She waved her hand in the air. “Wait, it’s a preexisting condition. That’s not going to work.”
“They can’t deny treatment because of preexisting conditions anymore, Amber. Is that why your insurance is refusing to pay for anything? If it is, you have a lawsuit on your hands.”
Her head shook instantly. “No, they would pay for the nerve conduction tests, but not until I meet the first ten grand. That said, I don’t have any coverage for durable medical equipment, so they aren’t going to pay for the braces no matter what.”
“My insurance doesn’t have that condition,” I explained. “We pay the first thousand dollars, and then everything else is paid after that. I’ve already spent that between Athena and me this year. Durable medical equipment is paid one hundred percent after the deductible, too.”
“Seriously? I thought it was always twenty percent.”
“Teachers don’t make a lot of money, but we do have decent benefits in most districts.”
She was quiet while she pondered the things I said. Her eyes remained focused across the room rather than meet mine.
Her cheeks were rosy from the fever she was still fighting, so I took the cold washcloth and held it to those cheeks for a moment. “Listen, Amber. I don’t have all the answers, okay? I just know that I have one answer. I can do one thing to help you over this hump right now. I can’t tell you what will happen in the future because I don’t have a crystal ball. All I can say is, if you marry me, we can get you the treatment you so desperately need to stay part of the bakery and living life the way you want to live. If you want to think of it as a business arrangement, that’s okay with me. Take some time to think about it, okay? I’ll let you rest and try to kick this fever, but if you need anything, you have my number, right?”
“Right,” she whispered, her voice soft and unsure. “I think I’ll go take that cold shower after all.”
“Do you need help getting to the bathroom?” I asked, brushing a piece of hair off her forehead.
“No, I’ll be okay. Thanks, though.”
“You bet. Maybe after that shower, you should take a nap. You look worn out.”
“Yeah, I’m kind of tired,” she said on a yawn, still avoiding eye contact.
“I’ll let myself out. We’ll talk soon,” I said, sliding the door open and letting myself out before she could say anything that would only make my heart hurt more. I had probably just blown my chance at ever marrying Amber Larson, for love or any other reason.
Nine
The scent I followed as I walked across the driveway to my neighbor’s yard was heavenly. I don’t know what he was grilling, but I wanted a taste. It was nearly nine p.m., and the sun was setting lower in the sky. After my cold shower, I decided that a nap was necessary before I could even think about the bombshell that he’d dropped on me.
Truth be told, I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Most of my heart melted when I thought about his offer to marry me and his reasons behind it. He’d thought it out, but there was a lot he didn’t take into consideration. I was going to have to let him down easy and hope it didn’t ruin our friendship. I gave an internal snort. Sure, you’re worried about the friendship. You’re more concerned that you’ll never get a kiss like last night ever again.
I told myself to shut up and crutched carefully over the old fence line to save distance to his yard. “That smells amazing whatever it is,” I called, so I didn’t scare him with his back turned to me.
He spun around and set the tongs down, hurrying over to me. “Hey,” he said, moving to take my elbow but thinking better of it. “How are you feeling? I don’t think you should be up and about.”
I kept crutching until I could lower myself to a chair in front of the fire. “I’m fine,” I insisted. “I had a shower and a nap. My leg is already feeling better after the fluid was drained off it. I think the antibiotics this morning already helped because my fever is gone.”
“That’s good news,” he said, dropping a hand to my shoulder for a moment before he went back to the grill. “Have you eaten?”
“No, I was getting up to make something when I smelled your dinner. I hoped to mooch some of yours.”
“You’re always welcome to mooch some of mine. Do you like wild rice brats?”
“From Johnson Meat Company?” I asked, rubbing my hands together. It was a tiny butcher and processing shop in town that did huge business.
“That’s the one,” he agreed, pulling the links off the grill. “Let me get them ready in the house, and I’ll bring one out. Unless you want to come inside.”
“I’ll wait out here,” I said, already settled in the chair. “I take my sausage wrapped in nothing but a soft bun.”
I swear he moaned as he climbed the stairs to the house. I swear he also said me too, but I couldn’t be sure. My phone beeped, and I pulled it out of my pocket, checking the message. It was from Hay-Hay. I opened it and read it twice with my head cocked to the side. She had big news to tell me tomorrow, and she’d be over when she finished baking. I wondered what that was about since she hadn’t mentioned any big news when we talked today.
“A wild rice brat wrapped in nothing but a soft bun,” he said, breaking into my thoughts when he handed me a plate. I dropped my phone to my lap and took
