She couldn’t breathe again, looking into his eyes. He leaned in closer and she almost thought he was going to kiss her again. But then he grinned and stood, putting a large, warm hand on her shoulder.
Jessie smiled, so Amy thought they’d been convincing enough. “Do you mind if I watch the therapy today?”
“Not at all. Love to have you there.”
* * *
If things kept going this well, Knox figured Daniel and Jessie would be back together sometime soon. If not today, maybe this week. He felt much better knowing that.
Amy was doing an excellent job of being a therapist, getting Daniel to do moves that Knox could tell were challenging him. Jessie watched and asked questions, showing her quick mind, and Amy answered them, revealing her own.
Knox had done therapy after a knee injury, but his physical therapist had been a big ugly guy who he suspected enjoyed torturing people. Namely the players trying to get back on the field.
Amy made the torture seem bearable.
Daniel finished one exercise and lay on the bench, panting. Jessie patted his arm. “You’re doing great, honey. I can’t wait until you feel well enough to do some more sportscasting for us. The kids always like that.”
“I can’t wait until I’m playing football again,” Daniel said.
Knox could see pity in Jessie’s eyes. Ouch. No man wanted pity from the woman he loved. He’d hate to see pity in Amy’s eyes, that was for sure, and he barely knew her.
Jessie’s expression cooled and she stood. “I’m going back home.”
Daniel pushed up to a sitting position. “Stay awhile, honey.”
“Got to get back to the kids.” She kissed his cheek, and then kissed Knox’s cheek, whispering, “Don’t be as stupid as your brother,” and then went to get her bag.
What did she mean by that?
A minute later, she was walking outside.
“Why’s she upset?” Daniel shook his head. Then he grew angry. “It’s because I can’t play football anymore.”
“I’m sure that’s not it,” Amy said gently. “It’s just hard for her to see you work so hard.”
Daniel shook his head. “She’s not adjusting well. She can’t see me getting well. I’m glad you can, Amy.”
Oh, no. This wasn’t good. He couldn’t let Daniel turn to Amy now, when he was upset with his wife. “Why don’t you two take a break now? Amy, would you help me for a minute?”
She shot him a strange look. “With what?”
He pulled a face at her and motioned with his head toward the French doors.
“Back outside?” She grinned. “To the swing?”
She led the way, and he repressed a groan as he followed her outside.
She sat in the swing, and smiled invitingly. What game was she playing, anyway?
After a moment, she said, “Don’t you want Daniel to think we’re dating?”
“He knows we’re not.”
“Does he now? Doesn’t he know about love at first sight?”
“Is that what happened to us?”
“Oh, definitely.”
He sat beside her, but left space between them. “When are you going to tell him that he won’t be playing football again?”
She sighed. “Sometimes it’s better to let life tell you things.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, Mr. Reid, that your brother is improving and needs to get back into the clinic so he can improve as much as possible. But when he’s at 70 percent, or 80 percent, or even 90 percent, he’s going to realize he can’t take the field again. We had one guy who was a PE teacher, had been a cheerleader and a gymnast, and after his fifth concussion, he was in the same shape as Daniel, pretty much. And afterward, he could walk and talk and think well, but he did a simple roll at work one day, and got dizzy.” She looked up at him. “Daniel is going to learn soon enough what his limitations are.”
“Even after your fantastic therapy.”
“Even after, doubting Thomas.” She sighed again and slipped her hands under her legs, staring at the lake. “He wouldn’t believe me now, anyway. He wants to be playing football so much he won’t even hear anyone else saying differently.”
She actually made a lot of sense. Common sense. “So let life tell him, huh?”
Without looking away from the lake, she said, “Yup.”
“Huh.” After a pause, he asked, “How long does it take for life to speak up?”
She shrugged. “Should be pretty quick with something this big that he wants to do. I’d say within a month after he finishes the therapy, but that’s just a wild guess.”
* * *
Daniel punched the medicine ball, sending it flying across the workout room. With a scowl, he said, “I want to go back home.”
“With Jessie?” Knox asked.
“You saw her. She left again. I want to go back to Mom and Dad’s home. I want to go back to the clinic so I can get the full benefit of the program. I want to get back on the field so Jessie will come back.”
Knox exchanged a glance with Amy. She shook her head minutely, as if reminding him: Don’t say anything — Let life do the talking.
This was really tough. He was used to taking action.
Amy said, “That would be a good idea.”
Knox’s phone rang. It was his father. “Yeah, Dad?”
“Is Jessie still up there?”
That verified who’d told Jessie where Daniel was — and that there was another woman up here — a woman who his father had also probably invited.
“What are you up to, Dad?”
“I don’t know what you mean, son.”
“Jessie left.”
“With Daniel?” His father sounded hopeful, and Knox realized the old man wasn’t as aloof as he let on most of the time.
“By herself.”
His father swore, something he rarely did. “The best laid plans.”
“Stop planning. And what happened to letting them figure things out on their own?”
