âWe could see each other for dinner.â
Avery frowned, shifting the chart in her hands. âMaybe socializing isnât such a good idea with me being your physical therapist.â
âWhy not? Because you said everything outside of the office was fair game.â
Her face flushed. âThatâs not what I meant and you know it.â
His male instincts urged him to stalk closer, crowd her in and make her admit she was just as attracted as he was. Instead he forced himself to remain still, using words to reel her in. âCome on. You want an adventure. I want to help you find one. Letâs talk about it over dinner.â
âWellâ¦â Her flush deepened, but she also straightened her shoulders. âI guess I could do dinner one night.â
As he came to his feet, Averyâs quizzical little smile distracted him. He saw nothing else. Not taupe walls, nor yellow scrubs. Just pale blue eyes and bow-shaped lips as she moved closer.
Before he could reach for his cane, his legs gave him the old heave-ho and collapsed. Avery had moved close, too close to miss out on his game of timber. Down they both went.
âSweetheart, youâre the softest landing place Iâve had in a while.â
* * *
The Renegade Returns is part of the Mill Town Millionaires series from Dani Wade.
To My Mother
You instilled an early love of reading in me that has shaped who I truly am. Your encouragement throughout my life has helped me believe in myself, even when it was hard. Every day I use the dedicated work ethic and practicality you taught me to make my dreams a reality. Thank you.
Iâve watched up close as youâve fought hard, worked steadfastly, prayed with belief and loved with everything in you. I only hope someday to be able to do the same half as well as you. All my loveâ¦
One
Ignoring stares and whispers was an art form Lucas Blackstone had perfected. The more wins he claimed as a stock car racer, the more attention he attracted. Which was normally fine by him. In fact, he thrived on it.
Used to thrive on it.
Tonight, he wished he could fade into the wainscoting on the walls so people would stop staring. Stop whispering about his arrival at the country club. Stop measuring the difficulty with which he walked to his familyâs chosen table. Stop speculating about whether his racing days as Renegade Blackstone were permanently over.
Just as he did during the long, dark hours of every night.
Instead, he pretended this was a normal night, a normal dinner with his family. Not his debut before his hometown after having his body broken into more pieces than any man should experience.
His back straight, he vowed to himself that he would beat this with every single step.
âYouâre doing so well,â Christina softly encouraged him as he carefully placed each footfall on the way to their table. As their resident nurse and his brother Aidenâs wife, she had been tracking Lukeâs progress since his accident earlier this year. âBut by the end of the evening, you might be wishing for that wheelchair you refused.â
âNo,â he said through teeth he tried not to clench. He didnât quite succeed.
He would not resort to invalid status. The marble-handled cane he leaned on was his single concession to his still-healing legs. The plonk every time it met the floor sounded loud in his head, even though he knew it hardly made a sound.
âAll that macho stoicism will lead to one thing,â she warned as they reached their destination. Then she rolled her eyes when the men all booed. âIâm serious, Luke. Pretending you donât need help will just make getting out of bed tomorrow more painful.â
âYouâre so cute when youâre concerned,â he cooed back, laughing when she stuck out her tongue.
The reality couldnât always be covered by his teasing maskâbut he sure tried. Heâd become a close buddy with pain since his car accident. During everyday tasks, during rehabilitation. Sometimes it shot through him under the cloak of a dead sleep. He hated it, but pain could be good. The sharp sting reminded him he was alive. Not just a shell, a body that would never feel again.
Luke lived for high speeds. Recovery at a snailâs pace could only be described as pure torture. Some days, heâd give anything to take his mind off his present state.
âYou keep babying him, and heâll wish heâd never consented to coming home,â Aiden teased his bride.
All the attention aside, Luke knew being back in Black Hills would be good for him. Helping his brothers out at the mill that supported the entire town would surely blunt the aching need to return to his race car. After a year of what they all suspected was sabotage to their business by an inside source, the family needed all hands on deck.