Читать книгу Nyc Angels & Gold Coast Angels Collection - Lynne Marshall - Страница 46

MOLLY WAS SECRETLY relieved that Josh’s father hadn’t decided to move his son’s care to another therapist. Remembering how she’d issued her ultimatum made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. Once again she’d allowed her redhead temper to get the better of her. Why on earth did Dan Morris bring out the worst in her?

She took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself for their upcoming appointment. If she was smart, she would have insisted Josh be assigned to someone else. Emotionally, it would be better for her, as the young boy was already wiggling his way into her heart. And once he didn’t need her anymore, he’d take a piece of her with him, leaving a tiny hole behind.

But somehow her instinct for self-preservation seemed to have abandoned her. Because it wasn’t just Josh she was beginning to care about.

His stern-faced father was even more intriguing.

Watching the two of them navigating their wheelchairs in the gym had given her a deep sense of satisfaction. The proud and hopeful expression on Dan’s face when Josh successfully transferred himself from the wheelchair to the therapy table and back again had been heartbreaking. It was clear how much he cared for his son. And she had to give Dan credit for keeping his promise. He hadn’t questioned her or interfered in her treatment plan in the past two days.

Today was Friday, their last session before the weekend. She had a surprise for Josh, and hoped his father wouldn’t revert back to his old ways. She’d learned as the week had progressed that Dan did better with structure rather than impulsiveness. Maybe that’s what made him such a good cardiothoracic surgeon.

That was too bad. She worked better by following her instincts. And today her instinct was to get outside and have some fun. Especially on this unseasonably warm day in early March. Why stay inside when the temperature was in the fifties and the sun was shining?

When she was paged by the front desk to let her know that Josh and his father had arrived, she picked up her jacket and the red plastic ball before heading out to the waiting room to greet them.

“Good morning, Josh, Dan.” Calling Josh’s father by his first name was getting easier. In fact, he was looking less and less like the strait-laced cardiothoracic surgeon who’d shown up here four days ago. Especially dressed in his well-worn jeans and Yankee sweatshirt that only enhanced his broad shoulders.

“Hi, Molly,” Josh greeted her enthusiastically from his wheelchair. “We’re ready for therapy, right, Dad?”

“Right,” Dan agreed with a rare smile. He looked surprisingly comfortable seated in the adult wheelchair alongside his son.

“I’m glad, especially as I have a surprise for both of you.” She fought a smile as Dan immediately tensed up. Heaven forbid she plan a surprise. “We’re going on a little field trip to Central Park!”

“We are?” Dan said with a frown. “That seems too far out of the way for an hour of therapy.”

“The patient who was scheduled to see me after Josh cancelled so we have two hours free. Most of the snow has melted and as it’s a beautiful day, we may as well enjoy the sunshine.” She could tell he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. “Come on, we’ll have fun.”

Dan opened his mouth as if to argue, but then closed it again without saying a word.

“Yippee!” Josh said with exuberance. “I love field trips!”

She grinned, relieved to see her patient was happy with the idea. And because Dan had promised not to question her motives, he couldn’t very well disagree.

She walked alongside Josh as he wheeled his chair back down the hall toward the elevator. Dan followed in his own wheelchair right behind them, and while he didn’t utter a single word of complaint, she could feel his displeasure radiating off him.

She sighed, hoping he wasn’t regretting their bargain, because if he switched therapists now, Josh would certainly suffer.

Thankfully, Josh kept up a steady stream of chatter as they made their way outside. The sun was warm, but the air still held a hint of coolness as winter slowly gave way to spring, perfect weather for Josh and Dan, who’d be exerting themselves in order to use their wheelchairs.

The park was just a couple of blocks down from the hospital so it didn’t take long to get there. The hardest part of the trip was navigating around the people crowding the sidewalks. Good ole New Yorkers, couldn’t move over to give two people in wheelchairs room to maneuver.

They reached the south end of the park and followed the sidewalk inside. “Okay, Josh, you have to find us a good place to play ball,” she instructed him.

“How about right over there?” he suggested a few minutes later, pointing to a relatively isolated grassy area.

“Perfect,” she murmured. “Do you need help going over the grass?”

“I can do it,” Josh said, his face intent as he exerted extra pressure to wheel himself over the bumpy terrain. Dan followed his son’s example, even though he remained unusually quiet.

She plopped down on a park bench and tossed the ball up in the air, enjoying the sun on her face as she caught it again. “Remember the game we played that first day you came into the office?” she asked, directing her question to Josh.

“Yeah,” Josh said, stopping his wheelchair not far from where she was seated. “Are we going to play catch again?”

“We are. But I want you and your dad to spread out a bit, so we’re like the three points of a triangle.”

Josh obediently moved his wheelchair back a foot. When she glanced over at Dan, he was doing the same thing.

“Excellent. Now, remember how we did it before, okay?” She tossed the ball high in the air toward Josh, who caught it easily.

“Good job, Josh,” Dan said, breaking his silence.

