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When Colt’s gaze drifted to my legs and tried to look away just as quickly, I got why the out-of-character nervousness and stilted conversation was taking place. “Yeah, so I went and got myself paralyzed,” I said, hacking through the ice with a machete. I motioned at my legs. “You know, in case you hadn’t no
ticed. Or hadn’t heard yet.”
Josie leaned into me, slipping between my legs and draping an arm around each of them. I loved how she was behaving as though I was the exact same man I’d been when I could have stood toe-to-toe with Colt Mason. I loved how she was draped around me like she’d never been so proud of me. I loved how she’d never once treated me like the handicapped person everyone else seemed to see.
“Oh, yeah . . . I heard about that.” Colt kept rubbing the back of his head. If he wasn’t careful, he would rub it bald, and then what kind of magic would the hairstylist he had a standing appointment with do? “I’m sorry, man. Damn, that sucks.”
“Why yes, Colt, yes, it does suck not being able to move anything from my hips down,” I said dryly.
He swallowed, no doubt putting himself in my shoes. For the first time in his life, Colt Mason looked almost pale. “It sounds like they don’t know for sure if it’ll be permanent though, right?”
Under my breath, I muttered a curse on town gossips and their relentlessness. “They also don’t know for sure if world peace will ever become a reality. But it sure as shit isn’t anything to hold our breaths for.”
Colt lifted his brows and looked around. I’d tongue-tied him twice in only a few minutes. Go me.
“Can I help you out or anything?” He motioned toward Josie and me, glancing into the bed of the truck where my wheelchair was folded up. “I was just getting ready to head in for dinner with my family, so I’d love any reason to be late.”
Josie beat me to the shaking-our-heads punch. “No, thanks. We’re good.” She leaned farther into me, getting comfortable.
Colt’s head tilted. “Come on, Josie. You might be one tough cookie, but how are you going to lift a guy who’s got a solid fifty pounds on you from that giant truck?” Colt started reaching into the truck bed. “I’m here. At least put me to use.”
“Could you not stay here please?” I said just low enough for Josie to hear. That earned me another elbow into my stomach.
“I’m going to overlook the fact that you just called me weak and just say thanks but no thanks.” Josie’s arms crossed, making Colt take a step back. He obviously wasn’t a stranger to Josie’s arms crossing and had learned to take the same retreat approach I had. “Jesse’s coming to help, so we’ll be good. Thanks though.”
Colt glanced at the restaurant. Just when I thought he was about to issue a stilted good-bye, he leaned into the pick-up and got comfortable. “I’ll hang until he gets here then.”
My forehead lined as I tried to figure out what his motives were because he was Colt Mason—he always had a motive. “Were you hoping to shoot the shit and catch up while you wait? Maybe plan a guys’ night out or something?” I kept my voice civil and finished with a shrug, but I was confused to say the least. He’d done his duty of making sure an old friend was okay after taking a spill out of her truck, so now he could just mosey along on his merry way. Why was he hanging around for Jesse to show up? They were about as good of pals as Colt and I were.
When his eyes scanned the dark parking lot and narrowed on a spot where it sounded like a bottle had just broken, I got it.
“I just want to make sure no one messes with Josie, you know? It’s a big, dark parking lot back here, and I know for a fact a few cars have been broken into recently.” His eyes lingered on that spot a moment longer before shifting back to us. “You never know what could happen, right? I’d hate to see Josie get hurt any more than she’s managed to do to herself.”
My chest started rising and falling in hard pulls. Colt was staying to protect her. To make sure she was safe until another able-bodied man was on the scene and could protect her from whatever horrors and threats went bump in the night. Colt Mason was staying to protect Josie . . . because he knew I couldn’t.
He was right too.
“Colt”—Josie’s tone was past hinting at annoyance—“we’ll be fine. Go play the chivalrous card with someone else.”
I gently squeezed her arm. “No, Joze, he’s right. It’s dark, late, and there are a couple of bars close by that are frequented by good-for-nothing fiends.” My throat burned from the words, but my pride wasn’t worth more than Josie’s safety. “Thanks for staying, Colt. We appreciate it.” When Josie grumbled and looked away as though she was now pissed at both of us, I added, “Well, I appreciate it.”
It really couldn’t have been more than a minute or two, but sitting on the edge of that truck seat, feeling a level above helpless while steam rolled out of Josie’s ears and Colt continued to scan the parking lot as though dangers hid in every shadow, I felt like that minute took a year off my life. Probably because in the absence of conversation, all I could think about was how it was my job to protect her, and I couldn’t do that either.
I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t make love to her. I couldn’t drive her to a date in my own truck. I couldn’t not be a burden to her. Those reminders had done a solid job of dampening my mood by the time Jesse came jogging across the parking lot toward us.
“Sorry, guys,” he said as he stopped in front of us. “We were later than I thought we’d be.”
“Let me guess. Bad hair day?” I lifted my chin at his hat.
He was preparing to reply when he noticed the third person in our little back lot powwow. Jesse stiffened, his forehead creasing. “Mason.” There was so little warmth in his address it couldn’t really have been considered a greeting.
“Walker.” Colt nodded, looking in every direction but Jesse’s.
My brows came together as I studied them. Jess and Colt had never been friends, but they’d never been enemies either. From the look of it, something had gone down between them to change that. I felt my mouth curling up at the corners. Yes, I was evil.
“Jesse’s here. You can go now. Enjoy your dinner.” Josie motioned toward Jesse, who seemed to try not to glare at Colt.
Colt looked between the three of us, like he was trying to figure his next move, then sighed and started walking away. That guy might have been the bane of my existence in my former life, but I couldn’t overlook what he’d done, even in the face of some serious opposition, if not aggression, from Josie.
