7
After the volunteer physician’s assistant examined her once they cut her boot off, they wrapped her ankle with a bandage and helped load her into the gondola to ride down the mountain with minimal injuries. Once they got to the bottom, they helped load her into Brent’s car and he brought her over to the urgent care. They offered to take her by ambulance, but the thought of the bill had her cringing, so when Brent offered to drive her, she didn’t want to say “no.”
At the urgent care, they gave her an X-ray to confirm there were no broken bones and sent paperwork over to her doctor back home to get an MRI scheduled. The doctor at the urgent care felt her ankle and said it was likely a bad sprain with the possibility of torn ligaments. Then her ankle was put into an air cast, she received crutches, and was sent on her way.
Brent offering to drive her confused her to no end. She suspected he felt guilty over running into her and causing the entire mess. But he never once complained about waiting at the urgent care while she was seen, and he eagerly helped her back into the car on the way back.
Once they got back inside the resort, Candace crutched over to the elevators. The lights flickered overhead as a new storm passed through.
An employee stood in front of them, directing traffic.
“I’m sorry. No one can use the elevators right now. There’s too much of a risk of them getting stuck with the storm.”
Candace looked down at her ankle and then back up at the employee, as if she had grown an extra head. “So, you want me to take the stairs?”
She smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, but it’s the only option. I can contact some staff to help you up if you’d like.”
“It won’t be necessary. I can carry her.”
Candace’s irritation at the entire situation—the entireday—had her rolling her eyes before turning toward Brent. “Carry me, my ass.”
She crutched over to the stairs and stared up at them. This would be interesting. Moving the crutches onto the first step, she attempted to swing herself up, but realized quickly that would not work. Then she tried to swing herself up onto the first step by using her arms to brace them against the crutches. Swinging her outstretched injured foot into the stairs, she cursed.
“I hate the stairs,” she said in her best Hulk voice.
The familiar laugh behind her had her rolling her eyes again. Brent was bent over at the waist, laughing, with his arms wrapped around his stomach.
“Did you just imitate the Hulk?” he asked.
“I hate stairs as much as he does.” She shrugged and turned back to the problem at hand. How anyone ever figured out how to get up a staircase with an injury was beyond her. What did people do before elevators existed? She pushed the thought aside. That was something worth researching at another time.
She laid one of her crutches down on the stairs a few steps up and positioned herself next to the handrail. Using it for leverage,she propelled herself up onto the first step with it and the other crutch. When she landed flat on the first step, she fist pumped.
A few more steps up, and her arms were already getting tired. Only three and half more flights left. At this rate, she’d be there the rest of the night.
“Ready for me to help you?”
She startled and lost her balance. Her arm flailed, losing her grip on the crutch while simultaneously attempting to grasp the handrail to stop the inevitable fall.
A set of hands came around her waist, steadying her in place. Her crutch clattered loudly on the tile floor at the bottom of the steps. With her heart thundering in her chest, she glanced behind her to see Brent’s amused look, not making any attempt to let go of her waist.
“I said I don’t need help.”
“You’re right. You’re doing a great job by yourself. But you would get to your room a lot faster if you’d just let me help.”
His fingers skimmed the skin exposed by her shirt lifting—a trail of fire remained in their wake. A low moan escaped her lips. She coughed to cover it up.
Candace! Stop!
“Give me just a second,” he said before going down the steps and retrieving her crutch.
Brent came back up and looped his arm under Candace’s, helping her up the steps. It was easier, she’d give him that, but she would still pretend to be grumpy over it.
His arm caressed the bare skin beneath her shirt as he kept a grip on her waist. The butterflies beat wildly in her stomach.
“Go away,” she muttered.
“What?”
