by Barbara Gee
She nodded. “I know, and it’s impressive that you’re so normal and easy to be with. If I didn’t already know what a big deal you are, I wouldn’t have guessed it. But I’ve been a fan for so long, and you’re still larger than life to me. Part of me knows I’ll kick myself for giving up the opportunity to kiss Boone Kendall, but the other part is telling me I shouldn’t do it because I wouldn’t kiss any other guy after only knowing him for a day and a half, and you shouldn’t be any different.”
“That’s probably the part you should listen to,” he said with a rueful smile. “I don’t want you to think I had any expectations coming here tonight. Trying to kiss you wasn’t premeditated. But you’re kind of irresistible, especially coming off a Wild win.”
She cleared her throat and gave him a shy smile. “That’s nice of you to say.”
He dipped his head and met her eyes. “Do I still get the brownies?” he asked hopefully.
Jolene laughed and he could tell she was grateful for the change of subject. “Of course. I’ll put them in a Tupperware so they stay fresh for you.”
A few minutes later he was at the front door, brownies in hand. “Thanks for letting me come.”
“You’re welcome, but I have a feeling Tuck is going to demand equal time with you, so you might be catching the next game at his house.”
“I remember you guys arguing about who’s the biggest hockey fan over dinner last night.”
“That would be me. Hands down. He’s not a fake fan by any means, he’s just not up to my level. I can out-statistic him any day of the week.”
Boone chuckled. “I don’t doubt it. I’ll see you at seven tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be there, and don’t be surprised if we have company. A couple of my assistants will probably be hanging around. Or at least one of them.”
“Izzy?” he asked warily.
“She has high hopes,” Jolene teased.
“I’ll let her down easy,” he promised.
Jolene tilted her head, her pretty brows rising. “You might want to rethink that. She can be a lot of fun.”
“I’ll let her down easy,” he repeated. “Good night, Jolene.”
CHAPTER 10
Izzy beat Jolene to the gym the next morning. She was sitting in her cubicle on the far side of the PT room, where all four of the assistants shared space. Jolene waved, then went on into her own private office, feeling irritated by the girl’s presence and wishing she wasn’t.
Izzy showed up at her door a few minutes later. “Good morning, Jolene. Is he still coming in at seven?”
Jolene nodded. At least Izzy didn’t pretend she was there for any reason other than to see Boone. “Yeah, he is.”
“Do you need help with anything? I mean, I know you don’t, but would you let me help? I can get his vitals before you start. And monitor him while you put him through his paces.”
Jolene turned around and busied herself filing the folders she’d taken home the night before, buying some time before answering. She had woken up that morning determined to make the professional relationship she had committed to her firm priority. She’d come way too close to crossing a line with Boone last night, and even though she knew it had been best to pull back, part of her still regretted passing up the opportunity to kiss him.
Izzy’s presence this morning was probably a good thing, as it would keep Jolene from being alone with him. Still, the thought of the other girl’s hands on him, in any capacity, was disturbing enough to make her resentful. It was a visceral reaction and it scared her, and for that reason she forced a bright smile to her face before turning back to face the hopeful assistant.
“Sure, you can help. I’ll let you record his vitals while I get the jump boxes set up. I’m going to go heavy on plyometrics with him, to keep his leg strength up. But we need to keep his heart rate around 130, so we’ll do intervals and get a pulse every three to five minutes.”
Izzy bounced excitedly. “Awesome. Oh my gosh, I can’t even believe I’m going to be working with Boone Kendall.”
“Remember what I told you, Izzy. Sometimes playing it cool is best.”
“I know, I know. And I’ll try. But this is a chance of a lifetime. It’s going to kill me not to tell my friends.”
Jolene put her hands on her hips. “If you break my confidence, Izzy, you’ll be let go. It’s as simple as that. Same goes for Greg, Lowell and Cam. I’ve made it clear that you can’t talk about Boone being here to anyone outside of the center, and if you break my rules, you’re gone. So keep that in mind when the urge to snap a photo and post it to social media seems irresistible, okay?”
