“You’re lucky to have the support of your family and friends. It’s too easy in this overwhelmed system to fall through the cracks. A strong support system is a key component for a successful recovery and rehabilitation.”
Easy for her to say. That just wasn’t the way it worked all the time. Sometimes even with support, the pain and the mind games made isolation the easiest thing to reach for. Partly because no matter how much Greer loved her and had wanted to help a month ago, there were things she couldn’t understand, and things Delaney couldn’t explain because it would have meant unpacking an experience she wasn’t ready for.
Not then. Not during the first loops of her downward spiral. But now? Yeah. She was ready to try again now. And hopefully ready to handle what she’d been hiding from. The reality of what had happened in Afghanistan. And the reality of her life now. Her new normal, not that she’d ever been normal before.
Deep down inside, there was this voice—her father’s voice—telling her she wasn’t worth all this effort. That if she’d never been born, life would have been easier for everyone. Dammit. She wanted to carve his voice out of her head, exorcize every vestige of him from her soul because long after he’d died, especially in her weakest moments, his voice burned through her mind as insidiously and destructively as molten lava.
She shook her head, needing to get far away from that train of thought. That way really was like falling down another bottomless rabbit hole. No. Today she would begin to prove the damn man wrong.
“Yes. I’m incredibly lucky. I can honestly say I’m here today because of them. I’m ready to make another run at this.”
“Wonderful. Then let’s get started.” Dr. Harris pushed her eyeglasses up the bridge of her nose with her index finger. She picked an iPad up from her desk, tapping the screen a few times to access a program before handing it across the desk to her. “Someone wanted to talk to you before we got going.”
And before she could even guess who the FaceTime call was connecting to, she was looking into the smiling face of Dr. Evans. She lost it, bursting into a sobbing, hiccupping snot-nosed mess. Dr. Harris slid a box of tissues onto her lap.
“I know I’m no George Clooney, but come on, Captain Lyons.”
“No. I’m sorry.” She pulled herself together, wiped her nose with a tissue, and swiped across her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “I’m just shocked and embarrassed and happy to see you. And I need to hit you up for a favor.”
Two more heads popped into view over Dr. Evans’s shoulder, hands waving frantically. Dr. Lewis, her prosthetist, and her favorite PT aide, Sergeant Carl. “Hello, Captain Lyons!”
“Delaney! Knew you’d be back!”
“Delaney, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. You had a setback, and now you’re back. Name the favor. It’s yours.”
“I’ve started running. Sort of. And I wanted to talk to you about a prosthesis for it.”
“Called it,” Dr. Evans said, and all three of them high-fived each other. The screen zoomed in on his face. “You just won me twenty bucks.”
She laughed. “What was the bet for this time?”
“Dr. Harris, if you’d do the honors, please? Go look, Delaney. We’ll wait.”
Dr. Harris lifted two cases from next to her desk and placed them side by side on the patient exam table behind her. Delaney walked over, taking the iPad with her, watching the doctor open first one then the second case.
Her new prosthetic foot rested in one case. She reached out a hand, gliding along the ankle joint and up the shin. So much nicer than her temporary limb. Here’s hoping the fit wasn’t too messed up with her month-long sabbatical. Her attention snagged on the second case, and she had to hold on to the table when the emotion hit her.
Because sitting in the second case was a second prosthesis . . . a sleek, sexy, state-of-the-art running blade. She ran a shaking hand over the cool metal before looking back into the iPad. “What? How did you—I don’t understand.”
Dr. Evans grinned. “Dr. Lewis and I had a bet about how fast you’d be up and running. I mean, I’m sorry about what you’ve been through the last month, but”—he waggled his eyebrows—“today’s a great day. You’re back in the game and I’m twenty bucks richer.”
“You had a bet on when I’d be running?” All this time, during her months of self-doubt when the black clouds of angsty failure rolled through her days—they’d believed in her. She wanted to hug them till it hurt.
“Hell, you were in peak athletic shape when you got hurt and you’re a bloody animal when it comes to competition and challenge. Those first six months of rehab? You blew us all away with your progress and work ethic.”
