Finding Unexpected Love - Chapter 8

Early Saturday morning Meaghan smiled as she watched Bryan lift their bags into the trunk of his Audi sedan. She was pretty sure he’d practically be bouncing if he’d been able to walk; they were both excited about the trip to Oak Island. She had spent the night at Bryan’s place since they’d planned on an early start. They had both taken the afternoon off the previous day and Meaghan had accompanied Bryan to an appointment with his physical therapist. She had shown Meaghan how to help Bryan with his range of motion exercises. He could mostly do them himself, but some of the stretches required assistance and it was generally easier when he had someone to help him. Bryan had sensed that she’d been nervous and a bit uncomfortable at first, but by the end of the appointment she’d seemed pretty relaxed and he was impressed with how fast she gotten the hang of the exercises. 

“You’re in a good mood today,” Meaghan commented as she handed him the cooler with food they were bringing. 

“Well, the sun is shining and we’ve both to the coming week off and we’re spending it together. It can’t get much better than that, can it?” 

“True,” Meaghan replied with a smile as she surveyed the contents of the trunk. “I think that’s everything. Do you have everything you need?” 

“Yep. I double-checked the bag with medical supplies before I brought it to the car and I’ve got everything else in the big duffle. I have some outdoor gear and other clothes in Oak Island too. What about you?” 

“I’m good. I guess it’s time to hit the road then. I wish I could do my share of the driving, but I’ve got no idea about how to drive with hand controls.” 

“You don’t have to use the hand controls, so you’re not off the hook in the driving department.” 

“Really? That’s great. I just hope I don’t scratch your fancy car.” 

“It’s just a car, Megs. And it’s well insured. Well, if we’ve got everything I’ll activate the alarm and lock the apartment.” 

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Meaghan leaned against the car and watched as Bryan wheeled inside. He pushed the rims of his wheelchair with fluid strokes that were clearly second nature to him. It didn’t look like he was making an effort at all. A couple of minutes later he returned to the car. Meaghan smiled as he came closer to her and he noticed. Instead of going around the car to the driver’s side he stopped in front of her. 

“What are you smiling about?” he asked, his brown eyes twinkling. 

“I’m just happy. I think we both need the downtime. Also, it’s the first time we’re going away together and I’m looking forward to that.” 

“Ditto,” Bryan said with a smile as he shifted his weight a bit. He was dressed casually in a pair of worn, loose jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. He had the AFOs on his feet. The pressure sores hadn’t gotten worse, but the weren’t getting better either. His heels were still very red and his podiatrist had ordered him to wear the braces 24/7 for the coming week. He hoped his heels would heal by the time they returned to DC. He didn’t like the thought of wearing the braces to work. “Let’s hit the road.” 

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Close to seven hours after they left DC Bryan pulled off the highway and onto a smaller road. The drive had gone smoothly; they’d taken turns driving and had stopped for lunch about halfway there. After a few miles they pulled into a small road that wound through a residential area. Meaghan realized they were getting closer to the sea. Bryan made a final left turn onto a small gravel road and headed a few moments later they parked in front of decent sized single level house. It was painted in a pale mint green with white trimmings and appeared to have a porch wrapped around the entire house with several French doors leading out to it. Meaghan instantly fell in love with it. 

“Wow, this isn’t what I imagined when you said we were going to cottage.” 

“It’s what my family has always referred to it as, but I know what you mean.” 

“Well, it’s stunning! Is the inside as lovely as the outside?” 

“I guess,” Bryan shrugged as he pulled the parts of his wheelchair from the back seat and transferred to it. “Grab a bag and follow me.” 

He popped the trunk open and pulled out one of the bags and placed in his lap. Meaghan grabbed a bag and the cooler and followed Bryan as he wheeled up the ramp that led to the front door. It struck her how well it blended with the house and judging from the aging on the wood it wasn’t a recent addition. Before she had time to ponder more about it Bryan had unlocked the front door and she walked into a wide hallway.  It had three doors on either side and ended up in a large open plan living area with a kitchen in one end. That the kitchen was accessible was a bigger surprise to her than the ramp. 

