Awkwardly she maneuvered herself to the opening.
Alex could almost see her mind working to figure out the logistics. “Back yourself in and slowly lower your butt to the seat.” An erotic image of him squeezing that soft sweet body part flashed through his mind and he gritted his teeth. “Then sit down and hand the crutches to me.”
She seemed to be thinking through that advice, then successfully did as he said. “Okay. Thanks.”
“I’m going to put these on the front passenger side so they’re handy. It will take some eye-hand coordination, but you’ll be able to get them into place for standing. Just swing your legs out and pull yourself up.”
“Okay. Got it.”
He still couldn’t see how she was going to get herself up the stairs in her current condition, but the lady seemed determined to do it alone, and he knew he should be grateful for her independence. When the crutches were stowed within reach, he leaned down in the open doorway and looked at her in the driver’s seat. “If you need anything at all, you call me.”
“Thanks. I’ll be fine and dandy. You’ll see.”
Yes he would, and sooner than she realized. Because as hard as he tried, he just couldn’t trust that independent streak of hers.
Alex closed the door and stood back while she started the car then pulled slowly onto Main Street. In seconds she was out of sight, but nowhere near out of his mind.
He’d come this close to pulling Ellie into his arms and holding her for a very long time. How stupid was that? Not only was she dealing with a broken ankle, they’d agreed that sleeping together was a mistake that shouldn’t and wouldn’t happen again.
It was just that she tugged at him. Her spunky, self-reliant streak made him want to be there for her. But someone had made her believe there was shame in asking for help. Could have been the jerk who lied to her and cost her a career start. Or it could have been the way she was raised. He wanted five minutes alone, no questions asked, with whoever had drilled that lesson into her. She didn’t have to do this alone.
And he was going to prove it to her whether she wanted to know or not.
* * *
The drive from the town of Blackwater Lake to the lake itself was only a couple of miles but turned into the longest of Ellie’s life. Although she’d had a license for years, it felt like her first time behind the wheel. That actually was the case, since this was her first time driving with a broken left ankle. She used her good foot to press the gas and brake pedals, but even it felt heavy. The injury somehow threw off her timing, but she made the trip in one piece.
And that was when her problems really started.
After parking in her assigned space, she saw that Adam Stone’s car wasn’t there, because he and his bride were on their honeymoon. Then she opened her driver’s door and grabbed one of the crutches to get herself out. Because the interior was compact and the thing was unwieldy, it was impossible to maneuver, and she kept getting hung up on the dashboard, windshield or steering wheel.
“Now what?” She was frustrated and close to tears. “You can do this, Ellie. You’re a Hart and an architect. There’s no crying in this big girl world. Pull yourself together. You are woman. W-o-m-a-n. Roar, girl.”
She thought for a moment, then decided they would probably come out the same way Alex had put them in. From the outside. The only challenge would be doing it on one leg, but she could hop around to the other side and use the car for support.
It worked, but even though she didn’t put weight on the leg, the jarring movement sent shards of pain through her ankle, and she was sweating by the time she’d braced the crutches under her arms. Her gaze landed on the purse in the passenger seat. There was no way she could balance and walk with the monstrosity on her shoulder, so she hung it around her neck.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
