Carter blinked at him, making his eyes wide. “What, you’re not going to make me breakfast?”
Jeff gave him a flat look. “I’ve barely been home in weeks. Unless you’d like a side of penicillin with your dry toast, I think treating you to breakfast is the better option here.” Though he could always get something delivered….
Before he could suggest it, Carter stood and held up his phone. “I guess I’ll get dressed.”
Oh well. If Jeff had his way, they’d have plenty more chances to enjoy extended mornings in. He looked back down at his phone screen, intent on discovering a restaurant option near his real destination. But before he could get past the first word, Carter spoke again.
“Although….”
Jeff jerked his head up.
“Icoulduse a shower,” Carter said. “And it’s so hard to reach my back with a broken foot.”
Jeff dropped the phone.
LATER, CARTERglared at him in the medical supply store and said, “You lied to me.”
“I never said we weren’t going to buy you a knee scooter.” Jeff ignored him to speak to the shop associate. “Is it big enough? I’m not sure how to tell.”
“That’s our largest model,” she told him. “Adjustable handlebars and knee rest. Oh, but if you want my advice, you’ll upgrade the wheels. The little ones are prone to tipping if you hit even a piece of gravel wrong.”
Carter gave Jeff alook, but Jeff could not resist. “I absolutely want to pimp his ride.”
“Jeff, I’m not going to use—”
Jeff put on his talking-to-the-press smile and turned to the associate. She was wearing a name tag, he noticed. “Jen, would you give us a minute, please?”
“Sure. I’ll be behind the cash desk if you need me.”
“Thank you so much.”
He waited until she’d taken a few steps, then turned back to Carter. “Look, aren’t you going nuts not being able to walk significant distances?”
Carter’s brow furrowed in a pout. “Sure, but….”
“But what? You’d rather use crutches because they’re more manly?” Jeff let his tone of voice convey how absurd that was. “Sounds kinda… sexist? Ableist?”
The pout developed a guilty tinge. At least he knew he was being an idiot. “I’ll look stupid.”
“You’ll look like a man who’s letting himself heal properly,” Jeff countered. He wheeled out a smaller display model and tested it out. Not bad for comfort or size. “I’lllook stupid.” He’d have to make sure Jen had enough product in stock in case someone else who really needed a scooter came by, but—
“You’renotgoing to ride around on a scooter.” Carter shook his head. “Point made, I’m being ridiculous. I’ll use it, okay?”
“Good,” Jeff said. “I’m getting one of the cool ones you can stand on. Come on, let’s go find Jen and get you some off-road tires.”
Whatever his initial protests, Carter enjoyed himself throughout the rest of the morning. Jeff was pretty sure he needed the illusion of independence as much as anything. After an hour of wheeling around the Eaton Centre while Jeff bullied him into more expensive versions of his usual wardrobe—he wanted to get Carter into some designer threads, but Eaton Centre’s offerings were easier to access—Carter was cheerful and relaxed.
He was also enjoying Jeff being his bag boy.
“I don’t know,” he said seriously as he wheeled past Indigo. “I could use something to read. Maybe a couple hardcovers.”
Jeff had given up on his own scooter after Carter allowed him to buy a year’s worth of underwear. “I’ll buy you an e-reader. More tree-friendly.”
Carter looked over at him and grinned—and nearly ran someone over.
Whoops.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” Carter fortunately had managed to keep his feet, and so had his victim, who hadn’t been looking where she was going any more than Carter had.
