Page 29 of Wild For You
Casually, I strolled behind her, the crunch of my feet and the crutches on the loose gravel its own slow melody mixed with her faster pace.
She loaded her arms with seven books she wanted to read, claiming I bored her to tears when I only conversed in grunts and growls.
“Want to get lunch? The Purple Goat has some great sandwiches.” I nearly tripped when I made the suggestion, surprising myself.
“That sounds great! I don’t mind cooking, but I can only eat so much of those frozen casseroles.”
I was tired of them too. I tried to convince Kelsey to cook whenever I could, but she wanted to go through the things people made first. I was hoping I’d soon be able to stand long enough to cook forher. Another first for me.
“Are you sure you’re not too worn out? I don’t want you to overdo it.”
“I’m fine, Kelsey. Don’t worry about me.”
“That’s literally my job right now.”
“What if it wasn’t? Would you still worry then?” I asked the question jokingly, but the muscle inside my chest sprang to life as it waited to hear her answer.
She pursed her lips as she thought it over, then shrugged as she replied, “Probably.”
Together, we walked to The Purple Goat—a staple in Ashfield. I thought of suggesting Angelo’s, the Italian restaurant a block away, but Harold made the best sandwiches in town. I was also hoping I could grab a beer, since I stopped my medicine last week.
As we stepped inside, the crowd quieted but then went on about their business. Usually, the nosy patrons would start up with their gossiping the moment two people walked through the door. Thankfully, the news of my injury was going to sidestep that humiliation.
Harold greeted us himself and slapped a gentle hand on my shoulder when he congratulated me on moving back home. Over the last year, I’d been commuting between Ashfield and Knoxville, but right before my fall, I officially changed all my addresses to Ashfield.
I ordered two double cheeseburgers, and Kelsey—shockingly—ordered the same. When Harold and I looked at her, flabbergasted, her shoulders rose.
“I’m hungry, and it sounded good. Oh, and a milkshake too. Thanks.”
“I’ll take whatever light beer you have on draft.” I peered over the menu at Kelsey to see if she’d object, but she just handed her menu to Harold and smiled at the older man.
We sat across from each other in the booth, making small talk about the game playing on the TV nearby, and she gave some hints about how she lost her job. I think she realized early on that I had a bit of a temper, and if I had all my limbs in full working order, I’d go make an example of her ex. It was unfortunate she wouldn’t disclose his name.
Too bad for her, I knew ways to figure those things out.
We both quieted as the meals came, and I was surprised once again when Kelsey met me bite for bite.
“Oh my God. These are so good. Best burgers I’ve ever had.”
“Can’t beat farm to table.”
“I’m so glad I didn’t know about the burgers here before today. Otherwise, I’d have eaten here every day, and I would be of no use to you.” Giggling, she added, “You’ll probably have to roll me home.”
Reaching out, I laid my hand on top of hers. “You’d still be beautiful.”
Silence fell over the table, but she didn’t slip her hand away, nor did I pull mine back. I waited for her reaction, but instead, Harold chose that moment to set the check down on the table, and we both pulled our hands away like they were on fire, then reached for the bill.
“Let me get this,” she said, but I shook my head.
“Absolutely not.”
“Can I at least pay for mine?”
“No.”
“Andrew,” she said in a low, angry voice that I found adorable.
I mimicked her tone. “Kelsey.”
