Page 30 of Tethered Hearts

As she made small talk with the other guests at the table, she noticed Matt adjusting his tie. Repositioning on his seat. Rearranging his place setting. With a frown, Brie placed her fork down and settled her hand over his.

“Are you okay?”

Drumming his fingers against the side of his glass, Matt nodded sharply.

“What did you say to me before we came in here?” Brie asked. “You told me I’d be fine. Remember? You told me these are just people.”

“Yes. Ones I’ve known for years. Ones that I’ve trained with and have been teammates with.” His gaze darted around the room, while his hand lifted to adjust the collar on his shirt.

“Right. So that should make it easier. They know you.” She squeezed his hand. “They knew you before your success, and they know how hard you worked to achieve your goals. Now, go and show them that you’re still that same awesome guy. God’s got this.”

Applause rippled through the room as the emcee welcomed Matt to the stage as the recipient of theExcellence in Athleticsaward. With her heart in her throat, Brie watched him hobble up the stairs toward the microphone. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, and he took a handkerchief from his pocket to mop his brow. It had taken every ounce of his strength to walk that distance with his cane. But he’d done it, and Brie’s heart was set to burst with pride.

She dabbed her napkin at the corner of her eyes and settled back to hear his speech as images flashed on the screen behind him. A clip of Matt winning his Olympic gold. His world record victory. The flashing images captured his sheer athletic prowess but were also a brutal reminder of just how much he’d lost. Brie swallowed the disappointment burning in her throat and tried to focus on the man she knew, and not just his successes.

“Thank you for the warm welcome.” Matt held up a hand to shush the crowd. Clearing his throat, his gaze darted around the room. Could he see anyone, or were the bright lights obscuring his vision? “It’s strange standing up here after so long. Well, I’m half-standing, half-leaning on the lectern so I don’t fall over.” That comment garnered a ripple of laughter across the room and seemed to set Matt’s shoulders at ease. “Seeing all your familiar faces again is quite surreal, and not how I ever imagined it would be.” He glanced down at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

Brie silently urged him on. She’d seen Matt in action before and knew he had a way with words that captivated his audience. She only hoped he wouldn’t allow his disappointments to discourage him from doing what he was good at.

“To be honest, I feel like a fraud standing up here accepting this award. It took me a while to accept my manager’s invitation to come tonight. I wasn’t in a very good place when he first asked me. After all, who wants to hear from a cripple?”

A stunned silence descended over the room, followed by whispered murmurs, as though the guests were in disbelief that he could say something so harsh.

“But,” Matt continued with a smile, “I can say that I’m not completely useless. I’ve learned some cool moves, including wheelies in my wheelchair. And I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to aim for the Paralympics in basketball or rugby. Have you seen how vicious those guys are? Man, they’re scary. I think I’ll need to toughen up a little before I even consider pursuing any of those sports.” That elicited some chuckles from the audience, and Brie gazed around the room as she sipped her sparkling water. Every eye was focused on Matt. Enthralled by his words, people wiped away tears as he spoke of his dark days. Of having his dreams snatched away. Of losing the ability to walk, let alone run.

“Along this journey, I’ve learned that grief doesn’t just apply when someone dies. It also happens when we lose something. And for me, that’s been my ability to run. Waking up after the accident to see the state of my legs, and to hear the news that I would never run again, was absolutely heartbreaking. I’ve been through each stage of grief. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. And it’s been a long process for me to get to the stage of acceptance. I don’t know if I’ve fully arrived there. If I’ve fully accepted my situation. But as each day has passed, I’ve learned that there’s always hope, and I’m learning to look to the future instead of focusing on what I’ve lost.” He glanced down, drawing a deep breath, before lifting his gaze to the audience once more.

“In saying all that, there’s a wonderful woman I’d like to thank for reminding me that we’re not just what we do. We are not our victories. Our world records. Our continuous strive for glory. Although those things are nice and come with some sweet bonuses, they aren’t what make us who we really are.” Matt’s voice wavered, and the room became silent as he wiped an errant tear away with his finger. “This woman showed me that I’m more than a guy who used to be able to run really fast. Brie, thank you.” Against the bright lights, his eyes drifted toward the general direction of their table. With a watery smile, Brie pressed a hand to her chest and blinked away the tears welling in her eyes.

“Thank you, again.” Matt held the glass trophy aloft as the room erupted with thunderous applause. Joy and pride exploded in Brie’s chest and tears streamed down her cheeks as she stood, joining everyone in the room to acknowledge Matt’s achievements and courage. She knew he could do it, and the recognition from his fellow athletes was well-deserved.

Thank you, Lord, for being with Matt. Thank You that he has discovered his worth in You. Although his heart is broken over his inability to run, may You use him for Your glory.

“You’re good for him, Brie.”

Her gaze flicked across the table to Blayne. Sincerity shone in his eyes as he stood applauding Matt.

