We’d already had talks about marriage. Ashton told me that she wasn’t in any hurry. She just wanted to focus on getting me well and back on my feet. Said she wouldn’t be happy until Grady could tease my scrawny ass from the middle of a surfboard. But I didn’t want to wait.
The accident had changed me. Life is short is a crazy cliché, but I understood it first hand and that knowledge settled in, bone deep. I wanted to start a new life with Ashton. Have kids. Start a new business. Buy a new home. Do the things that people our age do when they’re building a life. I wasn’t going to let this accident keep me from those dreams. If anything, it had spurred me on. It gave me great purpose.
“One more set, man. Then we can move on to the massage area,” Mark informed me.
That encouraged me through the final, painful push. Massaging my sore muscles at the end of each session was the best part of therapy. My prosthetic had taken some time to get used to and I kept putting a lot of my weight and balance on my other leg. I finished the last set now soaked with sweat. Favoring my good leg I hobbled over to the table and lay down. Phantom pain. It was a bitch.
“Quinn you’re doing so well I think we can go ahead and reduce your days to three a week instead of four.” Mark put a handful of gel on his hands and rubbed into my left thigh. “Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Sound good?”
That was positive news for me. “Okay. Do you think we can work on my kneeling tomorrow? I’m ready.”
Mark dug into my muscles and instantly released the tension and pressure. “You got a date planned?”
“I would like to do this next week,” I answered. We’d talked about it multiple times in the past four months.
“Then let’s get started tomorrow.” Mark put an ice pack on the sore area. “If you think you’re ready, then I’ll help you.”
That’s all I needed to hear.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ashton
I walked into the building and smiled at the progress over the last week. The electrician had completed all the wiring, the painters were starting on the reception area, and I could already see my vision coming to life. I hissed out a blissful sigh. All of it had come together like a woven tapestry.
While Quinn toiled at physical therapy every day, I’d been secretly completing a project that he didn’t know about. With part of the proceeds from his trust fund, Quinn had bought an office building with the intention of us launching a new real estate business once he was at a hundred percent. However, he didn’t know that I had taken it step further and started renovations on the building.
Our real estate office would be complete within a couple of weeks. After Quinn’s accident, Mr. Albertson told us to take all the time we needed from work and not worry about anything. I had approached him after Quinn was released from the hospital and told him that we wanted to start our own business. With Quinn having a long road of recovery ahead of him, we felt it was best to work from home for a while.
Mr. Albertson told me that he wanted to retire within the next year and offered to sell us his business. We jumped at the opportunity to do that. It would be easier than to start our own company from scratch. Albertson wanted to keep the office building he’d utilized and just sell us the business so it would be more affordable. Even though it had been a financial stretch, we’d made it work. So Quinn had bought this new office, which was more convenient to our house.
Now with his physical therapist telling us that he was doing much better than anticipated, I upped the renovation completion date. I wanted to surprise Quinn with a brand new office – complete with furniture and décor- when he was done with PT. I was a little nervous about how he would react. It had been hard to keep this surprise from him. A couple of times he had asked me to drive him by the office but I always had a good excuse. We had decided to repaint the outside and put up the new sign at the very last minute. Only a couple more weeks left and I would be able to show off the new office to Quinn. I could hardly wait.
“Hey Ashton. Things are coming along great.” Diana Sinclair greeted me in the foyer.
Diana was a top interior designer that I’d hired to finish up the design plans for the office. She came highly recommended by Albertson. Diana and I had become fast friends while working on completing the office building. She was not only a talented designer but great about keeping secrets.
“Hey there,” I gave Diana a quick hug. “I love the way the colors turned out in the reception area. You were right about the slate grey. It will add another dimension to the couches and coffee table that we ordered.”
“You should know by now that I’m always right,” Diana said laughing and gave me a saucy wink.
I smiled. “That’s why I hired you. You’re the best.”
“So it must be really hard keeping this secret from Quinn,” she said as she tried a bunch of different colorful throw pillows on the sleek sofa in the reception area.
“Yes and no,” I said, fluffing the canary yellow option and standing back to consider it. “He’s been so obsessed with physical therapy and getting mobile that I think he’s forgotten about everything else. I know he wants to be up and running at one hundred percent like he was before the accident, but I’m afraid he’s pushing himself too hard. Even his therapist had to tell him to slow down and take it easy.”
Diana patted me gently on the back. “Do you think maybe he’s afraid that he’s going to lose you again?”
Diana knew all about our lovelorn past. I’d spilled the beans over a liquid lunch and a gush of worried tears. Thinking about her comment I realized that she might be right. “It’s something I haven’t considered. Only because I tell him every single day how much I love him. Everything that I’ve done lately has been for the benefit of us both.”