Izzy put a hand over her heart. “I would never post them. You can trust me.”
“No photos at all, Izzy. Not even if you don’t post them.”
The girl winced. “Okay, okay. Geez, you’re really serious about protecting this guy.”
“It’s what we agreed to. If you want to work with him, I want to make sure you know what I expect.”
“Oh, I do want to work with him,” Izzy said quickly.
Jolene scowled. “Can you keep it professional? If he complains, I won’t let you help with anymore of his sessions, you know.”
“I’ll be the very picture of professionalism,” Izzy promised.
“Okay.” Jolene heard a door slam. “Sounds like he’s here. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Boone was walking into the PT room when Jolene entered from the work area door.
“Good morning,” she said brusquely. “I hope you slept well.”
He smiled easily. “I did, and good morning to you, too.” His gaze shifted to Izzy.
“This is one of my assistants, Izzy Harding,” Jolene said smoothly, as if he didn’t already know. “She’ll be helping me out during our session today. Izzy, go ahead and get his vitals.”
Izzy looked remarkably composed, although she couldn’t stop a wide, appreciative smile. “It’s so nice to meet you, Boone. I’m a huge fan. Huge. It’ll be an honor to work with you.”
Boone gave Jolene a questioning glance, but she quickly looked away and moved to the edge of the room to begin setting up the box steps she wanted him to use.
“Uh, hi, Izzy. Nice to meet you, too.”
“If you’ll just have a seat over here, I’ll get your pulse, temp and blood pressure,” Izzy said, walking him to a chair in the corner.”
Boone followed and Jolene watched from the corner of her eye, almost hoping that Izzy would do something out of line so she’d have an excuse to make her leave. But the girl was, as promised, completely professional. Jolene got three different sized boxes arranged along the wall, then waited for Izzy to finish. As soon as she removed the blood pressure cuff, Boone got up and walked over toward Jolene.
When Izzy tagged along, he looked back and offered a dazzling smile. “Think you could round up a bottle of water for me, Izzy?”
She blinked, unconsciously putting a hand over her heart. “Oh, uh, yes, I’m sure I can, Boone. Be right back.”
As she headed to the far corner of the room, where the cooler was located, Boone put his hands on his hips and gave Jolene a stern look. “What’s up?” he asked softly.
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Why is Izzy here?”
“She was waiting when I got in. I told you she wanted to meet you.”
His green eyes were piercing. “Is she sticking around?”
“Um, I thought I’d let her. If that’s okay with you, of course.”
He looked over his shoulder and saw Izzy approaching. Giving Jolene a speculative look, he nodded slowly. “Sure. She can stay. Will you have breakfast with me when we’re done here?”
Jolene bent to move one of the boxes a millimeter to the right. “I ate before I came.”
Izzy rejoined them, holding the water out to Boone. “Here you go.”
“So, how’s your head feeling this morning?” Jolene asked.
Boone twisted the cap off the bottle and
looked over at Izzy, then back to Jolene. “This all stays here, right?” he asked cautiously.
“Absolutely,” Jolene assured him. “All my staff knows the consequences of leaking confidential information.”
He took a swallow of water. “I’m a little paranoid, I guess. There’s money to be made from spilling our secrets, and more than one of my teammates has had it happen.”
Jolene looked at Izzy, who was gazing earnestly up at Boone, her blue eyes sincere. “Money isn’t as big of a deal to me as a good letter of reference from Jolene Tolley. You can trust me, Boone. Or I can step out of the room while you two talk, if you prefer.”
His eyes locked on Jolene’s, and she nodded slightly.
“You can stay,” he said finally. “And to answer your question, Jolene, my head feels great this morning. Barely a one.”
