by Dale Mayer
There were several people on the pool level when she got there. She ignored them all and dropped the towel and cover-up on one of the chairs in the sun, walked to the end and dove into the water at the first lane.
As soon as the cold water closed over her head, a sense of peace and serenity filled her body and soul. She broke the surface to gasp for air, and then struck out strongly for the other side, once again filled with that sense of rightness. She’d never been one to not rock the boat if the boat needed to be rocked. Hopefully, now that she’d caused whatever turmoil was rolling on around her, things would work out and ease back down again.
There was always an adjustment to getting back to work, the same as it was going back to school.
She just wanted this adjustment to pass by quickly because she’d like to settle down and get to work again. That’s where she excelled.
Although, apparently, she didn’t excel quite so much in her professional and patient relationships. Suddenly, she felt slightly overwhelmed, wondering why she’d ever bothered coming back. She swam faster.
She really hoped tomorrow was going to be better.
Brock settled into his room, feeling a sense of peace and quiet. Now that he knew his friends could possibly be coming here to be with him, he felt energized. In need of something to do, he grabbed his crutches and left his room. He knew that his body had taken a hell of a workout today, and he didn’t want to trust losing his balance and falling.
He hobbled over to the elevator and headed down to the vet clinic. He smiled at Stan, who was talking with a couple of patients holding cats in cages. He grinned and headed to Rebecca, the receptionist.
“Stan said he wouldn’t mind having a few volunteers. I don’t have a ton of energy, but maybe there is something small I can do to help out.”
The middle-aged woman looked up at him and smiled with a wide happy-go-lucky grin on her face. He immediately fell under her trance.
“A little bit of energy for hugs?” she asked. “Or a little bit more energy for cleaning cages? Depending on how ambulatory you are, we have a couple of dogs that need to go outside to do their business …”
He glanced down at the crutches and said, “I probably could take the dogs out to do their business as long as they don’t knock me down.”
She stood and glanced at the crutches. “Two of them are recovering from surgery and should be going home in a couple of days, so they’re not exactly jumping around and hyper. I’ll bring you one and see how you do.”
He waited for a few minutes while Stan said goodbye to the two women, and then turned and walked over to say hi to him.
“Hi, Brock, it’s nice to see you down here.” He motioned at the crutches, “How are you doing today?”
“I’m doing just fine. I had a hell of a workout today, so I’m feeling the effects, but I was still a little too keyed up to spend the rest the night in my room.”
“Who’s your therapist?”
“Sidney.” Brock watched as Stan’s face lit up. “She took more out of me and made me pull more out of myself than I’ve ever had any therapist do. I gather she’s going through a bit of a tough patch right now, but I’ve never had a therapist like her.”
Stan’s face cleared. “I’m really glad to hear that. She’s a hell of a girl. She really cares about her patients, but she’d be the first to say she’s less concerned about her relationships with everybody than she is about fixing what’s wrong with the body.”
“You know, I’m okay with that,” Brock said. “I’ve listened to enough platitudes and empty promises, so when I find somebody who actually means what they say and does what they say, well …”
Just then, Rebecca came back with a Basset hound walking at her side.
“Oh, I think I can handle this guy.” He was kind of relieved because he didn’t want a dog that would trip him up, or a big one that might decide to drag him down the yard. He had been half afraid he was taking on more than he could handle.
“This is Marshall. He had a cyst removed, so he isn’t moving superfast. But he has the same need to go outside as everybody.” She turned to look over at Stan and said, “Do you want to grab Major and take him at the same time? That was the last patient for the day so …”
“Sure, I can do that.” Stan started to walk in the opposite direction, but he turned and called back, “Just give me a minute.”
Considering Brock had no idea where he was going, that was probably a damned good idea. He idly glanced around at the clinic and realized just how open and friendly it all looked. He turned back to Rebecca.
“How long have you worked here?”
“Years and years and years,” she said with a laugh. “And I hope to be here years and years more.”
“That’s a hell of a good reference for coming here,” Brock said. “It seems to be a thriving business.”
She nodded. “It is, but we do a lot of charity work too.”
Stan walked out leading a very large Great Dane. It was a little sprightlier than the Basset hound but not much. Brock let the Great Dane and Stan go ahead, and then he followed behind. The Basset walked slowly at his side. He realized he needn’t have worried. In this case, it was the injured leading the injured. He was glad to be able to do it. Outside, there was a large dog run. Stan walked to the gate, opened it and held it open while Brock walked in.
“Just unclip the dogs and let them wander. There are only the two of them today.”
It took a little bit of coordination, but Brock finally managed to unclip the leash from the Basset hound. He hobbled to the side of the pen, watching the two dogs carefully explore. They truly seemed to enjoy being in the fresh air. He agreed—he felt the same way. He glanced around to see several horses in one paddock, and beside them were a little, tiny foal and an older mare. Someone was talking with them. As he watched, Sidney threw her arms around the little baby and hugged her. Then she let it go, to watch the little horse dance and prance around her. Her laughter floated on the wind. He smiled.
That was what she needed. She couldn’t have had an easy day. She turned and caught sight of them and waved. He waved back. He turned to see Stan grinning like a fool.
