Page 52 of The Calendar of New Beginnings
He wrapped his arms around her before she could say anything. “It was your face. You look…scared. Is it your eye? I don’t see your car.”
All she wanted to do was burrow against him. “Yeah, it’s my eye. I had a fight with my mom over the calendar. My vision went all funny as soon as I stepped outside—funnier than usual. I don’t understand how that could have happened?—”
“I’m glad you came,” he said, keeping his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay.”
Crap. Now he was going to make her cry. “I know. Maybe it’s just stress from the fight.”
“Doubtful. From my research, traumatic optic neuropathy doesn’t usually see visual acuity worsen. Even from stress. This is…puzzling. How’s your color vision?”
“Worse. You looked it up?” she asked, even though she wasn’t surprised.
“Of course I did. I might not be an ophthalmologist, but I’m a doctor. I wanted to be informed in case I could help.”
“No one can help,” she said, embarrassed by her woe-is-me tone.
“You must have had some fight with your mother,” he said, sweeping his hand up and down her back in the most wonderful way.
She was sure she wasn’t supposed to notice how good it felt. She also wasn’t supposed to notice he smelled like pine and earth. At least her sense of smell hadn’t changed.
“Hey!” he said, tightening his arms around her. “You’re scaring me here. I think this is the single longest hug we’ve ever had. How bad is it?”
She pressed her head into his chest, noticing how hardthe muscles were underneath his dark T-shirt. “It’s bad enough that I decided not to drive home.”
He was silent for a moment, stroking her hair, something she realized was more than comforting. No one had ever stroked her hair with that much tenderness before.
“Will you call your doctor, please, if you haven’t already?” he asked softly. “I know I said I wouldn’t push, but it seems like the smart course of action.”
Rubbing her head against his chest, she nodded. “I think I probably should. He said to call if there was any change.”
“I can take tomorrow off and drive you to Denver for the appointment,” he said, tucking her closer, all protective-like. “We’ll figure it out, Lucy.”
It moved her something fierce that he would cancel his work at the hospital to help her. “I can make it to Denver. Tanner offered?—”
“I’m taking you! Don’t even try and argue with me. You’ll just piss me off.”
She hung her head against his chest, wanting to weep suddenly. “I’m not used to people helping me. Usually I’m the one helping.”
He hugged her tightly. “Well, get used to it, Lucy Lu. I’m here for you, and damn it, you’d better let me help.”
“Thanks, Andy. I don’t know what else to say.” Her voice was hoarse, she realized.
“You should tell your mom and dad, you know.” He shushed her when she went rigid in his arms. “Your mom wouldn’t have picked a fight if she knew what was really going on.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” she said, her spirits sinking further. Her mom’s precious project had been threatened. She might have chosen a different way of puttingLucy in her place, but she would have done the same thing regardless.
“All right. I won’t try and convince you.” He finally let go of her, but his hands were still on her waist and he was staring into her eyes.
It took Lucy a moment to realize he was trying to assess her condition…like the doctor he was.
She gave him a gentle shove in his middle, making him grunt. “Stop. I don’t need you going all doctor on me. You can’t see anything wrong with the naked eye anyway. Can you take me home? I wasn’t sure if Danny was around or not.”
Andy continued to study her—zoom in on her was more like it. “He’s at Latin dance with Natalie and Jane. They took him once as a lark because I was working late, and he got hooked. The oldest male is close to eighty, and Danny is the youngest. He goes once a week. It’s good cardio, better than soccer even.”
Laughter was the best balm in the world, especially in life’s dark moments. “That’s gotta be the best story I’ve heard in weeks,” she said, chuckling despite herself. “And to hear you calling it good cardio…”
His gaze was soft as he pushed her hair behind her ear. “Wait until he wiggles his hips to the merengue. You’ll be a goner.”
Her eyes might be playing tricks on her, but she’d be a goner if he continued to look at her like that. Suddenly her chest was tight. It was happening again. This weird, strange, otherworldly attraction for him.
