Crossroads

 

Chance City Series Book Three

Robin Deeter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will their hearts make the right choices?

 

Carter “Wheels” Ellis is handsome, strong, funny, and kind—and he owns an adorable Capuchin monkey named Ollie. He’s a good catch by any standard, but women have never considered him as a serious beau since he’s a paraplegic. They don’t see past his wheelchair to the man inside, and he's accepted that he’ll most likely never find a wife.

 

However, there is one woman who is determined to prove him wrong. Nora Guthrie, his best friends, Brock and Aaron Guthrie’s little sister, has strong feelings for Wheels. She appreciates all his fine qualities and admires his bravery and intelligence. He also makes her heart beat faster whenever she’s near him and she dreams of a life with him.

 

After a friend points out Nora’s feelings for him, Wheels is amazed that Nora is attracted to him. They've been friends for several years, but are they romantically compatible? There’s only one way to find out. A risk taker at heart, Wheels invites Nora to dinner, and they embark on a romantic journey together.

 

Mayor Carly Branson can’t get the man she both despises and desires out of her head. Ray Stratton is conceited, cocky, and the kind of man no woman can resist. Too handsome for words, he draws every woman’s eye—which comes in handy in his profession as a hustler.

 

Ray can’t stand Carly either. He thinks she’s snobbish and judgmental, yet utterly beautiful and captivating. The sparks that fly between these two could light up the night sky and they’re drawn to one another despite their mutual hate. Or could it be love?

 

Four people come to important crossroads in their lives. Will they travel down the right path that leads to happiness or will they take a wrong turn and end up lonely and heartbroken?

 

 

Praise for CROSSROADS

 

“If you like historical romance, you MUST read Robin Deeter's books.” — Amazon Customer

 

“Great book! Loved it! I enjoy reading about each of her characters in the series and love how she brings old characters back with each new book. I can't wait to read Robin`s next book!” — Lisa Eakin

 

“This series keeps getting better and better. Robin is awesome at what she does and has become my favorite writer.” — Judy Bass-Vasquez

 

 

Other books by Robin Deeter

 

 

Chance City Beginnings

(Prequels to Chance City Series)

 

Part One

Part Two

 

Chance City Series

 

Mail Order Mystery

Mail Order Mystery Audio Book

Mail Order Mystery Print Book

On the Fence

Crossroads

Gray Justice

When the Thunder Rolls

And the Lightning Strikes

A Very Decker Christmas

 

 

The Paha Sapa Saga

 

Sacrifice and Reward

Sacrifice and Reward Audio Book

Sacrifice and Reward Print Book

Winter Moon

The Bear, Part One

The Bear, Part Two

The Phantom Horse Bridge Series

 

Phantom Origins Book 0

Phantom Heat

 

Wolf Junction Series

 

Silver Bell Shifter

 

Dedication

 

This book is dedicated to my wonderful readers, who continue to give me unconditional love and support. I’m blessed to have such people in my life. I’m so glad that you enjoy the creations that come out of the creative door in my head. Thank you for allowing me to tell my stories and for taking the characters into your hearts the way you do. They, and I, appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. Thanks for coming along on yet another part of the journey.

 

A special thank you to Mr. Pete Moss for sharing his invaluable knowledge of Capuchin monkeys with me. His pal, Monkey Boo, is the real-life inspiration for Ollie, Wheels Ellis’ beloved buddy. Check out Pete and Monkey Boo’s YouTube videos and subscribe to their channel for tons of adorable entertainment and to learn more about these amazing animals. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4VNiylVdKz_4b8uEoYXBA

 

Chapter One

 

 

The fight had been incredible, the victor comporting himself with courage and cunning, made it even more spectacular because he sat in a wheelchair and fought using a cane. It took two men to hold back the irate man, who wasn’t done with his foe, even though the guy lay moaning on the floor of the Chowhound Saloon.

His dark eyes blazing with fury, Carter “Wheels” Ellis, yelled, “Get up! Get up so I can bash your head in some more!”

Two of his best friends, Brock and Aaron Guthrie, hauled him farther away from the object of Wheels’ rage.

Aaron said, “Wheels, I don’t think he’s getting back up. They’ll have to carry him out. Leave him be.”

Wheels calmed down a little. “Fine. You can let me go. Where’s Ollie? Is he okay?”

Brock said, “He’s behind the bar with Sandy.”

Wheels shrugged out of their grasps and spun around, heading for the bar before he went after his fallen enemy again. Rolling over to the bar, he whistled for his beloved Capuchin monkey, whom Sandy held.

“Is he hurt?” he asked her, worry replacing the rage in his dark eyes.

Sandy shook her head. “I went over him real well. Of course, he might have some bruises that we can’t see under his fur, but there’s no blood on him. It’s a good thing he has such good reflexes, so Luther’s punch mainly glanced off him.”

Wheels’ hands tightened around the cane he held across his lap. He forced the anger back, instead focusing on Ollie. He hung the cane on the back of his chair and patted his lap. The cane was useful for snagging things that were too high or low for him to reach from his chair. It was also a good weapon that helped even his fighting odds.

“C’mere, buddy. It’s okay,” he said, quietly. “C’mon.”

Reassured by Wheels’ soft tone, Ollie jumped from Sandy’s arms onto the bar and dropped onto Wheels’ lap. When he wrapped his arms around Wheels’ neck, Wheels hugged him back, soothing him with words and gentle petting.

“It’s all right. I took care of him. He won’t hurt you anymore.”

Sandy leaned over the bar. “If you hadn’t beat the shit out of him, I woulda shot him. But I’m glad you got to him first.”

Wheels smiled at the bar owner’s feisty statement, but he knew that Sandy meant it. “Thanks for taking care of Ollie for me.”

“Always my pleasure. Luther was just mad because Ollie beat him at poker. It takes a toll on a man’s pride when he’s out-smarted by a monkey.” Humor filled her voice.

Wheels laughed. “Ollie made fifty bucks tonight, too. That’ll buy him a lot of fruit.”

Wheels never used Ollie’s poker winnings for himself. He banked Ollie’s money and used it on the things he knew Ollie enjoyed. He figured that since Ollie earned it that he should keep it.

Aaron came over. “He’s gone. How’s Ollie?”

“Scared. He’s shaking like a leaf.” Wheels pulled out Ollie’s blanket, which he kept wedged between his back and the wheelchair. “Time for all good monkeys to go home to bed.”

Aaron and Sandy smiled as Wheels wrapped Ollie up as tenderly as he would have a baby. There was no doubt that Ollie was spoiled, but Ollie spoiled Wheels, too. They were a matched pair in that respect.

He handed Ollie to Aaron. “Will you hold him for me while I put my coat on?”

“Sure.”

Aaron cradled Ollie, talking to him while Wheels shrugged into his coat and buttoned it.

“Sorry about your floor, Sandy,” he said concerning the small amount of blood near the table where they’d been sitting.

“Don’t worry about it, Wheels. You and Ollie take care.”

“Will do.”

He took Ollie back from Aaron and started for the door. The noise level, which had gradually risen, died down a little again as Wheels rolled through the barroom. He stopped right by the door and spun around.

“If anyone ever touches Ollie like that again, you won’t be as lucky as Luther. I’ll put you in the ground.”

His gaze roamed around the barroom meeting a lot of eyes, some of which shifted away from him. Satisfied, he turned back around and followed Aaron out the door.

 

 

The next morning, Wheels woke up to find Ollie sitting on his chest, staring down at him.

“Time to go potty?”

Ollie bobbed his head and chirruped quietly. Wheels’ wind-up alarm clock told him that it was six-thirty, their usual time to get up. Ollie was as dependable as any clock and a lot cuter.

“Okay. Watch out.”

Ollie hopped down in the bed, pulling the covers with him. Wheels was perfectly capable of doing it himself, but there had been a time when he hadn’t been. Ollie remembered those times and still did things for Wheels that he’d done shortly after Wheels’ injury. Pulling covers down was just one of them.

“Thanks, buddy.”

Wheels never discouraged Ollie from doing the tasks he’d been trained to do because it would have confused his pal. Sitting up, Wheels lifted his legs out over the bed one at a time, sitting them on the floor. He did the same thing every morning. Got out of bed, went to the bathroom, showered, dressed, and went over to his family’s house to eat.

To most people, doing these things were easy, but they were a little more difficult for Wheels. Still, he never complained, grateful to be alive and able to do as much as he could. Ollie was a huge blessing to him, fetching things and even helping to pull his shoes off.

Shifting over to his chair, Wheels went into the bathroom, thankful that his father and his brother, Carl, had installed a flush commode. It had been embarrassing to him for his mother to have to empty the bedside one. Wheels had long ago accepted that there were some private things he needed help with, but that one had never ceased to bother him.