Josh flushed with pleasure and turned his chair so that he was facing his father, before he tossed the ball up in the air. Dan had to lean over the side of the chair a bit to catch the ball, but he managed just fine. He tossed it back up in the air toward Josh.

“Molly!” Josh called, mere seconds before the ball landed on her head and then bounced off erratically. She laughed and jumped up to race after the ball.

“Caught you napping, didn’t he?” Dan drawled, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

She grinned and nodded. “I can’t tell a lie, he certainly did.”

“Good thing you have a hard head,” he teased.

“Good thing.” Her smile widened. She could hardly believe he’d made a joke. “I bet yours is harder,” she goaded as she quickly tossed the ball at him.

She’d used a little too much force, though, and the ball caught the wind, veering off to the left, out of his reach. But that didn’t stop him from stretching up and over the side of the chair in a valiant attempt to reach it.

And suddenly the wheelchair tipped sideways, dumping him onto the ground.

“Dan!” she said.

At the same time Josh yelled, “Daddy!”

She rushed over to his side. “Oh, my gosh, are you all right?” she asked anxiously.

“Fine,” he muttered, his cheeks stained red with embarrassment.

“Tell me where it hurts,” she murmured, pulling the chair out of the way.

He groaned and rolled onto his back, staring up at her. “Mostly hit my shoulder, but I’m fine.”

“Let me see.” She leaned over him, running her fingers up his muscled arm to his shoulder. Thankfully there was no bump or obvious injury that she could feel. But when she looked down at him, their faces were so close she shivered from the intensity of his gaze.

Time hung suspended between them as he reached up and cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand. For a moment she completely forgot that Dan was a cardiothoracic surgeon. And a single father.

She leaned into his caress, catching her breath at the way his thumb slid across her cheek.

“Daddy!” Josh’s cry broke the moment and she quickly pulled away from Dan, glancing up at his son.

“Don’t worry, Josh, he’s fine,” she assured him, trying to calm her own racing heart.

What was wrong with her? What was she thinking? Getting close to her patient and, worse, to his father would be nothing more than a detour to disaster.

A path she couldn’t afford to take.

Dan chided himself for thinking about what Molly would taste like if he dared to kiss her.

He must have fried a few brain cells in the sun to even contemplate such a thing. But that moment she’d leaned over him, her expression so full of care and concern, had made him ache to touch her. To hold her.

To kiss her.

And the way she’d pressed her cheek into the palm of his hand made him think that the attraction wasn’t one-sided. In fact, he’d noticed her eyes had darkened with the same desire that shimmered through him.

It had been so long since he’d felt anything remotely like it that he wondered if he’d dreamed up the flash of desire?

“Do you need help?” she asked, reaching down as if to help him up.

“I’ll get there by myself,” he said, more gruffly than he’d intended. She snatched her hand back and then moved closer to Josh. For a moment he sat on the ground, trying to figure out how he’d get back into the wheelchair if he truly couldn’t use his legs.

He prided himself on getting to the gym whenever possible between surgeries, but to lever himself up off the ground using only his arm strength to get back into the dreaded wheelchair was more than he could manage.

Feeling like a wimp, he gave up the pretense. He rose to his feet and plopped back into his chair. Seeing Josh’s concerned gaze made him feel even worse, because for a few minutes there he hadn’t thought about Josh at all.

Just Molly. Pretty, cheerful, stubborn Molly.

“Hey, don’t worry, Josh. I’m not hurt a bit.” He wheeled himself closer to his son. “Make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did, okay?”

“Okay.” Josh’s worried expression eased.

Dan risked a glance at Molly, and immediately felt bad when he noted the tiny frown puckering her brow. He hated knowing that he was the source of the frown. Especially when she was always so cheerful.

Just another reason for him to keep his distance. He wasn’t ready to get involved in a relationship. Clearly, after what happened with Suzy he didn’t even know how to function in a true relationship. He’d forever remember the accusations Suzy had hurled at him when she’d walked out. She’d called him cold and heartless, blaming him for everything that had gone wrong in their marriage.

Molly deserved better than someone like him.

He wasn’t stupid enough to believe the failure was all his fault, but unfortunately he knew much of what she’d said was true. He did work long hours. His patients did often come first.

He hadn’t always been there for her. For Josh. Especially in those first difficult months after Josh’s birth. And later, once the lure of spending his money had worn off, she’d moved on to someone else.

Pushing the dark memories aside wasn’t easy, but dwelling on the past wasn’t going to help. He needed to focus on the present. On Josh.

He was relieved when the tenseness between him and Molly faded as the morning went on. They sat on the grass and played the game Molly called kick the ball, and he was encouraged by how well Josh was doing even after just four days of therapy.

Josh was able to move his legs from side to side, kicking the ball from one foot to the other, something that he hadn’t been able to do earlier in the week. A huge accomplishment, one that he knew he owed to Molly and her unorthodox approach to therapy.