She shook her head as the yin and yang of excitement and fear tugged at her. “Well, y’all knew me better than I knew myself. I’d never have predicted it three months ago.”
“We’re damn glad to see you back, Captain,” Dr. Evans said. “We’ll be in touch.”
The FaceTime call closed out. Delaney handed the iPad back to Dr. Harris and sat back in her seat in a daze. “Wow. That was unexpected . . . and nice. Really, really nice.”
Dr. Harris grinned. “Okay, Captain Lyons, let’s get to work. I’ll step out so you can put a gown on, then we’ll run you through your new rehab team. Dr. Graves, the prosthetist, will join me for the exam and fitting, then we’ll hit up physical therapy to check your gait on your new device. If all goes well, you can try the running blade on the treadmill too. And then we’ll wrap up with a discussion on where you’re at for medication and therapy. You think you can handle all that?”
“I’m sure going to try.”
* * *
“Did I mention I hate hospitals?” Delaney sat slumped in the passenger seat of Greer’s car for their return trip to Climax.
“Actually, you did. You snarled it a few times on the drive this morning.” Greer turned a quick glance on her before focusing on the road in front of her. “Many people do, except you’re a nurse.”
“I used to be. I was pretty good too.” She leaned over and changed the radio station from George Strait to AC/DC. “It feels like someone else’s life now.”
“I hear you, but I still remember standing next to your bed your first night stateside.” A visible shudder ran through her. “Does it help a little to think about how far you’ve come since then?”
“I guess.” Not at all. Patience had never been her superpower.
“How did today go?”
“Pretty good, actually.” Her lips tilted up at the corners. “There might be hope for me yet.”
“Nobody who knows you would ever give up on you. Did Dr. Harris talk to you about therapy or pain meds?” Greer reached over and punched the radio back to country.
“No to therapy.” She held her hand up to head her sister off when she opened her mouth. “I’m still not ready for that. Yes to a very mild pain medication and even a prescription for sleeping pills. I told her about the panic attack, but we decided to wait. We’ll revisit an anti-anxiety med if panic attacks become my new normal.”
“Let’s hope not. The big question is how did your new prosthesis fit after all my hard work?”
“Amazingly great.” Delaney stretched out her leg, liking the feel of her new prosthesis. “Thanks to your nagging about PT and working out, it fit almost perfectly, even though I was a couple of months late with the final fitting.”
Greer looked over with a smile. “Nice. We can get you up on the treadmill during PT tomorrow and put it through its paces.”
“Sure we can, Dr. Frankenstein.”
“I heard I’m supposed to drop you off to Mama C in front of the diner for a late lunch.”
“You talked with Mama C?” When Greer didn’t answer right away, Delaney puffed out her cheeks in frustration. “Oh, let me guess—the grapevine?”
“I got it from Gage, who heard it from Mrs. Jones at the eleven o’clock Zumba class, who heard it from Renee at the diner, who got that tidbit from Mrs. McCar
thy at the bank.”
“Wow, the grapevine is scary efficient. And annoying.” She took her aggression out on the radio buttons, stabbing them viciously until she found a Stevie Wonder song to calm her down. “You want to join us? We’re having lunch and then running some errands.”
“I’ve got a new patient eval, but if it’s quick, I’ll come find y’all.”
“We never ran errands with our own mom.” She gazed out her passenger window. “Is it weird that I’m looking forward to it?”
“Nope. Nothing wrong with wanting normal after the way we grew up.”
Delaney watched the pine trees blur by for a few quiet moments. “Greer? Thanks for coming with me.”
33
Mama Cates pulled her car to the curb in front of the Climax Public Library and shut off the engine before turning to Delaney. “That sounds like a successful trip. How do you like your new foot?”
“I’ll let you know after I’ve walked on it a little more, Mama C, but it sure looks better than my old one. Silicone. Who knew?” Delaney pulled up the leg on her jeans to peek at her new foot again. She smiled over at Mama Cates. “Sweet, huh? I still can’t believe Dr. Evans called. Between you and me, he had me blubbering like a baby.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Mama Cates lowered car windows on both sides, letting in fresh fall air. “I’m guessing the running prosthesis you mentioned is on the QT also?” Mama Cates gathered up her purse.