“He’s always been an upbeat kind of guy, and I know his situation has left him facing some pretty dark days. But in all the years I’ve known him, he’s never expressed such admiration for a woman. Never stood in a public space and acknowledged anyone outside his team or immediate family.”

“Oh.” Brie lowered her gaze. What was she supposed to say to that? Matt’s words had warmed her, but she’d done nothing more than point him toward the One who valued him the most. The One who created him and knew the number of hairs on his head. Twisting her napkin between her fingers, she sank into her seat as the applause died down, her heart thundering with the emotion of the moment, as well as the meaning behind Blayne’s words.

Matt slowly made his way back to their table, pausing every so often as new and old friends congratulated him with affirming head nods, back pats and high-fives.

“Well done,” Brie whispered as he finally sat beside her, slipping his cane under the table. “That was so great. I knew you could do it.”

He reached for her hand beneath the table and gave it a squeeze before placing their joined hands on his thigh. “Thanks for believing in me. I wouldn’t have been able to get up there without your encouragement. And you were right about God giving me the strength because I was absolutely terrified.” His nose brushed against her hair, and before Brie had a moment to process anything else, or why he was still holding her hand, his lips pressed against her cheek sending a delicious warmth cascading through her body. Inhaling sharply, she froze in her seat, her pulse thundering in her ears drowning out the words of the speaker. Matt’s thumb ran back and forth over her hand, a soothing rhythm she could easily get used to, although it wasn’t helping the fluttering in her stomach. What was going on? Was he just being friendly, or was this something more? Was this a …datedate? If he only invited her to keep his aunt off his back, why was he holding her hand? Why had he kissed her? The familiarity was delightful yet daunting, and she no longer knew what to make of it all.

The rest of the evening passed by in a blur, and Brie felt like an extra appendage as many familiar people from the athletics world, as well as journalists and other celebrities, all vied for a piece of Matt’s time. Her jaw ached from smiling so hard for photographs, and black dots danced in front of her eyes from the constant camera flashes. Why anyone would want a photo of her, she didn’t know. But Matt insisted she be photographed with him, and if he wasn’t holding her hand, he was touching her lower back, or cupping her elbow, or draping an arm around her shoulders.

For the rest of the evening, he didn’t let her out of his sight, or out of his reach. Brie’s thoughts were flummoxed. Her heart tripped between free-falling and red flags of caution. Surely this wasn’t real. The way he kept looking at her with such admiration and desire. The soft smiles he’d bestow upon her in between the attention from journalists and other athletes. The gentle squeezes of reassurance. It wasn’t real at all. She was only playing a part, despite her traitorous heart thinking perhaps there was some meaning behind it all. She needed to rein in her thoughts and check her heart. She’d been down that path before. Falling too hard and too fast.

But why did every touch, every glance from him ignite an inferno inside? Why did his fingertips sear her skin? Why did he keep sweeping loose strands of hair behind her ear? Why did he keep whispering into her ear, asking if she was okay? Or smiling at her as though they were the only ones in the room? That was more than what was expected of a plus-one for the evening, wasn’t it? More than portraying an image for the sake of the cameras? More than just obliging his aunt?

Grateful for the driver’s taste in classic rock to drown out the silence, Brie stared out the window at the passing scenery as the Uber drove away from The Sorrento and what she could only call a fairytale. Tucked up against the rear passenger door, she didn’t have the energy to pursue a conversation with Matt. Not while her head was swirling with so many conflicting thoughts, or while her heart was ready to jump out of her chest and fall at his feet.

The driver turned into her street, and Brie couldn’t wait to escape the confines of the back seat, kick off her heels and change into her comfortable pyjamas. She wasn’t used to playing dress-up or having to sift through mixed signals and confounding thoughts. Curling up on the couch with a cup of tea sounded absolutely divine compared to trying to figure out the chemistry between her and Matt all evening. She could still feel the imprint of his hands on her skin. The warmth of his breath against her ear.

“I had a really nice night, Brie.” Matt said as they pulled up outside her house. “Thank you for coming with me. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Yes, you could’ve.” With one hand on the door, she turned her head toward him, offering a soft smile. “You’re a gifted speaker, Matt. And you were amazing tonight. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

“All thanks to you,” he murmured, lifting a finger toward her cheek. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head away.

“Not me at all. You. You’ve been on an incredible journey, and I was so proud to see you up there tonight, sharing some of your story.”

“And you’re a part of that story, Brie.” He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to the back of her knuckles.

“I … I should probably go.” She snatched her hand away and opened the door. “Thanks for allowing me to share tonight with you.” Gathering her purse, she made her escape before Matt could do anything else, like kiss her on the cheek, or worse, the lips. She needed to leave before she was tempted to throw herself at him and make a fool of herself. Guarding her heart and her mind was getting near impossible the more time she spent in the company of this incredible man.

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