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He wasn’t sure a lifetime would be enough.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Britt looked at the new devices that encased her wrist and ankle in amazement. They were so light, airy with the lattice-like structure, yet they held both her wrist and ankle firmly in place. She felt so much less confined it must have shown, because Dr. Reed warned her not to get carried away and do too much, although he admitted this should make her more mobile due to the sheer lack of bulk and weight as anything else.
He’d also given her the good news that the new X-rays of her ankle showed healing had definitely begun, and that her wrist sprain appeared to be healing faster than expected.
“You’re in great condition, so that helps. If nothing else happens, you’ll be looking at the short end of recovery on that wrist. It should be safe to remove that splint periodically. The ankle needs to stay put, but you can even shower with it. And you’ll be using those crutches and doing rehab exercises before long.”
That brightened her mood, which took some doing at the moment. Who’d have ever thought a simple shower would be that high on her wish list? Her mother would be delighted, too, she was sure, since she’d been helping her bathe all week.
I’d rather have Cody doing it.
The words ran through her mind, followed by a tumble of her emotions as she realized that would likely never happen. She wasn’t sure that fence could be mended.
When it was done and her parents were allowed into the room, her father said she looked like some new superhero in costume. Her mother smiled and said the bright blue color matched her eyes. Which made her look over at Cody—he had silently been there the whole time—who was now across the room listening to the doctor talk animatedly about the new-to-him process.
Had Cody chosen the color? Was that why—because it matched her eyes? Seemed a bit too artistic for the deep-into-the-tech-of-it guy, but then she remembered the incredible bluebonnets video he’d done. There had definitely been an artistic sort of vision there. But that also made her wonder if he’d just gone with the blue because of the flowers, nothing to do with her eyes, although they were a better match to the shade of the plastic.
The guy won’t even look at you, and you’re sitting here wondering if he was trying to match your eyes? Right now he’d probably like to gouge them out.
Her mother spoke very quietly, but the words were all too familiar, the words that she’d heard her whole life when Mom wanted her to think about something. “Tell me something, dear. Did you ever think about the possibility that after what happened yesterday, Cody might not make that drive to Fort Worth and back for you?”
She blinked. In fact, she’d been so wrapped up in her emotional misery, it hadn’t even occurred to her. “No,” she admitted.
“You might want to think about why that is.”
She didn’t have to think about it, really. Because she knew it had never occurred to her because a Rafferty not only didn’t lie, a Rafferty never defaulted on a promise, either.
“—to thank your friend for that video consult, which helped immensely,” she heard the doctor say.
“He’s a good guy,” Cody said.
Even listening to his voice sent a shiver through her. He’d been so…cool, ever since he’d arrived. Understandably, of course, after the way she’d screamed at him.
After all he’s done, you can’t even be as patient with him as you are with that horse?
She didn’t think she’d ever felt as awful, as self-loathing as she had when those words had hit home. But she’d had some long, sleepless hours to think about them, to think about what she’d said, what she’d done. She’d always thought of herself as honest, and she was—with everyone but herself, apparently. Because if she’d been more patient, if she hadn’t gone off like a land mine, she would have realized some things then, before she’d driven him away. But she had, and there had been a long, painful aftermath that had nothing to do with broken bones and everything to do with coming to terms with herself and what she’d done.
“We’ve reservations at Valencia’s,” her mother announced, and Britt saw she was looking at Cody as they walked out of the office. “It’s the least we can do, after all you’ve done, Cody.”
“I don’t think—”
“Now don’t interfere with my chance to thank you,” Mom chided him. Cody’s jaw tightened, but he gave in.
And so she found herself sitting at a table that had clearly been arranged specifically to accommodate the wheelchair. She was feeling grateful they hadn’t ended up in a booth, both because of the thought of trying to get into it, and that she no doubt would have wound up sitting next to Cody if her mother had anything to say about it.
She was thankful as well as happy to see Valencia manager Elena Highwater when she came out to greet them. Sean wasn’t far behind her, and Britt felt a little tug inside as Elena’s slightly tousled hair and the glow that practically radiated from her registered. That and Sean’s quiet smile told her what had probably been going on in her office in the back.
Did I look like that, when Cody kissed me? I felt like that.
They got the Highwater updates, that Shane’s wife Lily was glowing, now five months into her pregnancy—Sean grinned as he said his usually imperturbable brother was a wreck—and that Slater and Joey would soon add to the brood.
“I’m waiting for Sage,” Mom said as the pair left them to enjoy the delicious queso and salsa appetizers.
Britt tried to picture it. Couldn’t. At least she didn’t say me. And that thought handed her an opening she hadn’t planned on but grabbed.
“Sage,” she said quietly, looking at Cody, “would handle that a lot better than I’m handling this.”
