by Mayer, Dale
Aaron set his crutches to the side and rested his arms on the stall door. “I remember hearing something about that,” he admitted. “But when I saw him, he looked so natural, so normal, that it never occurred to me. Most of the time I’m fine. It was just a leg. I can replace that if I need to. Once I get these back muscles fixed and the last couple surgeries done, I’ll be good to go.” He paused for a moment. “Honestly I feel more positive than I did before. A lot of that is thanks to this place, but at times, I feel the loss so much more, like I’ll explode from the fallout.”
“Of course you do,” she said in a quiet voice. “It’s important to honor that loss. But then it’s just as important to pick up and move on.”
“You must think I’m a fool.”
She walked away, her hand reaching out to pat him on the shoulder as she went past. “No, I think you’re just at a point in your life when you have to decide if you want to move on or if you want to stay stuck and wallow.”
Maybe it was her words, maybe it was the note of rebuke he heard in her tone, or maybe it was the pat on the shoulder that reminded him of the last pat she’d given Maggie as she walked away, but he snapped, “I’m not a pet.”
She turned and bunched her hands on her hips, glaring at him. “You certainly aren’t. You’re more like a caged grizzly.”
He reached out and grabbed her hand, jerking her toward him, but she shook herself free from his grip and snapped, “Don’t you dare!” Images of Jim flooded her brain.
“Don’t I dare what?” He glared at her, then saw something in her expression. He frowned now, considering her reaction. Although, to her, right now, she probably didn’t note the difference between his earlier glare and his thoughtful frown.
“Don’t treat me like that.” She shoved her face into his, her gaze hard. “You don’t have the right to push me around.”
His eyebrows rose. He hadn’t done it roughly. But what he intended to do probably wasn’t a good idea either. Still, her rage didn’t stop him from trying. Like with any abused animal, he slowly reached out to Dani and tenderly placed a hand at the back of her neck and pulled her inexorably toward him. “I wasn’t pushing you,” he said softly. “I was pulling you.”
When her face was right next to his, their noses almost touching and his warm breath against hers, he whispered, “I would never hurt you. I just want to kiss you.” And he gently covered her mouth with his.
Chapter 10
Just because, deep inside, she had been hoping they’d get to this point didn’t mean she was ready when it happened. Of course, it took a heightened event—a fight—for them to cross the line and to show their true feelings. Still, she wanted this, and she’d always been an all-or-nothing kind of girl. She threw her arms around his neck and returned his kiss.
Instantly his arms closed around her like a vise. His fingers widened on the back of her head to shift her position so he could take better possession of her mouth. Dani felt like she was drowning in joy when the sound of a cough interrupted them.
“Sorry, you two,” Stan said brightly.
Instantly they broke apart.
“I should check on Molly before I hopefully go home, sometime soon.”
Flushed and overheated, Dani pulled her hair back in a nervous motion. “Sorry for blocking your way. I have to get home too.” She quickly brushed past the two men. Belatedly she glanced around and realized, with great relief, that her father wasn’t here. If he’d come with Stan, she’d never have heard the end of it.
She kept to the less-traveled routes to the center and let herself out the back door. Well past time to go home. Her cheeks were hot and flushed from the kiss, and emotions raced through her. What had she done? Although she was blasting herself for overstepping the line, she couldn’t regret the moment. Now she knew Aaron cared. Now she knew he was interested. She could work with that. She was patient. She could wait until he was ready for so much more.
She ran toward home. The sound of Midnight moving in the side paddock caught her ear. She walked over to the horse as he neared the fence, and she threw her arms around him in a big hug. This was what she needed. Her old friend. She had spent hours sharing her lost and broken loves with Midnight. Now look at her. For so long, she had been afraid she’d never find true love. Afraid it had just passed her by. She’d watched all her friends get engaged, get married and have children while Dani had had a few relationships but never found the one. She admitted to herself she’d worried it was too late, and she’d missed out. Maybe now she could finally have that relationship she wanted.
Instantly her critical side stepped in. Whoa, Dani. You’ve been here before. You thought you had that relationship a time or two already. Take it easy. Go slow. If you’re lucky, this will be your second chance with Aaron. But don’t count on it. He walked out of your life ten years ago, and you didn’t see him again until now. What’s to stop him from walking away once he’s back on his feet and healthy again? Are you prepared to give your all, only to turn around and not see him again for another ten years? If ever?
The trouble was, she was prepared to do exactly that. But was he?
Two good legs would’ve given Aaron the same fast exit it had given Dani. Instead, he struggled to get his crutches under his arms while Stan stood nearby, grinning at him like a fool.
“Don’t make too much of that,” Aaron warned.
But his words went unheeded as Stan’s grin widened. “How would you expect me to take it?”
Hobbling away as quickly as possible—without looking like he was escaping—Aaron threw back, “Just a kiss between old friends.”
“I don’t know why you’d want to fool yourself,” Stan said, “but there’s no way in hell that was between old friends. That was between new lovers. And congrats, by the way.”
