by Laura Iding
Molly deserved better than someone like him.
He wasn’t stupid enough to believe the failure was all his fault, but unfortunately he knew much of what she’d said was true. He did work long hours. His patients did often come first.
He hadn’t always been there for her. For Josh. Especially in those first difficult months after Josh’s birth. And later, once the lure of spending his money had worn off, she’d moved on to someone else.
Pushing the dark memories aside wasn’t easy, but dwelling on the past wasn’t going to help. He needed to focus on the present. On Josh.
He was relieved when the tenseness between him and Molly faded as the morning went on. They sat on the grass and played the game Molly called kick the ball, and he was encouraged by how well Josh was doing even after just four days of therapy.
Josh was able to move his legs from side to side, kicking the ball from one foot to the other, something that he hadn’t been able to do earlier in the week. A huge accomplishment, one that he knew he owed to Molly and her unorthodox approach to therapy.
Just another reason he needed to maintain a professional relationship with Molly. He refused to give her a reason to switch Josh to another therapist.
His son needed Molly, far more than he did.
Watching Molly’s slim figure as she chased after the ball made his gut clench with awareness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with a woman. Too long. Maybe that’s why he’d overreacted to the pressure of her hands against his shoulder. Any woman would probably have inspired the same response.
When the next ball Josh sent in her direction bounced up and hit her on the nose, she laughed, and he couldn’t help smiling at the light, musical sound.
Who was he kidding? He hadn’t been this acutely aware of a woman since well before Josh had been born.
“I think we’ll have to head back,” Molly said with obvious regret as she set the red ball aside. “I have another patient scheduled at eleven.”
“No-o-o,” Josh wailed, his previous good humor vanishing in a flash. He pounded his fist on the padded arm of the wheelchair. “I don’t wanna go.”
Dan empathized with his son, feeling the same sense of regret at knowing their time together was over. The reminder that this had been nothing more than a job for Molly was like a cold slap to the face.
“We’ll come back again soon, Josh,” Molly said as she crossed over and put her arm around Josh’s thin shoulders, giving him a reassuring hug. “We sure had fun today, didn’t we?”
Josh buried his face into her side and nodded.
“We don’t have to leave yet, Josh,” Dan found himself saying. Molly swung toward him, her face registering surprise, and he hastily clarified, “I know you have other patients to see, but there’s no reason we can’t stay longer.”
“Oh, no, of course not.” Was he imagining the flash of disappointment in her eyes? He must have been because now she sounded downright happy. “Would you like that, Josh?” she asked with a smile. “Wouldn’t it be great to stay here longer with your dad?”
His son clutched at Molly and shook his head, sending a spear of disappointment straight through his heart.
Molly looked surprised and upset by his son’s response but the last thing he wanted or needed was her pity. “It’s okay, Josh. I’m sure you’re tired, so maybe it’s just better if we head home. Mitch will be coming over after lunch anyway.”
Josh still didn’t respond, so Molly spoke up, filling the abrupt silence. “Sounds good, then. Let’s go.” Molly gently eased away from Josh and smiled, even though he could tell she was troubled. As they headed out of the park her pager went off.
“Are we late?” Dan asked, mindful of the fact that her next patient could already be there, waiting for her back at the hospital.
“No, it’s not that,” she said slowly. “Apparently my eleven o’clock patient cancelled, too.”
He shouldn’t have been relieved by the news but he was. “Do your patients cancel a lot?” he asked, perplexed. “I mean, two in a row seems a bit much.”
She grimaced and nodded. “Actually, this happens more than you’d think. Especially on days like today, when it’s nice out. Or on bad-weather days. Or days close to the holidays...” Her voice trailed off and she shrugged. “Hey, it’s part of the business. Some people just don’t think physical therapy is important. But the good news is that now we don’t have to hurry back.”
“Did you hear that, Josh? We can stay another hour.”
The way Josh brightened at the news that they could stay longer only reinforced the fact that he wasn’t feeling too tired after all.
Josh just hadn’t wanted to stay without Molly.
And, heaven help him, he couldn’t blame his son. Not when he felt exactly the same way.
* * *
Molly shouldn’t deny the wave of relief she felt that she didn’t have to return to the hospital just yet. Being outside was glorious, but she knew it was more than that.
Josh and Dan were getting to her. She knew they needed this time together just as much, if not more so, than Josh needed his physical therapy.
“Daddy, can we have hot dogs?” Josh asked excitedly, when a hot dog vendor pushed his cart into view. “I’m hungry!”
“Why not?” Dan said with a smile. “I’m hungry too.”
“I’ll race you over there,” Josh challenged, wheeling himself quickly along the path.
“You’re on,” Dan shouted, taking off after his son.
