit of skin on her lip.
“Sure. That sounds like fun. What time on Saturday?”
Sarah’s heart skipped a beat at his acceptance. He had said yes. She could hardly believe it.
“The game starts at seven, but I have to be there for the pre-game at six. That’s when everyone stocks up on the goodies,” Sarah said. Her words were rushed, some of them mashing together in her excitement.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
Sarah heard a soft click as Danny ended the call. She was left breathless in the kitchen, her phone still grasped tightly in her hand. She couldn’t believe he was going to go on a date with her. She closed her eyes, her old high school fantasy of being Danny’s girlfriend coming to the forefront. She could remember all the times she had stayed up in bed to write in her diary, spilling her heart out, just wishing Danny would make a move. Now, it was her time to act. She’d make him realize they would be the perfect match.
***
Danny made his way up the steep incline that led to the football field. He tried to avoid looking around too much, feeling like people were staring at him as he leaned on his cane for support. His prosthetic leg helped him move around, but it still had its drawbacks. His leg was still weak, and he wasn’t coordinated enough yet to walk without additional support. The doctor assured him he’d be walking normally in no time, but at the moment he was forced to use a cane or hobble around on crutches. Danny much preferred the cane.
When he made it to the top of the hill, he saw the football teams huddled around the field, looking ready for their Homecoming Game. The bleachers were still relatively empty. He scanned the area, looking for Sarah. He spotted her long, flowing bla
ck hair and his heartbeat instantly quickened in his chest. Even from behind, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. He contemplated turning around and running away from her. A woman like that deserved much more than he could ever offer her.
Somehow, he managed to muster the courage he needed to hobble to her. Here goes nothing.
“Sarah,” he said, forcing as much self-confidence into his voice as he could muster.
Nerves, fear, anger, and an enormous amount of self-doubt warred within him. Sarah was everything he had always wanted, and on their first official date together he stood on just one good leg. Danny knew he wasn’t whole, and it wasn’t just his leg. War had changed him. The nightmares alone were more than he could deal with. How could anyone, especially Sarah, love someone as broken as me?
“Danny! So glad you could make it.” Sarah smiled brightly as she turned around, her face lighting up at the sight of him.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. Danny melted into the warmth of her body. It was like sunlight dancing along his skin and seeping inside him. His mind and heart didn’t feel as dark and cold.
Sarah leaned into the hug, sending every bit of emotion and longing she’d felt over the years into him. She wanted him to feel how much he meant to her and how wonderful they could be together. There was no holding back from Danny. This was her second chance, maybe her third if you counted her screw-up at Cupid’s, and there was no way she was going to blow it.
Sarah breathed in deeply. The smell of his familiar musky cologne made her smile. Some things never change. Feeling more confident, she stepped back and straightened herself out, brushing the wrinkles out of her white skirt.
“You look absolutely beautiful…” Danny whispered more to himself than to her. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her, admiring her milky skin, dazzling blue eyes, and pretty pink lips. A desire to kiss her surged through him, but he just stood frozen in place, unable to make a move.
“Care to sit down?” she asked, motioning to the two seats set up behind a table covered in pastries. Danny’s eyes grew big as he saw them.
Cafe Love: Cupid's Cafe Box Set Books 2-4 Page 10