Seeing Forever (4 page)

“Oh, I’m sorry if I’m not being great company, but maybe
the two of you should book into a hotel with a nightclub for the evening. Or
better yet, drive home.”

Luc felt a strong grip on his shoulder but didn’t
know if it was Mitchell or Jake.

“You’re pissed as hell and we both get it. Mitchell
had his injury and surgery, and I had my wife’s death to cope with, but none of
this pain lasts forever,” said Jake. His vise-like grip turned to a friendly
pat.

“Blindness is forever,” said Luc.

“You can have an operation,” said Mitchell.

“I don’t want the fucking surgery, okay? And if
someone else ever mentions it I’ll do my best to find something to throw at
them.” He stood and tried to make his way out of the room but forgot where the
coffee table was and fell face down onto the carpet.

He stayed there, waiting for one or both of them to
pick him up, but they didn’t. Instead the dog licked his face. At least you
could always count on an animal for support.

Luc patted his head. “And what am I going to do with
this furry creature?”

“He’s going to be your best buddy,” said Jake.

“How am I supposed to look after a dog when I fall
on my ass just walking out of a room?”

“That’s why I asked
Katey
to help you. By the way, she’s very pretty.”

He was betting that Jake and Mitchell had exchanged
glances after that last comment. He knew his two army pals pretty well.

And Jake’s comment had confirmed what he’d thought:
that she was, in fact, pretty. Like any guy, he’d always had an eye for an
attractive female, but now he couldn’t even appreciate a woman’s beauty.

“And you tell me this because, what, you want to torment
me?” asked Luc, struggling to his feet.

“No, because you might want to take her out
sometime, like on a date,” said Jake.

“Yeah, right, like a pretty girl, or any girl for
that matter, would want to date a blind man?”

“You do remember what a great-looking guy you are,
or is your memory that short?” asked Mitchell.

He’d heard enough. Luc felt his way over to the door
and was relieved when he found himself finally out in the hallway.

“Hope you’re going to your room to get ready to hit
the town,” Jake called after him.

“You guys you just won’t give up, will you?” Luc
shouted back.

“Nope … so hurry up, because I’m starving,” said
Mitchell.

Luc couldn’t fight them any longer. He’d go and get
it over with. They meant well, he knew that, but meaning well wasn’t enough
anymore. He wanted his full sight back, along with his old life, and nothing
less would ever do.

Chapter
Four

Katey
had
gone straight to her room as soon as she’d gotten home. She knew her step-mother
hated that
Katey
been forced to move back home and
steal some of her father’s attention. She didn’t like it any more than Ruth did.
When her father wasn’t around to defuse the tension between her and her
stepmom, she mostly retreated to her room until she heard her dad’s car pulling
into the garage.

She sat on her bed and reached over to the cabinet
for the mystery she was halfway through. She began reading, but for some reason
couldn’t concentrate.

That was a lie. She knew perfectly well why she
couldn’t focus on the book, or anything else, for that matter. Since she’d left
his house, all she’d been able to think about was Luc.

 
He’d looked
sad, but she couldn’t blame him for that.
Katey
couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be injured like that and for the
world to suddenly go dark on you.

And oh yes, he was cute too. She’d always had a
weakness for guys with dark wavy hair and blue eyes. Not that it had done her
much good. Most of them wouldn’t even think about talking to her, let alone
asking her out, because she didn’t fit the skinny model mold.

It would be an hour or more before supper, so
Katey
pulled out a couple of the peanut butter cookies Gen
had sent for her. Yeah, she knew this wouldn’t help the scale go any lower, but
all of a sudden she was nervous about tomorrow and working with Luc. When she
got into that state of mind, she ate.

The cookie literally melted on her tongue and she
instantly felt better. Maybe she could volunteer to walk Willow for Luc and
work off some of the calories.

****

Luc fingered the binding around the corner of his
menu.
Is this ridiculous or what?
Hadn’t the hostess noticed that the two guys with him had literally guided him
to the table because he couldn’t see? But she’d still put a fucking menu in
front of him. He pushed it away.

“You want me to read the menu to you?” asked Jake.

“Nope, I know what I’m having. A steak, baked potato,
and tossed salad.
And a beer.”

The last thing he wanted was for people in the
restaurant overhearing the guys reading out every item on the menu like he was
a little kid. To make his point, he shoved the menu away some more, but then
heard something fall, followed by a cold liquid dripping onto his leg.

“Shit, what have I done?”

“
It’s
okay, no problem,”
said Mitchell. One of the guys dabbed a napkin across his thighs.

“It’s only water. We’ve all done it at some point,”
said Jake.

Yeah,
when we were kids.

“Shit, now it’s going to look like I peed my pants,”
said Luc, dabbing it some more.

“It’ll be dry before you get up,” said Mitchell.

“Good evening, boys, and how are we doing?” It was a
woman’s voice and Luc assumed her to be the waitress.

“We’re doing okay, but thirsty,” said Jake. “Three
beers would be great to start us off.
And how about a plate
of the nachos for the three of us to share.”

“I’ll get those beers for you and be right back.”

“Did Mitchell tell you he’s going to be a dad?”
asked Jake.

“No. Congratulations!”

“Yeah, we’re pretty excited about it,” said
Mitchell.

And
the evening’s just going downhill from here.

