“You know about the accident…Lisa…my extended time in the hospital and the rehab…”
“I know what you’ve told me,” she answered honestly. In truth, she didn’t know much about it, only the main facts. It was winter, their car was hit, Lisa died. That was about it.
“Well, I still have a lot of…scars…and ah…”
He stopped speaking and Maisey was sure she watched his face visibly pale. What could be so terrible he couldn’t say it?
“Maybe I should just show you,” he said.
Maisey steeled herself for whatever was to come. He reached down and rolled up the left leg of his jeans. She knew she should be shocked at what she saw, but in truth, she?d suspected it from the way he walked. “You have a prosthetic leg,” she stated the obvious.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
How can I handle this tactfully? she wondered. With the truth. “Sean, I suspected something wasn’t right with your leg or foot…it’s the way you walk.” She then quickly added, “The only way I even know is that I have a friend in Florida with a prosthetic leg. He accidently shot himself in the foot, but there was so much damage, and later infection, he lost his leg above the knee.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked as he rolled the denim back into place.
“I didn’t want to embarrass you, or embarrass myself if I was wrong. I figured you would tell me when you were ready, and now you’re ready.”
“Are you saying it doesn’t bother you?”
“Only for the pain you must have felt, what you probably still feel.”
He looked visibly relieved. “Every day was torture knowing I had to tell you, and fearing you would bolt when I told you. This is a major thing, Maisey. I mean, it’s below the knee, so I got lucky, if that’s even the right word.”
“And look what you’ve accomplished. You rehabbed, and now your back on the police force. That is something to be proud of. Something to be admired. I surely admire you.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“You told me when you were ready to tell me. Just do me a favor.”
“Anything,” he promised.
“Don’t hold back anything so important any more. I’m a big girl, I can take it, and I’ll likely understand, too.”
“You have my word,” he crossed his hand over his heart and then sealed his promise with a kiss.
Things could hardly be better for Maisey.
It promised to be the best Christmas yet. Every day she spent with Sean brightened her life, and she was truly, and without a doubt, madly in love with the man. Sure, it was quick, but when something was so right, you just knew it, and you didn’t let it get away.
And she owed meeting Sean to The Love List and the girls at the book group. She was stopping in to the wine shop to drop off the resin jewelry Christmas gifts she purchased for the girls, and to find out which one of them add this magnificent man to The Love List.
The shop was festively decorated for the upcoming Christmas holiday, and Maisey listened as each woman told their experiences with their Love List date. There was a lot of drama, but in the end, everyone was happy, and that is what mattered most.
She filled them in about her glorious relationship with Sean, and how she solemnly apologized to each of them for doubting the power of The Love List. “So, who do I have to thank for putting Sean’s name into the basket?” she asked as she split a tree-shaped sugar cookie into two before popping a piece into her mouth.
The other girls looked at each other, and then turned to her, all with the same dumbfounded look. “Didn’t you get Luke Pannard as your date?” Tegan asked.
“Luke Pannard? I have no idea who that is. Sean Marshall. That is the name on the paper I opened when I got home.
“Does anyone know Sean Marshall?” Tegan asked.
With each shake of the head or the murmur of the word no, Maisey became more and more confused. Was this someone’s idea of a joke? If so, she wasn’t laughing. “Come on, please don’t mess with me. Someone put Sean’s name in The Love List draw. I didn’t invent him.”
“Well, of course not, but…” Dakota’s voice trailed off.
Tegan stood. “Hey, let’s just be happy for Maisey, and raise our glasses to her relationship with Sean. We are all pleased you have found love.”
“Maybe a Christmas angel put his name on The Love List. Stranger things have happened at Christmas,” Finn added.
Maisey forced a smile she did not feel, and joined in the toast. Something definitely wasn’t right. Had Sean somehow managed to get his name into the basket? She knew coincidences didn’t just happen. Was it even possible Sean had been stalking her? Suddenly, it didn’t feel like such a merry Christmas after all.