Chapter 3 Elise #2
But right this minute, under the winter sun, high on Copper’s back, bantering with a gorgeous cowboy who thought she was as normal as the next girl? Honey, she could climb that Rocky Mountain high all day long.
“My uncle told me the lodge had a horse, and I’m partial to anything with four legs and an attitude. Figured I’d say hello.”
“Copper’s the sweetest guy alive,” Elise told him. “A total teddy bear. Unless you’re a peppermint candy, then you’re just his next snack.”
“Duly noted,” he said. “You ride often?”
“Every chance I get.”
Before she could answer, Red’s booming voice cut through the air. “Nicole! Hey, I need you a minute!”
They all turned to see him on the far side of the paddock, tugging hard at an open Santa jacket. “Can you help before the sleigh ride passengers show up? This darn coat musta shrunk since last time I had it on.”
“Oh, I’m sure that’s what happened,” Nicole cracked on a whisper. “No cream puffs involved. I’ll be right back.” She gave Elise a quick look, a secret question in her eyes. “Are you…”
“Go save Red.” She let her eyes widen slightly, hoping her friend got the message that she’d be fine, she wouldn’t fall, and she didn’t want this moment to end.
“Be right back,” she repeated, heading off across the paddock.
More hundreds for Nic. Many more.
It was a rare moment that Elise sat alone on a horse, and even more rare to be a foot above a dime who looked at her like she’d hung the moon with one hand and the stars with the other.
“I have to say…” Wade tipped his hat back far enough that it was about as secure on his head as Elise’s behind in this saddle. “Everything about Utah is gorgeous, and I do mean everything.”
Dude was a first-class, Grade A, woman-melting flirt. And she was so here for it.
“Thank you,” she said, not even trying to pretend to be coy. “Do you ski?”
“I’m from Mobile, honey. That’s like askin’ one of you folks if you wrestle gators,” he said with a laugh.
“Do you wrestle gators?” she asked.
“Only if they’re sick and, in my case, have a tumor.”
She managed to inch back, the serious word so out of character with the flirty guy. “A…tumor?”
“I’m a veterinary oncologist.”
“No!” she said on a gasp. Instantly sensing the sound might send Nicole nearly flying over, she flicked her hand in that direction to stop her. “You’re a vet?”
“I studied at Auburn and just finished residency. I have a few certifications to pass, then I’ll be official. Hopefully”—he reached over the railing and patted Copper’s head with a sure, confident hand—“this fella will never need to see me.”
“Oncology?” For a moment, she forgot to be witty, taken by the information. “We don’t have that department yet.”
He cocked his head. “Well, this place is small and there’s only one horse.”
She laughed. “No, I meant at Great Basin Veterinary Institute. I’m starting my second year there.”
It was his turn to look shocked. “You’re in vet school?”
She nodded, unable to hide her pride. “The institute is outside of Salt Lake, in a town called Eagle Mountain.”
“It sounds as beautiful as everything else in this state.”
“It is,” she agreed.
“I’d love to see it,” he said, a slow smile pulling. “With the right tour guide, that is.”
She started to smile, but an age-old burn in her stomach came back to life. For a flash, she’d been normal. Now, the truth would have to come out.
Nicole came jogging over, probably freaking out that she’d left Elise alone on Copper for so long. Cameron would flip out, but Elise didn’t care.
“Everything good?” Nicole asked.
“Great,” Elise said, too quickly.
“Elise is going to show me around her vet institute,” Wade said with the confidence of a man who’d never gotten turned down by a woman in his life.
“You are?” Nicole’s face brightened. “How fun.”
Would it be fun? Or would it be miserable? Because watching his face fall when she rolled out of her ADA-approved campus apartment and revealed that she was Hale on Wheels was actually the stuff of misery.
“Well, I’m busy with the Live Nativity program—”
“Nothing like a Christmas display that actually smells like the real thing,” he joked, making her laugh.
“Sounds like you’ve been to one.”
“It’s standard at every vet school,” he said.
“You’re a vet, too?” Nicole asked.
“Oncology,” he said, with a tone that told Elise it was truly his greatest accomplishment and she so understood and adored that.
Please, God, don’t make me like him any more than I already do.
“Well, I better not keep you from getting Copper warmed up for his sleigh ride,” he said, even giving her a reason to continue riding in the paddock.
She’d never have to come clean. She could ride away into the stable and leave this intriguing man thinking she was…normal.
Sadly, she wasn’t and never would be.
“I’ll get your number from Nicole and we’ll set up a visit,” he said, then must have seen the look on her face, because he lowered his chin, the picture of humility. “If you like, that is.”
Did she like? In one way, more than anything. In another? All she wanted was to be someone else in a working body.
“Of course,” she said, hearing a bit of her spunk fade with the words.
“I’ll text you, Elise.” Wade tipped his hat. “Nice meetin’ you. See you soon.”
With that, he strode away toward the lodge, six-foot-something and so gorgeous that all she could do was stare at his back and whimper.
“Well, well, well.” Nicole clucked noisily enough to get Copper’s attention. “Look who has a date.”
“Stop!” The order sounded harsh, and Elise regretted it the minute she spoke.
“Why?”
She huffed out a breath, turning Copper to head back to the stable. “Don’t give him my number.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I’m…not a fan of bone-deep, life-long, soul-breaking disappointment.”
Nicole stopped mid-step. “What are you talking about?”
“Nic, don’t.”
“Don’t what?” her friend pressed. “Act like you can’t have a date? Because I don’t buy that, not one bit.”
Elise swallowed and let her eyes close. “Who’s here to help me off?” she asked, her voice low and stiff.
“My dad’s in the stable and Cam, who I pray did not see you on this horse alone.” Nicole eyed her and guided Copper toward the open doors. “Don’t sell yourself short, E,” she whispered. “He obviously liked you.”
“He…doesn’t know. He couldn’t see the harness holding me in place, or the fear in your eyes when you had to step ten feet away. He doesn’t know I’m not a…regular girl.”
“Well, I know you’re not a regular girl,” Nicole quipped. “I know you’re beautiful, hilarious, brilliant, tender-hearted, exuberant, delightful, and—”
“Crippled.” Elise blinked hard against the sting in her eyes.
Nicole put her hand on Elise’s leg. “Are you going to force me to make your dreams come true again, sister-to-be?”
Elise gave a shaky smile. “You know something?” she asked.
“I can’t feel your hand on my leg. Not a thing from the top of my thighs to the bottom of my feet.
When a man courts a woman, falls in love with a woman, and gets close to a woman, he’s going to want her to feel it when he touches her.
I can’t and never will. So no matter how beautiful or tender or delightful you think I am?
I will never be normal or regular or…or… ”
Nicole looked up, her eyes swimming in tears. “You feel things in your heart,” she said simply. “That’s all you need. Let me give him your number.”
Elise took a slow, deep breath. What was the worst that could happen? She’d never tried…anything before. She’d never been on a date. She’d never kissed a boy. She’d never been in love.
And this guy was a visitor, so…
“Why the heck not?” she asked on a whisper, as much to herself as Nicole.
Why not? Because she could get her heart shattered as bad as her legs were in an accident fifteen years ago. Well, she’d survived that, so no doubt she could survive a little heartbreak from Alabama.
At least she’d go down smiling.
“’kay,” she whispered, closing her eyes so she didn’t have to witness Nicole’s victory fist pump.