CHAPTER 7: Two hearts

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Candy was laying on one large branch high in a tree. She closed her eyes, enjoying the tranquility of the surrounding when she felt something hit her right arm.

"Ouch!" It shocked her so much that it knocked her out of balance and she fell... "Ahh HELP!"

The next thing she knew, she was in the arms of a gentleman. She felt stupid. The last time she fell from a tree was perhaps on the first day she learned to climb.

Embarrassed, she peeked to glance at her life savior.

Broad shoulder, enough to engulf her petite size. Dark suit with brilliant white shirt that fit his shoulder perfectly. It reminded her of one scene in the romantic movie she watched once in the theater. She felt flushed.

Who would go hiking wearing finely tailored suit? Her gaze climbed and met lips that twitched into a heart-stopping grin. Never she believed a man could be beautiful until now.

"Did you get hurt?" His voice was equally breathtaking, deep and rich.

She owed this gorgeous man for saving her life. She should say thank you, asked if he's okay from the impact and better yet shook his hand and gracefully introduced herself. But instead she got her tongue stuck hopelessly in her throat...

"Candy... are you alright?"

The husky way he said her name broke into her reverie.

He knows my name? She took a better look of his face. Intelligent hazel eyes, brown hair, thick eyebrows. Suddenly she realized something familiar about him...

"Neal?" Candy hissed.

It couldn't be more embarrassing. She's so mad of her clumsiness in front of Neal! Hurriedly she sprang to her feet but her movement was too abrupt. She lost her balance and fell headfirst dangerously backward.

"Careful!" He said, throwing his arms around her waist, pulling her into him.

In a heartbeat she found herself pressed against a strong wall of masculinity, flattened in his chest. Every breath she took was full with the fresh scent of him mixed with a pleasant lace of sandalwood. It was his aftershave or perhaps his soap. Whatever it was, it was hard not to get distracted when a man smelt that good. Her stomach flipped and she had a frog on he throat.

"Hold me tight... Candy," he murmured. His look reminded her of the past when he tried to kiss her. Except there's no way she could push him now even if she tried.

"Get off me!" Panicked, Candy twitched and shook her arms off to release them from his grip. "Patty! Patty!" Candy shouted.

"Save your breath. I'm sure she can't hear you," he scoffed, releasing her.

Candy stopped screaming and took a dignified stature. "I didn't know you're in Lakewood," she said coldly.

"Fancy that. A free citizen can travel freely without having to report to you."

"Not for someone who endangers other people's life." She stepped a several steps backward.

"Candice White Andrew... you're still the same." Neal stepped forward. "Lunch?"

Here we go again, Candy groaned impatiently. "I'm busy."

"Dinner?"

"No, I can't. I have to meet someone."

With her nose high in the air, she turned around making a hasten leave. The last thing she wanted was to spend one more second with him.

"Who?"

"None of your business!" she answered without looking, walking straight ahead.

Unfortunately the long strap of her handbag swang causing it to get caught in one tree branch. The strap slid down her shoulder pulling her handbag to the ground. Coins, compact powder, lipstick, and half of her handbag content spilled out and scattered to the ground.

Could this get any worse than this?, she moaned silently very mad to the whole situation.

Reluctantly, Candy turned around and came back to collect her stuffs. He crouched beside her, picked up one coin, and watched her. How she wished she could wither and disappeared under the grass.

"This is all I guess." He handed over the one coin he had collected when she's back to stand up. He grinned.

Without responding Candy tucked all her stuffs back to her purse. Then she bent again, looking down the grass.

"What now?"

"My hair pin."

Neal stretched his arm and picked something from the ground. "Is this what you're looking for?"

Candy snatched it from his hand and stepped as far enough away from his as possible.

"A simple thank you would do," Neal snorted.

"Nothing is worth a thank you from you," said Candy. She lightly dusted the hairpin before inserted it back to her hair.

"Why so bitchy?" he asked. "I just saved your life, picked up one of your coins, and found your hairpin."

