Chapter 22

Liza wanted to run and hide, wanted to fake a smile and respond with a practised retort designed to hide her real feelings.

But looking into Wade's guileless dark eyes, feeling his heart thump steadily, she knew she'd reached a turning point in her life.

She had two options.

Revert to type and continue living a sham.

Or take a giant leap of faith and risk her heart.

‘An answer some time this century would be nice,' he said, pressing her hand harder to his heart.

‘I'm taking Cindy to Luna Park tomorrow,' she blurted. ‘Come with us.'

She waited, holding her breath until her chest ached. She'd never invited anyone to her days out with Cindy. It was their special time. To consider letting Wade accompany them, to see what the reality of being a full-time carer involved, was a huge step forward for her. He wanted to see the real her and she'd thrown down the gauntlet.

His mouth eased into a smile and the air whooshed out of her lungs. ‘Sounds good. What time?'

‘Nine. We'll pick you up.'

He released her hand to rub his together. ‘Great. I get to ride in the people carrier.'

‘You're still making jokes about my car, even when you know it's used for a wheelchair?'

He tapped her on the nose. ‘Hey, we're genuine from now on, okay? No holding back, no watching what we say. Full disclosure, so I'm teasing you.'

Liza nodded slowly, wondering how he'd feel if he knew all of it.

She didn't have time to find out when he closed the distance between them and kissed her, effectively eradicating all thought and going a long way to soothing the emptiness when he'd walked out earlier.

She hated being abandoned. It dredged up too many painful memories. She never wanted to feel that way again.

Liza didn't know what she'd expected when she invited Wade to accompany them to Luna Park on the spur of the moment, but a small part of her had probably wanted to test him. To see how he acted around Cindy.

Because when he'd misjudged her initially and made those horrible assumptions about why she hadn't included Cindy in her biography, she'd come to a few realisations. Wade was the only guy she'd ever genuinely cared about and for that reason, after seeing his disgust when she'd withheld the truth, she'd had enough of the lies and the fake life.

She wanted to be herself around him and that included Cindy. They were a package deal and if he couldn't handle her sister's disability, Liza didn't want to get in any deeper.

Cindy was the deal-breaker.

By the way he'd teased and laughed and chatted with her sister for the last few hours, he'd passed with flying colours.

Liza had seen many people interact with her sister over the years. Some looked away or pretended not to see Cindy. Some stared at her clawed elbow and wrist, at her scissored thighs, at her equinovarus foot. Some patronised by speaking extra slowly or very loudly. Some looked plain uncomfortable.

But from the moment they'd picked up Wade this morning, he'd been at ease with Cindy, treating her like the intelligent nineteen-year-old she was, and in turn, Liza had progressively relaxed as the morning wore on.

She liked not having to pretend around Wade. It was a nice change, not having to fake it all the time. Something she could get used to given half a chance.

While Cindy texted a friend, Wade sat next to Liza and bumped her with his shoulder.

‘Having a good time?'

She smiled and nodded. ‘Absolutely. I always have a ball when I'm with Cindy.'

‘She's amazing,' he said, sliding his hand across her lap to grasp hers. ‘And so are you.'

He waved at Cindy with his free hand as she glanced their way. ‘Honestly? I don't know a lot about cerebral palsy. I'd planned on researching it last night but got caught up with conference calls.'

Liza admired his interest. Hopefully, it meant his interaction with Cindy today wasn't just a token effort and he genuinely wanted to be involved in Liza's life—which included Cindy too.

‘It's a physical disability affecting movement, caused by an injury to the developing brain, usually before birth.'

The corners of his beautiful mouth curved upward. ‘You sound like a medical dictionary.'

‘With the hours I've spent with doctors and allied health professionals over the years I reckon I could recite an entire medical website.'

‘What's her prognosis?'

‘Normal life expectancy. The brain damage doesn't worsen as she gets older, but the physical symptoms can.'

As people on the rollercoaster screamed when it plummeted, Cindy glanced up from her phone and laughed, and Liza smiled in response, never tiring of seeing her sister happy.

‘Cindy's cerebral palsy is fairly mild. She's diplegic, which means it only affects her arm and leg on one side. And she has spastic CP.'

Wade frowned. ‘I hate that word.'

Liza shook her head. ‘It's not derogatory. Spasticity means tightness or stiffness of the muscles. The muscles are stiff because the message to move is sent incorrectly to the muscles through the damaged part of the brain.'

‘That makes sense.' He frowned, deep in thought. ‘Can she walk?'

‘A little. At home mainly, in her room, with the aid of a frame. But for Cindy, the harder she works her muscles, the greater the spasticity, so it's easier for her to get around in the wheelchair.'

Liza blew Cindy a kiss as she glanced toward them again and grinned. ‘We're definitely lucky. Many cerebral palsy sufferers have intellectual disabilities, speech difficulties, seizures, and severe limitations with eating and drinking. Cindy's main problem is mobility.'

Wade shook his head, as if he couldn't quite believe her optimism. ‘You're fantastic.' He nodded toward Cindy. ‘The way you are with her is beautiful.'

Uncomfortable with his praise but inwardly preening, she shrugged. ‘She's my sister. We've been doing stuff together for a long time.'

‘What about your folks?'

She stiffened and he squeezed her hand. ‘You glossed over them in your biography and you never mention them…'

Liza didn't want to talk about her flaky folks, not today, not ever. But after Wade's full-disclosure pep talk last night she'd have to give him something.

‘I didn't want to make them look bad in the book. That's why I didn't say much beyond the basics.'

He frowned. ‘How bad was it?'

‘Dad took off when Cindy was a year old. He couldn't handle having a disabled kid. Mum progressively withdrew emotionally over the years, waited until I was eighteen, then she did a runner too.'

Wade swore. ‘You've been looking after Cindy ever since?'

‘Uh-huh. The CP association hooked me up with Shar shortly after Mum left and she's been a godsend. She's more family than carer.'

More family than her parents combined. The old saying blood was thicker than water? Give her a long, tall glass of clear aqua any day.

‘Do you ever hear from them?'

She heard the disapproval in his voice and didn't want to dampen this day. ‘Mum calls on birthdays and Christmas, sends money as a gift, that's about it.'

Shock widened his eyes before she saw a spark of understanding. ‘That's why you took the book deal, isn't it? You support Cindy financially.'

Liza struggled not to squirm. She didn't want to discuss this with Wade, didn't want him to know her private business.

There was disclosure and there was full disclosure, and as a couple embarking on a possible future, she didn't want to muddy it with her sordid past.

‘We do okay,' she said, springing up from the bench and dusting off her butt. ‘Come on, I think Cindy's ready for that ice-cream you promised.'

Disappointment twisted his mouth before he forced a smile. ‘Sure.'

But as the sun passed behind a cloud and Liza shivered in a gust off Port Phillip Bay, she wondered if her sudden chill had more to do with Wade's obvious disapproval at her reticence than the fickle spring weather.