by Caroline Lee
His expression softened. “Marley, nothing you do is ‘weird.’ Sure, you have to do things differently, but it’s more, well, awe-inspiring than weird.”
What a sweet thing to say!
She felt her lips curve upwards shyly, and she ducked her head and reached for the chair lift. Over the years, she’d gotten pretty good at throwing herself—face-first, and not always gracefully—into swimming pools, then lifting herself out again using the handrails from pool steps. It wasn’t always possible, but if there was a lift available, she used that instead.
Besides, using a lift made her look a lot more graceful.
“Can I help you?” he asked suddenly.
She paused halfway through the transfer out of her chair and glanced at him. “Nah, I’m fine,” she said, before readjusting herself.
“I could—”
“Listen, dude, I know you could lift me easy-peasy, yeah? Just lift me up and carry me into the water.” She grunted slightly as she settled herself, then reached for the controls to lower the lift into the pool. “The same way you or Caro or whoever could push my chair for me. I know it would be easier, and a heck of a lot faster.”
Dustin was quiet for the time it took the lift to get her into the water, pull herself off, and stroke over to the deeper water. She rested her elbows on the edge of the pool and reached for her goggles.
Finally, he squatted beside her. “But you don’t let us because you want to do it all by yourself, right?” he said quietly.
She met his gorgeous pale eyes. “You won’t always be around, Dustin. I can’t let myself depend on you.”
Something flashed across his face—regret? Disappointment?—before he threw himself into a shallow dive into the lane beside her. He came up treading water, since the lap pool was eight feet here, and whatever she’d seen in his expression had been replaced by anticipation.
“Let’s see what you got, Marley.”
Balancing on one elbow, she pulled her goggles over her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.
His smile grew. “In that swim cap, you look like some kind of alien.”
“But a pretty one, right?” This was her favorite silver cap, designed, not to minimize drag—although that helped—but to keep her hair a little drier and free of chlorine.
“Oh, yeah, totally.” He smirked.
“It’s a pain in the butt to worry about my hair, as much swimming as I do. But today especially. I’ve got an appointment with Caro at the salon at ten-thirty, so hopefully my hair won’t be so bad for tonight.”
Because tonight was the wedding. The reason Marley had come to Idaho in the first place. Tonight was the culmination of all her hard work with the exoskeleton over the last weeks, as well as her chance to show Caro how much she meant to her.
It also meant that tomorrow, Marley was going to have to take a good long look at her future, especially her future with Dustin.
And she wasn’t sure what that meant. Much easier to focus on laps.
“Ready?” she asked Dustin.
He’d pulled on his own goggles, his blond hair tufting above them. “Choka, dudette.”
Dudette? She snorted so hard at his attempts to sound like her, she sucked in water, then spent a few minutes coughing and glaring at him as he laughed. Finally, she got her breathing under control.
“Okay, dude, here’s the deal. My stroke is the butterfly, yeah? But it’s a pretty violent stroke, and I’ll probably end up slapping you and not even realize it.”
When she swam competitively, she strapped her legs together so they trailed behind her. The butterfly stroke required a sort of dolphin kick, and although she couldn’t make the motion purposefully, her legs sort of trailed behind her in a wave as she used her pelvis and abs to contort her torso. But today, she was just doing laps to ease her nervousness about the evening.
And to get to spend time with Dustin.
She shook her head, focusing on her explanation. “So I think it’d be best if we just stuck to the crawl, or maybe the breaststroke today. Does that work for you?”
He was nodding, his arms and legs both working to keep him afloat. “Let’s do it.”
So they did.
And although Marley usually hated sharing a lane with someone else, sharing with Dustin felt…right. They moved together, in time and in tune.
Most of the time, she led with an easy crawl stroke, knowing he was right behind and to her left. For the first few laps, she was super self-conscious, knowing her legs were just dragging behind her, probably flapping around in his face as she pulled. But soon, his steady presence began to reassure her.
After a while, he pushed ahead, and she let him swim by. Lap-swimming was meditative, and she didn’t want to get between him and his “zone.” Besides, he was faster than she was, having not only more upper body strength, but the use of his legs as well. And she had to admit, there was something really hot about watching him approach her on his return lap, his chest muscles flexing with each pull, his corded neck tight as he reached to one side for air.
From underwater, he reminded her of a dolphin, all sleek and surrounded by bubbles and doing his own thing.
Yeah, I could get used to swimming with him.
And truthfully, she didn’t mind spending her laps thinking about him, or looking forward to her next glimpse of him, because it kept her from thinking about tomorrow.
Tomorrow, when she’d have to make some decisions, which might mean never swimming with Dustin McIver again.
They swam laps for an hour, back and forth, until they were both in a sort of trance, and her arms were aching. But it was a good ache, and she loved the way she was breathing heavily as she pulled up in the deep end of the lap pool.
Dustin was coming up on her right, and when he saw her floating vertically, her hands pulling the water to stay afloat, he slowed down, then took one last big breath and dove under her.
