“Why the fuck did you lie to her?” Chase has both his fists around my shirt collar. “That was another denial letter!” His face is red with anger.

“Because either way, she is having this surgery.” I push him off of me. “I will take every last dime I have to give her this and you will not say a word about it. You will let her continue to think that the grant paid for it.”

All anger leaves his body. “Why? Why not tell her the truth?”

“You know as well as I do that she wouldn’t accept it.”

“But it’s a lie,” he says.

“It’s a lie I’m willing to live with. She deserves this and you know it. Look, we are on the same team here. We both love her in different ways, but we both want what’s best for her and I can give this to her without her knowing about it.”

He places his hands on his hips and blows out a long breath. “I don’t know, man. If she finds out, there will be hell to pay.” He paces in front of me for a moment and then stops. “But, it will be worth it.” He sticks his hand out to me. “Thank you. You’re a good man, Sam.”

I shake his hand in return. “I’m doing it because I love her and I want what’s best for her.”

He wraps an arm around my shoulder and we walk to the front yard where Emma is waiting. “Did you get what you needed?” she asks when she hears us.

“Yes, Sam here gave me all the information I need. You two have a good time.”

* * *

Emma chats my ear off the entire ride to the house, overflowing with excitement about the good news after such a long wait. I hear only half of what she is saying. I need to finish up remodeling the house this week so that I can put it on the market. I’m going to need all the cash I can get to pay for her surgery. My surgery will have to wait until I can recoup some money. The pain in my legs and back rears its ugly head nearly every day now, and the pain meds barely have any effect any more.

“Sam, have you heard a word I’ve said?”

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m a little distracted.” I park the truck in the driveway. “But now, I’m all yours.” I walk around to her side and open the door, wrapping my arm tightly around her waist. I love how she fits in the crook of my arm. After she is out, I take her bag and we climb the porch stairs side by side.

“I have a surprise for you.” She takes the bag out of my hand. “Why don’t you fix us some drinks and I’ll step into your bedroom for a minute.”

“I like the sound of that.” I watch her as she moves gracefully through my house. After fixing some cocktails, I sit on the couch and wait for her. The door creaks open and a long, sexy leg clad in red heels slinks out, wrapping around the door frame. All thoughts of anything else but her vanish instantly. She steps out fully into the door way and my eyes travel up from her red high heels to her open-legged stance. Her matching red corset fits snugly to her curves. Her plump red lips are calling to me. I stand and she crooks a finger at me to come to her.

In five strides, I’m in front of her, my hand holding her chin. “You are one sexy woman and you are all mine.” My lips lightly find hers, but my hand roughly finds her sexy ass, knocking her hips forward into me.

“And you are all mine.” Her hand has found my cock and she’s stroking me with an equal amount of roughness.

I moan and start walking her backwards. My fingers have already managed to loosen her corset. “You know, I don’t need this to turn me on. All I need is you to be in my arms. But these heels damn near pushed me over the edge.” I reach down and slide my hand up her leg.

“You like them?” she asks in a sexy whisper.

I lay her down on the bed and lift her leg up on my shoulder. I kiss the inside of her ankle as my hand runs up the inside of her thigh. “I like them right here.” I watch as her chest heaves upward in anticipation, the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. This woman wants me just as badly as I want her.

I set her leg down long enough to remove my clothes and then place both her heels on my shoulders. My hands move up her body and I press deep into her as her back arches and she opens up for me. Her legs slide from my shoulders, wrapping around my waist and pushing me further into her. She lets out a gasp and I know I’m right where she wants me.

“Please,” she begs for more. I bend over her, devouring every inch of skin my mouth can find. Her hand goes between her legs and I arch up to watch her. Her body starts to shiver and then I feel her squeeze tight around my cock. I can’t hold back, I thrust into her as she’s screaming my name for more. I hold off long enough for her to come again. I roll off her, panting and covered in sweat. She lets out a soft giggle. “That was awesome.”