“Because of his injuries and the partial loss of his leg, Quinn may be feeling that he’s less than adequate for you. He’s rushing through PT so he can move on with the next part of his life. Being with you.”
I picked up the catalog with fabric swatches and started to thumb through it. Letting Diana’s words marinate around in my head, I started to realize that she was probably right. Quinn had been acting a little differently since his arrival home from the hospital. His doctor did warn us that we might see some behavioral changes with Quinn because of the damage his brain endured. They’d also sent him to some psychotherapy to grieve the loss of his leg and his formerly sculpted body. I still considered him perfect but they’d recommended moving through the five stages just as if someone had died. The doctor said that brain injuries were unpredictable and that some patients were never the same afterwards. It would take time – maybe even years – in order for Quinn to heal.
“Were you a psychologist in a former life or something?” I asked her.
“No, but I’ve been around people who have suffered tragedy in their lifetime and I’ve seen what it does to people. I think you and Quinn will be just fine.” Diana waved her hands around the reception area. “What you are doing here for him will just solidify your love and commitment to him and this business. To your future.”
“I hope so,” I laughed nervously. “We’re spending a lot of money with this renovation. Speaking of, how are we doing on our furniture budget?”
“Actually, we’re under budget. I was able to get a significant discount at Resort Interiors due to their business liquidation.”
“That’s wonderful news,” I said with an excited clap.
“I was thinking about something special we could do for Quinn with the leftover budget.”
I marked my spot in the designer notebook and looked up. “What is that?”
“That space we were talking about in the back of the building? The one we decided to use for storage?”
I nodded for her to continue.
“I thought that would make a great work-out room for Quinn. We could make it simple. Just hardwood floors, a mirrored wall, and some exercise equipment. It would still be under budget. That way he doesn’t have to leave
the office to go to a gym.”
“I like it.” I thought it was a great idea and agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “We could always get a portable shed if we need more storage space.”
“Exactly,” Diana agreed.
“Let’s go for it.”
Diana wrote a note in her planner. “Now let’s finish picking out some fabric for the office chairs.”
She sat down next to me as we worked our way through a whole book of swatches. Within the hour we had finished choosing all the furniture, window treatments, and knick-knacks for the individual offices.
“It will take about ten days for delivery and we can install by our due date,” Diana said after we were done.
“Great,” I said. I handed her the designer workbook. “I want to do a big surprise reveal party for Quinn. It will coincide with the end of the first part of his PT.”
Quinn would be doing physical therapy for the next six months. But the first part was the hardest. He was basically learning how to walk again with his new prosthetic leg. After that phase ended, they’d help him regain his overall strength as well as work on brain exercises. His memory and speech were improving a little bit everyday but I could tell he was still frustrated when he couldn’t find the right word when speaking or when he forgot simple tasks. Last night, he’d put ice cream in the pantry. The doctors said it was going to take time but I was in it for the long haul. For life. I just had to keep reassuring Quinn of that.
I hoped that the new office would give him the confidence he needed as well. Before I decided to do the office renovation I had met with his parents as well as his lead doctor. I wanted to be sure that it wasn’t going to be too much for Quinn to handle. Going back to work was a big step. But everyone agreed that it was a big step in the right direction. Just by working part-time, Quinn would be able to begin his new life. I was happy to be a part of that.
“Then I better get this order placed. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch?” Diana asked.
“Tomorrow it is,” I said with a happy wave. “See you then.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Quinn
By the time I got home from PT, took a shower, and checked my email, Ashton had dinner on the table. She’d stopped by our favorite restaurant, Crust, and picked up a pan of lasagna, garlic bread, and a fresh Caesar salad with homemade croutons. I got to the table just as she struggled with opening a bottle of Cabernet.
“Smells good,” I commented before giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Do you need help with that?”
Ashton twisted the metal wine opener around the opening of the bottle. “Ugh, no I think I got it this time.” She tugged on the cork and it finally gave way.
I laughed as Ashton stumbled backward a little with the cork in her hand. “You okay, babe?”
Ashton laughed along with me. That’s what I loved about her. “I’m good. Sit down and let’s eat.”
“How was PT today?” she asked, passing me the platter of lasagna.
I scooped two large helpings and plopped it on my plate. Adding some greens and a breadstick, I started to dig in. “Good. I’m still feeling some pain in my thighs. Having some phantom pain. But Mark seems to think I’m on track. He’s bringing me down to three days a week now.”
“Honey, that’s excellent,” she said, eyes sparkling with those gold flecks that appeared whenever she was happy or excited. “I can see you’ve regained some muscle in your biceps already.”
While chewing a piece of salad, I put up both arms and made a muscle with both. “Just like Popeye. Except this is romaine and not spinach.”
She giggled at my antics. “We got another call from Jed this afternoon.”
That took me by surprise. “He just can’t take no for answer, huh?”