Vern Ellis’ brilliant engineer’s mind had gone to work right away after Wheels’ accident, which had ended his military career. Even before they’d known how much Wheels would be able to function, he’d begun thinking about how to make things easier for Wheels. Once they’d moved to Chance City, Vern had begun converting the carriage house into a place where his son could be as independent as possible.

The man was ahead of his time with many of his inventions, which was why most of them were never manufactured. Companies had no faith in the things he came up with, believing that, although they looked good on paper, his ideas wouldn’t work in reality. That didn’t stop Vern from making them, however.

Vern had lowered the sink in the bathroom and installed a shower for Wheels to use instead of a tub, which would have been impossible for Wheels to use on his own. He shifted over onto the metal chair that sat in the oversized shower stall and pulled the chain that released the water from the pipes.

Bracing himself for the initially cold water, Wheels watched Ollie jump into the wheelchair he’d just vacated. The chilly water woke him the rest of the way, but it didn’t take long for the warm water to kick in. When he was done washing himself, he had Ollie hop in with him since it was Sunday.

Wheels bathed Ollie every Sunday, which the monkey enjoyed. Their shower complete, Wheels dried them off and got dressed.

“Ready? Get the door, buddy.”

Ollie knew how to open doors, especially those with lever-like knobs. Opening the carriage house door, Ollie waited until Wheels had gone outside before closing it again. He ran ahead of Wheels, opening the kitchen door of the main Ellis house. Wheels pushed easily up the ramp and entered the big kitchen.

Wheels greeted his mother, Susan, who was busy frying bacon.

“Morning, Mama.”

“Good morning, honey. Did you sleep well?”

“Like a rock,” he said.

The sound of many little feet on the stairs of the huge farm house made Wheels smile.

“Looks like Ollie was already upstairs,” Susan commented.

“Of course, he was. You know that he always goes to see the kids right away.”

Four children, three boys and a girl, ran into the kitchen. They ranged from ten to three, with the youngest being Clyde, a dark-haired little fellow with his father Carl’s blue eyes. Clyde clambered onto Wheels’ lap.

“Hi, Uncle Weel.”

“Hi, yourself. And the rest of you ragamuffins.”

Ginny, a six-year-old blonde, said, “Are you gonna take us to school?”

“No. It’s Sunday. I will tomorrow,” Wheels replied as they moved into the dining room.

Ginny groaned. “That means church is today.”

“I told you that already,” Butch, the oldest, said.

“I know, but I was hoping you were wrong,” Ginny responded.

Carl came into the room. “Ginny, quit your complaining. It’s one morning a week.”

“But it’s boring.”

Carl said, “You’ll survive. Now go get the silverware and you and Stevie set the table. You know that’s your job.”

Eight-year-old Stevie took Ginny’s hand. “C’mon. Let’s get it done.”

This was Stevie’s mantra. He might not like doing something, but he figured that the sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could do something more pleasant. In this case, it was eating.

Carl’s wife, Rena, joined them. Ginny was the spitting image of her. She wore a pretty, blue dress and had done her blonde hair up in an intricate chignon. “Morning, Wheels. I heard that there was some excitement at the Chowhound last night.”

Wheels frowned and glanced at Butch. “Not anything I care to comment on.”

Carl and Rena didn’t ask any more, taking heed of his signal that the story wasn’t suitable for little ears. They dropped the subject and prepared for breakfast.

 

 

Chapter Two

 

 

Wheels was not a church goer, so after breakfast, he went to the machine shop he co-owned with Vern and Carl to catch up on some work. He had no sooner begun repairing a grandfather clock assembly when Brock showed up.

“Morning,” he said.

Brock returned the greeting. “I came to check on you after last night.”

Wheels smiled. “I’m not the one who wound up on the floor. I’m fine.”

“Yeah. About that. Luther’s gonna sue for damages.”

Wheels put down his tools. “You gotta be kidding me. What damages?”

Brock grimaced. “A broken ankle and wrist. He’s gonna be out of work for almost two months.”

Wheels sat back in his chair, absorbing the information. “So, he’s really serious. I didn’t know that I hurt him that bad. I just thought he’d have a headache for a couple of days.”

“Turns out it’s worse than that.”

“Damn.”

Brock nodded. “Yeah.”

Wheels scratched his jaw. “It wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t attacked Ollie. Luther could’ve seriously hurt him if Ollie wasn’t so fast. Even so, it was a pretty hard hit.”

Brock said, “I know. He hasn’t hired a lawyer yet, but I wouldn’t put it past him to get one. Even if he doesn’t, I, uh—crap. I have to arrest you.”

Wheels laughed, but Brock remained sober, his blue eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation.

Wheels’ heart beat erratically as his smile disappeared. “I can’t go to jail, Brock. For how long? I mean, I might be able to get along for a couple of days, but there are things that I need that aren’t at the jail. Why didn’t you arrest me last night?”

“Because I didn’t know that Luther had been hurt that bad and I had no idea he’d press charges. I thought that he’d be too embarrassed by being beaten at poker by a monkey and then beaten up by a guy in a wheelchair to draw more attention to himself,” Brock replied. “I don’t know how long you’ll have to stay there. I’ll get ahold of Walt for you. I’m sure he can talk Reese into being lenient and letting you come home.”

Wheels said, “Reese doesn’t work on the weekends.”

Brock grinned. “No, but he goes to church. If I can get Walt to the church by the time it’s over, we can waylay Reese there. But I have to lock you up in the meantime. Ollie can come with you.”

Wheels fell back on his sense of humor, which he used to cope with stressful situations.

“You’re not gonna handcuff me, are you? You’ll have to push me if you do, and I’ve gained a little weight lately.”

Brock chuckled. “No, I won’t handcuff you since you’ll come peacefully.”

“Thanks.”

He put on his coat and followed Brock from the building with Ollie perched on his shoulder.

 

Walt Gaines arrived at the jail a brief fifteen minutes after receiving Brock’s phone call. It was too bad that Ellie wasn’t working that day, but he put that out of his mind. He was there to see a client, one whom he liked very much.

Wheezer said, “I’ll bring him into the interrogation room.”

Walt gave him a smile of thanks and sat down to wait.

Soon Wheezer opened the door and Wheels rolled over to the table where Walt sat.

“Well, it looks like yer better off than the other guy,” Walt said, his hazel eyes shining and a warm smile on his lips.

Wheels returned it. “Yeah. Who knew I was so lethal?”

Walt laughed as he took out a tablet. “Not to be short, but tell me quickly what happened so I can get to church before it lets out.”

“Well, Luther lost at poker to Ollie and got mad. He jumped across the table and punched Ollie. I saw red and hit Luther. He came at me and that’s when we got in it.”

“Ah, so if Luther had let it go at the one punch, would you have?”

Wheels nodded. “Yeah. I’d have still been angry, but I wouldn’t have gone after him again.”

“And can anyone corroborate this?”

“Yeah. It was a public fight and Aaron and Brock saw the whole thing. Not to mention Sandy,” Wheels said.

“Good, good. Well, don’t worry, lad. I’ll get ya out of here. Reese will release ya and I’ll threaten to countersue if Luther decides to bring civil charges,” Walt said.

“Thanks, Walt. Let me know what I owe you,” Wheels said.

“Nothin’. I always give a free consultation to people I like. If I hafta do more than talk to Reese, then we’ll discuss it, but as of now, there’s no charge,” Walt said. “See ya soon.”

 

“Is this a joke?”

Reese Burton grinned as he stood with Walt, Brock, and Wheels’ parents.

Brock said, “I wish it was, but it’s real.”

Reese grew serious. “So, Wheels wiped up the floor with Luther Kingsly for punching his monkey?” He couldn’t keep a straight face as he said it. “You have to admit that it sounds funny.”

“Aye, he did,” Walt said, smiling. “Now, look, Wheels can’t stay in jail, ya know that. Besides, he was defendin’ Ollie and if Luther had let things go after Wheels punched him that one time, Wheels wouldn’t have kept fightin’. But, as it was, Luther attacked him, so he fought back.”

Reese turned to Brock. “Is that what happened? You saw the whole thing?”

Brock nodded. “Yeah. Luther came back at Wheels and things escalated from there. Wheels warned him to leave him alone. Luther should’ve listened, but he didn’t, and he paid for it.”

Reese frowned. “Why didn’t you stop it? You’re a lawman.”

“It’s hard trying to control two guys who were hell-bent on killing each other. Aaron jumped in to help, but the rest of the crowd started taking bets, so no one else would try to stop the fight. Wheels is strong as an ox when he gets riled up and—”

Walt cut in. “We’re not at a trial. Ye’ve heard what happened, Reese. Wheels has never been in trouble before and ya know how important Ollie is to him. It’s only reasonable that he’d protect him. How about lettin’ Wheels out? I doubt Luther will follow through on pursuin’ litigation.”

