Page 9 of His Last Shot
The door clicks shut behind him, the sound echoing in the sudden silence, and I exhale, tension leaving my body.
Thoughts and rationalities swirl in my head as I finish behind the bar. I mean, technically, he’s leaving, so that means he isn’t a customer anymore.
My no-dating-customers rule is in place for a very good reason.
Drew.
My ex-fiance and one huge mistake. Our relationship started off amazingly. As time went on, he was waving red flags back and forth, but I ignored them.
Then there is my RA and my high school boyfriend, Sean. He dumped me on prom night because I was having a flare-up and couldn’t dance with him because of the pain. So what did he do? He danced the night away with Brittany Wilson, then told me he was taking her to the after party since I was, and I quote, “too sick to have fun.” It was the first time I lost something because of my RA. Ever since, I have kept my diagnosis close to my chest.
So needless to say, my past relationships and heartbreaks have made it difficult to open up my heart again.
I’m jaded now.
I study the door, indecision picking away at the scab left on my heart. Did I just allow the bitter loss of some worthless exes to impede potentially getting to know a good guy?
And the truth of the matter is this: I use the no-dating-customers rule as an excuse to not date. Those two messy break-ups did a number on me, but my RA controls my life. It’s embarrassing, and I wonder if anyone will put up with it.
I mean, Sean couldn’t.
Chronic illness and dating don’t mix well. It takes a really special and understanding person to put up with me. Because it’s not just me.
It’s me and my RA.
We are a package deal.
And my little friend has been wrecking me lately. Just in the past few years, bone spurs have developed in my elbows, which cause major pain and my joints to lock up. But it’s not just my elbows that give me a hard time. My shoulders, knees, and hips will all throw a fit. Like today, for example. When I woke this morning, my right hip was screaming at me. I’ve tried hard to hide the natural gait that happens when I walk, but it’s hard.
All of it is just so damn hard.
Which is why I have sworn off all men … at least until I can get my health under control. It’s hard to grasp that anyone would choose someone defective like me.
But Johnny only asked for my number.
God, this back-and-forth is driving me nuts.
Against the nagging tug of my better judgement, I hurl the rag on the counter, and as fast as my weak hip will take me, I rush toward the entrance. With force, I swing open the door, and I’m instantly hit with the bright lights of his truck and a gust of chilly March air. I squint against the harsh glare, my hand flying up to shield my face from the brightness.
“Wait!” I yell out, as the vapor from the air follows my plea out into the night.
He kills the lights, rolls down the window, and pokes his head out. “Are you okay?”
My breathing hitches, a frantic rhythm against my ribs, as disbelief in my actions washes over me. “I don’t date customers,” I blurt out.
Smooth, Rachel.
He grins, turns off the engine, and reaches out of the window to open the car door like the cool guy he is. Then he steps out of the massive white Silverado and leans against the door, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You had to come out here to tell me that?” he says with a chuckle.
Gosh, what am I doing?I curse silently. “Nevermind.” I pivot, my hand closing around the cool metal of the entrance handle. “What am I doing?” I mutter, shaking my head in frustration.
Boots stomp on the pavement behind me, and before I can register what is happening, his fingers reach for the handle before mine.
I turn, and this complete stranger I find myself irresistibly drawn to isrightthere. We are standing close. Too close. His eyes come alive as he scans my face. A single look from him is already my undoing.
Running his thumb along his lower lip, he leans in closer. His undivided attention only on me, like a laser beam piercing through the night. A curious glimmer softens his face. “Rachel, I hadn’t left yet because I didn’t want you to be here alone. I wanted to make sure you locked up and got to your car safely.”
Oh, my melting heart.