Luc had always envisioned himself with a wife and at
least one kid by the time he was thirty-five. Now that seemed like an
impossible dream. What woman would want to take on a blind man and have a child
with someone who couldn’t help look after it? Hell, he could hardly look after
himself these days.

He took a deep breath, feeling bitterness and
jealousy when he should have been happy for his friend.

“There you go, guys, and the nachos will be up in
about five minutes.”

“You need some help with the beer?” asked Jake.

“Just direct me to the glass,” said Luc. Even when
he had his sight there’d been nothing like a nice beer to dull pain.

Jake lifted Luc’s hand and placed it on top of the
glass. The nurse had shown him an easy way to grab a mug and bring it up to his
mouth, but he was still trying to get the hang of it. He raised it up and hoped
he was heading in the right direction. When his lips touched the glass he
sipped. Man, beer had never felt so good sliding down his throat. Maybe it was
because he had to put so much effort into drinking it.

“So, what did you think of
Katey
?”
asked Jake. “You two seemed to be having a nice chat when I walked into the
room.”

“She seemed okay. I’m guessing she’s on the shy
side,” said Luc. He secretly wished he could have seen what she looked like, if
she was as pretty as he assumed. Sure, he could ask the guys to describe her,
but he didn’t want them to think he was interested in her…any woman, for that
matter. Dating and sex were things in his past.

“I think she is quiet, but then once she gets to
know you she opens up more. She helped Gen out with one of her garden designs
when she was visiting and she said they chatted non-stop.”

“There you go, guys, your nachos. You ready to order
your entrees?” asked the waitress.

“Sure. I’ll have the surf and turf,” said Jake.

“T-bone steak and fries for me,” said Mitchell.

“And for you, sweetie?”

Luc assumed since the other guys had ordered that
she was talking to him.
“Steak, baked potato, and a tossed
salad.”

“Okay. I’ll get those orders started, and enjoy the
nachos.”

“I’m putting some of these nachos on a plate in
front of you,” said Mitchell. “And be careful … they’re piping hot.”

Luc lifted up his hand and felt in front of him,
almost burning his hand on the melted cheese.

“Um, um, these are great,” said Jake. “And before I
forget to tell you, Gen sent you three casseroles that I’ve put in the freezer.
They just needed defrosting and warming in the microwave. Maybe you can ask
Katey
to do it and stay for dinner one night.”

“She’s probably got better things to do than babysit
me all day and evening. Like maybe go out with her boyfriend,” said Luc. He
sensed he’d dropped something down the front of his shirt and hated to think
what he was going to look like when he’d finished eating.

“No boyfriend, so don’t be scared about asking her to
dinner or even asking her out if you want,” said Jake.

Maybe he was being paranoid…maybe.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying
to pair us up or something,” said Luc.

He actually
felt
Jake kick Mitchell.

“I’m blind, but I can still feel movement under
tables. And I’m betting that you’re both pulling faces right now.”

“Just because you’ve lost your sight doesn’t mean
you can’t date ever again,” said Mitchell.

“So what’s wrong with
Katey
?”
asked Luc.

“Absolutely nothing,” said Jake. “That’s why if you
want to ask her out…”

Luc slapped his hand down, hoping he was making
contact with one of the guy’s arms. Instead he’d slapped one of their plates of
nachos. His hand was now covered in cheese and what felt like refried beans.

“Is this what this is all about with the dog and her
training him? She’s been told to take pity on me. Maybe go out on a few dates,
boost my confidence, and then gradually dump me?”

“We didn’t say that,” said Jake.
“Not
at all.”

“Okay, then just be quiet. Or talk about football,
or something besides me asking
Katey
or any other
female out, okay?”

Not that he wouldn’t want to go on a date with a
woman who smelled that good
or
had the softest hands,
but he didn’t want his heart broken when she realized what a liability a blind
man could be for a girl.

Chapter
Five

The next day
Katey
rang
the doorbell, but no one answered. She walked to the side of the property and
saw the three guys outside in the backyard with Willow. Jake threw a tennis
ball to him and the shepherd rushed to retrieve it and then dropped it at
Jake’s feet.

“Good morning,” she said.

Luc looked up.

“Hi,
Katey
.
I
thought I’d give Willow some exercise before I hand him over to you and Luc. He
has lots of energy, so maybe the two of you should walk him every day and get
used to him guiding Luc around the streets,” said Jake.

“Sure, we can do that,” said
Katey
.

Luc didn’t respond.

“I have to take Mitchell to the airport in thirty
minutes, so how about we go inside and I’ll walk you through everything one
more time.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” said
Katey
.
“You want to come inside too, Luc, just in case I miss anything?”

He looked up again. “Sure, why not.”

She offered him her arm but he didn’t take it, so
she grabbed his hand and placed it on her forearm. He stood and she hoped she’d
done the right thing. She never wanted him to think that she was patronizing
him.

 
Today he smelled
wonderful. Not that he hadn’t when she’d first met him, but now she could
detect a spicy aftershave or cologne. He gripped her arm as she took baby steps
with him beside her.

“You’re approaching the step to the patio door,” she
said. She’d looked up a whole bunch of stuff up on the Internet last night about
taking care of blind people and hoped that their advice and tips had been
correct. She was sure Luc was the type of guy who would let her know if she was
overstepping the line at any point.