Reflecting On Wishes (The Wishes Series) (16 page)

“Hey, Lilah. What’s up?”

“Hey, D. I’ve been trying to call Angel and keep getting her voice mail. Are you guys still working at her dad’s?”

“We’re done for today but I’m still here. I stayed and swam laps with her and now she’s finishing up taking a bath. I haven’t heard her phone ring so maybe she has it turned off.”

“You’re there with her while she’s taking a bath? I take it things are good between you?” Lilah sounded hopeful.

“Things are…complicated, sis.” He sighed into the phone, not wanting to voice his frustrations and worries in case Angel could hear him now that she turned the blow dryer off.

“Well, you know if you need to talk, I’m here. Let her know I’m trying to call her, okay? I’m at the rehab center now. I finished cleaning out the suite we have available now and I wanted to bring her to see it.”

“I’ll see if I can talk her into letting me take her there when she gets out. We haven’t had dinner either, so maybe we can eat there too.”

“Good luck, D. I’m gonna hang out for a little while in case you talk her into it.”

The bathroom door opened and Angel came out looking beautiful as always. Her hair was still a little damp and she didn’t have any make up on but he loved her natural beauty. She didn’t need anything on her face. Her skin was flawless.

“I gotta go, Lilah. Angel is out of the tub now so I’ll let her know you were trying to get in touch with her.” Dakota didn’t wait for his sister to reply. He hung up and slid his phone in the pocket of his shorts.

“Feel better, baby?”

“Yes, I do. Thanks for helping me out.”

“No problem. I was talking to Lilah. She said she’s been trying to call you.”

Angel put her towel and swimsuit in the hamper and went to her nightstand, retrieving her phone. “I shut it off earlier. Do you know what she wanted?”

“Yeah, I do. We have a suite open at the rehab center and we want to offer it to you while you’re recovering. She was letting me know it’s cleaned and ready for you to move in. Said she was calling you to see if she could take you to see it, and
tour the physical therapy area.”

Angel looked shocked. “I don’t know what to say. I mean, that’s very generous but…”

“Don’t decide right now. Let me take you to see it. I can work with your doctor and plan the best line of treatment, Angel. Let me be your physical therapist.”

“Dakota, that’s too much. You and your family have already done so much for me.” Angel’s eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

He crouched down next to her and took her hand in his. “Please, let me help you. I won’t go easy on you. I’ll expect you to work your ass off and I know you will. We have an amazing facility. You’ve never been inside. Let Lilah and I show you the place. If you want, just stay there during the week and spend the weekends with your family. It’s up to you. But don’t just blow the offer off the table. Check it out okay? For me.”

***

Angel was looking at her lap where her phone sat. She had missed calls from Lilah and a couple of racing friends, but she also had one from the housing center in Savannah. She was torn. Should she go or should she stay? In her heart, she knew she really didn’t want to go, but she didn’t want to be a burden or accept help for free.

“I’ve already checked out a place in Savannah. It looks like they called while my phone was off too.”

“Angel, no one wants you to go to Savannah. Your family loves you and even if you don’t want to hear it, so do I. Please check out the rehab center. You’ll have your own suite and will be able to be independent. You won’t be a burden and there’s no fee for anyone that comes there. It’s funded through our foundation and private donors. If you want to give back, there are ways you can. Lilah is the one that can tell you more about that. That’s her department.”

“How do you know no one wants me to go? I haven’t even told anyone but you about it. You don’t see the pity in their eyes when they look at me. You don’t see the frustration my dad has written all over his face because this house isn’t wheelcha
ir friendly. It’s hard for him to not be able to fix things so I can take care of myself.”

Dakota took her hand in his, “Rage knows and he told me about it yesterday. Someone at the hospital let him know your intentions to move. He told Nahni after he told me. As far as I know, he didn’t tell your dad yet. Trust me, Angel. They don’t want you to leave. And I know for a fact it would break your
father’s heart if you left because you felt like a burden to him. He would do anything for you. We all would.”

She wiped the dampness from the corners of her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “It wasn’t right for them to tell Rage.”

“No, it wasn’t. You should have told him how you were feeling. We can’t help if you don’t let us in, Angel.”

He was right. She knew it. It still wasn’t easy to admit. Maybe lea
ving was taking the chicken way out of things but it seemed like it would be easier for everyone if she weren’t around.

“In case you haven’t figured me out yet, big guy…I don’t like asking for help.”

“Really? I never noticed that about you.” Dakota was laughing when he stood up and kissed her cheek.

“Smartass,” she snorted, rolling past him, heading down the hallway. “Let’s go see this suite you’re talking about. And I’m starving. Are you hungry?”

“I’m always hungry. My mom says I have a bottomless pit for a stomach, remember? But, we have a problem, Houston.”

She stopped and looked up at him
with her eyebrow raised in question. “Other than you looking like a
Globe Trotter
standing next to me in my chair?” It was a lame attempt at humor but she got a laugh from him so it was worth it.

“Well, I rode over here
with dad this morning. I can give Lilah a call and have her come get us, or we can take one of your rides.”

“My rides are bikes. As far as I can remember, they don’t have a place to store a wheelchair.”

“We have wheelchairs at the center. Is it okay with you to use a loaner tonight? Otherwise, I can just carry you everywhere. Yeah, I like that idea best actually,” he said giving her his sexiest grin.

It made her skin heat
up and her clothing felt too rough against her sensitive skin. If she was honest with her own feelings, she would voice that she wanted very much to be carried in his arms. God, she was a piece of work. She had issues with feeling like a burden and asking for help, but after his statement of wanting to carry her she wanted very much to be in his arms, pressed against him.

“Grab the keys with the red key ring. We’ll take
papá’s trike for a ride. I’ll text him and let him know I’m going to hang out with you. Go out to the garage through the door in the kitchen and I’ll lock up and meet you in the driveway.”