I roll her to her stomach, getting behind her, then lift her hips in the air and lean over her. I take her hand and place it between her legs and hiss in her ear, “Do it again.” She starts rubbing in circles and moaning. I lean back up and thrust into so hard that her whole body lurches forward.

She places her hands on the slats of the headboard and pushes her hips against me. “Do it again,” she mimics me, biting her lip.

* * *

We made love to each other until the wee hours of morning. I watched her fall asleep, but ever since my mind started racing and I haven’t been able to quiet it enough to close my eyes. I crawl out of bed and put on some clothes, careful not to wake her. I need some fresh air, so I head to Sadie’s pen and let her out. She follows me down to the dock. The thin sliver of moon throws a faint light across the rippling water surface. Sadie sits down beside me at the end of the dock.

“How am I ever going to give her up?” Sadie places her head on my lap. “I know my fate and I can’t let her be part of it. I can’t stand the thought of never holding her again.” Tears start flooding my eyes. One drops on Sadie’s head and she looks up at me. “Sorry, girl.” I rub the top of her head where it landed. “She deserves a whole man, not one that will be confined to a wheelchair again.” Sadie mehs at me.

“I will make sure she has everything she needs, and then you and I will go back home. Everything I needed to do here is done.” I think she is the reason I was ever here in the first place. I needed someone to see me - it’s ironic that it took someone blind to do that. Everyone back home saw me as a boy, someone that each of them took care of at some point in time. Emma will never have to take care of me.

“Come on girl, let’s go back before she wakes up.” Sadie hops up and runs down the dock. I wipe my eyes with the tail of my t-shirt and follow her. Instead of going back to bed, I make a pot of coffee and sit out on the front porch.

“Sam!” Emma calls me from the living room.

“I’m on the front porch.”

A few seconds later the screen door opens. “What are you doing out here?”

“I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to wake you.” She follows my voice and takes the seat beside me. She feels for my hand and entwines our fingers when she finds it.

“Is that coffee I smell?”

“Let me get you a cup.” I start to stand and her hand directs me back down.

“No. It’s so nice out here, I want to enjoy this moment with you.”

I relax back into the rocker and both of us sit in silence. A small smile dances across her face and I know she’s listening to all the sounds of the night.

She knows I’m watching her. “It’s a hummingbird, over there.” She points to the right of me. Sure enough, there is a hummingbird flittering around a flowering plant.

“I love the sound of the hummingbirds’ wings. My mom used to have a flower garden out back that would attract them. They got so used to us being out there with them that they would land on our shoulders.” Her smile gets bigger as she talks about her mom.

“You still miss her.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“Very much so. I only wish Tennyson had some memories of her and our dad.” Her smile slips down.

I place the back of her hand to my lips. “She does, through you. She’s an amazing little girl, and that is because of you.”

“It’s not all me, I have had a lot of help with Chase and Nana. When my parents first died, I was a complete wreck. I had no idea what to do with an infant. I was scared to death. Chase has several younger brothers and sisters and he knew exactly what to do, so he taught me. I would have never made it without him.”

“I’m glad you have him.” I’m glad she will still have him when I leave. But I don’t want to dwell on it right now, I want to enjoy the time I have left with her. “Come on inside, I’ll fix you some coffee.”

She follows me into the kitchen, but instead of sitting down, she pulls eggs out of the fridge. “Where is your fry pan?”

“In the cabinet next to your right knee.” I know she likes to do things for herself, so I watch as she bends down and opens up the cabinet. She feels inside with both hands and pulls out a small fry pan, reaching up and placing it on the counter.

“Do you have any bacon?” she asks.

I lean against the counter and laugh. “I haven’t had bacon since August got a pig for a pet. It was a wedding gift from his wife.”

“That’s kind of an odd wedding gift.” She laughs too.

“Yeah, well, Nash had some lesson behind it for August. It worked out okay because Bacon became part of their family.”

“He really named the pig Bacon?” She continues to laugh.

“Yep, he did.”

“Nash sounds like someone I would really like,” she says, stirring the eggs.

“You would like both of them.”

“Sounds like you really miss them. You should go visit them.”

I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her. “I will, very soon.”