“She’s quite something, isn’t she?” Brock asked. In his heart, he was hoping there was no relationship between the two of them. There’d be at least more than a decade of age difference, but he’d seen many that had a lot more. Still, he couldn’t imagine anybody telling Sidney that was a no-no because of some nefarious rule she didn’t believe in. He knew she’d go where she wanted to regardless.
Stan nodded. “She’s a really great lady.”
Frowning Brock turned back and watched her reach over and hug the mare. “She seems to be comfortable with the animals.”
“She comes down here a lot. She spends all day helping people up there, but who’s to help her when she runs into trouble?” Stan’s voice was sad.
“You know her well, don’t you?”
“There are not too many up there I don’t know. But for those who have been here as long as I have,” he corrected himself, “we’re family.”
Brock knew he shouldn’t say anything but was unable to help himself. “Is there anything more than that there?”
Stan shot him a look, and then he laughed. “No, not at all. She’s like a little sister to me. They all are. For all the relationships that have come and gone, I’ve never met anybody here for me, unfortunately.” He shrugged his shoulders and gazed straight back over to Sidney. “Her last relationship broke up on the first day of going back to school. It was pretty rough timing.”
“That would be,” he said sympathetically. Inside, Brock was elated. If she didn’t have a partner, then that meant the field was open. He didn’t even know how she felt about him. He sure as hell hadn’t given her a great impression at the beginning, but he was starting to understand she wasn’t going to be all that easy to care for, either. But sometimes one had to work for the best things in life.
He had
a few months here. Maybe they could make some progress. At least he hoped so because he realized he’d been thinking about her all day long. As she walked over to the two of them, he brightened.
She stopped on the other side of the fence and crossed her arms on the top rail. “I’m surprised to see you here, Brock. I’ll have to work you harder next time,” she teased.
But the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Instead, he could see the deeper concern. He finally realized what Stan had been talking about. He was right. She looked after her patients all day long, but when she had a low spot, who was there for her? Taking a chance he said, “I’m enjoying gaining comfort from the animal world.”
She raised one eyebrow and nodded. “So …” She looked down at the Basset and smiled. “Who is this guy and what happened that he’s here?”
The three of them looked at the Basset as Stan went over Marshall’s medical history. “He’s come a long way.”
The Great Dane wandered around and didn’t appear to be interested in doing anything other than enjoying the fresh air and being with people. That, and he was probably in a cage for most of his time here, which wasn’t nice for anybody.
“Do these animals have homes?”
“Both do,” Stan replied. “They have families that love them. But so often we are the home for those that don’t.”
“Right, the charity work here the receptionist mentioned.”
“I do a lot of that. But we couldn’t manage to do it all without Dani. She somehow gets us funding when we run short. She has a charity set up and receives donations through that. Luckily, she seems to know a lot of money-people willing to donate, and that keeps the place moving, both upstairs and downstairs.”
Chapter 7
She was glad to see Brock here, although she shouldn’t be. The animals were a hell of a tug on the heartstrings. He’d been tired out, but now he looked … content. So, something had changed in his world. She wished something had changed in hers. She knew tomorrow was a whole new day, and she wished it was tomorrow already.
“You’ve been swimming?” Stan asked.
She felt Brock’s glance as she nodded. “Even then, I was still too keyed up, so I decided to come out and walk around to reacquaint myself with all my old friends.” The old mare had followed her over and nuzzled her hand. She laughed and stroked the long velvet nose. “This is Maggie.”
Twisting, she wrapped her arms around Maggie’s neck. “She’s been here as long as I have—much longer, in fact.”
“And shall be here for a lot longer still,” Stan said with a smile. “She’s in great health.”
Sidney turned and headed back toward the gate. “I’m going to head back to my place. I’ll see you two tomorrow.” She watched as a flash of something that looked like disappointment crossed Brock’s face.
Impulsively, she said, “Unless either of you want to join me for a coffee?”
Stan shook his head. “I’m not done for the day yet.” He turned to Brock and said, “You go on. I’ll take both dogs back in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, you go ahead.”
Sidney laughed like a little kid as Brock tried to hobble quickly behind her.
Somehow, she knew this was going to be fun.
And it was. Like two kids, they enjoyed a cup of coffee and conversation. No pressure. No strings. Nothing but two people who enjoyed spending a quiet hour together. She didn’t keep him long. She was tired, too. And by the time she headed to her room, she was smiling.
The next day dawned bright and cheerful with a blue sky and sunshine. She’d gone to bed in a much happier frame of mind. As far she was concerned, yesterday was done and over with. With any luck, she could just move forward and get into a normal routine of being here. She checked her watch and realized she didn’t have enough time for another swim. That was something she was going to have to adjust her schedule for. Fitness was important, particularly with all the food readily available.
She dressed quickly, walked upstairs and grabbed a coffee, then stepped out onto the deck. Standing at the railing, she studied the rolling hills and the animals. They really could bring in twenty to forty more horses without any difficulty. The lush grass could certainly support them. It might actually be a way to bring in income for the center, too. Rent out the paddocks and pastures. There were a lot of horse people around town. The only thing was, someone would need to keep an eye on them, and that was going to require yet more staff. Therefore, it might not cover the costs. She wasn’t sure how a business plan would work.
