“Here you are.” Katy placed a basket of fries in front of him. “Anything else I can get for you?”
“Do you mind giving me some advice?” Danny asked, looking up at her.
“Sure thing.”
“Well, Sarah said she would like to see me again. Like a second date…” Danny felt a little awkward. It felt like he was in high school all over again, dating for the first time.
“That’ll be fun,” Katy said with a smile, moving a strand of her hair out of her eyes.
“Well, I’ve been a little out of practice with the whole dating thing. I have no idea where to take her…” He dragged his fingers through his hair and sighed.
Danny wanted it to be perfect. He wanted to do everything right. Then, maybe he could prove to Sarah, and himself, that she should take a chance on a guy like him.
“Ah,” Katy said with a nod.
“You know her, and I thought you could help me pick out the perfect spot.”
“Of course,” Katy said. She narrowed her eyes and tapped at her chin for a few moments.
A smile lit her face. “Are you still a really good cook? I seem to recall you won a chili cook-off.”
“Yeah. I can still navigate my way around a kitchen, even with my faulty leg,” he said softly, wondering where she was going with this.
“Well, instead of taking her to some fancy restaurant you should invite her to your place and cook her a meal. I’m sure someone like Sarah will really appreciate that.”
“You think so?” Danny hadn’t thought about bringing her home. He had assumed she would want to go out for dinner or a movie.
“Absolutely. Buy a bottle of wine, some candles, and she’ll be completely blown away. I promise you,” Katy said.
Danny thought it over. He could make a really good spaghetti dinner. But would Sarah enjoy just staying at home with me? He tried to imagine her in his house. He had to admit that the thought excited him.
Suddenly he nodded. “I’ll do it.” He smiled brightly, finally digging into his fries now that some of his anxiety had dissipated. “I don’t know how you do it Katy, but you really are magic.”
***
After Danny had left, the diner slowed as the lunch crowd filtered out. As midafternoon approached, Katy found herself without a long list of tasks. She had already cleaned the counters and tables in preparation for closing in less than an hour. She’d spot clean and straighten if a customer came in, but she didn’t have much to do until then. Katy was just about to go back into the kitchen to talk with her cook Robert when the door chimed and in walked Sarah.
Her long black hair was done up in a messy bun, and her clothes were covered in flour. “Hard day at the bakery?” Katy asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I just finished helping Ming make some red velvet cupcakes. They’ve been a bit hit with the locals.”
“That’s great.” Katy turned her back and began to scoop ice cream into a tall silver cup. Katy added a large dollop of chocolate fudge and placed the cup under the milkshake machine. Minutes later, she placed a large frothing milkshake in front of Sarah. “Here you are. I went with mint-chocolate chip and fudge.”
Sarah’s eyes gleamed. She took a sip of her milkshake and smiled. “You always pick the perfect milkshake to complement my day. I’d ask how you do it, but I prefer to think of it as your own special kind of magic.”
Katy paused. She supposed she had her own brand of magic, but she never considered her ability to pick out just the right item on the menu for her customers as magic. That, she reasoned, was just years of paying attention to people.
“Go for it, if that makes you happy.” Katy winked.
“Katy, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Well, Danny and I went on a date.” Katy nodded as if this were new information to her. She loved when her matches came in and updated her on their relationship. Danny’s and Sarah’s was all the more special because she got to hear both sides.
“That sounds like fun. What did you two do?”
“We went to one of the football games at Berkeley High. It was actually a lot of fun.” She leaned in. “And I even kissed him…” she said in a hushed whisper.
Katy chuckled. Sarah was excited as if she were still eighteen. It was very sweet and pulled at her heart. Katy pushed back that pain of regret she felt when she thought of young love. Hers was never meant to be, but Katy was determined that Sarah could rekindle her high school flame. “Seems like you really like him.”
“I do… but I don’t know…” She toyed with her straw. “He’s missing a leg…” Sarah looked up and held out a hand. “Sorry, that didn’t come out right. It’s not the leg. I just worry… well, I’m scared of saying or doing the wrong thing. What if I offend him or something?”
“What do you mean?” Katy asked.
Sarah sighed, thinking about what it would be like to be with Danny in the long run. “The other night, at the football game, I saw that he was having trouble walking and carrying a bunch of desserts I let him take home. It was painful to watch, but the look on his face told me not to interfere. I like Danny, and I want more than anything to be with him, but I don’t want to tiptoe around his limitations. If we’re going to be together, I want us to be a team.”
“Oh, honey.” Katy laid a hand on Sarah’s. “Give him some time. This is all new to him, too, and I think he’s coping rather well.”
“You’re right. The thought just sits in the back of my head, nagging at me.”
“If you’re that worried about it, do a little research. See what other survivors and their loved ones are doing to help. Personally, I think you’ll just have to find ways, without being obvious, to help him. You’ll find a way. You have a good heart.”
Sarah thought it over, her heartbeat quickening the moment she thought of Danny. She couldn’t let some petty fear push her away from Danny. Katy’s suggestion of doing some research was a good place to start. It would give her something to do rather than just worry.
