Patricia Thayer - A Colorado Family

His attention switched to her small hands as she dropped the tea bags into the cups. He recalled the feeling of those strong fingers against his sore muscles.

Her voice drew him back as she continued. “The pill is only effective for four hours. Weigh that against better results during therapy.”

“What are you, a spokesman for the pharmaceutical company?”

“Just your therapist. You hired me for my guidance and abilities, so use them.”

“How do you know I wasn’t working hard?”

“Because I can see you tense and grimace during your workouts.”

“Dang, woman, you’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Not as long as you’re being so stubborn.” She opened the bottle, shook out one pill and placed it in front of him.

The kettle whistled and she filled both their mugs, then sat down across from him again. She sent him a challenging look that caused a reaction he hadn’t felt in a long time. He glanced away, then tossed the pill into his mouth. He reached for the bottle of water and took a drink.

She smiled. “Good. I like my men cooperative.” She brought the cup to her mouth and took a tentative sip.

“It’s good that I’m still in that classification.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Are we feeling a little emasculated?”

He looked away. “More like helpless.”

“Considering the severity of your accident, you are a very lucky man. Not all are so fortunate, so don’t go feeling sorry for yourself, cowboy, or I’m walking out the door. And that’s another thing. One day, you will walk again. You might have a limp, but you’ll be able to stand on your own two legs. So stop with the pitiful act.”

Her words stung. “We signed a contract.”

“You forgot to read the fine print, Mr. Brannigan. I only work with patients who give one hundred percent.” Tears welled in her eyes. “You need to count your blessings. Not everyone gets a second chance. Excuse me.” She got up and left the room before he could speak.

He heard the bathroom door close. Oh, boy. He needed to learn when to keep his mouth shut, or he was going to lose this woman. He just realized he’d be losing more than a therapist.

* * *

ERIN LOOKED AT herself in the bathroom mirror. What was wrong with her, acting like a fool with Austin? She couldn’t even blame it on last night with Hattie or the flat tire this morning. The problem was she needed to do a better job of handling her reaction to the man. That meant to think of him only as her client, a client who was paying her very well so she could have her dream.

She splashed cold water on her face, washing away any makeup left, but she wasn’t going to take the time to reapply it. Good—a billion freckles should scare him off.

There was a soft knock on the door. “Erin...is everything okay?”

She released a long breath and opened the door to find Austin standing there with his walker.

“First, I need to apologize,” she said. “I acted very unprofessional. I could say I had a rough night and morning, but that’s still no excuse.” She stole a glance at the too-sexy cowboy. “Truth is, Austin, I won’t coddle my clients. If you want a babysitter, then I’m not the person for the job. I’m the person who’s going to work you hard in every session. It’s what your doctor ordered for your recovery. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy when you started. So if we’re not on the same page, I’ll tear up our contract and leave.”

“Damn, woman. You’re tough.” He grinned. “I like that, but that doesn’t mean I won’t complain. Hell, I’m paying you enough I should be able to bellyache now and then. So unless you need to yell at me some more, let’s get started.”

She felt relieved. “No, I don’t want to yell right this minute, but I’ll let you know. Come on—time to get to work.” She walked out into the hall, then into the therapy room and waited until Austin got to the weight bench. She set the walker aside, then knelt down to remove the cast. She pulled down the protective sock and examined the wide, puckered scar.

“The incision has healed nicely.”

“Still off-putting, especially to women.”

Was he thinking about the women he wanted sex with? Of course, he was young and healthy, and had been without a woman for a while. She didn’t doubt that was a long time for the handsome bull rider. That made her think about her own sorry sex life. It had been nonexistent for years. Now all she needed to think about was a baby. Her baby.

She looked at Austin. “Some people might be, but if they care about you it shouldn’t matter.” She shrugged. “As a woman...it wouldn’t bother me, that is...if I cared about the man.” She glanced away when his gaze got too intense. “I mean, my husband had taken shrapnel in his leg, and it tore both the calf and thigh muscles.” She quickly changed the subject back to him. “You’ve lost some muscle, so it will look a little different than your other leg. And since you live in boots and jeans, I don’t see the problem.”

That was enough questions. She stood, tied her shirttails into a knot at her waist. “We should get started while your meds are working.”

The next hour passed quickly as she had him work with leg weights, then moved on to resistance training. He grunted and groaned as he did the up-and-down motions she instructed him to do.

Finally, she called a halt to the exercise and handed him an ice pack to put on his leg. “Since you worked so hard, I have a treat for you.” She raised her hand. “Take off your shirt. I’ll be right back.”

Austin did as she’d instructed. What kind of torture was she about to think up now?

He didn’t have to wait long. She returned carrying a folded table with a handle. She set it down on the floor, then pulled open the legs and sat it up. “This should help release some tension in your neck and shoulders.”

She left, then returned with a sheet and towels. “How do you feel about a massage?” She spread a sheet on the table.

“I think I can be convinced.” He got up on his good leg, and with two hops he was on the table, lying facedown. He laid his head on his folded arms.

She arranged the ice pack under his injured calf, and then she began to work her magic. First he felt the oil dribble on his back, then her hands. Oh, God. Her hands. He groaned as she moved those incredible fingers over his tight muscles. He tried to will himself to relax, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.

“Okay, I’m begging you, never stop what you’re doing.”

“I’m glad you like it. Just part of the service when you work hard.” He could hear the humor in her voice. “And you gave me a lot of effort today.”

He felt her fingers move across his shoulders, down his back, then his spine. He shivered as those fingers dug into his waist. Whoa, what kind of magic was she working?

“How does that feel?”

“Heavenly.”

Her hands continued their journey over his gym shorts to his thighs. Okay, his relaxation just turned to stimulation as her fingers dug into his muscles at the tops of his thighs, then slowly worked their way down to his knees. It was pure agony and getting even more uncomfortable, possibly embarrassing.

All at once, she stopped, then placed a warm blanket over him. “Rest. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” She left the room, leaving him aroused and aching. He turned his thoughts to all the different ways he could return the favor.

* * *

LATER THAT DAY Austin wandered around the quiet house. He’d managed to convince Erin to stay and nap in the back bedroom. He knew she’d had a rough shift the night before, and he wanted her to get as much sleep as possible.

He sat down on the sofa and began surfing the channels on the flat-screen television. He needed to forget about the woman tucked into bed at the end of the hall. This time she hadn’t borrowed one of his T-shirts. Did that mean she wasn’t wearing anything?