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The children’s eyes lit up. Cate saw Pop rise from the bench, but she ignored him. “Okay. One, two,” she began to run, “three!”
Emily and Josh released the kite, and Cate ran as she hadn’t run in years. Not with her old grace or speed. But she was running. And it felt great!
Until she stepped onto an uneven spot in the ground and pitched forward.
As Cate fell, she released the kite string and tried to brace herself for the impact. But the new spring grass didn’t offer much cushion from the hard ground. When her hands connected with the earth, a shaft of pain shot up her left arm.
And she knew she’d made a big mistake.
Clay consulted his watch, took off his hard hat, and stuck his head in the door of the construction trailer. “I’m taking an early lunch today, Becky. I should be back in an hour.”
The office manager grinned. “Hot date?”
“Yeah. With a kite.”
“Huh?” She sent him a puzzled look.
“The kids got a new kite yesterday. They were going to fly it before lunch. I thought I’d run over to the park and surprise them.”
“They must be getting under your skin.” She gave him a smirk.
He quirked a brow and ignored her comment. “See you later.”
But she was right, he acknowledged as he drove to the park. The kids were getting under his skin. He enjoyed their innocent questions, took pleasure in eliciting their smiles. And it gave him a good feeling to watch their haunted look fade day by day—thanks in large part to Cate’s gentle ministrations.
He hadn’t had a chance this morning to talk to her about reimbursement for the kite, or quiz her about how she planned to get it aloft. He’d had an emergency page from the job site as she’d arrived and had flown out the door the instant she’d stepped inside. The crisis had kept him busy all morning. But he’d blocked out time to take an early lunch and go fly a kite with them instead of letting Cate put herself at risk.
As he pulled into the park, he slowed his speed, scanning the grounds. He didn’t see Cate, but the movement of an older man rising from a bench caught his attention. His tense posture put Clay on alert, and he followed the man’s line of sight—to Cate and the children.
She was holding the kite, and as he pulled into a parking space he saw the children grasp it. They backed up, and a tingle of apprehension raced down his spine. He set the brake and climbed out of his truck, striding toward the small group as Cate started to run.
Considering her lameness, he was surprised at how fast she could move. His step slowed as his appreciative gaze followed her willowy, jeans-clad form across the spring grass. And the radiant joy on her face took his breath away.
But in the next moment, what little breath remained in his lungs came out in a whoosh as she stumbled and fell. Headlong and hard. His heart stopped for an instant, and then his adrenaline surged, propelling him forward.
Seconds later he was beside her, well ahead of the children or the older man he’d noticed earlier. She had rolled to her side and lay curled into a ball, cradling her hand.
Dropping down on one knee, he touched her shoulder. “Cate?” Her name came out in a hoarse whisper.
She blinked up at him in confusion. “Clay? What are you doing here?”
“I was going to help you fly the kite. I see I’m too late.” She struggled to sit up, but he restrained her. “I’m not sure you should move until we know if you’re hurt.”
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