“You’re right,” Sarah said with newfound determination. She got up and took another glance at Katy. “I honestly think you are magical sometimes.”
Katy watched Sarah walk out the door. Her heart hummed with happiness. Magic or not, Katy knew that Sarah and Danny would find a way. Love, with a little help from me, always finds a way. Katy smiled and called back to Robert to close up the grill. It was time to clean up and head home.
Chapter Eleven
Danny nervously held the phone up to his ear, sitting down on the edge of his couch. He had finally settled on what he thought would be the perfect date night. The phone rang, once, twice and finally, on the third ring, Sarah answered.
“Hello?”
Her voice sounded just as sweet as ever.
“Hey. It’s me, Danny.”
“Hey, Danny.”
“Well, you remember how you said you’d like to meet up again? You know, at the game?” Danny stammered, already feeling his anxiety getting the best of him. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a shuddering breath, trying to compose himself. It was just a date; it wasn’t like he was about to ask her to marry him.
“Yeah,” Sarah answered.
“Well, how about this Saturday at four I come pick you up?” Danny asked.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” Danny said, grinning. He could hear the excitement in Sarah’s voice. It gave him a bit of confidence.
“I like the sound of that. I’ll see you at four. What should I wear?”
“Um…” Danny bit his lip, picturing Sarah’s face. He didn’t care if she wore a sack. He just wanted to see her. “Surprise me.”
Sarah giggled, making Danny’s heart quicken for a moment.
“Okay. See you then,” Sarah said.
“Until then.”
Danny heard the sound of her hanging up and sighed in relief. He had done it. He had finally asked out Sarah Mallory, the girl whose pictur
e he’d been carrying around for over ten years. All he had to do now, was pray he didn’t mess up on Saturday.
***
Saturday came faster than Danny realized. He checked himself out in the mirror one last time, making sure he was presentable. He had on a simple deep purple t-shirt, a pair of dark jeans and his usual, brown leather jacket. “Too casual?” he asked his reflection as if it would respond.
He walked over to his closet, grabbing a dress shirt and tie, holding them up in front of his body. “Nah. Too dressy.” He shook his head. In the end, he decided to stay as he was, just hoping Sarah wouldn’t appear in a ball gown or something.
Nerves and unreasonable fears plagued him as he left the house, moving slowly toward his car. He sat in the driveway for a few minutes, his fingers tightening around the wheel, his mind buzzing. For a second, it was like he had forgotten how to drive. He took a deep breath. I can do this. She kissed me. That means she likes me. His pep talk helped enough that he was able to start the car and make his way to her house.
It was a quaint little place, with a small lawn and flower pots in the windows. It was painted a light blue color. He parked in front of her house and then got out of his car, leaning on his cane for support.
Danny tried to pretend that the cane added to his look, rather than detracting from it. Charlie Chaplin got away with a cane, why could he? Because Chaplin existed decades and decades ago, and I doubt he’s Sarah’s type. Danny shook off his own foolish thoughts; they weren’t helping.
He focused on making his way up the walkway without limping. He managed that with some aplomb. As the doctor promised, his leg was getting stronger each day. Danny’s calm disappeared the second he reached Sarah’s door. With trembling fingers, he rang the doorbell. Footsteps echoed through the house, getting closer to the front door.
Sarah opened the door, and Danny just stood there his mouth agape. She was absolutely stunning. She had on some maroon skinny jeans, a white tank, and a beige cardigan. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Wow…” he whispered before he could stop himself.
“What? Should I go change?”
“No. No. You look amazing.” Danny leaned forward and lightly kissed her cheek. “Shall we get going?”
Hesitantly, he took Sarah’s hand to lead her toward his car. It was strange how he had never hesitated as a soldier. He’d thought nothing of his own life, only what the explosives had meant to everyone else’s lives. Danny looked at Sarah’s hand in his and shivered. Taking a pretty girl’s hand shouldn’t be hard.
Danny glanced up at Sarah’s face. It was like a punch to the gut. Maybe… it’s more about whose hand is in yours.
Sarah interrupted his thoughts. “Still not going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope.” Danny chuckled. He made his way around the car and opened the door for her.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” Sarah said, feeling a little bad that he had to walk all the way over, just to open the door. Though, his walk seemed smoother and less pained today.
“What kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn’t?”
Sarah smiled at his gesture, feeling like it meant so much. She’d taken Katy’s suggestion and had been doing some research online. She may have called Mitchel. Okay, she had called Mitchel, but just to ask a few questions. She’d threaten to break his favorite pool stick if he ever mentioned she had called. Sarah knew that Danny didn’t want to make an issue of his leg, but she had to understand enough about his injury so that she could help him without hurting his pride.
What she really wanted was for Danny to trust her enough to tell her about what had happened that day. She’d read the newspaper article, but it was vague on the details. It had to have been a horrific event, and she didn’t want Danny to deal with that alone. She’d read a blog where supporters of amputees warned that it took time and a lot of trust.
Danny got into the car and started it. He gave her a huge smile and asked, “Ready?”
