Damn. She was the perfect friend for him. With her riding shotgun, he could even try to have a social life, which had always been so laborious for him that he’d given up on it. For years, he’d stripped all the social activities from his routine. No church events. No going to a night spot to hang out. He even avoided simple things like sidewalk markets, school festivals, and town hall meetings. Everywhere he went, people wanted to talk to him. He appreciated that and knew they accepted him as a member of their community, but they were pretty much clueless about how to talk with him. For him, going to a farmers market was like trying to shop where nobody spoke English. If he asked a question, people often turned their heads as they answered it. He didn’t get angry about that, but it sure did thwart his efforts to be part of this town.

As his friend, Erin could open doors for him into the heart of Mystic Creek. Only how could he ever make a mere friendship with her work? Being around her made him want so many things, foremost in his mind right now a goodnight kiss. And more. If he were smart, he’d run like hell. Only he had all these feelings he didn’t know what to do with. Tonight, she’d shown him how good life could be if he had the right person at his side, and he wouldn’t be human if he didn’t want more of that. He’d also seen the expressions on her face as she talked about her youth and her father and the mother who never intervened to make her childhood more tolerable. She truly did need a friend, and so did he. Only not just any old person would do for him. He needed someone just like Erin, a person who really understood what it was like to be deaf.

Troubled by his thoughts and overwhelming physical desires, he pulled off to park in the town center and strode across the one-lane circle to the artsy water feature. He stood with his knees pressed against the rough edge of the fountain bench and stared into the swirling water. A light mist touched his face. The bottom of the manmade pond was swimming-pool blue and carpeted with coins. Copper pennies shimmered among metallic nickels, dimes, and quarters. He even saw a few silver dollars, which led him to wonder who had been foolish enough to throw away good money to make a wish that would never come true. Someone like him, he guessed. Somebody who had wanted to move forward with his life and didn’t know how. Someone who had not only come to accept his circumstances but had learned to feel happy about them, only to find himself suddenly feeling dissatisfied and yearning for things he might never be able to have.