Jolene couldn’t stop her happy smile. “I’m so glad to hear that. But don’t get discouraged if that doesn’t last. As you know, there’s no overnight cure. But it’s good to know you’re not in pain at the moment. I’m sure it’s a relief.”
“Yeah. I thought yesterday was good, but this morning is even better.”
“Did you eat something before you came? I don’t want low blood sugar to be an issue during your workout.”
“Yes ma’am. Two bagels with peanut butter and a grapefruit.”
“Okay then, let’s get to it. Izzy, get him warmed up on the elliptical, five minutes at level four. Then come back over here. Have you done plyometric work before, Boone?”
“I haven’t.”
“You’re going to love it,” Jolene promised.
Forty-five minutes later, Boone wasn’t sure if it was love or hate that he felt. He could tell the jumping exercises would be amazing for his leg strength, and the footwork involved was good, too. But in spite of the fact that he’d done the work in short intervals and kept his pulse rate down, his legs burned with the effort. Which meant the boxes were doing their job, just in a more painful way than he was used to.
“Good job. Yoga time,” Jolene said. “Izzy, you want to take him through the number three routine?”
“I’d be happy to,” Izzy said readily.
Jolene didn’t look at Boone as she walked away to get the massage table set up, but she watched from a distance as Izzy rolled out the mats, then began demonstrating the yoga positions she wanted Boone to copy. Izzy looked incredible in her yoga pants and tight top, and Jolene was surprised that Boone’s eyes didn’t linger on the girl’s body longer than necessary as she expertly took him through the routine.
The smart thing to do would be to let Izzy handle the massage as well, but although the girl was learning, she was nowhere near as competent as Jolene herself was. If Jolene was to be truly professional about Boone’s regimen, she was obligated to make sure he got only the best. That was her, no question, and if she enjoyed the chance to touch him again just a little too much, at least he’d never know it.
She decided to have Izzy put the step-boxes away and spray down the equipment while she worked on Boone, so they wouldn’t be alone. Jolene knew she wouldn’t always be able to have others present during their sessions, but this morning she felt especially weak. Last night and the fun she’d had with Boone was still too fresh in her mind, and since Izzy had made herself available, Jolene would use her as a buffer as long as she could.
When Boone stepped off the elliptical, he made a beeline for the massage table, where Jolene was waiting. “If you’re going to foist me off on her for the massage, too, I’d rather skip it,” he said softly, so Izzy couldn’t hear.
She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. “I’m not. I’ll do it.”
Izzy approached, eyeing the table. “Want me to handle this?” She smiled at Boone. “I’m pretty good. Jolene has taught me most of what she knows.”
“I’ll be doing this part,” Jolene said firmly. “You can stack the boxes and do the spray down. Then you can get started on your other work for the day.”
“You got it,” Izzy said cheerfully. “I’ll see you in the morning, Boone.”
“Yeah, thanks, Izzy.”
She walked away and Boone’s narrowed gaze landed once again on Jolene. “Shirt on or off?” he asked curtly as he wiped his face and neck with a towel.
“Off. But I’m going to concentrate more on your legs than your back today. I know the boxes can take a toll.”
“Yeah, that was painful. And here I thought I was still in shape,” he said.
“You’re in great shape. It’s just a more focused workout than you’re used to.”
He pulled his shirt over his head and sat on the edge of the table. Jolene squirted oil into her palms and rubbed them together, then pointed at the table.
“On your stomach,” she told him.
He toed off his shoes, but didn’t lie down. Jolene met his gaze reluctantly.
“The sooner I work on those muscles, the less sore they’re going to end up,” she said quietly.
“First I want to know why you felt the need to have Izzy here this morning,” he countered. “You suddenly don’t trust me?”
Jolene flinched. “Of course I trust you.”
