13

Weakness was never an acceptable role for a Cole man to portray. If any ailment was to pop up, the knee-jerk response was always to buck up and take it like a man. Lincoln wanted to live up to the expectations of his father even if they were estranged. That weakness in his leg, though . . . he’d tried bucking up and taking it like a man. He’d even hoped getting lost in the newness of his relationship with Opal would ease the pain. No matter how many sweet stolen kisses he’d collected from her in the last few weeks, the nagging weakness wasn’t getting any better. Lincoln had given it his all but —

“Did you hear me, Mr. Cole?” The doctor’s voice pulled Lincoln out of his thoughts about that certain redhead and pushed him back to the blaring reality of being in the doctor’s office getting news he didn’t want to hear.

Lincoln glanced up from his clasped hands and squinted his eyes at Dr. Rabin. “Sorry, what?”

“I’ve spoken with your orthopedic surgeon, and we both feel it’s in your best interest.”

“So you want to cut my leg open just to poke around?”

The doctor tossed the rubber gloves and pulled up Lincoln’s file on the laptop. “Your mobility isn’t progressing as predicted. After discussing this with Dr. Sykes, we suspect there may be some shrapnel causing the recurring infection, and there may be some other possible improvements to be made since the last surgery.”

Lincoln exhaled sharply. Another surgery would have him back to square one. “I just ain’t all that inclined to having my leg sliced open again.”

Dr. Rabin typed something in Lincoln’s file before looking up, his bifocals perched on the end of his nose. “Our goal is to get your leg to a healthier state. If not, amputation may be the only option.”

“Oh,” Lincoln mumbled, the wind knocked out of his sails at that one word. He looked around the room, wishing his meddling pixie were there to hold his hand, but she had prior obligations at her church. She had offered to tell them she couldn’t make it, but Lincoln had insisted that she go since he knew how important her church was to her. He’d grown dependent on her presence in such a short time, yet another reason he felt so weak that day. All two hundred and fifteen pounds of him were on the verge of falling apart, and he knew that if Opal were there, he could handle it much better. “But I thought swimming . . .” He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I’ve been swimming the last month . . .”

“And that’s great, but we still aren’t where we need to be. Your pain level shouldn’t be a constant seven or eight. Our goal was to have it down to around a three by now.”

“I’ve been managing.”

The doctor slowly shook his head. “I’m putting you on another round of antibiotics for the third time in the last two months for an infection in your leg, and your limp is more prominent than it was a month ago. Son, that’s not managing.” He placed his hand on Lincoln’s shoulder, but the gesture offered no comfort. “I’ve had several conference calls with Dr. Sykes. He’s the best of the best and knows your leg better than I do. He and I both agree you need to go back to Beaufort so he can perform the surgery, but I’ll be honored to assist him in helping to give a war hero a better quality of life.”

Lincoln felt the heat rise up his neck and cheeks. “I’m not sure I deserve such a title.”

“I’ve heard there are about a dozen living, breathing soldiers who would say you deserve that title and then some. Seriously, schedule the operation and I’ll be there.”

To say yes would mean Lincoln had to go back to Beaufort and face the mess he’d made before running away. The fevered hurt in his knee seemed to travel up to his chest just thinking about it.

“Give it some thought, and when we do your follow-up next week, let me know your decision.” Dr. Rabin typed something into the laptop but paused to glance at Lincoln. “I’m sending a prescription for the antibiotic to the pharmacy. You need something for pain?” When Lincoln shook his head, the doctor let out a snuff of laughter. “You are one stubborn man.”

Lincoln couldn’t disagree with that statement. He promised to give the doctor his answer on surgery at the next appointment. “Thanks for coming in to see me on a Saturday.”

“No problem. You served our country and now have to live with what that sacrifice has cost you, so it’s my honor. Glad you didn’t put it off.”

Lincoln snorted. “A certain someone wouldn’t let me.”

The doctor joined him in a chuckle. “Tell Opal I said hey.”

