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advantage, adding a few moans and groans that would have made any Hollywood actress proud.
    Her date turned and skated back to her. “Are you all right?”
    “ No,” she gasped. “I twisted my ankle.”
    He knelt down beside her with a worried frown and began untying her skate. “Let’s get this off and have a look.”
    She didn’t want his hands on her, but she wanted out of their date more. So she sat holding her breath while Cornelius removed her skate and examined her ‘injured’ ankle.
    “It doesn’t appear to be swelling...”
    “Uh, well, I’m lucky that way. I come from a long line of non-swellers.”
    He looked up at her questioningly.
    “Good genetics,” she explained with a sweet smile. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I just need to go home and prop it up for a while.”
    “Good genetics or not, I wouldn’t feel right just taking you home without having your ankle checked out first.”
    And that was that. Cornelius helped her back to his car and then grabbed her purse from the trunk, handing it to her.
    That’s what she got for being such a good actress. She’d been so convincing that her date made a bee -line for the emergency room at Riverside Methodist Hospital.
    “Wait here,” he said as they pulled up to the emergency room curb. “I’ll go in and get a wheelchair.”
    The second he disappeared through the emergency room doors, She snatched her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Nanci.
    “Hello?”
    “My mother is soooo dead.”
    “Kelsie?”
    “Yes.”
    “Where are you?”
    She glanced toward the emergency room’s entrance with a frown. “I’m at Riverside Methodist.”
    Her friend gasped. “As in hospital?”
    “Yes.”
    “Oh my God, you really did break a leg!”
    “No. I pretended to sprain my ankle to end the date early. Only Cornelius insisted on bringing me here instead. Now what do I do?”
    “Looks like the only thing you can do is keep on pretending.”
    “Damn, here he comes with a wheelchair. I’ve got to go.”
    “Good luck!” her friend called out as Kelsie snapped the phone shut and shoved it back into her purse.
    A second later, the passenger door opened and her date popped his head inside. “Need help getting out?”
    “No, I think I can manage.”
    She slung her purse over her shoulder and then scooted onto the wheelchair with a frown. Here she was, queen of date escapes, and she couldn’t think of any way to get out of this mess she’d gotten herself into. Other than the truth, which she wasn’t about to use and hurt Cornelius’ feelings.
    Thankfully the waiting room was packed, guaranteeing them a very long stay. Maybe, just maybe, her date would decide the wait wasn’t worth it and take her home like she’d asked.
    He didn’t.
    An hour later, she found herself thinking the truth might not be such a bad thing after all. They hadn’t known each other long enough to develop any real feelings for each other. How hard could he take it?
    “I have to tell you,” her date said, turning to face her. “I had my doubts, this being a blind date and all, but despite this little mishap I’ve really had a great time this evening. You’re everything your mother said you were.”
    Had her mother included liar in her list of qualities?
    This whole situation was her mother’s fault.
    “Kelsie?”
    She looked up, following the sound of that deep, husky, all too familiar voice. Sure enough, Nanci’s ‘calendar hunk’ from Casey’s Bar and Grill was making his way across the waiting room toward her. Only this time he was in full uniform and looking incredibly hot.
    “Cole?”

    She remembered his name. That kicked Cole’s pulse up a notch and he might very well have grinned with pleasure were he not concerned about why she was sitting in the emergency room in a wheelchair.
    “What happened?” he asked with a worried frown.
    The man seated next to her jumped into the conversation. “She twisted her ankle while we were rollerblading.”
    Cole