Reese said, “Wheels can’t get off scott-free.”

Susan stepped closer. “Mr. Burton, you can’t keep him in jail. He can’t be taken care of properly there and those cells are so small. It’s hard for him to turn his chair around in such tight quarters.”

Vern chimed in and Reese held up a hand to quiet them. “Okay, okay. I agree that being in jail would be too much of a hardship for Wheels, but he did injure Luther quite badly. I’ll recommend to Judge Fairbanks that Wheels be given a three hundred dollar fine, thirty days of house arrest, and that he can’t go to the Chowhound for two months.”

Walt said, “Three hundred dollars when it wasn’t his fault the fight started in the first place? And the rest of it, too? That’s unacceptable.”

Reese’s bushy gray eyebrows drew together. “Don’t push me, Walt. You got me right after church and I haven’t eaten dinner yet.” He patted his sizable girth. “I get cranky when I’m hungry. I don’t have to make any recommendations at all and if you argue with me, I won’t.”

The look in Reese’s dark eyes told Walt that he meant it. “Fine. Can he go home today?”

Brock said, “We’re not really set up at the jail for someone like Wheels.”

Reese sighed. “Okay, but if Fairbanks doesn’t go for the deal, he’ll have to go back to jail. Make sure Wheels understands that he can’t leave home.”

Susan said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Burton, I’ll make sure he understands.”

Reese nodded. “Very good. I’ll let you know what Fairbanks says tomorrow. Good day to you all.”

Susan drew herself up and marched off with angry strides.

“Susan! Where are you going? The buggy is this way!” Vern hollered after her.

“I’m going to give my son a piece of my mind!”

 

 

Wheels had never been so glad to get home and away from his mother. He loved her dearly, but when she got on a tear, it was hell being around her. She’d given him a blistering lecture about fighting at the bar and then had cried and hugged him. Then she’d scolded him again.

Letting out a sigh, he rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen the kinks in his tight muscles. He could use a massage and something else that would loosen him up, too. Smiling, he rolled over to the stand on which his candlestick phone sat. Picking up the handset, he called over to the Chowhound.

“Chowhound, what do you want?” Sandy asked.

Wheels laughed. “Hi, Sandy. You know, it’s a good thing you’re not a doctor. Your bedside manner stinks.”

“My bedside manner is just fine. Ask Jim. He’ll tell you. What can I do you out of, Wheels? They let you out of the clink, huh?”

“Boy, word travels fast,” Wheels said. “Can you get Wendy for me, please?”

“Sure thing, honey. Hold on.”

Wheels played with Ollie while he waited, but it wasn’t long before Wendy Baker came on the line. “Well, hello, handsome.”

“Hello, sweetheart. How about making a house call tonight? I’m not allowed to come to the Chowhound for two months because of my bad behavior last night.”

“That’s terrible! Of course, I’ll come see you,” she said. “Is eleven all right?”

“Absolutely,” Wheels said. “See you then.”

“Bye, honey.”

Wheels hung up, smiling with anticipation. Wendy was the only one of Sandy’s girls whom he ever slept with. This was because she was experienced in dealing with a man like him and she never got upset if things didn’t go right. His sensation wasn’t quite the same as it had been before his accident which made his sexual abilities unpredictable.

Sometimes he had to work harder than others to make something happen and other times nothing happened at all. The first time, things had fizzled after he’d attempted intimacy, he’d been devastated. Wendy had been the woman he’d been with, and she’d comforted him when he hadn’t been able to control his emotions.

He’d seen her exclusively ever since then because she had incredible patience and she made it fun no matter what happened. She knew what excited him and what was most likely to work for him. He’d never dared to see one of the other girls for fear of embarrassment.

Looking over in the corner of the parlor by the fireplace, Wheels contemplated donning the special contraption that he and Vern had created that supported him well enough so that he could stand and shuffle along a little. However, after Ollie’s bad night, he was loath to frighten him again. Ollie hated the braces and always hid whenever Wheels had them on.

Standing was good exercise and since Wheels had been using the cage-like support system, he’d noticed that his legs muscles were coming back a little. He might not be able to feel his legs, but his leg muscles were responding to the increased activity, and they weren’t quite as atrophied.

When he and his father had devised the braces, they’d only been concerned with Wheels being able to stand a little. However, it had worked so well that they’d gone the next step and had kept making improvements. After a few weeks, they’d had to enlarge the device because Wheels’ legs had increased in size slightly. They would never be as muscular as they’d been before his injury, but any improvement was appreciated.

Looking around his place, Wheels wondered how he was going to pass the time. He had to stay in his carriage house, not even allowed to go over to his family’s house or to their machine shop. He didn’t have any design projects on the go, either.

At loose ends, Wheels decided to go through his daily exercise routine. It was a modified version of the regimen he’d used in the army. He was determined to build and keep as much strength as possible.

He went into his room, transferred to his bed, and took off his shirt because it would bunch up, impeding his movements. About halfway through his sit-ups, his doorbell rang. Reaching above his headboard, he pulled the cord that was connected to the little bell outside of his door. It let people know that they should come on in because he wasn’t in his chair at the moment and couldn’t get to the door.

The front door opened and shut, and Ollie raced out to the kitchen to greet their visitor.

“Wheels?”

He smiled as he recognized Nora Guthrie’s voice. Brock and Aaron’s little sister was a sweet girl and a good friend.

“I’m in my room, Nora. Just doing my exercises.”

Nora sat the plate of cookies she’d made for him that morning on the kitchen table. Ollie climbed up her, giving her a hug and kiss.

She returned his embrace and looked into his lively amber eyes. “How’s the most handsome monkey in the world? Are you all right? I heard all about that nasty Luther. But you’re tough, aren’t you?”

Ollie made bird-like noises as she carried him into Wheels’ room. The sight of his bare, powerful upper body hit her as though someone had punched her in the stomach. All the physical exercises he did, and constant wheeling around had created large, defined muscles that rippled when he moved.

Her gaze roamed over his sculpted arms and torso and the urge to touch him almost overwhelmed her. She couldn’t speak for a few moments.

“Hi,” Wheels said, sitting up. “How are you?”

His greeting broke the spell, but she still couldn’t take her eyes off him. “I’m fine. Better than you, I guess. At least I can leave my house.”

Wheels smiled, and Nora’s pulse skittered into a faster rhythm. His dark hair, deep brown eyes, and ruggedly handsome features were a combination that drew women’s gazes, including hers.

“So, you heard, huh?”

Nora nodded. “Yeah. Brock telephoned to tell us that he had to arrest you.”

Guilt hit Wheels, darkening his expression. “I got carried away last night. I didn’t mean to hurt Luther so badly. I kinda went crazy when he attacked Ollie like that.”

Nora sat down in his wheelchair. “He had it coming. I don’t blame you.”

Wheels shook his head. “Maybe so, but he has a family, and they depend on his paycheck. Now he’s out of work without any money coming in.”

Nora wasn’t surprised that Wheels would now feel sorry for a man who’d wronged him. He had a big heart and Nora wished that she could refute his statement and bring him some comfort.

“I know.”

Wheels sighed. “I think I’m going to talk to Walt about offering Luther some money to get them through until he can go back to work.”

Nora said, “Your heart is in the right place, Wheels, but I think talking to Walt first is a good idea.”

“Yeah.”

“I brought you something that’ll cheer you up.”

He smiled. “What’s that?”

“Raisin-filled cookies and snickerdoodles.”

His smile broadened into a grin. “Outside of getting out of jail, you bringing cookies is the best thing to happen to me today.”

Nora said, “Let’s go. I’ll put on some coffee.”

Wheels waited for her to move, but when she didn’t, he said, “Nora, I sort of need my chair.”

“Oh! Of course!” She jumped up and moved it a little closer to the bed. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.” He grabbed his shirt and shrugged into it.

She watched him button the garment, wishing she could rip it off him again. He glanced up and caught her scrutinizing him.

“What?”

“I thought there was a stain on your shirt, but it was a shadow,” she lied, blushing. “I’ll go put the coffee on.”

Wheels frowned as she left his room, trying to figure out why she was acting so funny. If it had been any other woman outside of a family member, he would’ve thought that she was uncomfortable with being in his room. However, Nora had been in it plenty of times when she came over to clean, so that wasn’t it. Giving a mental shrug, he finished with his shirt and rolled after her.

Nora had regained her composure by the time he came into the kitchen. “I think it’s terrible that you can’t even go over to the machine shop. You have work to do. You should have Walt tell Judge Fairbanks that you’re losing income by not working.”

