have that cabin up by Brainard Lake, right? Well, they’re in Florida until after Thanksgiving. If you and Rafa wanted to have a private get-away, you could go use it.”
Emily mulled that. Going up into the mountains with someone as sexy as Rafa was a hard proposition to decline, but to go to Christa’s parents’ cabin? Calling it a cabin didn’t do it justice. With the fireplace and the hot tub and the ski slopes, it was more like a tiny resort than an actual cabin.
“Maybe.”
Christa shook her head. “What do you mean, maybe? Do you need me to play intermediary and call him for you? It’ll be like sixth grade. You write the note and I deliver it.”
“No, I mean I don’t know if he’ll want to go. He’s pretty sensitive about physical activity right now. Something’s up with his leg. So I’ll talk to him and I’ll let you know, okay?”
“Really?” Christa looked surprised.
“Yeah, as long as you’re sure it’s okay with your parents.”
“Oh, hell yes, it’s okay. They’ll be happy to have someone to actually use it this early in the season. Just wash the sheets, okay?”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Alright. Deal.”
A weekend up in the mountains didn’t sound like a bad idea, actually. And up that high, there would probably be powder on the slopes.
“You thinking this weekend?” Christa asked.
“It would have to be, I guess. Rafa said he’s being discharged in ten--well, five now--days.”
“If you want, Paul and I could come hang out with you guys Friday evening.” She held up a hand, pushing off any possible protest. “We’ll leave before it gets too late.”
“It’s your cabin, Chrissy. I’m not going to accept your hospitality and tell you that you aren’t welcome.”
“Do I sense a ‘but’ at the end of that sentence?”
Christa really should have been the shrink. She was practically a mind reader. The thought of spending a weekend along with Rafa was intoxicating, but it was selfish to think she could just have it all to herself.
“Only that I don’t mind if you wanted to stay. I’ll pretend not to hear the noises coming from your room if you pretend not to hear the ones coming from mine.”
That drew the richest laughter of the afternoon. “Deal. You talk to Rafa and I’ll talk to Paul. And if Rafa gives you any argument, you let me know and I’ll take care of it.”
“I don’t think he will. I mean, the worst case is that we get a nice weekend together before he leaves, right?”
“Cheer up, Miss Pessimist. You’re beautiful and smart and funny. Any guy that would willingly leave you isn’t worth your trouble.”
It was sweet of her to say it, but Emily knew the truth. Still, she wasn’t going to turn down her friend’s generosity. And if she was going to lose Rafa, she was going to thoroughly enjoy her last weekend with him.
Chapter 11
R AFA strode across his apartment again, marveling at how his leg felt. Two days spent at the VA and the University of Colorado Medical School had resulted in a new sleeve for his prosthesis, as well as a jogging blade like the Olympic runners had. It had also resulted in a course of antibiotics to treat the infection he’d managed to pick up.
He checked his watch as he paced. It was still ten minutes before Emily was supposed to arrive. He felt more nervous than he had since that first time she’d taken him back to her apartment. Being with her was a rollercoaster of self-loathing and sheer wonder. He still wasn’t sure what to do when his discharge papers came through, but he hoped that talking to her about it might clear his mind.
His phone buzzed. Emily was downstairs a few minutes early. He sprang for the door, reveling in his newfound ease of motion.
She stood in the lobby wearing a pair of black tights and a lavender sweater. On anyone else it would have looked frumpy, but she had the curves to fill it and make it smoking hot. She smiled when she saw him, then did a double-take.
“You got a
Emily mulled that. Going up into the mountains with someone as sexy as Rafa was a hard proposition to decline, but to go to Christa’s parents’ cabin? Calling it a cabin didn’t do it justice. With the fireplace and the hot tub and the ski slopes, it was more like a tiny resort than an actual cabin.
“Maybe.”
Christa shook her head. “What do you mean, maybe? Do you need me to play intermediary and call him for you? It’ll be like sixth grade. You write the note and I deliver it.”
“No, I mean I don’t know if he’ll want to go. He’s pretty sensitive about physical activity right now. Something’s up with his leg. So I’ll talk to him and I’ll let you know, okay?”
“Really?” Christa looked surprised.
“Yeah, as long as you’re sure it’s okay with your parents.”
“Oh, hell yes, it’s okay. They’ll be happy to have someone to actually use it this early in the season. Just wash the sheets, okay?”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Alright. Deal.”
A weekend up in the mountains didn’t sound like a bad idea, actually. And up that high, there would probably be powder on the slopes.
“You thinking this weekend?” Christa asked.
“It would have to be, I guess. Rafa said he’s being discharged in ten--well, five now--days.”
“If you want, Paul and I could come hang out with you guys Friday evening.” She held up a hand, pushing off any possible protest. “We’ll leave before it gets too late.”
“It’s your cabin, Chrissy. I’m not going to accept your hospitality and tell you that you aren’t welcome.”
“Do I sense a ‘but’ at the end of that sentence?”
Christa really should have been the shrink. She was practically a mind reader. The thought of spending a weekend along with Rafa was intoxicating, but it was selfish to think she could just have it all to herself.
“Only that I don’t mind if you wanted to stay. I’ll pretend not to hear the noises coming from your room if you pretend not to hear the ones coming from mine.”
That drew the richest laughter of the afternoon. “Deal. You talk to Rafa and I’ll talk to Paul. And if Rafa gives you any argument, you let me know and I’ll take care of it.”
“I don’t think he will. I mean, the worst case is that we get a nice weekend together before he leaves, right?”
“Cheer up, Miss Pessimist. You’re beautiful and smart and funny. Any guy that would willingly leave you isn’t worth your trouble.”
It was sweet of her to say it, but Emily knew the truth. Still, she wasn’t going to turn down her friend’s generosity. And if she was going to lose Rafa, she was going to thoroughly enjoy her last weekend with him.
Chapter 11
R AFA strode across his apartment again, marveling at how his leg felt. Two days spent at the VA and the University of Colorado Medical School had resulted in a new sleeve for his prosthesis, as well as a jogging blade like the Olympic runners had. It had also resulted in a course of antibiotics to treat the infection he’d managed to pick up.
He checked his watch as he paced. It was still ten minutes before Emily was supposed to arrive. He felt more nervous than he had since that first time she’d taken him back to her apartment. Being with her was a rollercoaster of self-loathing and sheer wonder. He still wasn’t sure what to do when his discharge papers came through, but he hoped that talking to her about it might clear his mind.
His phone buzzed. Emily was downstairs a few minutes early. He sprang for the door, reveling in his newfound ease of motion.
She stood in the lobby wearing a pair of black tights and a lavender sweater. On anyone else it would have looked frumpy, but she had the curves to fill it and make it smoking hot. She smiled when she saw him, then did a double-take.
“You got a
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