Reflecting On Wishes (The Wishes Series) (17 page)

Angel was giggling as she followed them out the door and back into the hallway.

Delilah Cane

Dear heavens she was exhausted. Her best friend and partner, Chelsea had been sick with pneumonia and off work for a week and a half now. Delilah had worked
eighteen hour days in her absence and was still behind. Thank goodness Chelsea was finally starting to feel better. If she continued recovering, she might be back to work on Monday. Even then, it would take another week, maybe two, to catch up. Not that they were ever really caught up. Between her family’s charity organization, church, the rehab center and volunteering at the additional charities they helped fund, there wasn’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. She was desperately hoping Angel would want a job working with her and Chelsea. If she didn’t, Delilah was going to have to start interviewing applicants.

Like she had time for that
.

She didn’t even have time to have much of a social life. It wasn’t as if men were knocking down her door to date her, but it would be nice to have some free time to go out with the girls to a dance club or something. Everyone always told her she had an old soul, but sometimes she just wanted to act her age and be a twenty-one year old, carefree and out having fun.

Delilah yawned, raising her arms and stretching her body.

Ugh, I have to get up and walk around or I’ll fall asleep before they get here.

Standing up, she walked to the coffee pot she always kept going when she was working and filled her mug, lacing it with vanilla creamer and a packet of su
gar. In the morning she was going to visit a new prospective charity. One of the guys that was a patient of Dakota’s told her about his brother, Jake, a single dad that ran their family’s ranch. They were in need of funding to keep his program going. Keegan assured her it was a legit, well run organization that was suffering from the slump in the economy. Lilah had the lawyers check it out and she received a promising report about the good things done there.

Kringle Farms
had been in operation for twelve years. Lilah had been there at Christmas a few times as a child with her family to see the lights and decorations. The entire Kringle family dressed up and handed out presents to all the kids that came through, offering cookies and cocoa to all their guests. One of the men in the family dressed as Santa Claus every year and even had a sleigh with reindeer hooked to it that the kids could pet and take pictures with. Other than that, Lilah had never checked any further into what they did there until Keegan brought it up.

She had
an immense amount of respect for him. He was a Navy SEAL just like her father. He too, had been injured in Afghanistan from a roadside bomb that blew off his legs and his left hand. The stamina and determination he had while going through surgery after surgery floored her. He fought to keep his spirits up, and support his friends and other patients at
RWR
as well. Of course, when he mentioned his family’s farm, she had to check into it because she really wanted to help. The memories she had from visiting
Kringle Farms
were dear to her heart. Back then she was an innocent, unaware of the harsh reality of the real world. It wasn’t until after her birth parents passed away that she saw the world wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Foster care and abuse after she lost her parents gave her insight on how lucky she had been growing up. Thank God they were adopted by the Canes and blessed with a safe haven. But those years she ran the streets with her twin showed her how many people were destitute and needed a helping hand. That’s why she made it her mission in life to live selflessly and assist people in times of need.

Once in a while, she wished for one thing for herself. Love. True
, heart-wrenching, soul-searing love. The kind her birth parents had, the kind her adoptive parents have, the kind it seemed, that Dakota found with Angel.

Those two may still have a long way to go in solidifying their relationship, but Lilah knew her brother. He was love drunk like she had never seen him be before. He was head over heels, slam dunked, a complete goner in love. She was happy for him. He was a good man, a
hardworking, loving and dependable man. He deserved to be blessed with that crazy kind of love that many seek, but never find.

While she paced in front of the windows of her office, Lilah thought about all the upcoming projects and events that were already scheduled throughout the end of the year. With summer winding down, one of the big projects was issuing school supplies to low income families and making sure all the kids were up to date on vaccinations. Now that the free clinic was open, thanks to the hard work of her twin, Dominic and their father, Noah, she had a place to send all the families and know they would be taken care of. In previous years, her and her mom had a hell of a time getting the medical side of things readily available. If Angel agreed to
join them, Lilah was sure she could bring in donations through her sponsors and connections. She would also be an asset in other areas as well, such as visiting hospitals and getting the community that loved her so much involved in giving back.