“Get away from those,” Wheels said to Ollie.

The monkey sat on one of the kitchen chairs, reaching towards the plate of cookies. He grunted, clearly put out. Wheels shook his finger at him. Nora smiled when Ollie squealed a little. She lifted the lid on the cookie jar where Wheels kept the special wasna that Cotton Lone Wolf made for Ollie.

Ollie knew the sound of that cookie jar and hopped over onto the counter. Nora gave him a strip, which he took into the parlor, and jumped up on his favorite hassock to eat it.

Wheels said, “Good idea. Daddy and Carl have their own work to do and don’t need to be bogged down any more with mine. If I had a place in here, I could at least do the smaller stuff, but I don’t, so I won’t.”

Nora smiled at his funny remark. “They can’t deny you the right to work. I mean, that would be just as bad as Luther being out of work.”

Wheels watched her put cookies on a saucer for him and his mouth watered at the sight of the plump, raisin-filled cookies. “They look incredible. How’d you know I was hungry for them?”

“When aren’t you? I swear you’d eat them every day if I let you.”

Wheels grunted. “It’s a good thing you don’t. I’d have to do more exercises so I didn’t get fat and not be able to get around.”

“I don’t think there’s any danger of that. You, Mr. Ellis, are a very fine male specimen.” Nora’s eyes widened over her blurted statement, and she was glad that she had her back to him so he couldn’t see the heat in her cheeks.

Wheels grinned. “Thanks. I’ve been told that I have a nice smile.”

“Yes, you do.” Nora took a deep breath and turned back to face him. “How are the cookies?”

“I haven’t eaten any yet. I was waiting for the coffee and for you to sit down with me,” he said.

“Oh. Okay. How’s Skeeter?”

Wheels wondered at her abrupt change of topic. “Skeeter is Skeeter. No change there,” he said of his unconventional younger sister.

Nora poured their coffee and poured cream in both cups. “She sure loves that junkyard, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah. I’m not surprised since we were always so close with Granddaddy. We loved his junkyard, and we were heartbroken when he passed. Skeeter even more so than me and Carl. She was the apple of his eye.

“Then we moved up here from Mississippi and she scrimped and scraped to get the money for the land to put one on. Of course, Mama and Daddy insisted on helping her with the start-up costs. She’s happy as a clam out there.”

Wheels bit into a cookie, chewed, and swallowed. “I think those are the best ones you’ve made yet, sugar.”

She gave him a coy little smile even as she broke out in goosebumps over his use of the term of endearment. It was completely innocent on his part, but she couldn’t control the way it made her feel.

“You say that every time I make a batch.”

“Do I?” His naughty grin revealed the dimple in his left cheek.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she said, “You just want me to try to make them better and better so that you can keep eating them.”

“Naw. I wouldn’t do that. I’m not that clever.”

“Oh, yes, you are. You’re handsome, smart, charming, and you have a monkey. Not many men can say all that about themselves,” Nora said.

“Very true, but I’m also in a wheelchair, so that sort of negates some of that other stuff,” Wheels said.

Nora put the cookie she’d been about to take a bite of down on her plate. “Is that what you think? How you truly feel?”

“Um, I …” Oh, hell. “I guess so. I mean, what woman in her right mind would wanna be saddled with—”

Anger surged through Nora, something she was unaccustomed to feeling. She snatched away the cookie he was eating, put the rest of them back on the plate, and got up.

“What are you doing?”

Nora took their coffee cups, put them in the sink, and put her coat on.

Wheels’ forehead furrowed. “What’s the matter? Why’d you do that?”

She fastened her coat buttons, glaring at him with stormy, blue eyes. “No more cookies for you until you change your outlook.”

Wheels felt like a child being scolded. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Carter, you may be in a wheelchair, but you’ve never let that stop you from doing very much. No woman would be saddled with you. Shame on you for thinking about yourself that way,” she said.

His eyes widened further. She’d never called him by his given name before. Between that and the angry sparkle in her eyes, he knew that she was seriously miffed. She turned on her heel, marched out his door, and closed it firmly behind her, leaving him to stare after her in disbelief.

 

 

Chapter Three

 

 

“Well, hello there, Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary.”

A zing of awareness shot up Mary Wilmington’s spine as she recognized Ray Stratton’s voice. Turning around, she looked up into his gray eyes, which were as gorgeous as the rest of him. She should know since she was one of his best customers.

“Hello, Mr. Stratton.”

He smiled at her formal greeting but understood since they stood in one of the aisles of Silver’s Mercantile.

“How are you?” he asked in a low voice. “I haven’t seen you in a while. You didn’t show up the last couple of weeks.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “I heard that you were under the weather.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Under the weather? I’m fit as a fiddle.”

Mary glanced at his lower half. “So, everything cleared up … down there?”

His eyebrows shot up as her meaning got through to him. “There’s never been anything wrong down there. Ever. Performance or otherwise. Who told you that?”

Mary turned a deeper shade of pink. “Miss Branson said she’d heard it from Victoria Lambert.”

Fury took hold of Ray, but he hid it. “Well, both of those nice ladies are misinformed. I’m raring to go and clean as a whistle, so come see me this afternoon. You know where to find me.”

Hunger lit Mary’s eyes. “One o’clock?”

He gave her a lazy smile as he ran his gaze over her. “One o’clock it is. Rest up until then.”

Ray winked at her and walked away, his anger growing hotter with every step.

 

 

Mayor Carly Branson jumped when her office door banged open. Ray Stratton closed it in her secretary’s face and turned the lock.

“I never figured you for the kind of woman who spreads baseless rumors.”

Carly’s heart beat erratically as he strode over to stand in front of her desk.

“Please leave, Mr. Stratton. I have no wish to speak to you.”

Her cold attitude turned his anger to rage. “Well, I want to talk to you. How dare you interfere in my business? Meddle with my livelihood?”

A small smile crossed her face. “So, you aren’t as untouchable as you told me you were.”

He brought his fist down hard on her desk, startling her. “I knew it! I haven’t had hardly any customers for two weeks! Do you know how much money I’ve lost?”

She sat back in her chair. “That’s a shame.”

He leaned over the desk, and she pressed herself back further into the chair. She was surprised to see him tear up suddenly.

“Has it ever occurred to you that someone else depends on my income? That the money I earn supports someone else? Because of you, this person’s life may be ruined.”

A tear fell from his eye onto her desk blotter before he regained control.

“Here’s what’s gonna happen, Carly. You’re gonna reimburse me the two thousand dollars that I would’ve made these past two weeks or else.”

Carly’s eyes widened. “You’re blackmailing me? You have nothing on me.”

He shocked her by undoing his gray, washmaker pants and pulling his black shirt from them.

“Mr. Stratton! Stop that!” she ground out through clenched teeth.

His gaze turned sarcastic yet seductive. “You have one of your minions bring that money to me by the end of the day or everyone is gonna get the impression that you’re one of my best customers. Now, I can put myself back together before I open that door or as I’m going through it. It all depends on your answer. What’s it going to be, Miss Branson?”

As Carly looked him over, she couldn’t deny that he was the most alluring, handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, but he was also the vilest. Her anger showed in her tense expression. He had the upper hand now and she knew it.

Ray let his pants slip lower on his hips. Carly’s nostrils flared with both revulsion and desire. How was it possible to feel both things at once?

When she held her silence, Ray lifted a brow, slipped a finger under the waistband of his underwear, and pulled them down a little.

“I can keep going. There’s not a shy bone in my body, Carly. But, if you want a show, it’ll cost you more than the two thousand. I get paid for what I do.”

As her beautiful blue eyes roamed over him, Ray felt a stirring of true desire.

“Have you ever had angry sex, Carly? It can be very stimulating. I’d love to show you.”

Carly now understood why some of her peers were captivated by Ray. The part of his waist he’d revealed to her was made of well-defined muscles. A thin line of dark hair ran down it, disappearing into his underwear. God help her, but she wanted to see where it went. She tried to cling to her outrage over his licentious behavior, but it wasn’t easy when he pushed his pants down even further.

She said, “I’ll have the money to you by this evening.”

Carly wanted to slap Ray’s triumphant smile off his face as he tucked his shirt back into his pants and fastened them. He smoothed down his shirt, making sure that he looked presentable again.

“Nice doing business with you, Mayor Branson.”

He unlocked the door, shot her a grin that would’ve done a shark proud, and left.

Carly took a deep breath as her secretary, Janice, came rushing into the office. Brushing off Janice’s concern, she informed her that she was going to the bank. It was better for her to do this herself.

 

 

“I’m sorry.”

Wheels put a forearm over his eyes and released a long breath. His time with Wendy hadn’t gone well. He’d had only mild sensation and hadn’t been able to perform.