Molly laughed when Josh reached the hot dog stand first and then raised his hands over his head in a gesture of victory when he beat his father. She suspected Dan had let him win, and couldn’t deny the warm glow she felt seeing them interact together.
Not for the first time she wondered what had happened to Josh’s mother. Not that it was any of her business but, still, she couldn’t imagine a woman giving up her husband and her son.
Her entire family.
For a moment her smile dimmed, but just then Dan turned and called over to her. “Molly, are you up for a hot dog, too?”
“Sure,” she agreed, striding over. She couldn’t explain why, but she was suddenly ravenously hungry.
“My treat,” Dan said gruffly, when she pulled money out of her pocket. She stared at him with indecision until he added, “Please? It’s the least I can do.”
“All right,” she agreed, shoving the money back into her pocket. She took the hot dog and loaded it up with ketchup and mustard, before following Dan and Josh over to the closest picnic table.
As they enjoyed the impromptu meal, she couldn’t help noticing that the three of them looked just like any other family enjoying a day at the park.
But of course this wasn’t a date. It was therapy.
No matter how much she wanted to pretend otherwise, Josh and Dan did not belong to her. They weren’t her family.
She needed to remember that as soon as Josh was able, they’d both walk away.
CHAPTER FIVE
DAN PACED THE LENGTH of the kitchen while Josh ate cereal for breakfast. He felt at a loss as to what to do with himself now that he had so much time on his hands. He’d given Gemma the weekend off to visit her daughter and granddaughter, and now the hours stretched endlessly ahead of him. When was the last time he’d had a week off work? Or a weekend that wasn’t filled with peewee football, birthday parties and soccer?
He felt bad that Josh couldn’t take part
in sports anymore, although he sincerely hoped his son would be able to join again next year. And he couldn’t help feeling guilty that he’d been a little annoyed with the chore of driving his son around prior to the car accident.
Now he’d give anything to see his son running up and down the soccer field again.
He flexed his sore muscles, having already worked out in his weight room, trying to sweat thoughts of Molly from his system. It was ridiculous to lose sleep over a woman.
Not just any woman, he corrected himself grimly. His son’s physical therapist, a woman who wore sunshine and happiness like a brightly colored dress.
A woman so different from him that they may as well be suspended in different solar systems.
The phone rang, and he welcomed the distraction, jumping to answer it. “Hello?”
“Dan, Marcus here. One of your patients, Carrie Allen, came into clinic with pneumonia. I just wanted you to know I started her on antibiotics again.”
He frowned, thinking he should go in to see little Carrie for himself. “Did you admit her?”
“No, luckily her mother brought her in early, so I think she’ll be all right. I’m going to see her again next week and if anything changes, I’ll admit her to Angel’s.”
Dan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to relax. “Okay, great. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Are you planning to attend Jack Carter’s going-away party next Friday?” Marcus asked.
“Where is Carter going?”
“He resigned as Chief of General Pediatrics to work with Nina Wilson at her pro bono clinic.”
“Really?” He felt like he’d been away from Angel’s for months, instead of just a few weeks. “Our loss. I would like to attend the party. Where is it?”
“Eight o’clock at the Ritz Carlton. Nothing but the best for Jack.”
Dan made a note of the date and time. “By the way, what do you know about Molly Shriver, the physical therapist?” he asked, trying, and failing, to sound casual. “Do you know if she’s seeing anyone?”
“I don’t know, but I think one of the nurses here is a friend of hers. Just a minute.” Before Dan could stop him, he put Emily on the line, who cheerfully explained how Molly had broken up with some guy a little over a year ago.
Feeling like a fool, he thanked her for the information and quickly ended the call. He wasn’t proud of himself for eliciting gossip about Molly, but he couldn’t help feeling pleased that she wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment.
“I’m finished, Daddy,” Josh said, pushing away from the table. Before he could move over to help him, Josh had swung himself from the kitchen chair into the wheelchair.
He’d been amazed at how quickly Josh had adapted to using the wheelchair and had found getting from one place to another far harder than he’d ever imagined, giving him a new perspective for what his patients had to go through.
Heck, he’d even fallen out of the stupid contraption yesterday at the park. Although the minute Molly had come over to tend to him, embarrassment hadn’t been his biggest concern. Instantly, he’d wanted nothing more than to kiss her.
An impulse that he thankfully hadn’t acted on.
He needed to stop thinking about her, or he was going to drive himself crazy.
“What are we going to do, today, Daddy?” Josh asked.
Good question. How pathetic that he had no idea how to entertain his son. What did other parents do with their kids on the weekends? He had no clue. He racked his brains.
“We could try that new indoor game place,” he offered. What was the name of it? Fun and Games? “Even with your wheelchair, I think there are lots of things you can do.”