“I’d appreciate it for now.” She still wasn’t ready to share her running with anyone except Mama C and Marcus. “Pretty optimistic of Dr. Evans and Dr. Lewis betting on how long it would take them to get me in a racing leg, huh?”
“I’d bet on you. Now, are you sure you don’t mind waiting a few minutes?” Mama Cates looked at her closely. “I’ve just got to pick up my book on reserve and talk with Lydia Johnson about reserving a room for our gardening meeting.”
“I’m good. Take your time, Mama C.” Delaney leaned her seat back and yawned. “I’ll relax and enjoy the breeze.”
Mama Cates’s heels clicked away from the car. Delaney leaned her head against the door and stuck her hand out the open window. Soft puffs of air tickled her skin. Tree branches overhead swayed softly, sending dappled shadows across the front seat of the car. Her life sure had changed over the last month. From deep despair to a breath of hope. How had that happened? Lord knew her life was still a mess.
But that feeling of wanting to just stop. The pain, the emptiness, the pointlessness. When had all those feelings gone away? Greer had dragged her back with Quinn’s muscle. But it was Quinn who had cracked open the door to her isolation. He just wouldn’t give up. Her walls had crashed and Quinn had come striding in.
She shook her head, picturing her and Quinn together. The two of them together were like in that Sesame Street song—“One of these things is not like the other.” Quinn was too stuck in his unresolved high school feelings to be thinking rationally about his future. So, if she cared for him, and damn him, she did, then it was up to her to be the rational one. Mama Cates had said she’d talk to him. Hopefully his self-preservation instinct would kick in and he’d wise up and find a woman who deserved him.
“Delaney Lyons. My girlfriends and I had a bet about when you’d finally have the nerve to show your face after your public meltdown.”
“Keep walking, Barbara. I’m not buying the crazy you’re selling today.” Delaney tipped her sunglasses down to look over at the library entrance. No Mama Cates. Sliding the sunglasses back into position, she turned her head back in time to watch Barbara charge forward.
“Excuse me? I’m crazy?” Barbara stood on the sidewalk next to Delaney’s car window.
“That’s what I said.” Delaney removed her sunglasses and looked directly at Barbara.
“Me? I’m the crazy one?” Barbara’s voice cracked.
“See? I knew we could agree on something. We didn’t even have to sing a round of ‘Kumbaya.’”
Barbara’s angry face slid into a sly smile. “Oh, we also agree on Quinn, only I’m holding out for more than a one-night stand because, unlike you, I’m worth more. Mmm-hmm. He is one fine specimen of a man.”
“Going to pin him for your collection, are you?”
Barbara’s smile stiffened. “That was some show you put on at the diner yesterday. You all but embarrassed yourself nearly attacking that poor innocent man. You’re like a female Rambo.”
A female Rambo? Delaney opened the car door so fast it almost took Barbara out. Would have if she hadn’t jumped back. Slamming the car door, she stood toe to toe with Barbara and grabbed her shirt. “You want to see real crazy? Because I’ve been holding back. I can bring it.”
“Delaney Lyons, you really have lost your mind if you think you can grab my best silk blouse like this.” Barbara tried to pry the once-smooth pink silk fabric out of Delaney’s clenched fists. “I am so sending you my dry-cleaning bill.”
“Hey, Delaney. What’s up?” Greer’s voice sliced through the red haze in Delaney’s mind. “Did you and Barbara start dating and not tell me?”
“Ha, no. She’s not my type.” She relaxed her fists and stepped back from Barbara.
“I’ll tell you what’s up. Your sister’s crazy.”
Barbara was busy smoothing the pink silk back over her girls. She spent so much time displaying them at the gym, Delaney had nicknamed them Thelma and Louise since they were always hovering at the top of Barbara’s low-cut tops looking like they were about to go over the cliff.
Delaney released a heavy sigh. “I’ve lost more important things in the last year than my mind.”
