Chapter 1344:
Those words made Linsey think unexpectedly of the masked man she had crossed paths with the day before.
Gorman noticed her distraction and waved a hand in front of her. “Linsey?”
A slight start, and Linsey returned to the present.
Misreading her silence, Gorman put on an apologetic look and said, “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. If you’d rather not, I absolutely won’t push.”
Linsey quickly reassured him, “You’re overthinking things. My mind just wandered for a second. That’s all.”
A spark of hope returned to Gorman’s face. “So that means you’re saying yes? I’ll have to make sure our date is perfect.”
She nodded with a gentle smile, but inside, she couldn’t help but compare him to that mysterious masked man from yesterday. How was it that Gorman felt so completely different?
That thought warmed her to Gorman a little more.
Their date came the next day. After the movie, they planned to head out for dinner, but dark clouds rolled in, and a heavy rain began to pour.
Driving his own car that day, Gorman hadn’t thought to bring an umbrella.
Concern for his recovery made Linsey hesitate to let him get soaked. She kindly suggested, “Why don’t you stay in the car where it’s dry? I’ll run to the restaurant and borrow an umbrella for us.”
She slipped off her seatbelt, pulled on her hat and mask, and stepped outside. There wasn’t a second for Gorman to object; all he could do was wait in the parking lot until she got back.
The restaurant wasn’t far away. Linsey dashed through the rain as quickly as she could. Still, she couldn’t keep from getting drenched.
As she finally made it up the restaurant steps, she spotted a man in a wheelchair nearby and called out in a bright, hopeful voice, “Excuse me, sir!”
Collin paused, his hands still on the wheels. Something about her voice tugged at his memory—it was strikingly familiar. He started to turn around, but Linsey rushed toward him before he could.
Their eyes met, and the happy light in her expression faded instantly.
Linsey couldn’t shake the feeling that this man looked oddly familiar.
Something about him brought to mind the man she had spent the night with. Her eyes drifted down to his legs, but she quickly brushed aside the thought as ridiculous.
After all, the man from last night had been strong and sure-footed, while the man before her was confined to a wheelchair. The difference was impossible to ignore.
A cold glare from Collin cut through her thoughts. “Enjoying the view?” he snapped. “Stare any longer, and I might just take your eyes.”
His mood had been foul, especially after failing to track down the woman he had been with. Now, being stopped and inspected by a stranger only added to his irritation.
Linsey jerked out of her daze, cheeks warming beneath her mask. “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.” She knew exactly why he bristled. Anyone living with a disability would be protective of their pride, and she had just been caught openly staring at his legs.
