Free Colorado Christmas by C. C. Coburn

little kid and Sasha were giving him a chance to escape. So he took it, moving as fast he could across the road to the safety of the rec center before Johnny could push the little kid off and come after him.
    Now, as he sat waiting for his therapy session, he felt cowardly for running away. He should’ve stayed and helped the girls—although he had no idea what help he would’ve been. They sure were brave. And the little one was really tough! He’d have to find them at school tomorrow and thank them.
    He wouldn’t tell his mom what had happened, otherwise she’d march right up to school and demand Johnny be punished. And then Johnny would punish him!
    Nicolas had learned his lesson—keep quiet and pretend everything was all right, rather than speak up and make more trouble for himself.
     
    W ILL STROLLED INTO the Spruce Lake Recreation Center. Situated on the lakefront and across the street from the elementary school, it was an impressive indoor complex that served the county and consisted of a twenty-five-meter pool, hot tubs, a sauna, steam room, exercise facilities and squash courts. Ahydrotherapy pool was separated from the main pool by full-length glass paneling.
    Will waved at Jessie Sullivan, an old school friend and now a physical therapist, as she worked with a client in the hydro pool.
    Since he couldn’t even think about going skiing without provoking a panic attack, he’d decided that swimming would be the next best exercise. He dived in and concentrated on powering up and down the pool, lap after lap. By the start of the fifteenth lap, he was feeling the effects of the high altitude and lack of oxygen.
    Cruising to a stop at the shallow end, Will lifted his head to catch his breath and found a pair of legs three inches from his nose. They were kid’s legs and were encased in braces below the knees. Will glanced up and was met by appraising blue eyes.
    “Hi. You’re a good swimmer,” the kid said.
    “Thanks.” Will caught his breath. Didn’t want the kid thinking he wasn’t fit. “Coming in?”
    “I’m not allowed to swim in this pool.”
    Will looked from side to side. “Who says?” he asked and raised his fists. “I’ll show ’em!”
    The kid laughed. “You’re funny.”
    “Why aren’t you allowed in this pool?”
    He made a face and said, “Mom says it’s too dangerous. I’m only supposed to go in the hydro pool with Jessie. I do therapy with her.”
    That would explain the leg braces. “Jessie’s a good therapist. Is she teaching you to swim?”
    “Nah. We just do boring stuff. I’m not strong enough to swim freestyle.”
    The kid gazed longingly at the other swimmers as they did laps up and down the pool at a more leisurely—and more sensible—pace than Will had.
    He sensed a vulnerability in the child and a yearning as he watched the swimmers. For Will, learning to swim had come as easily as breathing, but life had thrown this kid a curveball. “I’ll teach you to swim if you want to give it a try,” he said.
    The kid’s eyes lit up. “You mean it? Wow! You really mean it?”
    Will admired his enthusiasm. “Sure. What’s your name?”
    “Nicolas.” He thrust out his hand.
    Will hauled himself out of the pool and shook the kid’s hand. He was a cute kid. Red hair, freckles…leg braces.
    Nicolas stared up at him. “You’re real tall.”
    Will grabbed his towel and wiped the water from his face. “Nah, only about six-two. You’ll be tall one day.”
    The kid gestured down at his leg braces. “I dunno.”
    “Swimmers are usually tall,” Will said, not knowing if this was true, but it might cheer the boy up.
    “Really? I want to be tall. And swim in a race,” he said.
    “If you wish for something hard enough, it’ll come true,” Will told him, thinking the kid might well end up learning to swim.
    “I wish I had a dad.” As if realizing that wasn’t possible, the kid said, “I wish I could get a dog for Christmas.”
    Hell! Leg braces and no father.