Dakota’s face lit up like a kid in a candy store. “I get to drive the
Harley? Oh hell yeah!” He took off in a jog and was out the door before she could even respond with anything more than laughter. When she met him outside he already had the jet black trike pulled out in the driveway, with two helmets sitting on the seats. Angel rolled down the ramp, smiling at the pure joy on Dakota’s face.

“God this thing is a beauty, Angel. You sure it’s okay I drive it?”

“I’m sure. I already got a text back from my dad and he’s glad I’m going for a ride.” It had been a little over seven weeks since she felt the power of a motorcycle between her thighs. Initially she was scared to ride again. But for some reason, with Dakota she didn’t feel the fear that clawed at her throat previously. In fact, she was excited. She grabbed a helmet and strapped it under her chin as he did the same. One swift scoop and he had her in his arms and sat her on the back seat, lifting her legs and placing her feet on the foot rests. The way the bike was set up, even if her foot dangled off she wasn’t in any danger of getting burned by the pipes and since the seat was high and she was short, her feet weren’t going to touch the ground either. He pushed her chair into the garage and shut the door. As he walked towards her in his panther-like stride, she had to admit to herself he was a pretty amazing man. It warmed her heart how gentle he was with her.

When he climbed on in front of her and started the engine, the vibration shocked her. Her inner thighs tingled and she felt the flutter all the way down her legs to the tips of her toes. It wasn’t to the point of having all feeling; it was like a butterfly kiss that ran down the length of her. She pounded Dakota’s back and yelled, “I feel that! Like…down my legs. All the way down.”

He whooped and revved the engine again. She responded by shrieking and clasping her arms around him, hugging him tight. He lifted the shield to his helmet and kissed her hand.

“I lo…uh adore you, Angel.”

Tapping his shield down, she bumped her helmet against his and then gave him a wink, “I kinda like you too.”

Nerves didn’t hit her until they pulled up at the back entrance to Dakota’s
place of work. This time, she was looking at the facility in a different light. Not as a visitor there to sign autographs and cheer up patients. This time she was the patient looking at a place that might help her heal. The dwelling was big but not looming and it fit in a complimentary way to the natural country setting. It was two stories that stretched across the lot in an ‘L’ shape with a beautifully landscaped garden area that had park benches placed every so often. A beautiful rock lined waterfall fountain with crystal clear water emerging in a soothing ripple was filled with rainbow colored koi fish darting under lilies that were vivid shades of pink, purple and yellow. Beyond the garden was a winding, paved path through large oaks, weeping willows, maple and magnolia trees as far as she could see. But even in the beginnings of dusk, she could see where the setting sun reflected off the lake in the center. To the left of the building across the orchard on the hill you could see the side of Dakota’s house; it was the same side that housed the patient suites. She knew this because of the small patio areas each one had. Some had a lawn chair or two and some only had a small table, probably for those that were in wheelchairs like her. No need for a lawn chair when you were already in a chair.

“How bout a piggyback ride inside, beautiful? Then I’ll hook you up with a set of wheels and we’ll find Lilah so she can show you your suite.” His helmet was off and he was unfastening hers before she had a chance too.

“Okay,” she said as she pulled her left leg over the seat of the bike. Dakota took her helmet, holding one in each hand as he crouched down with his back to her so she could loop her arms around his neck. She tried to lift her legs to wrap around his waist but they had a mind of their own. He didn’t think anything of it though. Simply reached for the bend of her knees and held her legs around his hips and walked through the sliding glass door. A rush of cool air greeted them as did a man in a wheelchair that was missing both his legs all the way up to mid-thigh and his left hand.

“What’s goin
’ on, Doc? Man, why don’t you ever let me ride on your back like that?” The man laughed at his own joke and looked so happy to see Dakota she couldn’t help but smile.

“Sup, Ke
egan. Bruh, no way are you ever getting a ride on my back like this.” Dakota was grinning when he replied. “This is my girl, Angel. She’s the only one that gets this privilege.”

“Ah, so this is the lady you’ve
been holding out for.” Keegan came up next to her and offered her his right hand which she immediately clasped in hers. “I’m honored, M’lady.”

“Nice to meet you
too, Keegan. I have a feeling that you and I have much to discuss when it comes to…um, Doc…”

“Oh yes we do.” He had a devilish grin on his face that was so endearing Angel knew she could easily become fast friends with him. Everyone needed a partner in crime and he seemed to fit the bill.

“Hey, Doc. If I can’t have a piggyback ride, the least you can do is take me for a ride on that Hog out there you rolled in on. Throw a dog a bone here, man.” Keegan followed them down the hallway, rolling along and keeping up Dakota’s long stride with just one hand.

Angel was impressed. And maybe even a little doe eyed at this new friend that oozed of strength, joy and peace with his situation.

“Not my ride, my friend.”

Keegan sped up and spun around in front of them, rolling backwards so he
could see them as he spoke. “Ah, so it’s the beauty’s ride huh? M’lady, if you should take pity on this handsome man on wheels, I would love to take a ride with you. I promise to be a gentleman.”

Angel busted out laughing and patted Dakota’s chest. “I don’t mind at all, Keegan. But this big guy here is gonna be your driver. My legs don’t work like they’re supposed to right now so I wouldn’t get us very far.”

“I’ll take you for a spin later but we aren’t going to snuggle, Kee. You’re keeping your paws to yourself.” Dakota turned the corner and went into a storage room that was lined with wheelchairs, crutches and various other mobility items. He let her left leg go so he could pull one out and crouch down to lock the wheels before turning so he could set her down in it.

“There you go, baby.” He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss.

“Damn, I’m in a snuggling mood, Doc. Why you gotta rain on my parade?”