“Speaking of crazy . . . I ran into your buddies from the VFW last night. They tried to sign you up for the last spot in the bachelorette auction next week.” Barbara’s face took on a sly fox look as she pulled a notebook out of her oversized, overpriced knockoff Louis Vuitton purse and flashed the list under Delaney’s nose. “I told them you were probably too afraid. I mean, who’s going to bid on damaged goods?”
Delaney grabbed the notebook out of Barbara’s grasp and held her hand out for a pen too. Conveniently, Barbara had one ready. “I will sign up for your damn auction, and I will damn well strut my ‘damaged goods’ up and down the stage, and I guarantee whatever bid you get, I will beat it by a dollar. You got that, Barbie?”
The Cheshire cat smile slid smoothly onto Barbara’s face. She calmly took the notebook and pen Delaney shoved back at her. Taking her time to re-cap the pen and close the notebook all the while giving Delaney a slow, long once-over. “Oh, I got that, Delaney. In fact, I got exactly what I wanted. I’ll see you there. Toodles.” Barbara strutted down the sidewalk with an extra sway in her hips.
Delaney walked over and leaned her back against the side of Mama Cates’s car. Eyes closed, face tilted up to the sun, she sighed. “I just got played, didn’t I?”
“Hey, don’t feel so bad. Barbara didn’t actually play you. Your anger did. She sure does know your hot button.” Greer walked over and leaned next to her on the car. “You know how she sees this going down, right?”
“Well, she’d like the prom scene in Stephen King’s Carrie, but she’d settle for Groundhog Day, where I get humiliated by falling flat on my face while she is crowned homecoming queen, prom queen and Miss Climax every day for the rest of her life.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured, too. Fun fact: Barracuda are known to be opportunistic and aggressive, often chasing after shiny objects. You are her shiny object.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Mama C, you’re back. You know those signs that say ‘No Loitering’? Now I know why. Loitering is dangerous.”
“What? I was in there for ten minutes. What could happen in ten minutes?”
Delaney shook her head sadly at Mama Cates while Greer grinned. “And this from a mother of five boys. In less than ten minutes, I ruined a silk blouse, got attacked by a barracuda and let my anger get the best of me, and signed up for the last spot in the Climax Bachelore
tte Auction. I know, right? When you and Greer are done laughing, I’ll be sitting in the car ready to go.”
34
“Marcus, remember the first time we met and you bitched at me about Luke Skywalker not giving up and getting his prosthetic arm instead? Check. This. Out.” Delaney sat on the bottom row of the bleachers next to Mama Cates to remove her sweatpants. As soon as she had tossed them to the side, she stuck out her leg to reveal her new prosthetic running foot. A blade actually. “What do you think? Sweet, right?”
“Dude. It’s intergalactic.” He stared at her running foot.
“Is that good?” Delaney couldn’t take her eyes off it either. “It’s a carbon-fiber blade. I worked with a physiotherapist on a treadmill today to try to get the hang of it and check my running gait. Let’s stretch so we can give this baby a test drive.”
Delaney walked gingerly over to the track. The spring from the blade was still unexpected. She eased into stretches with Marcus stretching across from her. She jerked her head toward her new foot. “That’s my deal. First step for me. How about you?”
“Took mine too. I went online and signed my family up for Weight Watchers. We have our first meeting tonight. My dad doesn’t want to go, but Mom said since I asked them to support me in this, it’s only fair.”
Delaney changed positions to hit a different muscle group. “Good for your mom. Good for you on a first step. The first one always seems the hardest.”
“Tell me about it. Last night, my mom and I went through the kitchen. We threw out all the junk food. Chips, chocolate puddings, cheese doodles. We even poured my favorite cola down the sink.” He shook his head. “Dude, it was painful.”
“But smart. It’s easier to eat healthy when healthy is your only choice in the beginning.” Delaney stretched her arms over her head and carefully twisted her waist in each direction. “Okay. Time to quit jawing. Let’s go.”
Still Crushing on His Best Friend’s Older Sister: Cates Brothers # 2 Page 19
