Free The Winter of Candy Canes (A Sweet Seasons Novel) by Debbie Viguié Page B

She handed Candace's mom a small bottle of pain killers. “She can have one of these every six hours … no more.” Next she handed Candace's mom the crutches.
    “Well, let's get you home,” her mom said.
    Josh grabbed the handles on the back of the wheelchair. “Lead the way,” he told her mom.
    They exited the nurse's station, and Candace was shocked to find dozens of referees outside. When they saw her, they began to clap and cheer.
    “What's going on?” Candace asked.
    “It's already spreading around the park how you sacrificed your own body to save the presents,” Josh said.
    “I'm not sure it happened exactly like that,” she said.
    “Just wait, by tomorrow you'll have saved Santa Claus and Christmas,” he joked.
    She had to laugh. “What am I? The center of all urban legends that surround The Zone?”
    “It would seem so,” her mother said. “All morning referees have been asking me if I'm the mother of Candy who was trapped in the park with a psycho killer over the summer.”
    Candace shook her head, but the action made her even dizzier.
    “Wave to your fans,” Josh said.
    She waved and smiled lopsidedly, and everyone cheered louder. Several fell in behind them and walked with them across the park.
    “I feel like I'm in a parade,” her mom said.
    “Welcome to The Zone, where anything can and will happen,” Candace said.
    Everyone they passed — even players — cheered and waved at her, although Candace was sure none of them knew why. She just kept waving back with her good arm. Even through the pain medication, she could feel the throbbing in the shoulder that had hit the ground.
    At last they rolled off field and were soon at her mom's car. After a brief discussion, her mom and Josh decided it would be better if she rode home in the backseat so that she could put her leg straight out. Her mom opened the back door on the driver's side, and Josh helped her stand up and swivel around until she could sit on the seat. She then used her good foot and arm to push and drag herself backward until her back was against the far door and her legs were stretched out. Her mom came around the other side and helped her fasten the seat belt.
    They closed the doors, and Candace leaned her head back against the window and sighed. What a mess. She didn't know why this had happened to her.
God
,
I have no idea what you're saying with this
,
but it better not have anything to do with Winter Formal.
    Josh and her mom were talking about something, but Candace was too tired to try and hear what it was. Finally her mom got in the car.
    “You okay back there?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Let's get you home.”
    Candace dozed off. She woke up when her mom parked in their driveway. She wondered how she was going to find the strength to get herself back out of the car without hurting her leg or her shoulder.
    Her father came out, though, as soon as the car was parked. Apparently, her mom had called him sometime during the drive.
    He opened the back door and said, “Put your good arm around my neck.”
    She did, and he put an arm around her back and another under her legs and half dragged – half lifted her out of the car. Once she was free, she expected him to put her down, but instead he carried her into the house and set her on the couch.
    A moment later her mom followed with the crutches, which she placed nearby before positioning pillows to make Candace comfortable. “Would you rather go to bed?” she asked.
    Candace shook her head. “I'd like to watch some Christmas movies,” she said.
    Neither of her parents seemed surprised. Her dad started the Albert Finney version of
A Christmas Carol
for her, and then her parents moved into the kitchen to talk. Candace struggled for a few minutes to stay awake but finally drifted off.
    Pain woke her up just after four o'clock. After helping her manage a bathroom run, her mom gave her some stew and then let her take another pain killer. When the pain began to ease, Candace thought