Page 27 of Wicked Healing

Luca gave her concise directions and before long she could tell they were getting close to the beach. There were more cars and it was a little crowded in the touristy areas, but he directed her north toward the Torrey Pines area.

“You’ll like it,” he told her. “There’s a beach but there are also these rocky bluffs where you can look down at the ocean. Very picturesque.”

Erin turned on an old rock station and rolled down the windows, happy to be in the fresh air. Even outside the hospital it seemed like there was a disinfectant odor around the area. It was nice to blow all that away. She glanced at Luca. He was smiling slightly, hand out the window playing in the breeze. She glanced in the rearview mirror. Wicked was at the end of his strap, trying to let his head hang out the window. His tongue flapped in the wind and she giggled.

Luca craned his head to look at the dog and laughed as well, deeply. Only once did she see a flash of pain contort his face. It disappeared quickly, obviously forced away by his iron will.

Torrey Pines Park was as pretty as he’d promised, and considering it was a weekend it wasn’t especially crowded. She kept craning her head to see everything. There was a line of cars to get off the interstate, but they weren’t in a hurry.

Once she was on the park grounds the speed limit slowed considerably, giving her a chance to look at the amazing panoramas spread beneath her. There were sandy rock bluffs and swooping vistas. When she got a chance she pulled into the main parking lot, grabbed her phone and stepped out of the car.

Yes, she was changing the plans a little, but if he wanted to sit in the car while she took pictures she would be okay with that, if maybe a little disappointed in him. No, that wasn’t fair. He needed to do what he was comfortable with.

She heard the latch of the car door, then Luca’s soft voice talking to Wicked as he let him out. The dog looked around curiously, but not defensively. Erin thought it was a huge improvement that he was so calm.

“There’s a longer line in the back if you want to let him roam a bit.”

Hobbling a little, Luca moved to the back and opened the hatch. He found the black lunge line and fastened the end to Wicked’s collar.

“We’ll only go as far as you’re comfortable, okay?”

Luca nodded, eyes squinted against the bright sunlight. “I might as well see what I can do.”

Erin grinned at him, glad that he was being proactive. She walked slowly onto the first trail. She wished for pavement for Luca’s sake, but it would be all right. The surface of the trail was sandy, but fairly level. She glanced at Luca, then took a double take. He’d left his cane in the car.

He seemed to understand her glance and he shrugged. “Not easy to juggle the cane and line and concentrate on my leg.”

She slowed to walk beside him, on the opposite side from Wicked. If by chance he stumbled or slipped she wanted to be close enough that he could grab her shoulder or something. She would do anything she could to keep him from being embarrassed in public.

There was a gradual downward slope to the trail and in a while it would switch back on itself and go down to the beach. Erin could see the length of the trail, probably at least a mile, and there were several benches along the way. She waited for Luca to pause at each bench, but he passed them all until they were through the switchback, then he took a pause for a few minutes. Wicked ranged out at the end of the line, sniffing and peeing on bushes where others had been.

Luca’s breathing seemed a little rough but when she lifted a brow at him in question he waved her concern away. “I’m good, really. I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to stop, though. We’re this close I have to hit the beach.”

The grin that spread across his face made her heart stall in her chest. Damn… the man was hot. Several women had looked at him as they’d traveled the trail, but Luca had been preoccupied with keeping his footing. And now that he’d made it this far he was beaming at her, making her the focus of his attention. Erin warmed from the inside, responding to his joy.

“Can your prosthetic get wet?”

He looked down at his right leg, covered by the athletic pant. “It can, but it’s probably not advised. Not sure what the salt water would do to the mechanics of it. I’ll be sure to clean it when I get back.”

She nodded. “Probably smart. That has to last you a while.”

Smiling crookedly, he nodded.

“When I was walking to the car earlier, I realized how much I take my body for granted. It had to have been hard losing your leg.”

He looked down the trail for a moment, then back to her. “It was world-changing. Literally. And it still is. When I woke up I thought I was in a nightmare. Then they told me about Boss and I knew I was in hell. I was being punished for something.”

Trying not to be overwhelmed with emotions, Erin nodded slowly. “I would think that too. I’m sorry for asking, Luca.”

He shrugged, giving her that lopsided smile. “It’s all good. I need to get used to it, you know? I didn’t want to get out of the car today, but I’m glad that I have. For thirty years I’ve been fit and active and I don’t feel like losing a leg should change that.”

“Oh, of course not!” she told him. “I see so many amputees running marathons and stuff. It shouldn’t slow you down at all.”

“I’ve started to forget about the prosthetic,” he admitted, “until I’m presented by something different like this trail. The one that I’m wearing has a computer chip inside and a small motor to help with balance and locomotion. I’ve been using a cane for the past month but I’m at the point where I feel like it’s a crutch, both physically and metaphorically.”

“I haven’t seen you actually need it.”

He nodded again, smiling. “It’s just one of those ego things, you know? I’d rather have the cane in my hand for security than go sprawling in the midst of a crowd.”

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