“They weren’t moving fast enough.”
Knox barked out a laugh and agreed with his father. “No, they weren’t.”
Knox was caught between Amy’s let life do the talking philosophy and his father’s interference. Knox liked being in control — but he was nowhere near in control on this one.
He supposed Amy’s approach was the best one, since he couldn’t control his older brother even if he wanted to.
But backing off was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He couldn’t use his football skills for this one. He couldn’t slam into it, tackle it, or blitz through it.
This time, the quarterback was on his own. Knox couldn’t protect him. As he studied his brother, a wave of compassion flowed through him. His brother had lost everything — and he was clinging to Amy’s promise of help.
Knox needed to cling to her hope as well, because he had very little of his own.
“Well?” Daniel said, struggling to stand. “Let’s go. Amy, will you stay at my parents’ home and give me extra therapy in the evenings?”
Knox saw the war on her face. Finally, she said, “Yes.”
* * *
“Oh,” Amy said. “Your parents have a swing here, too.”
Knox’s chuckle sent a shiver through her.
“Cold?” Knox asked, obviously intentionally misinterpreting her shiver.
She wrapped her jacket more closely about her. “I’m fine.”
How had she managed to get Knox as a tour guide of the Reid home, anyway? Oh, yeah, probably because Jessie had told them that Amy and Knox were dating. His mother seemed delighted and his father had greeted her warmly. They’d both congratulated her on how much better Daniel was doing.
And then Knox had insisted on taking her for a tour of the house and grounds.
His mother had looked at her strangely, like she wanted to hug her but didn't quite dare.
Knox led her through the large home, similar to the cabin, though not as rustic, an
d then opened the doors leading from the large family room outside.
A huge swing stood there. She planned on avoiding that swing at all costs. She no longer trusted herself around the handsome Knox Reid. He seemed to be able to push all of her buttons — including the attraction button. She was not going to kiss him again. She still couldn’t believe she’d done it to begin with.
As the rumble of his chuckle faded, she stepped past the swing. He followed. “They have a pool house here where guests can change into swimsuits and shower.” He pointed to a smaller building near the pool. “The roof covers half the pool because my sister is a fair-complexioned blonde and burns like crazy. If she’s in the sun for fifteen minutes, she starts getting red.”
The family obviously had money, but money couldn't fix everything. It couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again, no matter how much Daniel wanted it to. Not 100%, anyway.
“It’s lovely,” she said, truthfully. She looked up at Knox and teased, “So how could you stand to live so far away from all of this, even just for a couple of years?”
He caught her with his gaze. “I had to get away to get out from under the Texas records of my father.”
“He went to prison?”
He scowled, and she laughed. He went on. “Hall of Fame. He broke several records, two of which still stand. Everyone knows who Ace Reid is — and I wanted to be introduced as Knox Reid, not Ace Reid’s son.”
“I thought you liked being introduced as Ft. Knox.” She smirked.
He shrugged. “That’s why I went to Denver for awhile.”
She grew serious. “That’s interesting. You have your father still but didn’t want to live in the same town with him. I don’t have my father anymore, but I still live in the home where he and my mother raised me.”
Knox’s expression shifted to one of concern. “Your father died?”
“Both he and my mother. I’m on my own.”
“You’ve done well for yourself. Your parents must be proud.”
“I won’t know that for a while.”
“I’m sure they look down and they’re pleased with how you help people.”
She held onto her coat edge. “Aha, so you admit that I do help people?”
“Yes. Even I can see Daniel is walking better and talking without as much slurring.”
“And, since I took you up on your agreement and pretended to be dating you, you will help me get Daniel back into the clinic on Monday morning?”
“Yes. He may not get back on the football field, but I want him to live more like his normal self.”
“Thank you,” she said, and blinked back an unexpected tear. It meant more than she’d thought to have Knox’s support.
“Will his condition improve, stay the same, or worsen after the therapy ends?”
“We don’t know yet. Some people heal and stay at that level. Some don’t. Most continue to improve for a while. All I can promise is that I’ll give him everything I’ve got to help him get as much better as he can. Some people improve more than others, but everyone who goes through this program improves dramatically.”
“Thank you.” He took her hand. Instead of pulling away, she squeezed back, then slipped her fingers between his. “It’s what I do.”
He chuckled. “I go onto football fields and protect my quarterback from taking the hits that might get him into your program.”
“That’s good. I wish people weren’t getting injured, but that’s not going to stop any time soon.”
He nodded, keeping his fingers intertwined with hers and, looking down at her, he said, “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to sit in the swing?”
“Pretty darn sure.” She glanced at the swing. “Your family is watching us right now, aren’t they?”
He glanced toward the bank of windows and grinned. “That’s a big yes. And, since you did agree to pretend to be my girlfriend, I think we ought to give them a kiss.”
Her heart began racing. “We ought to give them a kiss, huh?”
“Maybe give each other a kiss as a gift to them.”