The eating area was still empty except for one or two people. Turning back to refill her coffee, she sent up one more silent wish that today would be an upswing day. At that moment, Shane and Marsha walked in. Marsha stiffened, grabbed a coffee and turned her back on Sidney. Shane smiled at her. “Good morning.”
Grateful for his friendship, she said, “Good morning back at you. It’s a beautiful day today.”
“It is indeed.” He grabbed himself a coffee, snagged a muffin and followed Marsha.
There was no invitation to join them. Sidney shrugged. Why would there be? She supposed it didn’t help that she still felt more like a guest than an employee. Walking back to the buffet, she picked up a selection of yogurt, granola, and fruit, and took it back out to the sunshine. She sat down to enjoy her food with her back to the dining area. When a shadow fell across her, Sidney stiffened apprehensively.
“Can I join you?” Brock’s deep voice smoothed over her.
She beamed a smile up at him. “Sure.”
“You didn’t look like you wanted company, so I wasn’t sure.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Not to worry. It’s fine.” Always the therapist, she studied him critically. His color was good, but she could see the heavy lines of fatigue on his face from the workout the day before. She’d already known that today would have to be an average day, not another hard-working one. “Did you have a good night?”
He nodded. “Not bad. Still woke up a bit on the tired side, though.”
“Is that so?” She smiled at him crookedly and went back to eating.
“This’ll blow over,” he said in a low voice, pointing with his chin to the other physiotherapists inside.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” She turned to study the table were Marsha and Shane were sitting. “We’re all professionals here. Some of us just have different techniques, and some of us are a little more abrasive than others.” She gave him a lopsided smile. “You know which of these applies to me.”
“It’s what makes the world go round.” He smiled at her, a lopsided grin that tugged at her heart. He was a good-looking man. Now that they’d gotten over their initial dustup, she looked forward to a solid, working relationship.
She checked her watch and said with a grin, “Are you ready for me to crack the whip?”
He snorted. “Yes. But I have forty-five minutes first, and I want every damn minute.” Then he laughed. “Hopefully not too much cracking.”
“It won’t be quite so tough today.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Getting soft on me?”
She chuckled. “Not a hope in hell. But every muscle needs a chance to recover.” She waggled her eyebrows and leaned forward. “Just think—there’s lot of muscles we can still work on while those are resting.”
He winced.
She went off into gales of laughter. Finally composing herself, she added, in a conspiratorial whisper, “That’s okay, baby, I’ll be gentle.” She stood and walked away, still chuckling.
“Promise?”
Sidney froze. Then, she turned and shot him an uncertain look, grateful to find his gaze fixed on his coffee cup before she hurried out the door. Only, the thought wouldn’t leave her alone.
It seemed like for the last few days and weeks, all she had seen were couples kissing or exchanging special smiles, hands brushing against cheeks, wonderful loving gestures. Just the knowledge that the two people in question were in
a special relationship. The world really was built for twos. As a single, it was an odd feeling to see so many other happy couples, particularly when she didn’t have anybody coupled up to her. Did she want to be? Maybe. It had been nine months since her relationship had gone to pieces. It was certainly long enough to get over it, but she also hadn’t found anybody else who attracted her. Immediately, her mind drifted toward Brock. She really liked him. She could tell a lot about the character of a person when she worked with them. So far, she’d found absolutely nothing to not admire.
He was also sexy as hell. So many men felt their sexuality went out the window when they’d lost a limb, when they were so badly injured there were physical deformities. She worked with injured men and women every day, all day. To her, the beauty of a person came from the soul inside. She could sympathize with the injuries, but it was her job to help make the person as strong, fit and as capable as they could be. To do that, she connected with the inner spirit that was unique to each person. Brock instantly came to mind. She had to admit he was unique.
She smiled as a tiny tingle went down her spine. She’d love to spend more time with him. But he needed to heal and strengthen, so he could move on. And then Brock would leave. So what good would it do to start a relationship now? Unless they were going to end up in the same town down the road, the chances of them being able to have a relationship weren’t very good. Plus, she wasn’t into clandestine affairs with patients. Even if Dani had opened the doors to that possibility.
Sidney understood because love was like that. Now, it also allowed her to pursue a relationship with Brock, if she wanted to. And, she realized belatedly, she wanted to. Her thoughts were constantly on this man. And she knew he was of the same mind, with the same heartstrings tied in knots as she was.
Being in a relationship where one person settled sucked. She understood the theory, the philosophy that in every relationship somebody settled, but she didn’t agree with that. She thought there were lots of relationships where people came in as equals. She wanted to believe that because if it wasn’t true when she went wholeheartedly into a relationship and felt one hundred percent committed, that meant the other person was settling. And that was not what she wanted. She wanted someone to look at her as being good enough without any of the other limiting factors. She wanted someone to look at her and to feel humbled to have her in their life. In the same way as she had felt humbled to have her past relationships be a part of her world. The last thing she wanted was to consider that somebody had settled for her.
