AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s a normal flight. Just a nicer seat,” she brushed off and let go of Belle’s hand regretfully. “I’ll help you with your things.”
The driver carried Belle’s bags to the waiting SUV, giving them time to hug their goodbye, which felt like no hug Chandler had ever experienced before. For the first time in her life, she was hugging someone she genuinely didn’t want to see leave. Hugging wasn’t something they did in her family. She could count on one hand the number of times her mom hugged her. Cat was no different. And her father was more of a handshake or shoulder squeeze guy. Chandler had hugged Antonia a few times, but never because Antonia was leaving and she didn’t know when she’d see her again.
After watching Belle pull out of the driveway, Chandler went into the kitchen and sat down at the table, wondering what she was supposed to do now. She had no partner, no coach, no parents, no friends. No Belle.
“God, I already miss her.”
Chandler didn’t mean that as a skating partner, either. Belle had come into her life and shaken everything up in the best way. Chandler had finally started taking back control of her life, and now, the person she’d found solace in was gone, and Chandler didn’t know when she was coming back.
She made herself a cup of coffee, smiling down after adding the non-fat milk, picturing Belle making fun of her for turning her dark coffee near white. Then, she went to her bedroom and walked to the window that overlooked the rink. She took a sip of her coffee and thought about what she should do next.
CHAPTER 25
The flight home in first class would normally have been something that Belle relished, but she was worried about both her dad and Chandler now. She’d just told Chandler the night before that she wasn’t going to leave her how her sister and parents had, but then, she woke up to a call from her dad telling her that he’d gone into the Ice Park earlier than usual, and because he hadn’t had time to replace one of the burned out exterior lights over the side door, he hadn’t seen the ice on the ground. He’d slipped backward and had smacked his whole body on the ice. That had bruised his tailbone, but it was when he’d gone to stand up and gripped one of the bollards just outside the door meant to keep cars from parking there that his hand had slipped. He’d tried to stop himself from falling again and had pulled his shoulder out of the socket. Then, he’d broken his leg. She hadn’t given Chandler all the details, and Belle suspected she’d get even more details when she finally saw him because it would be like her father to tell her that he’d broken his leg but that it wasn’t that bad when he could have had the bone sticking out of his skin.
“Dad,” she said when she arrived at his one-bedroom ranch-style house that was less than a mile from the Ice Park.
“Hey, honey,” he greeted with a smile from his bed. “You really didn’t have to rush all the way home.”
“Of course, I did,” she replied and moved to stand by his bed.
He had his right arm in a sling, his right ankle had an ice pack on it and looked to be wrapped underneath that, his left leg was in a full cast, and he had some scrapes on his left arm and his face.
“What did you do to yourself?”
“I should’ve replaced that damn light yesterday,” he said.
“Who brought you home from the hospital?”
“Sheryl, from bowling,” he said. “She’s a nurse there and saw me come in. She took me home and helped me get into bed. She offered to come back after her shift, but I told her you’d be by later.”
“Yeah, I stopped by my place first to drop off my stuff, but I packed a bag. I’ll be on the couch tonight.”
“You don’t have to worry about me,” he said. “They gave me the prescriptions and everything there.” He pointed to his bedside table. “I’ve got water and some snacks.” He pointed to the other side of his bed, where he had bags of chips and some candy, too. “I’m going to pass out soon from the medicine, anyway.”
“Dad, what happened? You said it was just the leg and the shoulder.”
“It was when I called you. But my other ankle swelled a little, so they wrapped it and told me to keep icing it until it went down. I think it’s okay.”
“How would you know? It’s covered and on ice right now, and you look about as high as a kite.”
“I’ll be fine. And I’m sorry you had to leave where you were.”
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re okay. You are okay, right?”
“Yup. The break is a break, but not a bad one. Six to eight weeks. Shoulder was popped back in, so it’ll be sore. Ankle will be fine soon. And the scratches will heal. Plus, Sheryl offered to check on me tomorrow when you’re at the Ice Park.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. She works what she calls a four-forty, so she has three days off a week, usually. She said she’d come by a couple of times a day on those days if I needed her to. And on the days she works, she says she can stop by on her way in and on her way home.”
“I see,” Belle said and smiled at her dad. “Sheryl is single, right?”
“She and her husband divorced a few years ago. Why?”
“No reason.” She cupped her dad’s cheek that didn’t have any scratches on it. “I’m going to make you a real meal. Have you eaten anything besides the snacks in here?”
“No, but I’m not that hungry, Belle.”