“Wow, your family have made some nice modifications to make this place work for you,” Meaghan stated as she placed the cooler on the kitchen counter. 

“Nope, they were made for my grandmother a few years before my accident. She had issues with her hips and ended up in a wheelchair after a botched hip replacement. She loved this place and my grandfather wanted her to still be able to be independent here. He put in ramps, modified the kitchen, widened the doorways, and made the master bath accessible… The works. Little did we know then that the changes would come in handy for me too.” 

“It’s amazing,” Meaghan said, looking around the large living room. Bryan wheeled over to one of the French doors and opened it. Meaghan followed him onto the large porch on the front of the house. There was a ramp on the side that led down to a lawn and a wide path laid with stones led down to the beach. Meaghan was amazed and very curious about Bryan’s family background. They obviously had money. Bryan popped a quick wheelie and looked up at her with a smile on his face. 

“You like it here?” 

“Like it? Try love it! The location is amazing and the house itself…wow! Your family must be loaded, places like this doesn’t come cheap.” 

“My grandfather on my mothers side inherited the land and since he was a carpenter he built the house himself.  He had lots of connections in the construction business, so I think most of the work was done as favors. That said; my grandfather built a solid business and the construction company he founded is one of the biggest in this area. He’s pretty loaded.” 

“I thought you said you’re from Philadelphia?” 

“My father’s family is from Philly and I grew up there. Mom’s family is from Wilmington,” Bryan explained. “Shall we grab the rest of our stuff from the car and get settled in?” 

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Meaghan agreed. 

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The sunshine filtering through the semi open blinds and the sound of seagulls squeaking woke Meaghan up Thursday morning. Bryan was still fast asleep. She quietly slipped out of bed and headed into the bathroom. When she came back into the room a few minutes later she paused and leaned against the doorframe to enjoy the view. Bryan had rolled over to his side and he was hugging his pillows in what Meaghan thought was an adorable way. His dark hair was sticking out in odd angles and Meaghan loved how his face was completely relaxed. There was no signs of the insecurities and issues she knew he dealt with during his waking hours; he looked totally at peace. Meaghan slipped back into the bed and kissed his forehead gently after pushing his tousled bangs out of the way. He slowly opened his eyes and shifted so he was lying on his back.

“Morning,” he mumbled sleepily as he pulled Meaghan in for a kiss. 

The kiss turned into passionate love making.  Despite that their two-month anniversary was only days away they still hadn’t had sex.  Bryan had given her the most mind-blowing oral sex she had ever been on the receiving end of and she had reciprocated by exploring his upper body. She had found that his nipples and the hollow at the base of his neck were the most sensitive spots.  Meaghan slowly kissed her way down his neck and lingered in the hollow of his neck, twirling her tongue until he groaned with pleasure. Then she moved down to his nipples and caressed them with her mouth. She was tempted to move further down and kept kissing her way down his stomach. When she came to the waistband of his boxers he stopped her. 

“I think we need to talk about this,” he mumbled hoarsely. 

“About what?” Meaghan queried, before she moved her attention back to his nipples. 

“Sex. Or rather my inability to have sex,” he sighed, raking a hand through his hair. The mood was broken Meaghan moved so she was lying on her side, facing Bryan. He closed his eyes and a wave of insecurity came across his face. 

“If you’re not comfortable with this we don’t have to talk about it,” Meaghan said, although she really wanted to talk about it. 

“If this relationship is going to last this is something we need to deal with. Another ‘fun’ aspect of dating a cripple,” he said with a wry smile. 

“Don’t be like that, please.” 

“As you know I’m paralyzed from the hips down, meaning I can’t feel or move anything below there. That includes my penis. I can still get an erection from touch, but it won’t stay up long enough or be hard enough to have sex. I can get hard if I take a pill, but it takes a while for it to have any effect, so sex with me isn’t exactly impulsive. Also, you’re going to have to be on top and do all the work.” 

