Chapter 6 #3
“First, it needs to be confirmed with a biopsy, since the best option is to put your mind at ease. If it’s positive, I can help you put together a treatment plan.”
“What might that be?”
“It’s early, but my guess would be minor excision and, if it hasn’t spread, cryotherapy. I’ve handled worse.” His smile softened. “If it’s caught early, it’s treatable. Especially if it hasn’t spread into the orbit. Not a complicated treatment, but the sooner the better.”
Elise let out a breath. “Then she came to the right place.”
The ewe gave a low, wavering bleat, as if agreeing. Wade chuckled, resting a palm against her shoulder. “What’s her name?”
Elise shook her head. “The farmer didn’t say, but he did comment that she’d been in shambles for a while, whatever that means.”
Wade’s eyes warmed as he looked at the animal. “All right then, Shambles.” He patted her again. “Let’s see if we can put your life, and eye, back together again.”
“Shambles?” She laughed. “I love it.”
He turned to smile at Elise. Crouched down as he was, he had to look up at her. Their gazes met, the air thick with straw dust and the faint rhythm of the ewe’s breathing. For a heartbeat or two, neither of them moved.
Finally, Wade straightened. “Let me know what I can do to help. I have some research papers on the problem I can forward to you and I’m happy to look at the biopsy results. Not that I want to push myself on this institute.”
“I, for one, would love the outside opinion,” she said.
“I’m such a novice and this sheep is my responsibility at the moment.
” She leaned in as the light caught the ewe’s face just so—one bright eye clear and watchful, the other shadowed but open.
“You definitely have something going on, Shambles.” She reached out and put her hand on the animal’s head.
“She’s going to be just fine with the right treatment, Elise. I promise.”
“Oh, there’s the good news,” she whispered to the sheep. “This handsome oncologist is going to fix you right up.”
He chuckled. “Handsome?”
“Well, if she can’t see real well at the moment…” Biting her lip, she squinted up at him. “I thought she should know the doctor’s cute.”
His mouth slid into a slow smile, then he leaned over and whispered into the sheep’s ear. “Did you hear that, Shambles? She thinks I’m cute. Think she’ll let me help with this Nativity thing? I’m kind of itching to get involved.”
Her heart did a little dance, but she managed a casual shrug. “We might need an extra Wise Man.”
“I can do gold, frankincense, myrrh, or penicillin. Just lead me to the manger.”
She laughed, adoring his attitude. “Let’s go out to the pen and meet the rest of the gang.”
They stepped—or rather, rolled and walked—outside to the largest pen, where the stocky donkey watched and chewed, his ears flicking lazily.
Elise gestured. “That’s Eeyore, our headliner who brings a very pregnant Mary into the stable. He knows his role is underappreciated.”
“Not by Mary,” he cracked.
The donkey brayed, earning a chuckle from Wade.
He crouched down near the fence, watching two more goats nose each other for the best pile of hay. “They look happy.”
“They are,” she said softly. “It’s kind of amazing, actually. No matter what they’ve been through, animals just—move on. They heal faster than we do.”
“They do in the right hands,” he said. “Which I can already tell you have.”
“You can?” The compliment felt so good. “Thank you. But the real hero here is you, who figured out what was going on with that sheep’s eye.”
He gave a humble shrug. “Not that impressive when you consider I just finished years of oncology training. But taking on vet school, residency, and the big Christmas program? That’s impressive.”
Because she was in a wheelchair…or just because?
She didn’t know and right that moment? She didn’t care.
After checking all the animals, they wandered back out to the quad. The air outside had shifted, the clouds tinted pink and lavender against the snowy peaks.
They paused by a bench, where students were stringing white lights in the trees. Elise maneuvered her chair to face him as they sat in the fading sun, relaxed and enjoying the vibe. He gushed about his crush on Utah again, and showered compliments on the institute.
Finally, he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and she braced herself for something…personal. She could see it in his eyes.
“I’m really grateful for Shambles,” he said softly.
Oh. Shambles the sheep. That was a little disappointing. “Why?” she asked.
“She gave me the perfect excuse to come back here and see you.”
And the rollercoaster she’d been riding all afternoon soared again. Biting her lip, she felt a flush deepen her cheeks, fighting the urge to ask him if he actually didn’t notice she was in a wheelchair.
She swallowed that and gave a shaky smile. “You don’t need an excuse.”
His smile deepened, slow and genuine. “I’ll take that as a good sign.”
“A sign of…what?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
“That you like me as much as I like you.” He winked at her.
“Are you flirting with me, Dr. Reynolds?”
“Not very well, if you have to ask.”
“But…” She took a slow, deep breath, knowing that if they didn’t talk about her disability, the conversation they never had would haunt her. “There is this small matter of an elephant.”
“Yeah, yeah. The elephant in the room.” He put one hand on each of her armrests and rolled her back two inches, then reversed to bring her even closer to him. “The one you think matters more than anything and would keep a guy from showing interest. That elephant?”
She nodded, unable to speak.
“I don’t even see this alleged elephant,” he said. “But I do see a striking, smart, funny, and insanely attractive woman who I’d really like to get to know better. I’m not begging to work on the Live Nativity because I have a hankerin’ to spend Christmas Eve cleaning up sheep doo-doo.”
“Then why are you?”
He slanted his head and gave her a look that said he couldn’t believe she had to ask. But she had to ask! No one ever…no man had ever… Oh, dear.
She had to be honest. There was one other elephant in the room and he couldn’t possibly know it. She had to tell him.
“I think you need to know something, Wade,” she said on a rough whisper, forcing herself to get this out.
“Anything.”
“I’ve never…been on a date. Never kissed a guy in my life. I don’t know how to…do this. I’ve only watched movies and daydreamed and imagined…anything. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
He just smiled. “No one does. That’s what makes it fun. Can I see you again?”
She closed her eyes and sighed at his pure…goodness. “Yeah.”
Lifting her hand, he pressed her knuckles to his lips. “Good. I’ll text you. This was great. Thank you. Come on. Let’s get you home, cowgirl.”
He walked her back to the dorm, hugged her in the lobby, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. With a promise to call tomorrow, he left her with the biggest smile she’d worn in years.
This just didn’t happen to Elise Hale.
But here it was…happening.