“A gift?” She smiled and ran her fingers up the arm of his sweatshirt up to his shoulder.
He looked surprised but seemed to recover quickly.
“For your family, then,” she said, and stood on her tiptoes.
* * *
Knox’s heart raced as though he was in a big play on the field.
She was going to kiss him again. He leaned down, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pressed his lips to hers.
By the time the long, leisurely kiss ended, Knox stood, feeling as though he’d been tackled and had the wind knocked out of him.
He’d started by claiming to want to keep her away from Daniel, but the truth hit him.
Knox wanted Amy Kingsley for himself! For more than a season. For real.
8
Maybe You’re Just with The Wrong Reid Brother
Amy rolled over in bed, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep. She’d barely slept in the Reid’s guest room last night. This was so surreal. She had a home here in Waco — and yet here she was. She had a job that didn’t require her sleeping over — and yet here she was. She had patients to help — and yet here she was.
She didn’t know which room Knox was staying in, and she shouldn’t care, but she did.
Why was she still here? She ought to go home today and then just help Daniel in the clinic on Monday. Her emotions were too messed up, too conflicted, too strong for her to deal with today. But she’d promised him.
Turning over again, she sighed. It was nearly six, so she’d get ready for the day and start Daniel working out early. Try to avoid his handsome brother who made her feel so delicate and feminine with his bulk. Though why that would be so she didn’t know. She didn’t feel that way around Daniel, who was just as big.
Could it be that she was starting to fall for Knox? She barely knew him, but he was all she could think about.
Her phone pinged and she picked it up. It was a text from her boss. Paul had texted, When will you be back in the office?
Didn’t you see my text from last night? I’ll be there on Monday morning — with Daniel Reid.
There was a lag time and then I missed it somehow. Good. I need you in the office. We need Daniel in the office.
See you then.
What are you doing this weekend?
You won’t believe it.
Try me.
I’m sleeping over at Ace and Rebecca Reid’s home in Waco. There’s apparently going to be a family get-together today, and they insisted I stay. I’ll be working with Daniel this morning first. And then I’m considering going home.
A few seconds after she hit send, her phone rang. “Hi, Paul.”
“What on earth is going on over there?” He sounded suspicious.
“Who knows?” Even though he couldn’t see her, she shrugged. “At least the Reid family seems to like me.”
“That’s good. If you can pull this off, there’s a bonus in it for you. If you can’t, it’s going to set our business back. So if they want you to stay over, stay.”
“Stay?” Her heart sank.
“Stay.”
“Yes, sir.”
After they ended their brief conversation, Amy stared at her phone as if she’d find answers there.
She wanted to leave, but Paul had ordered her to stay — if the family wanted her to.
Maybe they were ready for her to leave.
* * *
Knox peeked around the corner. He probably looked like an elephant trying to hide behind a skinny tree, but he wanted to check on Amy again.
She was still having Daniel lift weights and do other muscle-building exercises.
He slipped back out of sight.
When he returned to the kitchen, his mother put her hands on her hips. “Your brother is not trying to steal your new girlfriend, son.”
“I know.” He wasn’t really afraid that his new “girlfriend” was trying to steal his
brother any longer, either. He’d witnessed nothing this week that would even hint in that direction. She’d been totally professional — at least with Daniel. She seemed to react with attraction to Knox just fine, though. Time for a change of subject. “What time is the rest of the family arriving?”
“Sam said he couldn’t be here for supper. He has a date.”
“Sam’s the quarterback now. He likes playing the field.” He was probably on a date with a woman their teammate Zeke Jackson had found for him, most likely with the friend of whichever girl Zeke was dating.
“Frank and Bobby will be here any time. And Katie’s bringing a friend. They’ll all be here in time to play some football before dinner.”
“How is Daniel going to deal with this?”
“Maybe he’ll do the sportscasting from the sidelines. Your young lady has him speaking much more clearly already.”
Knox nodded. “I’ll admit I was skeptical at first.”
“Really?” She smiled. “I hadn’t noticed.”
She handed him a bowl of chips and a warm bean dip that was a favorite in Waco. Her version was spicier than most, which her sons all appreciated. He dipped in a chip and tossed it in his mouth. “I missed Texas Trash Dip when I was in Denver.”
There was a knock at the front door, and then it opened and two of his brothers tumbled in. Frank and Bobby.
Frank raised an arm to the sky in appreciation. “Mom’s Texas Trash! We got here just in time!”
Frank passed him and circled the counter, pulling their mother into a hug. “Hi, Ma.”
She hugged him back and laughed. “Hi, Frank. Don’t squish me like a bug.”
Bobby followed, tossing a football onto the counter, and then hugging their mom.
* * *
“My brothers are here,” Daniel said — much more clearly than even a few days before.
Amy smiled. “You have noisy brothers.”
“I do.” He set down the medicine ball. “Are we done for today?”
KNOX: An Enemies-to-Lovers Sweet Romantic Comedy Page 6