"Doesn't matter. I don't like you!"

"NEAL where are you!" Neal heard Daisy calling him. "Baby! I'm looking for you!" Candy obviously heard that too.

"I don't like you either." He said, exaggeratedly shoved his hand into his pants pockets. "Your loss. You should consider yourself lucky, most women find me desirable. So, lunch?"

"Since you've helped me, I'll share some honest advice! Go spend time with women who salivate at your feet and make you feel important. Go have lunch, dinner, breakfast with them to satisfy your narcissist ego. Just never even attempt to invite me. I will refuse because I find you are too low."

He blinked and stepped forward. "Just because I invite you to lunch, it doesn't mean that I have to passively absorb your insult. You forgot what I am capable of! Like... hey, how's work? Wait, can you work?" he asked haughtily although deep inside, his heart started to beat queerly.

He never liked to fight with her. He'd rather make her smile instead of hurting her. The urge to apologize for all insult he threw at her as teenager had never been stronger. Perhaps now was a good time to fall down on his knee to tell her how much he loved her and begged to start their relationship nicely...

At the same time, Candy was looking up and glaring contemptuously.

"I knew you're behind my employment disaster," screamed Candy, trembling in rage. "You always try to ruin my life! It won't work, Neal! Thanks to Albert, I work just fine. Recently I got promoted as the ward head nurse. You can't ruin me!"

At the mention of that name, he changed his mind. She's the one who always rudely rejected his olive branch. She rejected his lunch offer, flowers, even engagement proposal! He had tried. She just never reciprocated! It's her who should apologize first!

"Is he the one who you'll have dinner with tonight?" he responded jealously. "Or is that ghastly Shakespearean entertainer?"

"Blech!"

"What's was that?"

"I swallowed a bug."

"Yeah, right!"

"Get to drink some water," she said, feeling impatient to be as far away from him as possible. She gave him one more stink eyes and walked right through.

That familiar chill rippled within him as always whenever he saw her leaving.

Damn with dignity! She had those green eyes that he just wanted to get lost in.

"Wait!" said Neal. "Can we talk-"

"NEAL! You're here!" Daisy boomed as she jumped into Neal's arms. "Your mother said we can go to lunch. Let's go"

Watching Candy's back, he realized it all. No matter how hard he tried to pretend, how hard he tried to ignore, and how hard he tried to deny, it's Candy that he loved. It had always been only Candy.

He looked at Daisy. Got to tell Daisy the truth and had the matter solved quickly and seamlessly...

oOo

In New York...

Suzanne sat in front of the window looking outside at the screaming wind. The storm was still blowing. It's unfortunate because today Terry had planned to come.

Terry had kept his words and come regularly to visit. She treasured each visit. It brought hope and happiness in her life again. Too bad the storm chose to pick today to rage. She checked at the clock. One hour late... And the storm if anything, it raged even louder.

He won't come today..., thought Suzanne disappointedly, watching the large droplets of water pelted on the window without any sign of diminishment.

As she sat there with head hanged downy, a familiar step was heard outside of the door. Suzanne straightened up at the sound. Before Terry even knocked, she already wheeled herself and opened the door.

"You came?" she exclaimed.

"Of course! How hard is it with a car and a driver!"

Terry pushed her wheelchair inside and closed the door behind him.

"How's King Lear?" Suzanne asked. She helped him take off his raincoat.

"Great! Its fully packed! They couldn't stop clapping and asked me to come back to the stage four times!" Terry gave that smile that she never tired of looking at.

Proudly she listened to his story about his performance. "Fantastic!" she commented.

Terry smiled, examining Suzanne much improved look since Fanny acted as her nurse. Her health improved a lot. She worked as a lecturer in Julliard now. She even agreed to try prosthetic legs. She's taking rehabilitation classes to learn how to use them so she could stand and walk with the help of sticks. Thanks Candy!

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To be continued...

Julliard: that famous Julliard school for performing arts education. In New York.

Thanks for reading and continuous support. This story won't exist without your show of interest :')

oOo