She’d gotten everything she’d wished for. Well, almost everything, she thought, looking down at her legs. She’d wanted to get past her writer’s block, and she had. Wanted to reconnect with Lina. Also done. Wished to be held in the arms of a man and made love to again. Granted, ten-fold.
Unfortunately for her, falling fast and hard for Johnny hadn’t been part of the original wish. That had been entirely her own doing.
Love at first sight was a concept best left in her stories, but being with him had just felt... right .
Stacey rolled away from the window, back to the now-stiff, stale pancakes. Her appetite was non-existent, but she nibbled on one anyway and played the what-if game.
What if she’d kept her insecurities to herself? Chances were, she wouldn’t be sitting in this gorgeous cabin alone, too bummed out to even write. So what if it was a limited time, no-strings kind of deal? Johnny would still be around, and they’d be doing something a hell of a lot more fun than this. Just thinking about that wicked smile, his incredible body, those sexy male grunts he made right before he came...
She sighed. What-ifs were a waste of time and effort. The only thing that mattered was what was.
She was in a wheelchair, at least for now. She refused to give up hope. Miraculous advances were being made every day.
She was a strong, independent woman. A survivor. And life was filled with ups and downs.
Tossing the half-eaten pancake back on the plate, she began to clear the table. That was when she saw her phone, now fully charged and blinking at her.
There were two text messages from Lina, asking if she was okay. Stacey tapped out a quick reply. “ Doing great. Loving the view. ” There was no point in saying anything more than that.
One from her agent, asking about the book. “ In writer heaven. Great progress. You will be pleased. ”
And six missed calls from her doctor.
Elena Hamilton was the latest in a series of specialists she’d been assigned to, a nice woman in her forties that had a very capable air about her. Stacey tapped the callback icon and took a deep, calming breath.
“Dr. Hamilton’s answering service.” The sing-song voice echoed across the line.
“This is Stacey Mallory. Is Dr. Hamilton available?”
“Is this an emergency?”
How the hell was she supposed to know? She wasn’t the one who called six times. “No, just returning her call.”
“Dr. Hamilton is away at a conference this week. I can leave a message for her to call you,” The musical voice told her.
“Okay,” Stacey agreed, leaving her mobile number with the service. She could wait. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere.
* * *
J ohnny flicked his booted foot, downshifting as he made the final turn into the town proper. He’d been driving around for a while, but the farther away he got from the cabin, the worse he felt.
Yeah, he might have overreacted, taking off like he had, but it was better than telling Stacey the truth. That he’d woken up with crazy thoughts, thoughts that would have probably earned him a good laugh. Grown men didn’t start talking about their fucking feelings and shit after two days, no matter how good the sex was.
He’d thought maybe she’d felt something too, but it wasn’t as if he was going to come out and ask like some chick. His plan had been more subtle: to spend the day with her, doing something other than rocking her world, as kind of a test. The way he figured it, if there was something going on there, he would get the same vibes out of the sheets as in.
Then she’d gone and made that crack about babysitting, acting all nonchalant and shit, insinuating... well, he didn’t really know what she’d meant by that. But as he’d driven down the mountain, something started niggling at the back of his mind. Why would something so ridiculous even cross her mind?
By the time he’d checked out the third job site, he thought he might have figured it out. Lina. Stacey
Unfortunately for her, falling fast and hard for Johnny hadn’t been part of the original wish. That had been entirely her own doing.
Love at first sight was a concept best left in her stories, but being with him had just felt... right .
Stacey rolled away from the window, back to the now-stiff, stale pancakes. Her appetite was non-existent, but she nibbled on one anyway and played the what-if game.
What if she’d kept her insecurities to herself? Chances were, she wouldn’t be sitting in this gorgeous cabin alone, too bummed out to even write. So what if it was a limited time, no-strings kind of deal? Johnny would still be around, and they’d be doing something a hell of a lot more fun than this. Just thinking about that wicked smile, his incredible body, those sexy male grunts he made right before he came...
She sighed. What-ifs were a waste of time and effort. The only thing that mattered was what was.
She was in a wheelchair, at least for now. She refused to give up hope. Miraculous advances were being made every day.
She was a strong, independent woman. A survivor. And life was filled with ups and downs.
Tossing the half-eaten pancake back on the plate, she began to clear the table. That was when she saw her phone, now fully charged and blinking at her.
There were two text messages from Lina, asking if she was okay. Stacey tapped out a quick reply. “ Doing great. Loving the view. ” There was no point in saying anything more than that.
One from her agent, asking about the book. “ In writer heaven. Great progress. You will be pleased. ”
And six missed calls from her doctor.
Elena Hamilton was the latest in a series of specialists she’d been assigned to, a nice woman in her forties that had a very capable air about her. Stacey tapped the callback icon and took a deep, calming breath.
“Dr. Hamilton’s answering service.” The sing-song voice echoed across the line.
“This is Stacey Mallory. Is Dr. Hamilton available?”
“Is this an emergency?”
How the hell was she supposed to know? She wasn’t the one who called six times. “No, just returning her call.”
“Dr. Hamilton is away at a conference this week. I can leave a message for her to call you,” The musical voice told her.
“Okay,” Stacey agreed, leaving her mobile number with the service. She could wait. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere.
* * *
J ohnny flicked his booted foot, downshifting as he made the final turn into the town proper. He’d been driving around for a while, but the farther away he got from the cabin, the worse he felt.
Yeah, he might have overreacted, taking off like he had, but it was better than telling Stacey the truth. That he’d woken up with crazy thoughts, thoughts that would have probably earned him a good laugh. Grown men didn’t start talking about their fucking feelings and shit after two days, no matter how good the sex was.
He’d thought maybe she’d felt something too, but it wasn’t as if he was going to come out and ask like some chick. His plan had been more subtle: to spend the day with her, doing something other than rocking her world, as kind of a test. The way he figured it, if there was something going on there, he would get the same vibes out of the sheets as in.
Then she’d gone and made that crack about babysitting, acting all nonchalant and shit, insinuating... well, he didn’t really know what she’d meant by that. But as he’d driven down the mountain, something started niggling at the back of his mind. Why would something so ridiculous even cross her mind?
By the time he’d checked out the third job site, he thought he might have figured it out. Lina. Stacey
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