Wendy, a pretty redhead, ran a hand over his chest. “It’s all right, honey. This usually happens when something’s on your mind, so out with it.”

She was a great listener and she genuinely cared about Wheels.

He covered her hand with his. “It’s Nora. She’s mad at me and I don’t know why.”

“Brock’s sister?”

“Yeah. She came to see me today. She brought me cookies and we were having a nice time. Then she got mad, took the cookie I was in the middle of eating and the other ones and left.”

Wendy chuckled. “What did you do to piss her off? Tell me exactly what happened.”

Wheels went through Nora’s visit, telling Wendy every detail he could remember.

“That’s everything,” he concluded.

Wendy broke into laughter.

“What’s so funny? I don’t like her being mad at me, especially when I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“You’re just like any other man. You have to be hit over the head before you see what’s right in front of you,” Wendy said.

Wheels frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it,” Wendy said. “Nora got upset when you said something bad about yourself. She cares about you, Wheels. She’s sweet on you.”

Wheels let out a short laugh. “Nora? Sweet on me? You gotta be crazy.”

Wendy said, “No, I’m not. She said that any woman would be lucky to have you. Nora is the lucky woman. She got mad because in a way, you were making fun of her. You didn’t know it, but that’s what happened.”

Wheels thought back over Nora’s visit, trying to see it through Wendy’s eyes. Nora had worn a strange expression when she’d come into his bedroom and then she hadn’t moved out of his chair. It suddenly dawned on him that she’d been preoccupied with looking at him without his shirt. How had he missed the desire in her eyes?

The answer was easy: it had been a long time since a woman had looked at him like that. Certainly not after he’d been paralyzed five years ago. Wendy was the only woman he’d been with since then. All the single women he knew treated him like a brother. He was just a friend, so he’d never had a clue that Nora might harbor romantic feelings for him.

On one hand it made him feel good to know that there was a woman out there who found him attractive. On the other hand, it terrified him. Nora was his best friends’ sister, which could make things complicated if a relationship with her didn’t work out. He’d hate to lose any of them if it didn’t.

And what if it did work out and marriage entered the picture? Because of his sexual inconsistency, conceiving children might be difficult, not to mention the emotional toll that sort of situation could take.

Wheels was almost certain that Nora had no experience with men. That meant that she’d have to be taught how to make things happen for him and that would be extremely embarrassing. In his situation, the woman had to do most of the work in bed. The idea of teaching that to a virgin wasn’t appealing.

He yanked his thoughts back, disconcerted that they’d run that far ahead. “What am I supposed to do?”

Wendy traced a lazy circle on his chest. “What do you want to do? Are you attracted to her?

Wheels forced himself to view Nora as a woman. He pictured Nora’s deep blue eyes, curly, platinum blonde hair, and petite, lush figure. She’d been shy around him at first, but they’d developed a great rapport once she’d warmed up to him.

Nora was funny, sweet, and smart. He enjoyed her company, and she was a great cook, too. She was a wonderful young woman and he’d wondered why no one was courting her. However, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to get involved with someone who was only twenty years old. Of course, he wasn’t yet twenty-six, so it wasn’t as if he was an old man.

He fought back a groan. “Nora is a beautiful woman, and she has a lot of good qualities. I’ve never had this happen before. I mean, before my accident I saw a couple of women, but there’s been no one since then, outside of you.”

Wendy said, “Yeah, but seeing me doesn’t count as a relationship. I’m not interested in one, either, so don’t get any ideas about that.”

He smiled. “I gave up trying after the second time you refused to go to dinner with me.”

“You know that it’s nothing personal. You’re a good, handsome man. I’m not surprised that Nora’s attracted to you.”

“Well, I’m surprised and now I don’t know what to do.”

Wendy propped herself up on an elbow and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m going to go and leave you to your thoughts. Unless you want to try again?”

Her suggestive smile made him laugh. “No. Thanks, anyway. I don’t think I’m in the right mood now.”

She got out of bed and Wheels watched her dress. When she finished, she came over to him, running her fingertips over his jaw.

“Call me when you want me.”

I wanted you tonight. Wheels forced a smile. “I always do.”

She kissed him again and exited the house, leaving Wheels alone with his confusion and disappointment.

 

Nora swept the front porch, swishing the broom back and forth with more force than necessary. The early March wind blew chilly and strong, but it did little to cool her self-directed anger. A couple of days had passed since she’d stormed out of Wheels’ house, and she was still mentally kicking her rear over the way she’d acted.

Then she laughed as she remembered Wheels’ shocked expression when she’d snatched the cookie he’d been eating right out of his hand. She had to admit that had been funny. Then she sobered. He probably doesn’t want anything to do with me.

A sharp pang of sadness ran through her at the thought of not seeing Wheels anymore. That would be impossible, though, since he was such close friends with her brothers.

She finished sweeping, leaned the broom against the house, and went inside. The telephone in the kitchen rang. No one else was around so she answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Nora.”

She felt a little faint upon hearing Wheels’ voice.

“Oh. Wheels. Hi.”

“How are you? Have you stolen cookies from anyone else besides me?”

His southern accent sent tingles through her and the smile in his voice made her laugh.

“No. You’re the only one I stole any from. I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Well, you owe me. I’ll forgive you if you come to dinner tonight.”

Surprise stole her voice.

“I’d take you out, but I can’t leave the house for a month. At least Judge Fairbanks let me stay at home instead of making Brock lock me up. Wanna have dinner with a jailbird?”

Nora cleared her throat. “Dinner?”

“Yeah. You know, the last meal of the day.”

“I, um, how do you mean that?”

“I’m asking you to dinner as a man who’s interested in you.”

Nora’s knees weakened, and she wished that she had a chair to sit on. Her hands shook a little as she contemplated her answer.

“Nora?”

She heard a thread of anxiety in his voice and knowing that he was nervous about asking her made her feel brave and sympathetic. “I would love to come to dinner.”

“You would?”

She laughed. “Yes. Very much.”

His surprise at her acceptance was as great as hers over his invitation, which she found very sweet.

“Great! Around seven?”

“I’ll be there,” she assured him.

“No! Ollie, get out of here. You can’t have the telephone! For crying out loud! Nora, he wants to talk to you,” Wheels said.

She giggled. “Hello, Ollie. Are you being a naughty monkey?”

Loud breathing and grunts sounded in her ear before Wheels came back on the line.

“Thanks, Nora. I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you then.”

Nora replaced the handset on the cradle and stood still for a few moments, absorbing the fact that Wheels had just asked her to dinner. It had really happened. She hadn’t dreamt it. Then she rushed upstairs to her room to pick out her dress.

Amelia came out of the sewing room. “What on Earth are you running around so for?”

Nora’s smile could have lit up the whole house. “Ma, Wheels asked me to dinner. He wants to see me.”

Amelia rolled her eyes. “Oh, is that all? Why are you so excited about it? You eat with him all the time.”

Nora shook her head. “No, Ma. He wants to see me romantically.”

Amelia stood still, taking in Nora’s flushed face and shining eyes. A woman didn’t look like that when she talked about a man unless she had feelings for him. Concern for her daughter warred with her affection for Wheels.

“I’m going to his house for dinner. He’s cooking.”

Amelia said, “Nora, I didn’t know you felt like that about Wheels.”

“Like what?”

“As more than just a friend.”

Nora said, “I didn’t let on to anyone. He’s so funny, handsome, and kind. I don’t understand why some other woman hasn’t latched onto him before now, but I’m not complaining.”

“Nora, Wheels is all those things, but he’s also in a wheelchair.”

Nora frowned. “I know that. What does that have to do with anything? You love Wheels, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course, I do. It’s just that—”

Nora’s jaw jutted out stubbornly. “Ma, I’m going to see Wheels and that’s final. I don’t care who likes it or who doesn’t.”

Amelia watched her daughter go down the hall to her room, her heart torn between happiness for Nora and a mother’s worry.

 

 

Aaron knocked on the door of Nora’s room.

“Come in.”

She stood in front of her full-length mirror, putting on earrings. The powder blue muslin dress complimented her complexion and brought out her eyes. Aaron’s feelings about Nora seeing Wheels on a romantic basis were mixed.

Wheels was completely trustworthy, but Aaron’s natural protectiveness of his little sister also made him a little leery of her getting involved with his best friend. He knew that Wheels saw one of Sandy’s girls, something that even Brock didn’t know.

Obviously, Wheels was capable of physical intimacy, but he knew that Wheels would treat Nora with respect. It would be nice if Nora and Wheels were a good match. If they got married, at least he’d like his brother-in-law.

“You look beautiful.”

Nora smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

He leaned against the doorjamb. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“If it’s none of my business, just say so, but how long have you felt this way about Wheels?”

