new client was. It was disturbing on so many levels and very much unlike her.
“So what’s the verdict?” Wyatt asked finally when it looked like he wasn’t going to speak. Amanda had clammed up after he’d almost crushed her—and what was with him? He’d found himself almost drowning in her eyes when he’d looked down at her. He’d forgotten himself for a minute. But he wouldn’t have lost his balance if his hip hadn’t seized up on him. That was all it took to remind him Amanda was going to help him walk again. And that was the only thing he needed to be thinking about where she was concerned.
Only problem he found with that line of thinking: doing it. Not easy with her poking and prodding his shoulder with gentle, efficient fingers. Twelve years.
Their age difference wouldn’t have seemed so vast a difference before the plane crash. But right now, it was generations. He’d never been one to date women more than a couple of years younger than him. He’d always found women his own age to be more in touch with life as he enjoyed it.
“Lift your arm, please,” she asked, breaking the silence. Holding her hand out, she waited for him to do as she asked.
He raised his arm but couldn’t get it as high as her hand, which was about midway between his elbow and shoulder.
“Fine. On a scale of one to ten, what’s the pain?”
“About a seven,” he managed.
“On the conservative side?” she asked with a knowing look. One that said she knew exactly how bad he hurt.
He nodded, letting her know she was right as he let his arm down. His shoulder throbbed.
After a few more questions and then some evaluation of his hip and back she finally moved away, giving him some much-needed space. The woman was all business and he liked the way she worked. Her serious expression belied her attractiveness as she asked questions and jotted notes. Impressive.
“Just as I’d thought from reviewing your charts,” she said. “We’ll start with some simple, isolation exercises to help the rotator cuff. It will show steady improvement as we go and you really shouldn’t need that sling for long. The doctors put you in it just so you wouldn’t strain it any more before we could get started working. That might help you sleep better.”
He rubbed his jaw. His shoulder wasn’t what was keeping him awake at night or pushing him to find ways to keep his mind occupied. Bad dreams were doing a bang-up job of that all on their own. “That’d be good,” he said, and though he knew it wasn’t going to help him sleep, he was ready to ditch the sling and not put it back on. “You can burn it right now and I won’t complain.”
She smiled and her doe eyes twinkled. “I’ll give you that honor if you’d like. You just have to promise me you won’t overuse your arm or I’ll have to make you wear the sling again.”
“Scout’s honor I’ll behave.”
“Good. With the hip and back it’ll take more time, but the good news is you’ll be up and out of that chair in less than two weeks. Then the real work will begin. You have nothing to be worried about, though, you will mend.”
He let her words sink in. The doctors had said the same thing, but he hadn’t believed them. Not with the pain he was experiencing. “You’re sure?” He felt vulnerable voicing the question but the fact that Amanda had been through what she’d been through made him pretty sure she understood his hesitancy in believing.
Amanda crossed her arms, leaned her head to the side and gave him an assuring look. “I’m sure. You just have to give it your all. That hip is going to complain, but I’ll help with those spasms and every day it will get better.”
Only time would tell whether his putting his trust in Amanda was well-founded—but he did feel encouraged. And that was a good feeling. “Then let’s get busy. Results are what I’m interested in. I’d like to make that two into one.”
“Realistically, I don’t see that
“So what’s the verdict?” Wyatt asked finally when it looked like he wasn’t going to speak. Amanda had clammed up after he’d almost crushed her—and what was with him? He’d found himself almost drowning in her eyes when he’d looked down at her. He’d forgotten himself for a minute. But he wouldn’t have lost his balance if his hip hadn’t seized up on him. That was all it took to remind him Amanda was going to help him walk again. And that was the only thing he needed to be thinking about where she was concerned.
Only problem he found with that line of thinking: doing it. Not easy with her poking and prodding his shoulder with gentle, efficient fingers. Twelve years.
Their age difference wouldn’t have seemed so vast a difference before the plane crash. But right now, it was generations. He’d never been one to date women more than a couple of years younger than him. He’d always found women his own age to be more in touch with life as he enjoyed it.
“Lift your arm, please,” she asked, breaking the silence. Holding her hand out, she waited for him to do as she asked.
He raised his arm but couldn’t get it as high as her hand, which was about midway between his elbow and shoulder.
“Fine. On a scale of one to ten, what’s the pain?”
“About a seven,” he managed.
“On the conservative side?” she asked with a knowing look. One that said she knew exactly how bad he hurt.
He nodded, letting her know she was right as he let his arm down. His shoulder throbbed.
After a few more questions and then some evaluation of his hip and back she finally moved away, giving him some much-needed space. The woman was all business and he liked the way she worked. Her serious expression belied her attractiveness as she asked questions and jotted notes. Impressive.
“Just as I’d thought from reviewing your charts,” she said. “We’ll start with some simple, isolation exercises to help the rotator cuff. It will show steady improvement as we go and you really shouldn’t need that sling for long. The doctors put you in it just so you wouldn’t strain it any more before we could get started working. That might help you sleep better.”
He rubbed his jaw. His shoulder wasn’t what was keeping him awake at night or pushing him to find ways to keep his mind occupied. Bad dreams were doing a bang-up job of that all on their own. “That’d be good,” he said, and though he knew it wasn’t going to help him sleep, he was ready to ditch the sling and not put it back on. “You can burn it right now and I won’t complain.”
She smiled and her doe eyes twinkled. “I’ll give you that honor if you’d like. You just have to promise me you won’t overuse your arm or I’ll have to make you wear the sling again.”
“Scout’s honor I’ll behave.”
“Good. With the hip and back it’ll take more time, but the good news is you’ll be up and out of that chair in less than two weeks. Then the real work will begin. You have nothing to be worried about, though, you will mend.”
He let her words sink in. The doctors had said the same thing, but he hadn’t believed them. Not with the pain he was experiencing. “You’re sure?” He felt vulnerable voicing the question but the fact that Amanda had been through what she’d been through made him pretty sure she understood his hesitancy in believing.
Amanda crossed her arms, leaned her head to the side and gave him an assuring look. “I’m sure. You just have to give it your all. That hip is going to complain, but I’ll help with those spasms and every day it will get better.”
Only time would tell whether his putting his trust in Amanda was well-founded—but he did feel encouraged. And that was a good feeling. “Then let’s get busy. Results are what I’m interested in. I’d like to make that two into one.”
“Realistically, I don’t see that
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