“I can live with that. I just want to know. I also want to know what I can do to satisfy you. I have a feeling you won’t get much out of me riding you.” 

“You’ve been doing just fine,” Bryan assured her and leaned over to kiss her passionately on the lips. 

“Glad to hear it,” she said with a smile as he pulled back a few moments later. 

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They spent the morning relaxing on the sun-beds on the porch and in the afternoon they decided to go for a walk on the paved path that wound along the beach. Meaghan had pulled on a grey linen slip dress and had a pair of black leather sandals on her feet and Bryan was wearing a pair of khaki pants and an ultramarine blue polo shirt. The shirt showed off his tan and was tight enough to show off his upper body. He had pulled a pair of black covers over his AFOs. They walked in silence for a while, the path was pretty much deserted and they just enjoyed the fresh sea breeze and the sunshine. Meaghan noticed that Bryan seemed very relaxed.  About half an hour after they left the house they reached a small café on the beachfront and Bryan suggested they’d have lunch there. Soon they were settled in at a table overlooking the beach and a friendly waitress handed them menus and took their drink orders. 

“Their crab cakes are to die for,” Bryan said as the waitress walked away to get their drinks. 

“I take it you’ve been here before?” 

“Ever since I was a kid. We usually spent a few weeks here every summer and we had lunch or dinner here on a regular basis. There food here is really good, but the crab cakes are their signature dish and you really should try them.” 

“How can I resist a recommendation like that?” Meaghan said with a wide smile as the waitress returned to their table with two beers. 

“Are you ready to order?” 

“Since my boyfriend here warmly recommends your crab cakes I’ll have those.” 

“And the same for me,” Bryan interjected. The waitress smiled and disappeared again. 

“I could get used to this!” 

“What?” 

“Sleeping in, taking it easy, taking things slow… It’s nice.” 

“I agree,” Bryan said with a smile, leaning back in his chair. “But I think we’d both go stir crazy after a few weeks.” 

Meaghan laughed. “I guess you have a point. I like my hectic lifestyle, it has just been a bit too hectic lately.” 

“I know how you feel,” Bryan said as he shifted his weight in his wheelchair. “When I get back I’m talking to my boss about that. I can’t keep working as much as I have been lately. I’ve been trying to be super-crip I guess…” He chuckled self-consciously.  Before he could say anything else a familiar female voice got his attention. 

“Bryan! Long time no see. How are you? And who’s this pretty lady?” 

Bryan cringed. It was his ex, Jennifer. Every encounter they’d had since she left him had been awkward and now Meaghan was there to witness their awkwardness. Damn it! He put on a brave face and introduced Meaghan to Jennifer. 

“Meaghan, this is my ex-fiancée Jennifer Stratton. Jennifer, meet my girlfriend Meaghan Barnes.” 

The women shook hands awkwardly and he noticed that Jennifer fidgeted with her bracelets, which she usually did when she was nervous. It felt good that he wasn’t alone in feeling uneasy about the situation and he felt like he had the upper hand. He was there with his amazing girlfriend and Jennifer appeared to be alone. 

“Have to admit I’m a bit surprised to see you here Jennifer.” 

“My sister’s in-laws have a house here, I’m spending the weekend here with her and her family. I take it you’re spending the weekend at the ‘cottage’?” Jennifer air-quoted the word cottage. 

“Yeah, we are,” Bryan, said tersely. Please just leave.

“You look well,” she said with the same condescending smile she’d sported every time he’d seen her over the past three and a half years.  

“I am well. Why is that a surprise to you every time we see each other? My legs don’t work, but apart from that I’m perfectly healthy.” Bryan said harshly. 

“Bryan, don’t be that way,” Jennifer said in a pleading tone as she placed her hand on Bryan’s shoulder. He immediately swatted it away. 