Nora sat down carefully on her bed so she didn’t wrinkle her dress. “I’m not sure. It sort of snuck up on me, but it was around Christmastime when I thought of him as more than just a friend.”

Aaron said, “He never said anything to me about his feelings changing toward you, but maybe he was just afraid that I wouldn’t approve.”

“I hope you do approve.”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah, I do. It doesn’t bother you that he’s paralyzed?”

Nora had been expecting this question.

“No. I don’t think of him like that. He’s a wonderful, handsome man who has a medical condition the same way some other people do.”

Aaron had always hoped that his buddy would fine a woman who felt like that. He’d just never thought she would be his sister.

“I think that’s great. I’m sure you’ll have a nice time.”

“Me, too. Speaking of which, I should go so I’m not late.”

Aaron preceded her down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, he said, “Hear ye, hear ye! I present to you Lady Nora Guthrie!”

Nora laughed at his playacting and his British accent. It was something that he and Brock did quite often, and they were quite convincing. Their parents sat in the parlor and rose from their chairs when the siblings came in the room.

Amelia blinked back tears at the picture Nora made. Her little girl was all grown up and very lovely. Her husband, Doug, felt the same way. This was only the second time Nora had been asked to dinner by a man.

The first time had been a disaster because the young man had carried on a one-sided conversation about himself. Nora hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise and had refused to see him again.

Doug and Amelia hugged her.

“Do you want me to walk with you to Wheels’ house?” Doug asked.

“No, thank you, Pa. I’ll be fine. It’s not far.”

“All right.”

Nora left then, eager to see the man she’d become crazy about.

 

 

Wheels’ nerves were stretched as taut as a violin string. He hadn’t been on a date since before his accident and even though Nora was a woman he knew and liked very much, he was still anxious. He had shaven and dressed in a nice gray suit. As the time for Nora to arrive drew closer, his stomach knotted even more.

To distract himself a little, he checked on dinner. Not many people realized that he could cook more than just simple fare. Vern had modified Wheels’ stove, shortening its legs so that it stood at the right height for him to be able to cook safely.

He’d just tended the food when a knock came on his door. Rolling over, he opened it and immediately felt unexpected desire shoot through him. Nora looked stunning in her gown, her blonde hair cascading around her shoulders.

“Hello. Come on in.”

“Hello.” Nora stepped over the threshold and sniffed the air with appreciation. “Something smells delicious.”

Wheels closed the door. “May I take your cloak, madam?”

Smiling at his gentlemanly behavior, she took it off and handed it to him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He hung it on a low hook by his coats. “You look gorgeous, Nora.”

His compliment made her blush. “And you look very handsome.”

“Thanks. Come on in.”

Ollie had been napping, but upon hearing Nora, he came out to greet her. He blinked sleepily as he hopped up on a chair near her.

“Hello, Ollie.” She picked him up, cradling him. “You’re so tired. Poor guy.”

“The kids were over this afternoon and kept him busy.”

A lot of women were afraid of Ollie, but not Nora. Wheels remembered the first time she’d met Ollie. It had been shortly after his family had moved to Chance City four years ago. She’d only been sixteen and so sweet. She’d taken to Ollie right away and vice versa.

It suddenly occurred to Wheels that the reason he’d never seen Nora as a woman was because in his mind’s eye he still saw the shy teenager she’d been. His mind hadn’t yet registered that she’d grown up. Looking at her as she held Ollie, Wheels saw a beautiful woman with an hourglass figure and the face of an angel. How had he missed that before now? He wasn’t missing it anymore, though.

Nora said, “No wonder he’s tuckered out. They’re a lively bunch.”

“They’re something, all right.” He rolled over to the stove. “I made roasted chicken, parsley potatoes, and string beans.”

“I didn’t know you were such a talented chef.”

He lifted out a roasting pan from the oven and sat it on top of the stove.

“After I had healed well from my accident and I started learning how to do things for myself, I insisted that Mama teach me how to cook. It was hard because of the height of counters and the stove, but I got around that by putting a couple of pillows on my chair to raise me up higher. It worked well enough that I could start learning harder dishes that took longer.”

She put Ollie down on a chair. “That’s why I got so angry with you.”

“Because I can cook?”

She laughed at his teasing. “No. You’re so smart and determined to overcome obstacles. A lot of people who can walk don’t put half the effort into achieving their goals as you do. They told you that you wouldn’t be able to get around by yourself, but you can race along, spin, get up and down one step in your chair, and pull yourself with your arms any place you can’t go with your chair.

“And now you and Vern built a new suit of armor that lets you stand and walk a little.” She crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow at him. “I’ve heard about you doing it, but I haven’t gotten to see it.”

He blushed a little. “I haven’t shown many people yet. I did a lot of falling at first, so I wanted to wait until I was better at it before showing off.”

She gave him a beguiling smile. “I’ll bring you more cookies if you show me.”

“You don’t play fair. I’ll show you tomorrow if you come around ten.”

Nora pretended to consider it. “Well, I guess I can do that.”

He flashed her a smile as he worked around the kitchen. The rule concerning Wheels was that if he needed help, he would say so. If he didn’t, it meant that he was fine on his own. Therefore, Nora didn’t interfere with what he was doing.

He’d put a white cloth on the table and had placed a vase with silk spring flowers in the center of it. She liked the blue and white china and good silverware. It made her feel special that he’d created such a nice atmosphere for their first dinner. They’d eaten lunch together before and she’d eaten at his family’s house, but she’d never had dinner alone with him like this.

“Nora, will you please pour the wine?”

“Of course.”

She didn’t know much about wine, but the bottle of white chardonnay looked expensive. Once they were ready and had sat down, Wheels sighed and gazed at her for a moment.

“Are you as nervous as I am?” he asked.

Nora laughed and nodded. “Yes. I don’t know why. It’s not as if we’re strangers.”

“But this feels different, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, but it also feels nice.”

He raised his glass. “A toast to different yet nice.”

She touched her glass to his and took a sip of the wine, which tasted pleasant.

“I saw Brock today,” she said. “He was in a foul mood.”

Wheels grinned. “Let me guess. Cy.”

“Yes. Cy’s house can’t get built soon enough. They’re together too much.”

She took a bite of the succulent chicken. The potatoes and beans were flavorful, too.

“I know. He and Daphne come over here sometimes and sometimes Cy and Leigh do. Working and living together is taking a toll on them, but they’ll get through it. They don’t have a choice,” Wheels remarked.

“I’m so happy for Leigh and Cy. They’re so excited about the baby and Brock and Daphne are excited about it, too. Hopefully they’ll be having their own little one soon.”

While they talked and ate, Ollie added to the conversation with little grunts and squeals while he ate the various pieces of fruit that Wheels had given him. He was so tired and full by the time he was done, he got down and went into Wheels’ office, where he slept in the little bed that Wheels had made for him.

“He really is exhausted,” Nora said.

“I’m not surprised. They chased him all over the place and he chased them. Then he went over to their house for a while and God only knows what all they were doing,” Wheels said. “He’s one tired monkey.”

“How old is Ollie? I don’t know why I never thought to ask you before.”

“He’s eight now. Capuchins can live to be over thirty, sometimes forty years old. My Uncle Darius gave him to me a little while after I was injured. He’d rescued him from a circus when he saw how badly they treated him. We rescued each other after that. He helped me with all kinds of things I couldn’t do for myself at the time.

“I spoiled him and so did my folks, but it was because we wanted him to feel safe and loved. That’s why I got so furious with Luther the other night and, honestly, I can’t say I wouldn’t do it again if someone else tried to hurt Ollie. I’ve been watching him really close for signs that he’s afraid of anyone because of it,” Wheels said.

Nora’s brows drew together. “That’s why I think Luther got what he deserved. Punching a poor little monkey like that. It serves him right to have something broken!”

Wheels couldn’t control the snort of laughter that escaped him. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve never heard you get so riled up until the other day. I kinda like it—as long as it’s not me you’re mad at.”

Nora said, “I’m like Ma that way. It takes a lot to get me mad, but once I am, everyone knows it.”

Grinning, he said, “Well, I knew it the other day.”

“Stop it.”

He snapped off a salute to her. “Yes, ma’am!”

They finished dinner with the cinnamon cake that Susan had made for them and some coffee. Wheels informed Nora that while he could cook, he’d never mastered baking, so he’d had his mother make the treat for them. Nora insisted on helping clean up from supper and Wheels gave in, enjoying working together.

Once everything was tidy, he said, “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa?”

“All right.”

She made herself comfortable and looked around his parlor. It was a hodgepodge of different types of furniture and assorted pictures lined the tops of a couple of barrister bookcases. She knew that Brock had taken a lot of them. Wheels came back, minus his suit jacket and tie.

