Page 22 of Christmas Wish
Savannah’s lips curved up into another one of her smiles that slayed him. “I’d like to meet them. What’re the Insurgents?”
“A motorcycle club. I’m an inactive member, but I used to be an active one a lifetime ago.”
“Do you still ride?” Her gaze drifted to his missing leg then back to him.
“Yeah. The ride is what keeps me going. There was no damn way I was gonna be a permanent cager. Hawk customized my bike so I could ride with this thing on.” He tapped his prosthesis. “It works great. It took some getting used to, but I don’t even notice the difference anymore when I’m cruising around the mountain roads.”
“I know how you feel. I used to ride on the back of an old high school boyfriend’s and my dad’s bike. I loved the feeling of flying and the wind whipping around me. It’s easy to see how people can get addicted to it.” She slipped her hand out of his and pushed away from the table. “You cooked, so I’ll clean up. I can make some hot chocolate if you’d like. According to Timmy, mine’s the best he’s ever tasted in all of his six years.” She laughed, and it was music to Ryder’s ears.
He hauled himself up and took his dish to the sink, and then walked into the family room and added a few more logs to the fire. He slumped on the couch and rubbed his skin; his stump was extra buzzy that day. Even though phantom pains still bothered him at times, they weren’t nearly as severe as they used to be, especially that first year after the amputation. It was a weird feeling to look down and not see his leg even though it felt like it was there. In the beginning, it’d messed with his head, but after finding out that a lot of people dealt with phantom pains, he’d learned how to trick his mind from believing that the leg was still there. Most of the times it helped, but sometimes the damn stinging just wouldn’t stop.
Staring at the fire, Ryder relaxed and applied pressure on his skin the way his therapist had taught him.Savannah didn’t seem disgusted about my missing leg.When she’d confessed that she’d seen him that afternoon without his prosthesis, fear and shame ran through him all at the same time.Fearthat she’d see him the way mainstream society often viewed the amputee—incomplete, andshamethat she’d think he was less of a man like his ex-fiancée had. As far as he could tell, Savannah hadn’t acted any differently since learning about the loss of his limb.
“Here you go. Do you want a shot of whiskey in it?” she asked him, startling him from his thoughts.
“That’d be good. The bottle’s in the—”
“Third cabinet on the right.” She smiled. “I know.”
Ryder watched as she stood on her tiptoes and reached up high to gingerly take the bottle down from the top shelf. He sucked in a sharp breath as the hem of her top rose, revealing inch after inch of creamy skin. She closed the cupboard, pulled down her shirt, and walked back into the family room.
“How much do you want?” she asked, unscrewing the top.
“I’ll pour it.” He took the bottle from her. “Want some?”
“I’m not a whiskey gal.” She giggled softly. “Don’t give me that look—not everyone drinks Jack Daniels.”
“I don’t know why the fuck not.” He poured a generous portion into his mug.
“I’m going to bring Timmy his cup. I’ll be right back.”
Ryder put the bottle down on the end table, amazed that it was still half full. Normally, he’d have gone through the three bottles of booze by now, and it surprised him that he hadn’t.
“He’s so engrossed in the game,” she said, walking toward him.
Savannah sat on the opposite end of the couch with her fingers curled around the ceramic mug. Wisps of steam curled above it as she puckered her lips and blew softly.
Fuck … that mouth of hers.
Her body was angled toward him, but her gaze was on the crackling fire. He couldn’t help but notice that the baggy shorts she wore slowly rode up her thighs. And they were beautiful thighs—soft but toned. They would be good for … well … a lot of things.
An exasperated sigh followed by fingers pulling down her shorts made him look up and capture her gaze.
“Really, Ryder?” Her tone was impatient, but a hint of desire shone in her eyes.
Holding his intense stare, his front teeth slowly bit his bottom lip. “What do you want from me? You’re a beautiful woman, and I’m a man.”
A pinkish flush crossed her cheeks as a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’m very well aware that you’re a man,” she said before taking a sip of hot chocolate. “Anyway, I-um … I’ll be leaving after Christmas. I have to make sure Timmy’s enrolled in school for the next school term.”
“Pinewood Springs has some excellent grade schools.”
Savannah looked at him and smiled. “We can’t stay here forever.”
“I just meant until summer when the weather warms up and it’s safer to drive.”What the hell’s gotten into me? I’m sitting here practically begging her like a fucking pussy. And what am I asking her to do? I don’t want a full-time family in my life. Being snowbound has me thinking like some lovesick asshole. Shit.
“You may have a point there. I’ll just have to think about everything.”
“There’re a lot of nice apartments or houses for rent in town.” He wanted to make sure she understood that he wasn’t a desperate and lonely wuss.