That was something Lilah adored about Angel even though they hadn’t spent much time in
each other’s company. Angel was a giver—a philanthropist that believed in giving back to her community. Having someone like her, with her celebrity status, could give them the boost they needed with all the upcoming holidays. Lilah knew from her own experiences, that when you were down, the best thing to do was stay busy and think of others. No matter how bad you had it, there was always someone who had it worse.

A knock at her door and the booming voice of her big brother put a smile on her face. Dakota always brightened her day no matter how tired she was. His boundless energy was catching. “Hey, D. How you doin’ sweets?”

Dakota gave his baby sister a hug and twirled her around before setting her back on her feet. “I’m good. How’s my favorite sister?”

“I’m your only sister. Of course I’m your favorite.”
Rolling her eyes, Lilah walked past him and knelt to hug Angel. “Hey there pretty lady! I’m so glad you came.”

“Thanks for inviting me. Dakota made it sound like an offer I’ll have a hard time refusing.”

“That’s a good thing. We don’t want you to refuse!” Lilah rested her hand on Angel’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “How about I show you to your suite first, then we’ll take a tour of the facility.”

“Damn, can’t a guy get any love and attention around here? I know I’m not tall, dark and handsome…but I am short,
slightly tan and handsome.” Keegan was smiling as he teased her.

“Keegan, I’m going to tell your girlfriend what a wicked flirt you are next time she comes to visit.” She said in a playful voice as she gave him a warm hug.

“S’ok, lady love. She says it’s okay if I flirt with you long as you keep me in line.” That remark made them all laugh. “She’s coming up on her day off this week. So on Wednesday you ladies are gonna be missing me admiring you from afar because when she’s around, my eyes are only on her.”

“Aww, well aren’t you a charmer.” Lilah walked by and ruffled his hair like you would an annoying little brother.

“That’s what the women tell me. You’d think losing my legs and my hand would turn them off, but it seems I’m still irresistible. It’s a cross I have to bear…” He sighed, shaking his head and trying to hide his playful smirk.

“How long are you going to be staying here
, Keegan?” Angel asked. “Because I may have to move in here just to be entertained by you for a while. Seriously, you are cracking me up.”

Lilah was glad Keegan had offered to meet them downstairs. She knew he had a special, comforting way about him that might make this transition easier for Angel. It seemed to be working wonders since the beautiful woman hadn’t stopped giggling at Keegan since he started talking.

“See, Doc…I been telling you I have a way with the women. Even your woman likes me. Ah, it’s
so
good to be king.” Keegan popped a wheelie in his chair and spun around, rolling backwards again while the others followed him.

“Mhmm, Keegan, sure man. Whatever helps you sleep at night
, bruh.” Dakota was laughing just like the girls were. Keegan’s charm worked on everyone.

“By the way, M’
lady,” Keegan stopped in front of a door with the number twenty-two on it. “I’ll be here for another four to six months with only a week long vacation from here in a few weeks to get what is hopefully my last surgery on my nubs. Doc here will be coaching me through physical therapy again afterwards and I’ll be getting fitted for new legs and a Captain Hook hand. So never fear, your humble king will be here to assist you in fits of laughter to the point you may wet yourself. But rest assured, we have an ample supply of
Depends
undergarments for those days. Sometimes even Doc needs those.”

“Oh lord, Keegan. Behave yourself…” Lilah was grinning when she chided him and pulled a set of keys from the pocket of her jeans and unlocked the door.

“Yes ma’am. I surely will…” he said, giving the giggling Angel a sly wink.

“How bout we go for that ride while the ladies check things out and discuss the business end of things, Keegan?”

“Sure thing, Doc.” Keegan bowed as best as he could in his wheelchair, ever the gallant gentleman. “My ladies, it’s been a pleasure. Angel, my room is diagonal from yours should you ever require my companionship.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, King. Have fun you two.”