“Miss me?” he quipped.

“Yes, because you were gone for years, you know. I pined and pined for you.”

He laughed as he situated his chair close to the sofa. “I like a woman with a smart mouth.”

The cushions bounced as he shifted onto the sofa. Bending forward, he pulled a hassock close and, with his arms, lifted his legs up onto it using his pant legs, crossing the left over the right. Nora had seen him do it a hundred times, but it still amazed her.

“Wheels, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

She turned to face him, taking off her slippers and tucking her feet up under her. “Why did you invite me to a romantic dinner?”

“Well, I was confused about why you were mad the other day and I told a friend of mine about it. They said that you were upset because I was sort of putting myself down and that it was most likely because you cared about me. I thought they were crazy, but they said that you were interested in me,” he replied.

“Why is it so crazy that I would be interested in you?”

“Don’t get angry again, but there hasn’t been one single woman who’s been seriously attracted to me since my accident,” Wheels said. “They like to dance with me because it’s fun and I have fun, too, but they don’t see me as a potential beau. And before we go any further down this path, there are a lot of things I need to explain to you.”

Nora asked, “Why do you need to explain?”

“Because being with someone like me isn’t the same as being with a normal man, Nora. I’m not being critical of myself. These things aren’t easy for me to talk about, but it’s only fair that you understand before things go too far. I’ve never had to do this before because there wasn’t anyone I needed to explain them to,” he said.

Nora wasn’t used to him being so serious, but she wanted to hear what he had to say. “All right. Go on.”

“These are very personal things. Very personal. Not things that are usually discussed between courting people or in mixed company. Are you sure you want to have this discussion?”

“Yes. I’m positive.”

He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out how to start. It had seemed so much easier in his head, but now that the time had come, the right words were hard to find. “Even though I’m partially paralyzed, I’m a fortunate man. Some people are paralyzed from the neck down. It all just depends on where and how severely your spinal cord is injured. My doctors said that the lower the injury on the spine, the more function you have.

“Uncle Vin said there’s so much that they still don’t know about it all, but that spinal cord injuries affect everyone differently. There are some similarities, but a lot of differences, too. Turn around a second.”

Nora did and waited.

“I’m not trying to be too familiar with you. I just want to show you something.”

“Okay.”

She felt his fingers slide down her spine, gently probing until they rested just above her rear end.

“That’s where my injury occurred. Two of my vertebrae were practically crushed and the spinal cord was damaged. I’m lucky that it wasn’t completely severed or else I wouldn’t be able to do nearly as much as I can.”

He took away his hand and she turned to face him again.

“That said, there are still a lot of things besides walking that I can’t do the way normal people can. Here’s where things get really personal,” he said.

“Wheels, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“Yes, I do. I won’t get involved with you unless you fully understand, Nora. I can’t do that to either one of us. So as embarrassing as this is, it’s necessary.”

“All right.”

“It might not seem like it to other people, but my life revolves around a schedule. I have to get up at a certain time, eat at a certain time, so forth and so on. That’s because my bodily functions aren’t always reliable, so I’ve had to train them, put them on a schedule. Do you understand?”

Nora blushed, but said, “You’re talking about your bowels?”

“Yeah, and the other. It’s a part of being paralyzed. Here and there I can’t tell if I have to go or not, so I stick to a schedule. I watch how much I drink when I’m out somewhere and I try to come home by a certain time. If I’m at the Chowhound, I can use Jim and Sandy’s bathroom in their apartment, so I don’t have to be as careful. But when we go to Benny’s, it’s a different story,” he explained.

Nora said, “I didn’t realize that those things were affected.”

“Yeah. Like I said, I’m lucky. A lot of people have no idea that they have to go and end up having accidents. They can’t help it.”

Nora tried to imagine what not being able to feel such basic urges would be like, but couldn’t, of course. “Of course, they can’t. But you can tell?”

“Most of the time, but I don’t like taking chances, so I try to stick to my schedule as much as possible.”

“I think that’s very sensible. I appreciate you being so forthright with me, but none of that changes things in my mind,” she said.

“That’s good, but this next part might.”

Nora smiled. “I doubt it.”

“Nora, the next thing we need to discuss involves the birds and the bees. I don’t know how much you know about that.”

Nora smiled and then laughed. “I’m sorry, but it was so cute hearing you say the birds and the bees as though I’m twelve.”

He laughed. “Well, this isn’t normally something that you talk about in mixed company, so I wasn’t sure how to put it. If this wasn’t so important, we wouldn’t be talking about it at all.”

Nora nodded. “I understand. I’ve never been with a man, but Ma was very clear in explaining how things work. She said that Grandma never told her anything and she was terrified on her wedding night. She said that she didn’t want me scared out of my mind about what would happen.”

“God bless your mama,” Wheels said. “Okay. That makes this a little easier. The simple fact is that it’s doubtful that I can father children. Sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t. Or sometimes when they do, they don’t last for very long.”

Nora exerted great control in not glancing away from his eyes. “Oh. I see.”

Wheels covered his eyes with his hand. “Oh, Lord. I’ve never told anyone except Johnny that. Not even to my daddy or Uncle Vin. They know, but saying it out loud is hard. But you needed to know. Now do you understand why I wouldn’t pursue anything until I talked to you about this?”

Her heart went out to him because she knew how important it was to most men that they be able to father a child. How devastating it must be to know that he might never be able to do that. Moving a little closer, she took his hand.

“Wheels, I understand what you’re telling me. I do. But it still doesn’t change my mind about you,” she said. “Do they know why it happens?”

He glanced sheepishly at her. “No. They don’t know the exact cause yet, but they’re doing a lot of research about it all. Nora, let’s say that things work out with us, can you really say that you’d be satisfied being married to a man who couldn’t give you children or maybe a lot of what happens in order to make children. I’m not always reliable.”

The uncertainty and embarrassment in his expression when he looked at her intensified the sympathy she felt. She didn’t pity him, but she did feel badly for him. His bravery in talking to her about something so deeply personal so that she could make an informed decision proved even more to her that Wheels was a man of integrity and that he had a huge heart.

He tightened his hand around hers. “Now do you understand why it’s hard for a man like me to believe that a woman would want me?”

Just holding hands with Wheels filled Nora with happiness. She took his hand in both of hers. “I appreciate you talking to me like this because it shows that you have great respect for me and that you care more about my feelings than your own.

“My mother is a very forward-thinking woman. She’s been involved in women’s suffrage and other feminine causes. Many women would be offended if a man brought up such personal subjects, but I’m not one of them. Ma explained to me that while the physical part of a marriage is important, the emotional side means even more. She told me that love and relations should go hand-in-hand. So that’ll be the most important thing to me, Wheels, no matter who I marry.”

Wheels couldn’t believe what he was hearing or that she was still there. He’d fully expected her to become offended and leave, but there she sat, calmly discussing the topic and holding his hand to boot.

“What about children?” he asked. “Could you live with it if we couldn’t conceive?”

Her smile made his heart rate pick up. “Wheels, Leigh didn’t think she could conceive, but she did. Maybe we would have our own little miracle, but if not, would you be willing to adopt?”

She’d surprised him again. He should propose to her right now before she changed her mind.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about all this, and I came to accept the fact that I might not be able to make a baby. I want kids, and if that means adopting, then so be it.”

Her smile widened. “See? You’ve been worrying for nothing.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face and laughed with relief. “I guess so.”

She squeezed his hand. “I do have a question, though.”

“I’ll answer anything you ask me. It’s only right.”

“You said that sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t. That means that you’ve been seeing someone. Do you have feelings for her? I won’t share you. I’ll only start a relationship with you if I’m the only woman in your life,” Nora said.

He sighed. “I’m not exactly proud of this, but you have to understand that I never thought I’d find anyone. I settled for what I could get regarding female company. Since my accident, I’ve only been seeing one woman. One of Sandy’s girls.”

Jealousy flared inside Nora, but she fought it down. “I can understand that and I’m not completely naïve about those women. I’ve heard my brothers discuss them when they thought I wasn’t around. But I won’t tolerate you seeing her anymore. What’s her name? I don’t want to be caught off guard if I run into her.”

The glint in her eyes and her possessive statement captivated Wheels.

“Her name is Wendy and she’s been wonderful to me. I won’t lie about that. She’s patient and kind and she’s never made fun of me if I can’t do anything.”

Nora smiled tightly. “I’m glad that she’s been good to you, but you’ll have to tell her that you can’t see her anymore because you’re mine now. I’m claiming you. That is if you want me to.”

Tears stung his eyes, but he held them back. “Yes, Nora, I want you to claim me very much.”