A warm kind of contentment swept through her. Sarah smiled and nodded to Danny. She knew that she was willing to wait and gain Danny’s trust. He was definitely worth it.
Chapter Twelve
“Here we are,” Danny announced, pulling into a parking lot.
“The Farmer’s Market?” Sarah asked quizzically.
“Yeah. Come on.” He grinned like he had a trick up his sleeve.
Sarah felt a bit lost. What is he up to? Curious, she got out of the car and followed him. The Farmer’s Market was filled with people. Various stalls lined the space around the parking lot.
“Have you ever been here before?”
“No,” Sarah answered.
“Well, I think you might like it. I’m looking for some tomatoes, cheese, and pasta.” He listed a few other items.
Sarah frowned at him. Are we doing his grocery shopping then going out? Despite her doubts, she grabbed Danny’s hand and walked around with him, looking through all the fresh produce. She couldn’t help but smile. There was something about the friendly atmosphere that was pleasant.
They stopped at a stall with ripe-looking tomatoes. Danny spoke with the elderly woman who was selling them, asking for a price. He nodded and paid her almost double what she asked for, telling her to keep the change.
“That was really nice of you,” Sarah commented. From what she’d read injured soldiers like Danny didn’t make a lot of money. Yet, he was one of the most generous people she had ever met. She squeezed his hand slightly. To think, she had once thought of rejecting him over something as silly as his leg. His heart more than made up for the loss.
“Nah, these people work hard to grow their produce. They should get paid accordingly.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.
“So what’s next on our list?” Sarah asked.
“Some cheese, if we can find it.”
She nodded, looking around before spotting a honey stand.
“Can we go look at that one?” she asked, pointing to the sign with a rainbow-colored bee on it.
“Of course.”
They slowly made their way over. The seller was a young girl, with spiky black hair and green eyes. She reminded Sarah of a pixie or fairy.
“Hello!” She chimed excitedly. “Are you looking to buy some honey?”
“Do you have any honey I can use to bake?” Sarah’s eyes quickly scanned the selection, picking up a jar with a honeycomb inside of it.
“The one you’re holding is a good choice.”
“I’ll take it.”
The girl walked over to the far end of the table and pulled out a handled paper bag decorated with the same rainbow bee that was on the sign. Sarah handed the jar to the girl who placed it in the bag.
Before offering it to Sarah, she warned, “It’s really sweet, so I wouldn’t put too much in at a time. Test it out first, unless you have a really bad sweet tooth.”
Sarah gave a sidelong glance in Danny’s direction.
“What?” he asked innocently, a smile playing on his lips. “I’m not that bad.”
You pretty much ate half of my shortcakes at the football game,” Sarah teased. “You’re going to get cavities if you’re not careful.”
“Wise advice, coming from a pastry chef. Didn’t you tell me sweets are your specialty?” he retorted with a slight snort.
Sarah burst out laughing, and before she could even pull out her wallet, Danny had already paid for her jar of honey.
“My treat.” He winked at her, giving her hand a small squeeze.
They continued to walk around the market, admiring the various novelty items one man was selling. They were just passing the homemade soap stall when Sarah’s eye grew to the size of the moon. No, it couldn’t be him. Could it? He was supposed to be on the East Coast with his blonde, newscaster wife.
“Sarah!” A loud, booming voice called out over the crowd. A large man appeared. He had a crooked nose, lopsided jaw, and his hair was thinning. “What a small world. I’m so glad to have bumped int
o you today.”
The man offered a leering smile at Sarah, completely ignoring Danny. It grated on Danny’s nerves. Sarah was beautiful enough to turn heads, but Danny didn’t like the predatory way the guy was looking at Sarah. It was like a hungry mountain lion staring at a young dear. He stepped between Sarah and the man and asked, “Who are you?”
“Danny… it’s Robert,” Sarah said hesitantly.
Danny stared at the guy in disbelief. Robert? He couldn’t believe his eyes. His once best friend had really fallen off the wagon. He wasn’t sure if he should try to be civil and shake his old friend’s hand or make a run for it with Sarah.
Running was out of the question. So, Danny settled for tightening his hold on Sarah’s hand.
“Danny! I heard you were back in town.” Robert looked down and eyed Danny’s feet. “So, which one is fake? Your shoes look the same, so it’s hard to tell.”
Sarah sucked in a breath of air. Danny plastered a fake smile on his face and counted backward from ten. He would not give Robert the satisfaction of knowing how his completely callous remark bothered him.
When Danny didn’t answer Robert moved his foot back like he was about to kick at Danny’s leg. Outraged, Danny moved his cane forward to intercept the kick.
“It’s the right one,” Danny said through gritted teeth.
“I guess you’re not going to play soccer anytime soon,” Robert chortled.
Danny had had about enough. His training had taught him exactly how to punch an opponent and make sure he stayed down. One more word and Robert would be lights out. Fortunately, Sarah saved him from beating up his old friend.
“What are you doing here?” Sarah interjected.
“I came for a little vacation.”
“Where’s your wife? She has to be around her somewhere,” Sarah said.
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