Jed Taylor was one of the biggest real estate agents in the business around this coastal town. I’d done some dealings with him while working for Albertson. When he wanted something, like a beachfront property that we had in our investment portfolio, he went after it until his incisors were clamped down so hard he couldn’t release them.
His client had offered over twenty percent of the current value. Even though Albertson was adamant about holding on to the property, eventually Jed wore us down. We ended up selling the property to him for over forty percent of the current value of the property and gained some commercial space in one of his developments for a steal. In the end, it was a win-win situation.
Now, Jed had a client who had their sights on our beach house that my Nanna had left me. It was located in a small, desirable subdivision just a couple blocks from the beach. It was also the only home sitting on a double corner lot with a guest house and in-ground pool. Jed had already offered me six hundred thousand dollars for the home. I flat out turned him down. With the recent passing of my grandmother and the long road of recovery ahead of me, I didn’t feel like I was ready to let it go. Ashton agreed with me. It had sentimental value to us both.
“He upped his offer.” Ashton took a small sip of her wine.
I tried to act like I didn’t care, but curiosity got the best of me. “How much?”
“Seven.”
I leaned back and rifled a hand through my hair. “Do you want to sell?” I asked Ashton.
I held my breath. We’d had this discussions many times. I knew that Ashton was ready to get married. She wanted us to start a family. Have a fresh start. That included getting a new home. I told her that I wanted the same thing. But I needed time to heal. Not from just my injuries but from the pain in my heart from losing my grandmother. I wasn’t quite ready to give up her house. At the same time, I wanted to please Ashton. I was afraid of losing of her.
Ashton placed her hand on top of my mine. “I want what you want. If you don’t want to sell the house, then don’t sell it. I’m fine as long as I’m with you.”
I knew she meant the words, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she longed to get on with starting our future together. Including buying a new house. That was the plan before the accident anyway. And with the purchase of the commercial space, we didn’t have a lot of liquid cash left for the down payment on a new house.
“I’ll think about it.”
Seven hundred thousand was a lot of money. I’d had the house appraised when Nanna’s estate went into probate. It was appraised at four hundred ninety thousand dollars. Jed’s offer was well over appraised value. With that money, we could buy a waterfront property on the bay. A property with a large yard that would be great for kids.
“This has to be your decision. You know I’ll stand by whatever you do.” Ashton smiled across the table.
But I already knew.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ashton
Today was graduation day. After Quinn finished his PT he would call me to pick him up. He was expecting me to take him out to lunch to celebrate his last full day of therapy. But instead, I was going to take him somewhere else.
My heart thudded loudly with anticipation as I waited outside in the parking lot of Emerald Coast Physical Therapy Associates. Part of me was excited about this surprise. The other worried part of me wanted to throw up. What if he didn’t like what I’d done and was angry that I hadn’t included him in the design choices? The last time I felt this way was a few months ago when I was standing in the bathroom at Quinn’s office waiting to negotiate our deal. Not knowing he was waiting for me on the other side of the table.
The door to the office opened and Mark walked out with Quinn. Mark had his arm around Quinn’s shoulder and they paused right outside the door. Mark gave Quinn a bear hug. I don’t know why, but seeing that happen brought tears to my eyes. If someone would’ve told me that few months ago I would reconnect with Quinn, fall back in love with him, and be living with him, I would’ve thought that person was crazy.
“Hey babe,” Quinn greeted me as he slid inside the passenger seat in my car.
I reached over and kissed him. “How was PT?”
“Grueling,” Quinn said.
“Mark put me through the ringer today.”
“On your last day of therapy?” I asked. “How dare he do that to my man?”
“Actually, I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
As I pulled out of the parking lot, I waved goodbye to Mark, who watched us from the doorstep. I caught his wink at me before he shut the door. Of course, he was in on the surprise too.
“I need to stop at the gas station before we grab a bite to eat,” I said, trying to keep the waver out of my voice. I glanced sideways at him but nothing seemed amiss. He wasn’t on to me. Yet.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all morning,” Quinn replied. “The thought of stone crab claws with hot mustard sauce is the only thing that kept me going when Mark made me want to put my head between my legs and breathe into a brown paper sack.”
I laughed. “Doesn’t take much to make you happy these days.”
“I’ve got you babe. What else do I need?”
I pulled into the gas station and took my time. While Quinn pumped, I went inside under the guise to buy gum and mints. I used the restroom. I wanted to give everyone time to get to the surprise party.
“What took you so long, woman?” Quinn teased me. “I thought I was going to have to send out a search party.”
“Bathroom,” I answered. “Girl troubles.”
That was all I needed to say to shut down the conversation. I don’t care who you are. All men were uncomfortable talking about female issues, including my boyfriend.
I turned onto the beach highway and headed to our destination. Luckily, I picked a restaurant just down the street from where we were going.
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