“Will do.” He hurried out of the office as quickly as his fevered leg would allow and, against the doctor’s orders, headed to the church festival instead of going home and propping his leg up.

The church normally held an annual festival in October, but the hurricane had canceled those plans without permission. So they decided to hold a sweetheart festival instead. Seemed the entire coastal town was much like Opal when it came to bothersome circumstances. They didn’t let anything keep them down for long before choosing a way around the obstacle life pushed in their way.

He pulled up to the church and took in all the glittery hearts and streamers dancing in the air. Everyone appeared to be dressed in the Valentine’s theme colors of white, pink, and red. He glanced down at his hunter-green thermal shirt, knowing Opal would have something to say about it, but it didn’t deter him from stepping out of the Jeep and going on a search to find her.

Among the dessert booths stood his pixie wearing a pink shirt with the words All You Need Is Love splashed across the front in silver glitter. Red tights with a pink tutu completed the outfit. A smile tugged at his lips as he moved closer and leaned to the side to find pink high-top Converses on her tiny feet.

“Please tell me you didn’t make any of these treats.” Lincoln quirked an eyebrow while moving his gaze from her cute getup to the bounty of chocolate goodies.

Opal giggled. “I dipped strawberries into plain ole boring dark chocolate, just as Josie demanded.”

Lincoln inspected the three-tiered platter of berries and was right impressed. “They’re beautiful.”

“That was all Jo. She painted them with the white chocolate after I dipped them.”

Opal plucked one with swirling white hearts from the platter and held it to his lips and grinned wide when he only took a tentative bite. After a few thoughtful chews, he leaned toward her hand and snatched the rest of the berry in one bite.

Before she could make another comment, Lincoln grabbed her hand and pulled her around the side of the building. After he glanced both ways and found the coast clear, he bent down and caressed her lips with his and found the sweet taste of cocoa and berries. “Hmm . . . I think chocolate-dipped strawberries are my new favorite food.”

He went in for another kiss, but Opal dodged his lips and giggled. “For someone who doesn’t too much like me, you sure do like kissing me.”

“We both know me not liking you is just hogwash.” Lincoln took hold of one of her soft curls and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re all glittery. My own little fairy.”

Her green eyes narrowed. “Stop sweet-talking me and tell me what the doctor said. You have another infection in that leg, don’t you?”

He groaned, resting his forehead against hers. “Can’t we just kiss?”

Opal pushed against his chest, so he reluctantly took a step back. “Linc —”

“Yes. It’s infected. Got an antibiotic, though.” Lincoln rattled off the information in a robotic tone while running a hand through his hair. He omitted the spiel about the surgery, knowing that was a can of conversation he had no desire opening while hiding behind the church.

“And you should stay off it, correct?”

“Yes,” he answered on an exasperated sigh. “But I wanted to see you.” Lincoln needed to see her but chose not to sound as desperate as he actually was. He knew as soon as he allowed Opal to get close enough, he’d grow attached. It was too late to dwell on that now, so he tried wrapping his arms around his newly acquired haven of comfort, but she took a step out of reach.

“You’ve seen me. Now go home.” Opal pointed a pink-tipped finger toward his Jeep.

“What if I wanted to help out here for a while?” He moved in and used his thumb to wipe a tiny speck of chocolate off the corner of her heart-shaped mouth.

“That’s sweet, but you need to go home and prop that leg up.” She gently shoved him. “I’ll bring supper over in a few hours.”

The promise of food and a visit made her brush-off feel less irksome, so Lincoln nodded instead of protesting further. “As long as you bring some of your strawberries.”

Her entire face beamed and it made a nice warmth flood his chest. “You got it. Now . . .” Opal pointed again. “Home and rest.”

Lincoln leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Yes, ma’am.”

By the time he picked up the medicine and had propped up in his favorite chair, Lincoln’s body was spent and more fevered than earlier. His phone alerted him to a new message. Hoping it was Opal saying she was on the way, he quickly fished it out of his pocket but cringed when he looked at the screen. Hesitantly he hit Play and listened to the voice mail.