“I’m not denying I wanted to kiss you last night, but when you said no I backed off. Immediately. And I didn’t think you were offended. If you were, I apologize. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
She shook her head, all too aware that although Izzy couldn’t hear what they were saying, she could see them. “I wasn’t uncomfortable, Boone. Not at all. And Izzy being here has nothing to do with me being afraid of you. But let’s talk about it later, okay?”
He didn’t look pleased, but he acquiesced and stretched out on his stomach, as she’d requested. His entire body radiated tension, and Jolene’s hands felt stiff as she stood at his head and worked her way down his back. It took a while, but the familiar motions gradually became fluid again and she felt him relaxing under her hands. When she felt the muscles smooth out, she moved to the end of the table and placed her hands on his right calf, appreciating once again the perfection she found. She worked on the leg from ankle to mid-thigh, then repeated it all on the other leg.
Therapeutic massage was a small part of what she did, but it was important. Based on what she discovered through her experienced touch, she could often recommend exercises to counteract the effects of too many hours spent hunched over a desk, or heavy lifting and bending. But, important or not, she decided her days of having Boone Kendall on her massage table would have to be numbered.
He was different and she might as well admit it. The massage elements were rote, the same as for everyone, but it felt entirely different. Touching him while being so aware of him as a man seemed wrong, like she was taking advantage of her role as his therapist. Never in her career had a massage seemed intimate. Not until now.
Izzy finished her tasks and waved as she left the room. Jolene nodded to her as she moved back to the head of the table and threaded her fingers into his hair, massaging his head with firm, sure circles of her strong fingers and thumbs. When she finished she stepped back and pressed her hands against her legs so he couldn’t see them shaking.
“All done,” she said, her voice sounding a little too cheerful. Too forced.
He rolled over and pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the table. Jolene handed him his shirt.
“You did well this morning. I’ll see you back here at five.” She started to turn away, needing some distance from him, but he gently grabbed her wrist and tugged her back.
“Talk to me, Jolene,” he said. “Please.”
She couldn’t quite meet his gaze, and she fought the urge to pull away from him and flee. But she wasn’t a coward and he was right. Things had changed since last night, and he deserved an explanation.
“I’m sorry. I hate that I gave you the impression that I don’t trust you,” she said softly. “That’s not it at all.”
“Then what is it? Why was Izzy here?”
“I told you last night that she’d more than likely be here. In fact, she got here before me.”
“But you let her help, and you can hardly look at me. I don’t get it. I thought last night was great, but if this is the result, I wish I’d just skipped the game.”
“Last night was great.” Jolene sighed and tried to gather her nerve. Being honest with people was the way she operated, but in this case, being open and honest meant revealing more than she wanted to. That part was hard for her.
She finally met his gaze, her own eyes troubled. “It was too great,” she said softly. “I’m not afraid of you, Boone, not at all. I’m afraid of me. Of how I felt last night when we almost kissed. I don’t know why my reaction to you is so extreme, but it is, and it’s caught me off guard. The only thing I know to do is get some distance from you.”
His fingers tightened fractionally on her wrist. “What is it you’re worried about?” he asked, his voice low and soft. “Maintaining a good working relationship? Because as far as I’m concerned, we can work that out. Two people being instantly attracted to each other doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”
She pulled her arm from his grasp, because even that simple touch was too much for her right then. Her voice was soft. Regretful. “It does when one of them is Boone Kendall and the other one is me.” When he opened his mouth to protest she held up a hand. “I know. You’re going to say you’re just a normal man who happens to play hockey really well. But your life isn’t normal, Boone. Not compared to mine.”
His expression was shuttered as he planted his palms on the table beside his hips. “So what’s your plan?”
She looked at him earnestly. “I love that you’re here at the ranch, Boone. You’re going to make a huge contribution. I want the retreat center to reap the benefits of your talent and generosity, but I don’t want to suffer for it personally. I can’t let myself get close to you, knowing you’ll be walking away in a couple of months. That’s not how I’m wired. So I think the best thing is to make sure we don’t have any more nights like last night. I need to stay away from you.”