“Really?” Josh’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Can we ask Molly to come, too?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse, except for the fact that he’d had the same idea. “I’ll give her a call, but I don’t know if she’ll agree to come,” he cautioned Josh. The last thing Dan wanted was to get his son’s hopes up. “She might already have plans for today.”
Or she might refuse, simply because going with them was crossing the line of professionalism.
His hands were damp as he dialed her number. She didn’t answer so he left a message, giving his phone number and asking her to call him back if she was interested in going to Fun and Games with him and Josh. When he hung up the phone, he had the depressing thought that she might not bother to return his call.
He hid his disappointment when he turned back to his son. “Sorry, champ, but Molly wasn’t home. I left her a message, but I think we’re on our own today. But we’ll have a great time anyway, right?”
“Right,” Josh agreed without enthusiasm.
Dan wished there was something he could do or say to cheer him up. But it was hard to be upbeat when he felt the same way.
He was worse than Josh, counting the hours until Monday when they’d see Molly again.
* * *
Molly listened to the voice-mail message at least three times, secretly thrilled at hearing Dan’s husky voice inviting her to go along with them to Fun and Games. She’d managed to push him from her mind during her three-mile run, but now he was back there, front and center.
Although it wasn’t as if he’d invited her out on a date or anything, as Josh would be with them. And the indoor games place was hardly a romantic setting but even so, she was tempted, oh, so tempted to say yes.
She tried to rationalize her desire to go, telling herself this little outing could be just an extension of Josh’s therapy. Josh had already made great progress in just five days—surely he’d be even further along if she helped him today?
Before she could talk herself out of it, she dialed Dan’s phone number. He picked it up on the first ring and for a moment she couldn’t speak.
“Hello?” he asked again. “Is this Molly?”
“Ah, yes, this is Molly,” she blurted out, finally finding her voice. “I’m, um, returning your phone call.” Brilliant conversation, she told herself, rolling her eyes. Just brilliant. Could she sound like a bigger dope?
“Molly, I’m so glad you called back. Would you be willing to go to Fun and Games with me and Josh? We’d love you to.”
The eagerness in his tone soothed her frayed nerves. “Sure, what time?”
“Well, I thought we’d go later this afternoon and then stay for dinner, although they mostly serve pizzas and burgers. With the traffic in New York, I could pick you up at two or two-thirty. If that’s all right with you.” Was it her imagination or did Dan sound nervous? “We could also play more of your games before heading out, if you think that would be all right.”
“No, of course I wouldn’t mind. Two o’clock sounds fine. Would you rather I meet you at the clinic? That way you don’t have to drive all the way out here to the Bronx.”
“Josh and I will pick you up, right, Josh?”
She had to grin when she heard Josh yelling “Yeah!” in the background.
“All right, I’ll see you around two.” She was about to hang up when Dan asked for her address. Feeling a little embarrassed, she rattled off the number of her apartment building. She knew it wasn’t exactly in the best neighborhood, but it was all she could afford on her therapist’s salary.
“See you soon,” Dan murmured huskily.
“All right,” she managed, before hanging up. For a moment she couldn’t move, stunned by what she’d just agreed to. Was she crazy? Didn’t she
have any self-preservation left after James had dumped her last year?
Apparently not, since she didn’t make a move to cancel her plans. No matter how stupid, she was looking forward to seeing Dan and Josh again.
She usually cleaned on Saturdays, and as she had a few hours to kill, she stuck to her routine. When she’d finished, she showered and dried her hair, deciding to keep her hair down rather than pulling it back into a ponytail, the way she usually wore it at work.
This wasn’t a date, but she still managed to try on just about every article of casual clothing that she owned, which admittedly wasn’t much. She wore scrubs to work and didn’t have enough money to be a clotheshorse. In the end, she settled on a pair of well-worn jeans and a bright green short-sleeved shirt that brought out the color of her eyes. Perfect attire for Fun and Games, although she wished she had something to wear that would make her look nice for Dan.
Stop it, she lectured herself. She was going along to help Josh with his therapy. Nothing more.
And maybe if she repeated that several more times, she’d find a way to believe it.
When her apartment buzzer went off at five minutes before two, she quickly crossed over to answer it. “I’ll be right down,” she said through the intercom, not wanting Dan to see her sparse furnishings. She’d gotten most of them from a secondhand store, and nothing matched.
She was surprised when only Dan was there, waiting for her in the minuscule lobby. “Where’s Josh?” she asked.
“He’s in the car, I’m double-parked outside,” Dan admitted with a wry grin. “Let’s go before I get a ticket.”
She laughed and shook her head. “They wouldn’t dare give Dr. Daniel Morris, renowned pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at Angel’s, a ticket.”
He didn’t say anything in response, but when he put his hand in the small of her back, gently urging her forward, she felt his light touch all the way down to her toes.
Get a grip, she told herself sternly.