Waiting for You (RightMatch.com Trilogy) by Kathryn Shay Read Free Book Online Page A

feel worse.
    Cole jumped in. “But he did start a relationship with her. Now that it’s happened, he should see if he has something with Dana. Maybe sports and fitness won’t matter so much. He put up with her not wanting to meet for weeks, so he’s definitely interested. Right, Joey?”
    Joe thought about the kiss, the scent and taste of her. “Yeah, sure. A lot.”
    Spence stared at him solemnly. Finally, he said, “There’s another reason you shouldn’t get together with someone disabled.”
    “What?” Cole asked.
    Joe zeroed in on Cole. “My dad.”
    “The last three years of his life were…hard on everybody.” Spence’s tone softened and he added, “Especially you, Joey.”
    Because of his father’s condition, Joe had grown up making sure he minimized any hint of physical frailty in himself. When he’d blown out his knee, ending his football career, he’d almost lost his mind recuperating. And he hated being sidelined because of the gunshot wound.
    “But I like her, Spence. Even more after meeting her.”
    “There’s a whole slew of women out there you can hook up with. Don’t put yourself through this, Joey,” Spence warned. “You don’t have to. You can avoid all the trouble a relationship with her will cause you.”
    “Hold on a second,” Cole said.
    Spence turned a warning glare on their younger brother.
    “No, I’m gonna say my piece.” Cole faced Joe. “I know you suffered through Joe Sr.’s illness. And I can’t fathom how hard it was for you. But don’t give up on Dana so fast. Happiness doesn’t always come wrapped up in the package you think it’s going to. Look at me and Ellie. I couldn’t be more ecstatic to have a baby in my life, and who would have thought that a year ago?”
    Damn it. Why couldn’t he be more like Cole, ready to pursue Dana regardless of her circumstances? And what did the fact that he wasn’t ready say about him as a person? Restless, even more confused than before, Joe stood, crossed to the railing and looked out at the woods in back of Annie’s house.
    “Does she know about your father?” Spence asked from beside him. “All of it?”
    Joe shook his head.
    “Any of it?”
    Again the negative gesture. “I don’t talk about him, Spence, you know that.”
    “Hell, Joe, you can’t keep your father’s situation from her now. It’s relevant that you already know what life is like with a person in a wheelchair. And being with her will probably resurrect things you’ve buried.”
    “Joe Sr.’s circumstances are not the same as Dana’s,” Cole objected. “She’s not deteriorating every day. Is she?”
    “No. Actually, she gets stronger every day. Other than her legs, she’s in terrific shape.
    “She can’t walk.” Spence’s tone was forceful. “She’s an invalid.”
    That silenced everybody.
    Spence broke the tense moment. “I’m sorry if this is hard for you. Or if my objections sound crass. I just want you to analyze all aspects of going further in this relationship.” He paused. “And Joey, you’ve got to be sure now, because after you get involved, it would hurt her even more if you left because of the very thing she thought could keep you apart.”
    Joe stared at his brothers. They knew him better than anyone else did and Joe often took their advice, listened to them. Then again, Cole and Spence were divided on what to do about Dana—the same way Joe felt inside. Would he be able to handle her situation? More importantly, did he want to? Spence had been right about one thing. This was a decision he could only make once. It would be different if he and Dana found out they were incompatible. But no way could Joe experiment with this woman, let them get involved and then dump her because he didn’t want the life she had after all.
    He was in a hell of a predicament.
     

 
    Chapter 4
    The day after her meeting with Joe, Dana stared at the computer, watching as her service downloaded new email messages. None from JoeyD.