“Oh hell, I think I’m in love with your girl, Doc. I might have to marry her.” Keegan’s attempt at a whisper was loud and clear.

“Over my dead body. Marry your own girl, this one’s mine.” Dakota ran his fingers through Angel’s hair at the nape of her neck, giving her a kiss first on the lips, then on her forehead. “We’ll be back in a bit.”

Angel looked like she melted on the spot, and if Lilah was reading her right, the girl was as in love with Dakota as he was with her.

Lilah opened the door let
ting Angel go in first, then closed the door behind them. It gave her great pleasure to hear the delighted gasp she gave as she took in her surroundings.

***

Angel had never imagined it would be anything like this. In the back of her mind she’d been expecting a hospital type room, but she was sorely mistaken. This looked like a tropical oasis. The kind you find on an island next to a sandy, white beach. The walls were a light sage green and the ceiling had a skylight over the living area that let in so much light, you wouldn’t even need to flip the switch on during the day. There was one large bay window with a window seat that overlooked the garden area. It would be a peaceful place to curl up and read a book. The height was perfect. She would be able to move from her wheelchair to the fluffy, pillowed surface without any help at all. The same could be said for the queen size bed that was partially hidden by a folding rattan screen from the immediate line of site to the door. The bed was a bamboo platform frame with a stark white comforter and sage green and butter yellow pillows that looked like they were as soft as clouds. Above the bed was a ceiling fan that had blades that looked like large palm fronds that spun in a lazy circle letting off a light, comforting breeze. There were matching bamboo nightstands on either side of the bed with rattan fronted drawers and bamboo handles. Each one had a lamp on it that looked like a Japanese lantern in the same buttery yellow as the pillows. To the left of the bed was a door that slid to the side and disappeared into the wall. It was a large closet, big enough to be a dressing room and her chair would easily turn around in it without bumping into anything. One side had nine drawers in a three by three stack that matched the nightstands. The back wall was a fully mirrored and the other side had two sections for hanging clothing.

She went back into the living area, still not saying a word. Lilah must have known she needed a few moments to absorb the beauty and convenience of the suite because she had taken a seat at the small dining table that sat near the sliding glass patio door. Even the couch was of the perfect height for her to manage
getting from her chair. It was suede leather that was soft but not too soft for her to get out of it with ease. It wasn’t like the one her dad had that as soon as you sat in it; it sucked you in and was impossible to get off of alone.

“It’s perfect, Lilah.” She said as she pushed open the patio door. There was a small table with one chair, facing the waterfall fountain she saw when they arrived. The soothing sound of the water flowing down the rocks gave her a sense of peace.

“I’m glad you like it, Angel. Everything was taken into consideration when we designed the rooms. Even the heights of the appliances in the kitchenette are lowered so if you wanted to cook your own meal, you can do so without any problems. The refrigerator is a shorter version, side by side with an ice-maker on the door for convenience. If you see anything that doesn’t seem to fit right, let me know and we can adjust most anything. Your coffee table is also a trunk for extra storage. We have satellite television and you’ll have your own extension for a personal phone line. But the best part is in here,” Lilah opened the only door Angel hadn’t gone through yet.

The bathroom had a large
Jacuzzi tub with the same lift system as Dakota had brought over for her room at her dad’s. She moaned in pleasure seeing the numerous jets that would help ease the aches she seemed to have all the time now. There were candles at one end and pretty bottles of bubble bath in a basket on one ledge. The sink was low and open underneath so she could pull right up to it with her legs positioned underneath while she brushed her teeth or fixed her hair in front of the mirror. There was plenty of room next to the toilet for her chair to sit to the side so she wouldn’t have any problems. The suite had everything she needed to take care of herself independently. The hot rush of tears burned her eyes and she felt a huge lump form in her throat. She knew she should say something, anything to show her appreciation and excitement.