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“Hey,” she said, her words slurred and her eyes glassy.
“Hey.” I brushed a kiss to her forehead and squeezed her tight.
“I remember when Brad looked at me like that,” Angela said with a dramatic sigh. “Guess I’ll have to wait for my second husband to feel that way again.”
A round of laughter shook the table. The conversation resumed, but my focus stayed on Nora. “You want to hang out a while longer or go on a carriage ride?”
She shot me a shy smile and whispered, “Carriage ride.”
“Sorry to steal her away, but we’ve got a date with a horse. You all have a good night!”
I ignored the good-natured jeers as I led Nora outside. She took a deep breath of the night air before tightening her jacket around her chest. “Which way to the park?”
She stayed by my side on the walk, her body grazing and knocking into mine, probably because of the sake, but maybe because she wanted to be near me. I put a steadying hand on her elbow as we approached the park and passed a few carriages until Nora picked a horse she liked.
I offered her my hand to climb into the carriage. She flinched as she put weight on it.
“Your wrist?” I asked, climbing in beside her.
“The cold makes it worse. Don’t worry about it.”
“Iamworried about it.”
“Well, I’ve got the surgery scheduled for next week, and then a speedy recovery, and I’ll be back to normal,” she sighed, eyes clearing as they surveyed the park. “Besides, I’m used to it.”
“Used to it?” I echoed, hating the thought of being used to something that seemed incredibly painful.
She shrugged. “It’s inevitable. My other wrist will give out soon, and then my knees or hips. I’m on medications to slow the autoimmune side effects, but nothing stops it, just pushes it off for a while longer.”
“So, we send you to better specialists. I’ll talk to Brad in the morning and find you the best doctor on the East Coast.”
Nora smiled. “That’s sweet, but you don’t have to do that. I’m so thankful for just the surgery, and hopefully, I can keep my body together for the next four years, at least. Now, let’s just enjoy the ride.”
She wasn’t entirely wrong. I couldn’t heal Nora. Hell, I couldn’t even ask her out. But until we divorced, I could keep her safe and healthy.
CHAPTER14
Nora
I pressedthe phone against my ear, sighing as I surveyed the half-empty closet in my bedroom. Adding my clothes made it seem more bare, somehow—as if nothing I owned was good enough for the house.
“Are you worried?” Becca asked, her voice staticky on the other end of the line. The sound of grunting men and the wet slap of footballs being spiked to the ground echoed in the background.
“No,” I lied. “Maybe. Yes.”
Our trip to the city felt like a lifetime ago, and I’d spent the last few days amassing a pile of supplies for my recovery. I’d stuck strictly to medical supplies; friends and neighbors had been dropping off casseroles all week. Thankfully, Andy kept his kitchen bare because we’d already stuffed the freezer full.
“What time are you leaving? It’s probably not too late to hide in one of Andy’s fifteen bedrooms and skip the surgery altogether.”
I bit back a laugh. “Real mature. In an hour. I want to leave early in case we hit traffic.”
Or a slow-driving leaf peeper, more likely.
“Are you calling so I can distract you until it’s time to leave?” she asked. I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
“I can do that. How about we start with how your sudden marriage is going? Do you want to tell me how I missed my best friend dating her brother’s enemy for the past year?”