Just another reason he needed to maintain a professional relationship with Molly. He refused to give her a reason to switch Josh to another therapist.

His son needed Molly, far more than he did.

Watching Molly’s slim figure as she chased after the ball made his gut clench with awareness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with a woman. Too long. Maybe that’s why he’d overreacted to the pressure of her hands against his shoulder. Any woman would probably have inspired the same response.

When the next ball Josh sent in her direction bounced up and hit her on the nose, she laughed, and he couldn’t help smiling at the light, musical sound.

Who was he kidding? He hadn’t been this acutely aware of a woman since well before Josh had been born.

“I think we’ll have to head back,” Molly said with obvious regret as she set the red ball aside. “I have another patient scheduled at eleven.”

“No-o-o,” Josh wailed, his previous good humor vanishing in a flash. He pounded his fist on the padded arm of the wheelchair. “I don’t wanna go.”

Dan empathized with his son, feeling the same sense of regret at knowing their time together was over. The reminder that this had been nothing more than a job for Molly was like a cold slap to the face.

“We’ll come back again soon, Josh,” Molly said as she crossed over and put her arm around Josh’s thin shoulders, giving him a reassuring hug. “We sure had fun today, didn’t we?”

Josh buried his face into her side and nodded.

“We don’t have to leave yet, Josh,” Dan found himself saying. Molly swung toward him, her face registering surprise, and he hastily clarified, “I know you have other patients to see, but there’s no reason we can’t stay longer.”

“Oh, no, of course not.” Was he imagining the flash of disappointment in her eyes? He must have been because now she sounded downright happy. “Would you like that, Josh?” she asked with a smile. “Wouldn’t it be great to stay here longer with your dad?”

His son clutched at Molly and shook his head, sending a spear of disappointment straight through his heart.

Molly looked surprised and upset by his son’s response but the last thing he wanted or needed was her pity. “It’s okay, Josh. I’m sure you’re tired, so maybe it’s just better if we head home. Mitch will be coming over after lunch anyway.”

Josh still didn’t respond, so Molly spoke up, filling the abrupt silence. “Sounds good, then. Let’s go.” Molly gently eased away from Josh and smiled, even though he could tell she was troubled. As they headed out of the park her pager went off.

“Are we late?” Dan asked, mindful of the fact that her next patient could already be there, waiting for her back at the hospital.

“No, it’s not that,” she said slowly. “Apparently my eleven o’clock patient cancelled, too.”

He shouldn’t have been relieved by the news but he was. “Do your patients cancel a lot?” he asked, perplexed. “I mean, two in a row seems a bit much.”

She grimaced and nodded. “Actually, this happens more than you’d think. Especially on days like today, when it’s nice out. Or on bad-weather days. Or days close to the holidays …” Her voice trailed off and she shrugged. “Hey, it’s part of the business. Some people just don’t think physical therapy is important. But the good news is that now we don’t have to hurry back.”

“Did you hear that, Josh? We can stay another hour.”

The way Josh brightened at the news that they could stay longer only reinforced the fact that he wasn’t feeling too tired after all.

Josh just hadn’t wanted to stay without Molly.

And, heaven help him, he couldn’t blame his son. Not when he felt exactly the same way.

Molly shouldn’t deny the wave of relief she felt that she didn’t have to return to the hospital just yet. Being outside was glorious, but she knew it was more than that.

Josh and Dan were getting to her. She knew they needed this time together just as much, if not more so, than Josh needed his physical therapy.

“Daddy, can we have hot dogs?” Josh asked excitedly, when a hot dog vendor pushed his cart into view. “I’m hungry!”

“Why not?” Dan said with a smile. “I’m hungry too.”

“I’ll race you over there,” Josh challenged, wheeling himself quickly along the path.

“You’re on,” Dan shouted, taking off after his son.

Molly laughed when Josh reached the hot dog stand first and then raised his hands over his head in a gesture of victory when he beat his father. She suspected Dan had let him win, and couldn’t deny the warm glow she felt seeing them interact together.

Not for the first time she wondered what had happened to Josh’s mother. Not that it was any of her business but, still, she couldn’t imagine a woman giving up her husband and her son.

Her entire family.

For a moment her smile dimmed, but just then Dan turned and called over to her. “Molly, are you up for a hot dog, too?”

“Sure,” she agreed, striding over. She couldn’t explain why, but she was suddenly ravenously hungry.

“My treat,” Dan said gruffly, when she pulled money out of her pocket. She stared at him with indecision until he added, “Please? It’s the least I can do.”

“All right,” she agreed, shoving the money back into her pocket. She took the hot dog and loaded it up with ketchup and mustard, before following Dan and Josh over to the closest picnic table.

As they enjoyed the impromptu meal, she couldn’t help noticing that the three of them looked just like any other family enjoying a day at the park.

But of course this wasn’t a date. It was therapy.

No matter how much she wanted to pretend otherwise, Josh and Dan did not belong to her. They weren’t her family.

She needed to remember that as soon as Josh was able, they’d both walk away.