She took in a lungful of air, which helped her float, and put her face underwater. Watching him swim beneath her—sleek and fast and smooth—reminded her so much of snorkeling, a stab of longing hit her right in the heart and brought tears to her eyes.
He flipped over down near the bottom, and grinned up at her, releasing a burst of bubbles. Time seemed to slow down as the bubbles lazily floated towards the surface and towards her, meeting her chest and face, and caressing her skin as they slipped past.
They both popped to the surface then, and he must’ve seen something in her expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked, nearly breathless.
She managed to shrug. “Just thinking how much I miss snorkeling.”
“Ah.” He glanced down at the water and seemed to understand. “One day, will you take me snorkeling?”
One day.
Sounded as if Dustin was still thinking about a future between them. But he hadn’t tried to kiss her again, so what did that mean?
She didn’t want to think about that right now. She tried to grin. “Choka, dude. How about a few cool-down laps?”
They ended in the four-foot section of the pool, where Dustin could easily stand. And although her feet were probably touching the ground, she had no way of knowing. Instead, she used her hands to tread water and stay afloat.
That is, right up until he reached for her.
She sucked in a surprised breath as he pulled her against him, trapping her hands against his delicious chest. She felt his arms go around her back, his fingers splaying across her skin.
“Wha— What are you doing?” she asked.
His lips were so close to hers, when he murmured, “Helping you.”
Well, that was the wrong answer. She pushed at his chest, but he didn’t loosen his hold.
“I can do it myself.”
“I know you can, Marley. But so can I. And you have to admit, it’s a lot less work to just let me hold you up.”
He was right. She relented, allowing her hands to relax against him. When her palms pressed against his pectoral muscles, then slipped
up towards his shoulders, she swore she saw him shudder as he closed his eyes.
“I can’t rely on you,” she whispered, as much to herself as to him.
His eyes flew back open and held her gaze. “You’re wrong.” He shifted his hold on her, so they were somehow even closer. “Earlier, you said you couldn’t depend on me, because I won’t always be around.”
Mutely, she nodded.
“Well, you’re wrong. I don’t know what someone as incredible and strong, and talented and funny and smart and beautiful sees in someone like me…but Marley, I plan on sticking with you for as long as you’ll have me.”
Slowly, her lips formed an “O” as his words registered.
He leaned in, his lips only millimeters from hers, and held her gaze. “I think you’re pretty choka righteous, Marley Santana.”
And God help her, she wanted to laugh and cry all at once. She pulled back and shook her head.
He countered by nodding.
“You’re a playboy, Dustin.” She was irritated by how her voice cracked when she accused him. “You can’t make promises about sticking around when you’re flirting with other women.”
His brows went up. “Have you seen me flirting with anyone else since we started dating, Mar?”
Well, no.
She frowned, and his lips twitched. “I haven’t had eyes for any other lady since I met you, Marley, and that’s a promise.”
A promise.
Self-conscious now, she focused on where her hand rested on his shoulder, her skin dark against his. With her index finger, she began to trace small circles on his skin until he squirmed. It felt so much better than she could’ve imagined, touching him like this.
“Hey,” he coaxed gently, and waited until she raised her eyes to his. “I like you, Marley. I promise. I don’t want to lose this—this whatever this is between us.”
She swallowed. “The wedding’s tonight.”
“Yeah, and then what?”
“I don’t know.” She thought of the last few weeks, working with him. “The exoskeleton will allow me to do all sorts of things with you, I guess—”
“Marley,” he interrupted. “You don’t need the exoskeleton. You don’t need to walk with me. I’m happy to walk beside you.” He bounced her slightly in the water. “Or behind you, if you ever let me push you.”
Despite the fact she was hanging onto him, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers, as he held her easily in the water, the old mantra came easily. “I can do it.”
But he just smiled. “I know you can, sweetheart.”
Before she could process the way his endearment—his smile! His dimple!—made her stomach flip-flop, he’d turned towards the chair lift, holding her in one arm as he pulled through the water.
And for once, she was happy to just let herself be pulled along.
Instead of carrying her out of the water on his own, he brought her to the lift, let her strap herself in and press the button. Then he met her up on the pool deck and didn’t once offer to help as she hoisted herself and transferred her wet butt to her own chair. Instead, he stood beside her and talked about their workout.
As if they were partners. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
She thought about the promise he’d made, and wasn’t sure how she felt about it. If he were telling the truth, it changed a lot about her future.
Her future here in Idaho, and her future with him.
But moments ago, they’d stood face-to-face, lips to lips, as he’d held her upright in the water. It was his chance to prove his promise.
Why hadn’t he kissed her?
CHAPTER TEN
Who knew swimming could be such a workout?
Well, actually, Dustin had to be honest with himself; he wasn’t worn out from the swimming itself, which he was used to, but the self-restraint. It was the swimming with Marley which had been so hard.
He was used to working out, used to pushing himself. But he couldn’t remember ever doing anything so hard as standing there in the water, holding Marley…
And not kissing her.
