Page 62 of Tart
I nodded, biting my lip as I eyed the contraptions. “That’s why I have so many problems with that arm,” I said, clearing my throat.
He bought crutches for me. He sought out a solution to a problem I had and then checked with my best friend just to make sure he wouldn’t make something worse. Part of me wanted to pinch myself and see if I was awake. Was he for real, or was he a dream?
He slid his arms inside the straps and grasped the handles that jutted upward like a video game joystick. “The crutches are fully adjustable, including the handgrips,” he explained, flipping them down. “You can also move them out of the way and watch,” he said, lifting his arms. The arm cups stayed on his arm but separated from the crutch on a swing-away motion. He put his arms around me and hugged me, then lowered the crutches to the floor and snapped them down again. “You can let go, and they don’t fall off your arms, but they will break away if you fall.”
“That’s seriously sci-fi stuff, Bishop. Crutches have been the same since the Civil War. No one ever made them easier. These are a gamechanger.”
He nodded and took one off his arm, flipping it over. “They are because the feet are completely different than most crutches. Instead of just a cap over a metal tube, these act more like those shoes you see kids hopping around on. They rock forward, squish down, and then pop back up on return to make walking with them more natural. They also have ones for ice and snow to keep you from falling.”
He righted the crutch again and handed it to me, helping me adjust them, so they fit my height. He walked close to me while I tried them out, surprised by how easily they moved with my body rather than my body having to force them around. “Bishop, these are incredible.”
He nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. “You walk completely different on them. You don’t have to stop as often.”
“No, because they aren’t compressing the nerves in my damaged arm. I’m speechless.”
He kissed my cheek and smiled. “From what I hear, that’s nearly impossible, so I’ll take it as a win.”
Tears ran down my face, and he wiped them away. “Did I say something wrong?”
I shook my head and shrugged, looking to the ceiling to gather myself. “You’re just too nice to me. No one is this nice to me. I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay you back for everything you’ve done.”
“You don’t pay someone back for a gift, Amber,” he said, wiping more tears until he finally had to get a napkin from the holder on the table.
“I’m not just talking about the crutches. You underplay everything you’re doing to help me, but you know what I mean. Now we’ve consummated the marriage, too, so we’ll have to pay for a divorce.”
He chuckled and wiped my tears, resting the crutches against the table. He picked me up and carried me to his bed, still rumpled from this morning, and lowered me to it. “I’m not worried about paying for a divorce right now. I’m worried about making sure you get the care you need. As for consummating the marriage, I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right, we did. We did it well, too, if I do say so myself.”
He started taking my brace off until I grasped his hand. “I thought we had to go somewhere.”
“We were supposed to meet Haylee and Brady at the lake. Brady is skiing in the waterski show tonight, but I think you need to get some rest. I did keep you up half the night making you come,” he said, kissing me senseless while he took the brace off without even looking. I whimpered when he pulled away to set the brace off to the side of the bed.
“I don’t want to upset them if they’re expecting us.”
“I’ll text Haylee and tell her your arm is sore. She’ll understand. Should I invite them to come over and christen the new patio with us tonight? I’ll grill steaks, and we’ll share a few drinks with them if you think you’ll feel up to it.”
“If I don’t have to go any farther than the patio, I would love to see them. I just don’t think I can do more than that, even with the new crutches, which are amazeballs, by the way. Unfortunately, it will be tomorrow before the pain from the old set goes away enough to let me move around better.”
He nodded and sat next to me on the bed, his fingers pushing the hair back behind my ears before his thumb rubbed my cheek gently. “I understand. I should have thought of that before I planned today’s activities. You’ve been doing a lot of moving around on those crutches, and you’re not used to that. Forgive me?”
I grasped his hand, bringing his palm to my lips to kiss. “Nothing to forgive. Are you kidding me? The last few days have been wonderful. I’ve loved getting to know you better and spending time alone with you. I wouldn’t change any of it, a sore arm or not.”
“Sleep or no sleep?”
“No sleep if it means I get another one of those rocking orgasms,” I joked, his growling laughter satisfaction for my body and soul.
“I can arrange that,” he promised. “Later. You rest while I call Haylee.”
I nodded and rolled over onto my right side as he left the room. He was something else. Why couldn’t I have met him a year ago before I had the misfortune of dating the biggest asshole in the state?
I was almost asleep, my tired mind, body, and soul finished thinking about all the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens. Especially when in a sleepy haze, I felt him wrapping an ice pack around my left arm and tucking it in under the blanket before he left the room again. My lips curled up in a smile, but my heart broke a little bit more inside my chest. Walking away from him would be more painful than anything that tornado ever did to me.
“YOU OUTDID YOURSELF, Bishop,” Haylee moaned, leaning back in her chair after dinner. “Those steaks were delicious. So tender and juicy.”
“I’m glad,” he said from where he sat next to me. “With the change in plans, they didn’t get their usual marinade time, but it all worked out in the end. I should clean this up.”
Brady stood and started gathering plates. “I’ll help. Ladies, why don’t you enjoy the fire now that it’s going strong.”
Haylee leaned over and kissed him. “That would be great, thanks, babe.”