“What way? You’re always so damn condescending when we see each other and I’m sick of it.  I’m still the same person I was before my injury.” 

“It’s just hard for me to see you like this.” Her voice was filled with pity, as was the expression in her eyes. 

“Like what? In a wheelchair? Well, that’s not going to change, so you’d better get used to it.” 

“Bryan…” Jennifer pleaded. 

“No Jen, I’ve had it with you. I don’t want or need your pity, or anyone else’s pity for that matter. I’m perfectly healthy; I work full time and sometimes more than that, I work out almost every day and I’ve got an amazing girlfriend. I’ve moved on with my life and I’m very happy with were I am.” Bryan reached across the table and grabbed Meaghan’s hand; she laced her fingers with his and smiled at him.  He smiled back and gave her hand a squeeze.  “I think we need to talk, really talk, for you to get some closure, but this is neither the right time nor the right place for that conversation.  Can you come over to the cottage for lunch tomorrow?” 

“Um..." Jennifer said hesitantly. "What time?” 

“Is noon okay?” 

“Yeah…” She didn't sound convinced. 

“Good. We’ll see you tomorrow at noon then.” Jennifer picked up on the dismissive tone of Bryan’s voice and bid them goodbye.  Not long after the waitress appeared with their food. 

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That afternoon Bryan lay on his back on a yoga mat out on the porch while Meaghan was doing his range of motion exercises.  It was the second time she helped him with it and she was doing surprisingly well. He only had to correct her a couple of times when she didn’t stretch his legs far enough; he knew she was a bit scared of hurting him. After she finished she put his AFO’s back on, to his amazement it looked like she enjoyed it.  There was something about the look on her face when she lifted his legs into the braces and made sure his feet were positioned correctly, so his heels weren’t in contact with anything, then she carefully placed the sheepskin padding over his foot and secured the three straps that held it in place and finally she secured the strap around his calf. 

After repeating the process on his other foot she got to her feet and positioned his wheelchair so he could transfer back to it.  Transfers from the floor took some effort, but Bryan was in great shape and managed it in one fairly smooth movement.  Then he placed his AFO clad feet on the footrest and shifted his weight a bit so he was comfortable. When he was settled back into his wheelchair he turned to Meaghan who was rolling up the yoga mat. 

“I’m really sorry about the scene with Jennifer today. I sure as hell didn’t expect to run into my damn ex here. I hope you don’t mind her coming over tomorrow too much.” 

“It’s fine Bryan. You guys still see each other sometimes?” she asked, clearly surprised. 

“We’ve known each other since college, we have quite a few friends and acquaintances in common, so it’s inevitable that we run in to each other from time to time. I hate the way she looks at me. The pity in her eyes and voice drives me nuts and I wish she’d stop feeling sorry for me.” 

“Judging from your conversation today you’ve never really talked things through, have you?” 

“No, I guess not. She walked out of my hospital room and that was it really. She went over to my house and got her stuff and returned the things I’d left at her place at the same time. I’ve never really felt the need; it was her decision to leave and at the time I had so much to deal with.”  Bryan sighed and leaned back in his chair.  “I’m so damn sick of her condescending comments and pitying looks every time we’re in the same place.  It’s been more than three fucking years and I’ve moved on. She needs to as well.” 

“I think it was a good idea to invite her for lunch tomorrow. It will give you a chance to talk. If you want to be alone with her I can leave for a couple of hours so you have some privacy.” 

“No, I want you here,” Bryan said firmly. He had no idea what lunch with Jennifer would bring and he wanted Meaghan at his side. He felt a bit selfish for making her suffer through what might be an awkward conversation, but he needed her there. 

“Then I’ll be here,” Meaghan said as she leaned down and kissed him soundly. He pulled her into his lap and they kissed passionately. When they pulled apart they leaned their foreheads against each other. 

“Thanks babe,” Bryan replied with a smile. I have the best girlfriend in the world.


To be continued....