Aaron stopped and slowly turned to look at Stan. The man was still grinning at him. “What do you mean, congrats?”
“Dani hasn’t had a relationship in over a year. Her last breakup was pretty ugly,” Stan admitted. “We’ve all been keeping a close eye on her, but she hasn’t let anybody else get close.” He pointed at Aaron and said, “You’re the first one. So you can bet we’ll be watching.”
“So then, what’s with that congrats?” Aaron said drily. “It sounds more like a warning to me than a wish of good fortune.”
“It’s only a warning to treat her right,” Stan said quietly. “Her heart is solid gold, and she’s helped a ton of people here.”
Aaron studied the older man’s face and nodded.
He’d turned to leave again when Stan called back, “Did I hear something about you’d planned on being a vet?”
Aaron snorted. “I see the rumor mills are just as bad here as they are elsewhere.”
“Worse,” Stan said cheerfully. “But, if that’s true, do you want to help down here sometimes? I could really use it.”
Aaron laughed wryly. “So it’s not about whether I was interested at one time in being a vet but more of whether I would volunteer now.”
“Both work for me if I get some extra help.” Stan shrugged. “These animals need love and attention. I only have so many hours in a day.”
“Don’t patients upstairs come down to help out?”
“Patients and staff,” Stan said. “Of course it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
“So you still need more people, or are you just offering me something to do with my time while I’m here?”
Maybe his tone had come out a little too harsh because Stan leaned against Molly’s stall door and crossed his arms over his chest. “So don’t come.” He shrugged. “No real skin off my nose. But anybody who’s watched you with the animals can see how much they affect you. So I guess it’s not an olive branch but an invitation. If you’d like to spend time with them, then do. If you don’t want to, then don’t.” Stan gave him curt nod of dismissal and walked into the stall to check on Molly.
Aaron hesitated. He’d let his irritation get the better o
f him. And felt like a heel. Just because he had his issues didn’t mean he could snap at everybody. He thought about apologizing to Stan and then wondered if not better just to let things lie. Depressed again and hating that sensation of having done wrong, he started to leave. Something he’d been trying to do for the last ten minutes. But then his conscience prodded him, and he couldn’t let things end on this note.
He turned and hobbled toward the stall door. Quietly he watched as Stan checked over the little filly and then put his arms around her to hold and to pat her. The filly buried her face into him and nudged him with her big nose.
It was a special moment. One Aaron was glad to see. Because Stan was right. Aaron did love animals. Abruptly he blurted out, “I’m sorry.”
A look of surprise on his face, Stan turned toward him. “No need to apologize. I understand. If it will make you feel any better, this place is full of other people who have been wounded in more ways than one. The animals help. If you already have an affinity for our furry friends in the first place, it’s not a bad way to train for a new career.”
Aaron winced. “That’s a lot of years.”
“Were you planning on doing anything else during that time?”
He’d heard similar lines before from various people but this time it struck home. “I do have a Bachelor of Science degree,” he said quietly. “I’ve never applied to vet school.”
“When, and if, you’re ever ready to take that step, we’ll write a reference letter for you,” Stan said with a smile. “God knows we could use another vet around here.” He straightened and faced Aaron. “When you’re more mobile, I could use an assistant too.”
“That’s a very generous offer.”
“I can train somebody to do the work I need done. I can’t train anybody to have the same affinity with horses and other animals that you do. That’s a natural gift you have. Something you should be proud of.”
“It would be nice to be proud of something,” Aaron replied drily. “When life kicks the shit out of you, it’s good to find something to help hold you up.”
Stan grinned. “I don’t know your story, and you don’t have to tell me, but I do understand the man who stands in front of me. So, whatever the hell is bothering you, you either need to fix it or move past it. A whole life out there is waiting for you.”
On that note, Stan exited the stall, secured the door and headed toward the outdoor exit. He gave Aaron a brief wave. “See you tomorrow.”
Aaron made his way upstairs with Stan’s words ringing in his ears. Was it even possible to consider his suggestion? It would be a long commitment, but would that matter when it was something Aaron had always loved and had hoped to do? He’d turned his back on that dream to go into the military. To follow Levi’s steps and to prove he was as good as his brother. Aaron had taken to the career well. But life was different now, and it was time to bring out the other dreams and to see if they still held the same magic.
He stared down at where his leg used to be and realized that many of his issues were more mental blocks than anything else. Nothing was stopping him from leading a more fulfilling life. It was all about his mindset, his attitude. If he could deal with those, going back to school would be an option … or rather it might be a necessity, given the fact he had to create a second career for himself now.
So why not become a vet? Why not make one of his biggest dreams come true? Of course his mind immediately jumped to another dream he’d had for years.
Was it possible that after all this time a relationship with Dani could come true too?
Chapter 11
The next several days and the following weeks settled into a routine. Dani stopped by to see Aaron in the mornings when she first arrived, spending a few minutes laughing and joking with him, before heading to her office. Out of habit, she would check to see where he was and what he was up to at lunchtime. Sometimes they connected to sit together and eat, and sometimes it didn’t work out. But, as the days slipped by, she realized just how much their moments together meant. She’d catch herself staring into space with a silly smile, thinking about him, completely ignoring the work in front of her. Like now. She gave her head a shake and laughed. “It’s like you’re a damned teenager again, girl.”