Man, but he ached to kiss her, to taste her. Swimming with her had been incredible, and he knew what it meant that she’d invited him. They’d each pushed themselves, yet moved in sync, in tune. Yeah, it’d been a meditative experience, like he’d reached a higher plane, and then to stand there and hold her, pressed against him like that…
Well, he knew he wanted to do it again.
And he knew he wanted to kiss her again, like that.
But for their first kiss? No, it wasn’t quite right.
Sure, she was upright, as close to standing as she could get without that exoskeleton. And she was in her element, there in the water.
But with him holding her upright like that, it wasn’t her reality, not really.
And when he kissed her for the first time, he wanted her to be very, very sure this was reality.
Because he didn’t want to let her go.
Anyhow, the result of this morning’s swim was that Dustin was alternating between being drained and being exhilarated. He’d held her…but he still hadn’t kissed her!
And in less than an hour, his best friend, cousin and business partner was getting married.
“You doing okay?” he asked Travis, as they lounged in the little anteroom in the back of the church.
Travis looked up from his phone and frowned. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
Dustin shrugged. “I dunno. I just thought that was something I was supposed to ask. You want me to get you anything?”
His cousin slowly grinned. “As the Best Man, isn’t it your job to try to talk me out of marrying?”
Shaking his head, Dustin began to chuckle. “Talk you out of marrying Caroline? Man, you’d kick me in the head if I tried that. I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I know how happy she makes you. I’m just looking forward to the wedding being over, and the two of you starting your lives together.”
Travis leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees, his phone dangling. “You know what? Me too. I know this wedding is important, and it sounds as if the hotel has an epic party planned, but honestly, I’m just looking forward to calling her my wife.”
Leaning back in the uncomfortable folding chair, Dustin stretched his legs out in front of him. Both of them were already in their tuxedos, having been ready for a while now. Even their boutonnieres were in place.
Now all they had to do was wait.
“How about you?”
Travis’s unexpected question caused Dustin to jerk out of his thoughts and blink at his cousin. “What?”
“Well, you’ve always been the flirt of the family, yeah? And you’ve spent the last year giving us all grief about how we’re all falling in love and getting married. But…”
Dustin knew what his best friend was trying to say, but he didn’t want to let him off so easy. So he raised one brow and scowled theatrically. “But what?”
“But we’ve all seen the way you are with Marley. You didn’t expect that, did you?”
“No,” Dustin admitted quietly. “I most certainly did not.”
“Do you love her?”
Slowly, Dustin nodded. “I do. I wasn’t sure, because this whole thing is a new territory for me. But she’s smart and funny and quirky, and I like being around her. I like hearing her opinions and thoughts and stories.”
“Do you think you two would make good partners? Can you see a future together?”
Again, Dustin nodded. “I can’t think of anything else I’d like more, honestly.”
But his cousin didn’t seem happy for him, judging from the way his lips turned down into a pinched frown. “Are you sure? Spending a lifetime with someone in a wheelchair isn’t going to be easy, Dusty. She’s got complications we probably haven’t even guessed at yet, and it would mean a lot of changes in your life.”
Dustin pushed himself upright, a jolt of irritation at his best friend cutting through him. �
�I know that. But I also know someone like Marley is going to meet those complications with humor and grace and resilience. I know it’d be easier for her with someone at her side, someone who will always be there for her. I also know that since I’ve met her, I’ve slowed down a lot more, and learned to—to—to, I dunno, take joy in small things. I like the way being with Marley has made me appreciate things more.”
“Well, then…” Travis straightened and met Dustin’s eyes. “When are you going to tell her?”
Dustin shot to his feet. “Right now!”
His cousin nodded and swiped his phone on once more. “You’ve got a half hour. Just be back here in time to walk with her down the aisle, so you two can witness me marrying the love of my life. We’ll get to you next.”
Dustin grinned. “Maybe not that fast!” he called as he hurried out the door.
The ladies were supposed to be getting ready in the fellowship hall. He knocked before pulling the door open, but needn’t have bothered; there was no one in the large room. The bride’s dressing room was in the back right, but he knew there was a small sitting area beside it, so he headed there.
When he pulled open the door to that room, Marley—who was alone, sitting in a straight-backed chair—looked up.
And right away, Dustin could see she’d been crying.
Before he knew it, he was crouched in front of her. “What is it, sweetheart?” he murmured, reaching for her.
But she just shook her head and swiped the back of her hand across her eyes, leaning out of his reach.
“Marley?” he asked again, beginning to get scared.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“Can’t what?”
She met his eyes. “I…” She shook her head again. “Watch.”
When she gestured for him to move back, he shuffled out of the way. And when she did her best to push herself to her feet, he jumped up and offered his forearm as a brace.
She was wearing the ReWalk exoskeleton, as they’d planned. In fact, when Caroline had realized Marley was serious about walking down the aisle, she’d had the seamstress cut down Marley’s dress. Now the ice-blue satin with the empire waist and small straps ended above Marley’s knees, and poofed out with some kind of crinoline. They’d done that to hide the gears around Marley’s natural waist, while still allowing her plenty of movement around her lower legs, and minimizing the risk of obstacles.