He laid his free hand alongside her cheek. The softness of her skin against his palm felt so good. Leaning towards her, he gently pulled her to him.

Nora’s pulse throbbed faster as she realized that he was going to kiss her. His lips brushed hers and her eyes automatically closed. Gradually, he increased the pressure of his mouth against hers and he let go of her hand. Putting an arm around her waist, he held her tightly as he coaxed her lips apart. Nora had never kissed anyone like that, but she followed his lead, sighing as he deepened the kiss.

Kissing Nora was so different than kissing Wendy. Nora’s inexperience excited him, and he liked knowing that he was the first man to kiss her this way. She began responding by instinct, hesitantly touching his tongue with hers and resting her hands on his shoulders. Splaying his hands over her back, he pressed her harder against his chest, growling his pleasure.

Nora ran her hands over his shoulders, fascinated by the hard muscles under his shirt. She remembered how he looked without it, and she wound her arms around his neck, letting her inhibitions go.

As their embrace grew more heated, Wheels was amazed when his ardor stirred to life. Nora’s lips were so soft and the eager way she responded to him sent desire singing through his body. It was a bittersweet realization because he couldn’t let things continue. It was a shame to waste the opportunity, but he wasn’t going to seduce Nora.

He took his time ending their kissing, lingering as long as possible. Nora opened her eyes and the desire in their blue depths almost broke his resolve.

“I’d say we definitely have some chemistry.”

His slightly huskier voice and accent made her shiver. “Yes, I would say so, too. Thank you for such a wonderful evening.”

“Likewise. Thank you for listening and not running away.”

She embraced him. “I promise that I’ll never run away from you.”

“It wouldn’t matter if you did. I’d catch you one way or another.”

Nora kissed his cheek. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

His brow knitted as he let her go. “I don’t like you walkin’ home by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said.

“I’d go with you, but I can’t.”

“I know. I’m perfectly capable of going home by myself, Wheels.”

“All right,” he said. “But you call me as soon as you get home, so I know you’re safe.”

“I will.”

He saw her to the door where she gave him a last kiss before going out the door. Wheels couldn’t stop grinning as he waited by his telephone. His soul felt so light that it seemed as though he should be able to walk.

Was that what being in love felt like? He’d loved Nora as a friend, but what he felt for her had drastically changed. Wheels knew how silly he was being, and he took some deep breaths to calm down.

Then he figured what was the harm in letting himself be happy? Didn’t he deserve it? If he and Nora made each other happy, then so be it. He didn’t care what anyone thought.

There were parts of his body that he couldn’t feel or didn’t work, but his heart wasn’t one of them. It was young, strong, and ready to run. Letting out a shout of laughter, he did a fast spin and let his heart fly.

 

 

Wheels wasn’t the only one who felt lighter than air. Nora was barely aware of her surroundings as she walked home. She’d claimed Wheels for her very own. Joy sang in her heart, filling her with warm light. Reliving their kiss made her feel even warmer and desire made her stomach drop pleasantly.

Arriving home, she floated in the door and went straight to the kitchen telephone. She asked for Wheels’ exchange, and he came on the line very quickly.

“Hi, sugar.”

“Hi. How did you know it was me?”

She heard the grin in his voice. “Because you’re the only lovely lady I was expecting to call me.”

“I better be.”

“Don’t worry. You’re the only woman I want calling me again,” he assured her.

“Good.”

He was quiet for a moment, then, “Nora, are you as happy as I am? Am I imagining things? I didn’t drink that much wine, but I feel drunk.”

Nora put a hand to her mouth to smother her giddy laughter. “No, Wheels. You’re not imagining it. I thought I was.”

“Whew! I’m relieved to hear that. Damn, Nora. I wish I’d have said something sooner.”

She giggled. “Me, too, but I guess it happened when it was supposed to.”

“I guess so. All right. I’m gonna go before I say a bunch of other sappy, unmanly stuff. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. See you then.”

“Sweet dreams, honey.”

Nora hung up with him, got herself under control, and hurried upstairs to her room.

 

 

Chapter Four

 

 

Sheriff Rob Anderson rolled his eyes heavenward as he sat in his office. Even with his door closed he could hear the bickering out in the main room. He’d never seen anything like the constant fighting that had been going on lately. His nighttime deputies were the only two officers who seemed to have retained their common sense.

When the volume of the voices rose even more, Rob reached the end of his patience. Getting up, he slammed out of his office, striding swiftly into the other room.

He let out a shrill whistle. “Shut the hell up!”

His four daytime officers stopped shouting immediately.

“What’s the matter with you all? Have you lost your minds? What if the mayor walked in here with you acting like that? Do you think you should be paid for standing around yelling at each other when there’s important work to be done?” he demanded.

Cy clammed up, scowling at Brock who glared back at him. Ellie flopped down in her desk chair and stared at her desk. Hunter wasn’t sure what to do, so he just stayed standing by his desk.

Rob pointed at Cy and Brock. “You two need to grow the heck up and stop baiting each other. You’re acting worse than my grandkids do. I know that you weren’t best friends when Brock married your sister, Cy, but I thought you’d come to an understanding.”

Cy said, “He always wants things his way and it’s my house.”

“Correction; used to be your house. You and Leigh are moving to the new house, which I wish was already built.”

“You’re not the only one,” Cy said.

“Enough! This is exactly what I’m talking about!” Rob said. “Cy you’re gonna have to accept that Brock and Daphne will do things differently once you and Leigh move out. Brock, Cy and Leigh are still in the house, so be more respectful of that fact.” He looked at Ellie and Hunter. “What’s wrong with you two?”

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest, staying silent.

“They’re fighting about Walt,” Cy said.

Ellie’s head whipped around, her blue eyes spitting fire. “He didn’t ask you, Cy.”

Rob shook his head. “Why do you care so much about whether Ellie sees Walt, Hunter? I thought you were seeing Georgia?”

Hunter shook his head. “It’s not like that. I am seeing Georgia. I’m just worried about Ellie, that’s all.”

“I can take care of myself, Hunter. Besides, I’m not seeing Walt,” Ellie said. “So, don’t keep acting up whenever he comes in here.”

“I can’t help it. I hate the guy,” Hunter said. “There’s something wrong with him.”

Rob rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Okay. Here’s what’s gonna happen. Until you can all start acting like adults again, no more discussing personal matters at work. You come in, you do your job and leave all that other stuff at home.

“Hunter, control this hate of yours. Walt comes here to do a job and I expect you to do yours. Ellie, I don’t know what happened with you and Walt, but it’s nobody’s business, either. I want you to work with Cy this week, and Brock, you work with Hunter. Maybe changing partners will help things,” Rob said. “And if that doesn’t solve it, I’ll fire all you and find people who can put the job first.”

Giving them all a stern look, he went back into his office and slammed the door shut.

As the four officers stood around looking at each other, Walt came in the door, giving them his usual affable smile. Ellie and Hunter both groaned in dismay, but for different reasons.

Walt stopped, his brow knitted in confusion. “Good mornin’,” he said, uncertainly.

Hunter’s expression darkened. “It was until you showed up.”

In seconds, Walt’s expression turned hard, his jaw clenching and his gaze cooling as he focused on Hunter. “Look, boyo, I’ve done nothin’ to ya. I don’t know why ya have it in for me, but ya need to use yer noggin’ and look at the evidence.”

“What do you mean?”

Cy barely suppressed a smile. Hunter was about to get a taste of Walt’s courtroom prowess.

Walt took off his glasses and cleaned them with his handkerchief. “Name one thing I’ve done wrong, whether to you or anyone else. Just one thing.”

Hunter crossed his arms over his chest. “You broke Ellie’s heart.”

Walt laughed and Ellie gasped at his statement.

“I didn’t break her heart. Not that it’s any of yer business, but she broke mine. She doesn’t love me, but I love her. However, she made it clear to me that she’s not interested in a relationship with me. So, yer assumption is dead wrong. What other accusations do I need to address? Brock, ye’ve known me for a long time. Have ya ever known me to be negative in any way to you or anyone else?”

“No. Never.”

“Exactly. Oh, that reminds me. May I use yer telephone when I’m done with my client so I can call Wheels? I want to see if he’s available later today so I can discuss his case with him.”

Brock nodded. “Sure. I know he really appreciates your help.”

Walt noticed Ellie’s pink face, but he never addressed her. “So, Hunter, what else do ya have against me?”

Hunter’s blood boiled because he had no evidence that Walt had done anything wrong, as his silence denoted.

Walt gave a curt nod. “Right, then. Well, if someone will let me back to my client, I’d appreciate it.”

Brock motioned for Walt to come with him. “I’ll take you.”

That was a preview of Crossroads: The Chance City Series Book Three. To read the rest purchase the book.

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