Chapter 1
Five years later…
June checked her watch as she hurried across the street to the bar where her friends were waiting. She was almost thirty minutes late. It couldn’t be helped that her last appointment had run late and then she had to find parking. The closest parking garage was two blocks away.
June weaved between a couple and raced into the bar. Her eyes darted around the crowded space looking for her friends Casey, Sue, and Karla. They had all gone to college together.
She had lived in Las Vegas for five years now. Ever since she’d come here to see Dr. Shane to get her legs and walk again. She hadn’t intended on staying here, but she’d fallen in love with the town and the people.
When her rehab was deemed over, June decided she didn’t want to go back to California. Even Rosa liked it here and wanted to stay. They were still close even though Rosa was no longer her caregiver. Rosa had bought a little house a few blocks from June.
After living her entire life under a roof with others, June had been ready to spread her wings and live alone. And she loved every second of it.
As soon as she decided to stay—despite her brother’s protests—June had gone to college and was now a physical therapist.
Dr. Shane had inspired her decision. Well, she and her team. They had all been incredible and supportive. June had talked to Dr. Shane about it while she attended school and was hired on as soon as she passed all of her exams. She had also joined a support group for other people who’d lost limbs.
June had no idea she could be so happy and feel so complete. To think of all the years, she had wasted away in her house feeling sorry for herself. Not anymore.
She now ran—something she never would have done unless running from hungry zombies—but found she enjoyed it. She had even gone hiking on several occasions. Rosa had begrudgingly joined her once or twice.
June saw an arm waving frantically out of the corner of her left eye.
She turned to see Casey standing above the crowd of heads.
She had to be on a tabletop or something.
Casey was only five foot four. She was the shortest of the group but the loudest, as if she needed to make up for her shorter stature; Karla was the tallest.
June made her way through the crowd to their table. They sat at a high-top round table with the front right chair open for her.
“It’s about time you showed up.” Casey tsked her but didn’t look upset about June’s tardiness. It wasn’t like this was anything out of the norm.
“Sorry, I’m late. My appointment ran over,” June apologized as she slung her purse over the back of the chair.
Karla rolled her eyes. “It’s always work with you.”
“Regardless, you’re here now,” Sue, always the peacekeeper, said. “We already ordered you a drink. It should be here any minute.”
“Thanks.” June smiled appreciatively and slid into the seat. She released a sigh of relief at finally being able to sit after standing all day.
“So how is work?” Sue asked her.
“Good, busy. How about you guys?” They all worked at different offices around the city.
“Same,” they all answered in unison.
“No, we are not talking about work tonight,” Karla stated forcefully.
“Alright, what do you want to talk about then?” June questioned her with a raised eyebrow.
“How you need a man in your life.”
June rolled her eyes. Not this argument again. “I do not need a man in my life.”
“All you ever do is work and sleep,” Casey disputed, as she sipped her scotch and soda.
“It’s not like any of you are dating.” Why was she always the one in the hot seat about having a man?
“We aren’t the issue. We can put work to the side and have fun. You need that too.”
June wasn’t looking for a relationship right now. The only man she had any interest in didn’t even know she existed. His name was Rob, and he came through the clinic every once in a while to talk to Dr. Shane.
June remembered the first time she’d seen him.
She’d noticed his height and build first, then his rugged face, and her heart had stuttered.
Then he’d walked past her as if she hadn’t been standing there at all.
Every once in a while, she saw him again, and sometimes he said hello, but other than that he kept his distance.
That was fine, she wanted to focus on herself for a while and just be on her own. There was nothing wrong with that.
None of these women had had the physical setbacks that she had.
Casey bragged about losing her virginity at sixteen to Stevie Dade in the back of his van as if it was something to be proud of.
Sue was valedictorian of her school. Karla had set up a strike at her school over cafeteria food and how it was detrimental to kids’ health.
The point was, they had all done some living before now and were starting to think about settling down, finding a man, and having kids. June, on the other hand, was just getting started living. She wasn’t ready for a husband and kids, nor did she want to sew some wild oats.
June just wanted to focus on herself for right now. It wasn’t like being a twenty-nine-year-old virgin was the worst thing in the world.
“No, but we aren’t so focused on our careers that we are working ourselves to death either.”
Casey’s eyes roamed over to the bar as she sipped her scotch and soda. “Check out the eye candy over there.” She pointed in the general area with her pinkie. “He could work me to death.” Everyone ignored her. Casey was a horndog.
“What Karla is trying to say, untactfully,” Sue said, looking pointedly at Karla before turning her head to look at June, “is that we are worried that you are going to burn yourself out. I know you are trying to make up for lost time, but making yourself sick isn’t going to help.
