California Girls

Moving her left arm had been a mistake, she thought, glancing down at it. With all the protective gear, she couldn’t tell what was wrong, but it hurt bad.

She wiggled her fingers and they were fine, then raised her right arm. Just an okay kind of ache. She carefully lifted her left arm and rested it across her body. The pain increased. Still holding it against her, she managed to raise herself to a sitting position.

She looked at Daniel. “I think I broke something.”

He swore. “That’s what I was afraid of. You also might have a concussion.”

“I’m fine.”

“You blacked out.”

“For one second.”

“That’s all it takes.” He stared at her. “Look at me. I want to see if your pupils are dilated.”

She wanted to protest, but figured he’d taken a bunch of first aid classes and probably knew what he was doing. She did as he requested, then answered basic questions about what day it was and where she was.

“I should call an ambulance,” he said, pulling out his phone.

“Don’t you dare.” She shifted onto her knees. “I’m okay. It’s just my arm. Help me up and you can drive me to the hospital.”

When he didn’t move, she added. “I’m getting up with or without your help.”

“You’re so damned stubborn.”

“So I’m just like you.”

He helped her to her feet. She took a second to get her balance but was pleased when the world stayed firmly in place. He removed her helmet and her gloves. They left the rest of her gear in place.

As they walked back to the buildings, she saw that everyone else had survived the pileup just fine. One of the guys from the repair shop had taken her bike and was walking it in. Laps had already resumed.

“Does this sort of thing happen all the time?” she asked.

“You play, you pay.”

“That’s just so macho.”

“It’s a macho sport.”

She wanted to keep bantering with him, but her arm hurt too much. She waited while he grabbed her handbag, then they went to his truck. He helped her into the passenger seat and carefully clipped her seat belt into place, then started for the hospital.

Ninety minutes later the doctor showed them an X-ray that confirmed what Ali had suspected. She’d broken her arm. It wasn’t a bad break, but it was going to take a few weeks to heal and she would need a cast from her wrist to her elbow.

At the news Daniel went white and for a second, she thought he was going to pass out.

“It’s just a little hairline thing,” she said when the doctor had left. “I don’t have a concussion and the break is clean and easy. I’m fine.”

Daniel crossed to her and held her tight. “Dammit, Ali, I love you and I’m supposed to take care of you. Not let you get beat up.”

He loved her? He loved her? She stared up at him. “What did you just say?”

His dark gaze met hers. “I love you. This is my fault.”

Happiness filled her. Happiness and a floaty, giddy feeling that made the pain in her arm disappear. Daniel loved her. Based on what he’d said before, he probably had for a while. The whole time she’d been with Glen, about to make the biggest mistake of her life, Daniel had been loving her.

She thought about how much they’d been through together and while she wanted to blurt out she loved him, too, she didn’t say it. She needed a little time to think things through. She and Daniel hadn’t been together that long, at least from her side of things, and she wanted to be sure.

“It’s not your fault,” she began, thinking she would then ease into telling him that she liked him a lot—a lot and was totally on her way to being crazy in love, but things had happened so quickly and—

“Ali?”

She turned and saw her mother in the doorway. Her mother?

“Mom? What are you doing here?”

Her mother, dressed for work because it was Saturday and Mary Jo was always at the boutique on Saturday, hurried to her side. Her mother who had screamed at her over the phone for a full twenty minutes because of the stupid clock.

Mary Jo stared at Ali’s swollen arm and then touched her face. “You’re in the hospital. Where else would I be?”

“But how did you know I was here?” Ali turned to Daniel. “You called my mother?”

“No,” he said firmly. “Your phone rang while you were having your X-ray. I saw it was her, so I answered it.”

“Yes, yes,” her mother said. “While that’s fascinating, what happened? How did you break your arm?”

“I was riding a dirt bike and some kid ran into me and I went flying. It’s not bad, Mom. I’ll wear a cast for a few weeks and then I’ll be fine.”

“You were riding a motorcycle?”

“A dirt bike, but yes.”

Her mother’s gaze shifted to Daniel. “I know you. How do I know you?”

“I’m, ah, Daniel Demiter.” He hesitated. “Glen’s brother.”

“Glen, as in your former fiancé Glen?”

Ali saw the flaw in her decision not to share much about her life with her mother. “So, it’s a funny story. When Glen broke off the engagement, he didn’t have the balls to do it himself, so he sent Daniel tell me. Daniel helped me deconstruct the wedding and we, um, became friends. I wanted to try something new and he was a professional motocross guy so I was on a dirt bike.”

Her mother looked between them before settling on Ali. “I appreciate that you think I’m old and feeble, but a blind squirrel could see you’re sleeping together. Really, Ali? Your fiancé’s brother?”

Ali held in a whimper. “Mom, don’t. Just don’t. Daniel’s a great guy. Even if you don’t believe me, I just broke a bone and I deserve sympathy.”

“Mrs. Schmitt,” Daniel began, “I assure you that I would never put Ali in any danger.”

“All evidence to the contrary?” Mary Jo asked. “I just don’t understand any of this. One minute you’re marrying Glen and the next you’re breaking bones and sleeping with his brother and stealing people’s grandfather clocks. Ali, what’s gotten into you? I barely know you.”

“Mom, it’s not like that.”

“It’s exactly like that. You’re becoming someone else and I don’t like it. Who is this Daniel person?”