“Hey, sweetheart . . .” His mom’s voice trailed off, sounding unsure. “I . . . we miss you and wanted to check in. I haven’t heard from you since . . . and, well . . . You should have come home for Christmas or at least called. The holiday just wasn’t the same without you . . .” His mom hesitated and cleared her throat before whispering, “Son, it’s time we fix this. I . . . we love you.” Her heavy breathing filled the line for a few moments before the voice message ended.

Lincoln placed the phone on the end table and dropped his head into his hands. If his mom’s words weren’t enough of a reminder that he needed to face what was waiting for him in Beaufort, the angry heat and nagging twinge in his leg definitely drove the point home. He popped a few ibuprofens, hoping they would ease the ache in his leg and the pressure of a nasty headache that was building at a rapid pace.

While listening to the ocean waves rushing the shore just outside, Lincoln concentrated on taking even breaths. As the tears built behind his closed eyes, he began to pray. I’m broken. My family is broken. Please, God, help me mend this mess . . . He continued to pray until the tears subsided and he dozed off.

The sweet scent of honey mingled with the savory smell of fried seafood, and it was such a delicious combination it had Lincoln’s eyes slowly opening and his mouth watering. He blinked a few times to find his fairy perched on the side of his chair, her smile soft and concerned.

“You okay, sleepyhead?” Opal whispered as though she feared startling him.

“I am now.” He reached over and pulled her onto his lap, mindful of avoiding his bum knee. The pain still shot down his leg, so he shifted her until all of her weight was placed on his right side. She squirmed, seeming to want to be let up, but Lincoln only wrapped his arms more firmly around her and held on for dear life.

Opal sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “You miss me or something?”

“I did.”

“That’s just too hard to believe. Was it only a few weeks ago you were doing everything in your might to run away from me?”

“’Cause I’m an idiot.” He tucked her closer, needing some reassurance that he truly wasn’t alone.

“I won’t argue with you about that.” Opal began threading her fingers through his hair, instantly soothing some of his aches. “I’ve brought you a flounder sandwich and some onion rings.”

Lincoln swallowed just as his stomach rumbled. “Feed me, woman.”

Opal wiggled out of his lap and grabbed the to-go containers. They spent a while eating with her filling him in on the festival. “They raised a good bit of money for the homeless shelter.”

“That’s good. I like how y’all pick different groups to support each year.” He took another bite of his savory sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. “What will they do with the money?”

“They plan on buying some hygiene supplies.” Opal munched on an onion ring, looking a little lost in thought.

“What is it?” Lincoln asked before taking a sip of his tea.

She shrugged. “I have a pile of old bunk bed frames in storage I scored from an Air Force base that was shutting down. Been thinking about doing a fund-raiser where you and I restore the beds and have the community donate mattresses for them. And then we donate them to the shelter.”

There she went again, taking something that was deemed worthless and wanting to restore it to a grander purpose. Lincoln admired her and deep down wanted to be more like that himself. “How many sets are there?”

Opal twisted her lips and squinted as if she were calculating in her head. “I’m not quite sure. A whole bunch of them.”

“Figure out a total and I’ll handle ordering the mattresses.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded and reached over to swipe a handful of her onion rings. “Yeah. I’m in the know on where to get stuff like that.” He winked before popping one of the crispy circles into his mouth.

“Anything else happen at the doctor’s office today?”

Lincoln looked up but quickly averted his eyes, knowing she’d see the truth in just one good glance. “Yeah. The doc said to tell you hey.”

“That’s it?”

“Close enough.” He chugged the rest of his tea and gathered the trash. “You up for driving me around some back roads?”

Opal narrowed those beautiful green eyes, and he waited for her to call him out. Instead, she let out a long sigh and stood. “If you’re gonna dodge the conversation, I’d be crazy not to take you up on letting me drive your Jeep.” She dusted a few crumbs off her pink shirt, sending a sprinkling of glitter to the floor as well, and headed for the door. “Come on, big boy. Let’s go get lost down a dirt road for a spell. Maybe it’ll help loosen the truth from your lips.”