You’re young; you should be having fun, not so focused on work all the time. ”
“I appreciate the concern, guys, really I do.” June felt her throat threaten to close up and tears well in her eyes, but she pushed them back. She loved these women. They were truly the greatest friends she could ever ask for.
They weren’t trying to be mean, but were concerned about her and her health.
They didn’t see her disability as a weakness or use it as an excuse to take it easy.
They saw her for her. The girls weren’t domineering about it like her brother would be, but simply expressing their concerns.
She did push herself, but June didn’t feel like she was close to burning herself out.
“But a man isn’t the answer to my problems.” She already had an overbearing brother; what would a boyfriend be like? Demanding more of her time. Where would her own personal time go?
“It would be if it was a certain someone,” Sue remarked in a sing-song voice. Sue knew about her crush on Rob, but that was all it was and would ever be—a crush. The man didn’t even know she existed.
“Sue,” June warned in a low tone, telling her not to broach that subject.
“Ooh, here he comes.” Casey bounced up and down in her seat excitedly.
Here who comes? June turned in the direction her friends were staring like deer caught in the headlights.
“Excuse me, ladies,” a man said as he walked up to their table.
“Well, hello there,” the ladies cooed at the newcomer.
June looked him over. He appeared to be a few years younger than her.
Maybe still in college. His dark brown hair was swept off to the side of his face in an unruly way as if he ran his fingers through it a lot.
He had a fresh face with a wide smile that she was sure dropped a lot of panties, but not hers.
June had no interest in a guy like that.
“I hope you don’t mind me coming over.”
“Not at all,” they simpered. June stared at them wide-eyed. She hadn’t seen her friends this giggly before ever. It was as if they had been star-struck by their favorite celebrity; June couldn’t remember his name. He had blond hair and played a god in the Marvel movies. He could control lightning.
Good god, this guy was practically a kid, whereas they were creeping toward their thirties. She was more so.
“Hi, I’m Troy,” he introduced himself, holding his hand out for her to shake. June looked at it tentatively at first before taking it. He had a limp handshake like a wet noodle.
“June.” She gave a firm shake before extracting her hand back quickly and placing it in her lap.
He leaned closer and braced a hand on the back of her chair. June felt caged in and found herself leaning back, which he took as the opportunity to lean closer.
“I see you’re the only one who doesn’t have a drink. I was wondering if I could buy you one.”
June opened her mouth to decline when she spotted a waiter coming over with her customary long island.
“Thanks, but my drink is just arriving.” She grasped the glass from the waiter and took a sip while watching him, giving him the hint to take a hike or move his attention onto someone who was more open to his advances.
“I’m sure someone else around here needs a drink. How about you find them?”
“I’m thirsty,” Casey said huskily, leaning against the table and putting her ample bosom on display.
Troy’s gaze flickered to her friend before landing back on June; his jawline looked tight, as if he was irritated, before loosening. His smile broadened and a dimple appeared. She was sure that got him lucky a lot, but it didn’t affect her.
“If not something to drink, how about something to eat?”
What was wrong with this guy? Couldn’t he take a hint? She was not interested in him. Why didn’t he turn his attention toward Casey, who was obviously wanting to go home with him?
“Not hungry, not interested. Move on,” she said forcefully, not trying to be subtle anymore and ready for him to leave and let her enjoy the rest of the night with her friends.
Troy’s face transformed from charming to rage.
His lip curled in disgust at her as his eyes narrowed to slits.
“Fucking frigid bitch, you should be dropping on your knees and sucking my cock in gratitude that I would show any attention to a freak like you because I’m sure no other man wants a robot like you.
Oh, wait you don’t even have knees. Probably just little stumps. ” He snickered at his own joke.
June didn’t respond to his barb. Her friends, on the other hand, stood up and started yelling at him. Casey tried to throw her drink in his face, but Sue took the glass from her before she could hurl it.
As much as June would have enjoyed watching that, she didn’t want them getting kicked out of the bar because of this asshole.
The guy spun on his heel and marched back over to his friends. They all looked at her and started cackling and punching Troy in the arm good-naturedly. He pushed them away as he grabbed a drink from the bar and downed it as he glared at her with hatred.
June could feel the fury the whole way across the room.
It wasn’t her fault he’d thought she was an easy target to get laid.
Or most likely she was a bet. Some guys thought she was fun sport to place bets on because she didn’t have real legs and that she would be hard up for any guy to show her attention. Fuck that and fuck them.
“And that is why a man isn’t the answer.” June would rather be a dried-up old spinster than go out with a guy like that who didn’t see her as a person but a piece of meat that should be grateful for a male’s attention.
“June, are you okay?” Sue asked, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.
“I’m fine,” she responded honestly. The guy hadn’t said anything she hadn’t heard before. “Let’s just forget about him and any talk of men, and talk about something else.” Anything else. She’d rather talk about the weather than men.
“Agreed.”