Her father popped his head into her office and studied her face. “Glad to see you looking so happy today. Can you share the joy?”
She grinned. “No way. I get enough teasing around here as it is.”
“So does this have something to do with Aaron?” he asked with a chuckle. “All the wagging tongues say so.”
“So I hear,” she said. “Maybe it’s just nice to spend time with an old friend.”
Dad walked in and sat down in the spare chair. “Hardly an old friend, my dear. An old flame maybe.”
“No, a crush. He never got to the flame part, remember?”
“That’s because you were hanging around Levi so much. I bet Aaron hated that. Probably figured you were his brother’s girl. Nothing like jealousy to come between siblings.”
“He barely knew I existed,” she said, shaking her head. “Besides, that was a long time ago.” Truthfully she knew he had liked her a little back then. Over the last few weeks, they had talked every day, and she had to admit to loving the blossoming relationship.
The only dark spot was the lack of any follow-up on Levi’s part. Her hand itched to pick up the phone and call him, but she held back. He’d call her when he knew something and was ready to share.
In the meantime, Aaron had made tremendous progress. She’d originally booked him for six months at Hathaway, but she didn’t think he would need all that time. At that thought, the corners of her mouth turned down. She had no idea what she would do when he left. It was a good thing—he would be able to move on, but what would that life entail? And maybe more importantly to her, who would he move on with?
“Have you discussed his future with him?” her father asked curiously. His head tilted slightly, as if he’d get a better view of her reaction that way.
She cast her gaze to her cluttered desktop and shook her head. “No. It’s too soon.”
“No, it’s not,” he said with a smile. He stood and added, “It’s never too early for something like that.”
Walking toward the door, Dad turned and said in a quiet voice, “Loving Aaron will never be easy. He’s a complex, difficult man, who has a lot of issues from his military years and who now sees himself as less than complete. Even when he gets his prosthesis and is fully functioning, even with his back fixed, he’ll never feel like he’s whole. It’ll take a lot of effort on your part to make him feel that way.” He hesitated. “Just make sure you’re ready to take that step. It could take him years to get over what he’s been through. He might never overcome his wartime experiences.”
She understood where Dad was coming from. He had been there himself. And he cared. She smiled warmly at him. “It will take years for him,” she said. “That’s okay because I have years of experience here and a lot more years of personal experience with you.”
A chagrined look came over his face. He scuffed his shoes on the floor as he shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “I guess I was quite a trial, wasn’t I? I’m sorry about that.”
Dani rose and rushed to him, almost knocking her chair down in the process. “Don’t think that. Never. It was a difficult time for you. The worst part for me was feeling so helpless. All I could do was lend emotional support or hopeful words, encouragement.”
He reached out and hugged her gently. “You did a damned good job. I hope Aaron won’t need as much for as long. He’s a young man, and he’s healing beautifully. I’m sure he’d heal that much faster with a lovely young woman at his side. I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”
She looked up into his eyes and said, “I don’t want that either. But I think it’s too late. I already love him.” Quiet for a long moment, she added wistfully, “Maybe I always have.”
Once again, the days fell
into a simple pattern—therapy, lunch with Dani, exercise, more therapy, and then, if Aaron was lucky, he caught a glance of her at the end of her day. If he was even luckier, he got to spend the evening down with Stan in the vet clinic and with Dani herself.
They fell into an easy camaraderie. Something was developing that was precious. Something beyond his expectations. Something that was beyond what he’d hoped for. What he thought couldn’t happen in his life anymore. His world had been so black. He’d been so full of loss and anger and grief that he hadn’t seen there was light. That there were people who didn’t care about his leg, or his disability, or the fact that he wasn’t as strong and big and healthy as he used to be. She had known him back then. She knew him now. Apparently, she still liked him. How lucky was he?
He still had lots of questions about being with her. There was also fear. What if he didn’t like those answers? He didn’t want to push it. An idyllic bubble was surrounding them right now, and for once, he didn’t want to blow that. Fantasies were only possible as long as one could still believe. Reality was going be a bitch, if it turned out to be something different.
He could feel himself getting stronger, day-by-day. A little more adept—a little more comfortable with the reality of crutches and wheelchairs. At that thought, he laughed.
Dani was walking at his side as they headed toward the pool, and she smiled and said, “It’s nice to hear your laughter, but what was that all about?”
He explained. “The new leg alone was interesting. I can see unlimited potential for design creativity, to make these legs a work of art. I used to do metalwork way back when in high school.” He remembered that he’d loved it.
She cast a look at him and said, “I remember you brought home a candleholder or something one time, and it broke.”
He stopped and stared at her as the memory slammed into his mind. He laughed again. “Okay, so maybe I wasn’t so good at metal art, but I enjoyed it.”