Lincoln wouldn’t be surprised if she’d already wiggled the truth out of Dr. Rabin. Nonetheless, he slowly stood from the chair with the aid of his cane and hobbled out behind her.

As the night moved slowly along with the lazy drawl of country music filling the quiet, Opal eased off the road and parked on the edge of a field that seemed to hold the entire moon and stars in its grasp. She turned the radio off and reached for Lincoln’s hand, but that wasn’t enough for him, so he pulled on their joined hands until she was wrapped in his arms. With the crickets chirping and the wind bristling through the trees, he tried kissing away his regret. It had become a permanent part of his daily life, but when Opal was near, it was more tolerable.

“Tell me, Mr. Astrologer, what are these stars trying to tell us?” Opal whispered against his lips, making them turn up into a crooked grin.

He sat back on his side of the Jeep and focused solely on her as he spoke. “When I gaze at those sparkly jewels, all they seem to tell me is wishing ain’t as out of reach as I had thought. They’ve given me permission to want more than I should.”

His answer seemed to make her eyes light up even more. She tilted her head toward the sky and asked coyly, “The stars tell you all that?”

Lincoln’s eyes never left her as he reached over and traced the corner of her right eye, wanting to make himself perfectly clear. “My stars tell me so much more.”

“You know you’ve really surprised me.”

“How so?”

Opal smiled and shook her head. “I figured after that first kiss you would make a run for it and I’d never see you again.”

“Then you don’t know me all that well.” Lincoln was well aware that he failed in many aspects of character, but one he held firm to was that when he made a decision, he stuck to it wholeheartedly. Perhaps Opal didn’t understand what she was getting herself into by pursuing him, but that was neither here nor there as far as he was concerned.

“I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other rather well in the last few months.” Opal paused and moved her attention back to the glowing moon. “I’d like to know you better . . . Maybe we can take a trip to Beaufort together so I can meet your family.”

Lincoln’s body was already heating from the fever creeping back on him, but the mention of his family had his skin prickling. He tried coming up with an answer, but nothing came to him. After several minutes of silence, he asked gruffly, “Can you take me home?”

“I didn’t mean to upset you. Don’t you want us to grow closer?”

Of course he did, but shame and uncertainty blocked the path at the moment. “I ain’t sore about that . . . I just need another round of medicine.”

Opal reached over and tested the temperature of his forehead. “Oh, you’re burning up again.” She hurried to crank the Jeep and start the short trek home. “You should have told me earlier. Going out tonight probably wasn’t a good idea.”

As the beachfront came into view under the streetlights and a bright full moon, Lincoln tried turning in his seat to face her. He had to stifle a groan when his knee made contact with the console, but he had something to say and needed to swallow past the pain to get it out. “Will you give me some time to get my health squared away before we go meeting parents and stuff?”

Opal glanced at him briefly before returning her attention to the road. “You’ve already met my family. In fact, you’re invited to Bubba’s birthday party next month. Momma’s doing all the cooking and —”

“You know what I mean.”

“Maybe you need to square away some things with your family too.”

There she went calling him out on the very issue he was avoiding. It was the thing that had been nagging him the most since trying to mend his relationship with God. He also recognized the pattern that followed his prayers. The more he prayed, the more his family was pushed in his face. He gazed out the window, up to the clear indigo sky. Okay, God. I hear ya. But I don’t know how . . .

Opal parked and hopped out of the Jeep and was inside waiting for him with a glass of water and his medicine before he could limp up the steps.

“Thank you.” He took both, downing the pills with over half the glass of water. By the time he tipped the glass away from his lips, Opal was holding out a conch shell. “What’s the wish?”

“My wish is that you listen to the doctor and do as he suggested.” She fished another small clamshell out of her purse and dropped it onto his palm beside the other one. “I also wish that you’ll listen to God and to your heart. They’ll tell you how to square things away with your family.” She reached up on her tiptoes and gave him a sweet kiss before leaving him with a lot to think about.

It was time to start listening for a change, instead of ignoring his problems. Certainly the latter was only making things worse.