Wyatt knew immediately she was teasing him about yesterday. “Are you kidding me? Mom taught all of her boys to cook. She said that we weren’t going to shame her one day by not knowing how to cook for our families.”
She let out a carefree laugh. The sound of it was light and tinkling. “I love your mother. She’s one of a kind.” Her expression turned somber. “I’m really sorry about what your family is going through. I know your father had a stroke last spring. I didn’t work with him, but I used to see him from time to time doing his PT work at the hospital.”
“Yeah. The Donahue family has been through pretty rough times lately. Dad is much better although he’s not quite back to how he was before the stroke. And Mom. This dementia diagnosis came out of the blue. And it’s aggressive. It’s coming on so fast now, like an out of control train. I can’t help but feel like it’s barreling toward us.” He bowed his head down so he didn’t have to make eye contact with Kaitlyn. There was so much emotion welling up inside him about his mother’s condition. At least with his father they could hope for a brighter day. With his mother, they all knew that eventually her memories and her mind would be swallowed up by the ravages of dementia. At some point down the road, she would be lost to them. In some sense he’d been running from that reality for months now because the very thought of losing one of his anchors terrified him.
He struggled to find the words to convey his feelings to Kaitlyn without getting too choked up.
She reached out and touched his arm. “Hey, I’m sorry for bringing this up. I can’t imagine how it must feel. I know how much you love your mother.”
Tears pricked at his eyes. “She’s the heart of the Donahue family. The very center. The worst part is that she’s made so many wonderful memories for our family. Everything she’s done has been for us. And now, with every day that passes she is losing her ability to remember things. It’s like a door is closing and all her memories are shut behind the door.”
“Oh, Wyatt. I’m so sorry,” Kaitlyn whispered. “It sounds so painful.”
“I’m sorry, too. About yesterday. The way I slammed the door on you. The things I said.” He shook his head, wishing he could rid himself of the memory of how he’d reacted to her arrival at his house. “I justified it by the fact that I’ve been so unhappy and in so much pain, but it’s never okay to treat someone the way I treated you. Please know that I’m deeply sorry.”
“You’re forgiven on one condition.”
“Anything,” Wyatt said. “Just name it.”
She flashed him a smile that was so perfect it should be patented. “I want the recipe for eggs a la Wyatt. My stomach has been grumbling ever since I walked in here. Torturing the PT is not part of the regimen.”
“Done,” Wyatt said, feeling grateful for her gracious acceptance of his apology. “If you play your cards right I might just share my recipe for turkey meatballs. It’s a Donahue family secret,” he said, putting his finger up to his lips. “Just don’t tell my family I shared it with you.”
Kaitlyn fanned herself with her hand. “Turkey meatballs. Be still my heart. I remember being over at your house doing a tutoring session when Maggie was cooking them. A few times she invited me to stay for dinner. What a treat that was!”
“I’ve learned everything I know about cooking from that wonderful woman.” Wyatt’s warm sentiment settled in the air between them. A comfortable silence ensued where neither felt the need to fill it up with chatter.
After a few moments Kaitlyn suggested, “Why don’t you show me your workout room so we can get started. I want you to get your money’s worth. Your brothers already paid me for a month of PT work and I need to earn my pay.”
“Sounds like they were pretty sure of themselves.” Wyatt grabbed his cane and began walking down the hall towards the workout room. Thankfully it was on the ground floor since stairs were the bane of his existence these days. Rather than deal with them, he’d relocated his bedroom to the guest bedroom on this floor.
“You seem to be managing quite well without the use of the wheelchair.” Kaitlyn’s voice rang out from behind him. “That must feel good.”
“Believe it or not, I think walking around on it and not relying so much on the wheelchair is helping.”
“Well, it’s true that when you rely on something as a crutch you’re not strengthening the part of your body that’s weak or injured,” Kaitlyn explained. “That’s not to say you can’t use the wheelchair if you feel it’s absolutely necessary, but in the long run doing without it might help you turn the corner.”
Turn the corner? He needed to do more than turn a corner. He wanted to be back with the team in a few months. Perhaps that was aiming way too high, but aiming low wasn’t his style. In two months the team would be heading to Florida for Spring Training. That was his goal. To be in good enough shape to attend spring training. And he intended to lead his team to the World Series this year. The Bay State Bombers would be taking the championship banner back to Boston. Back to Brimley Park and the fans who’d been devoted to the team for over a hundred years.
“We’re going to do some basic leg work today. I want to test your strength levels,” Kaitlyn said, her tone crisp and professional. “That way I’ll know where we’re at and how much I can push you.”
Wyatt flexed his bicep and winked at Kaitlyn. “I’ve always been strong. Like a Superhero.”
Kaitlyn’s lips began twitching. He could sense she was trying not to grin.
“The goal is to improve your movement and manage your pain levels. How does that sound?” Kaitlyn asked.
“It sounds great. And if it can get me back in uniform, even better,” Wyatt cracked.
She nodded, her expression inscrutable. “Okay, Mr. Superhero. Show me what you got.”
For the next forty-five minutes Kaitlyn put him through the ringer with exercises designed to improve the movement in his leg. At one point Kaitlyn had pressed against his leg and instructed him to push his leg as hard as he could against her resistance. He hadn’t done half bad. He’d done balance exercises and almost landed on his butt when he’d wavered. At times he’d wanted to scream out loud. Several times he’d been tempted to beg for mercy and end the session. But his pride had reared up and prevented him from doing so. He wanted to show Kaitlyn he could hang with the best of them.
As the session wound to a close, they headed down the hall towards the kitchen. Wyatt wiped his forehead with his towel. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so drained of energy.
“Whew. I need a water. Would like something? Water. Ice tea? Green tea?”
“Water is fine,” Kaitlyn said, sitting down at the kitchen counter. “You did really well for your first session. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks. I feel like I’m waking up after being asleep for months. I haven’t felt so pumped up in a long time,” he admitted.
“A person’s state of mind has a lot to do with their physical recovery. The mind-body connection is very strong.”
After grabbing two waters from the fridge Wyatt placed one in front of her and then sat down next to her at the counter. He brushed against her, the hairs on his arm bristling at the contact. There was such an awareness of her as an old friend and a beautiful woman who was making him feel things that had been long dormant.
She was so close. He could smell her rose scented perfume and the lavender aroma of shampoo emanating from her hair. It felt as if he was breathing in her essence. She glanced over at him, her eyes widening in surprise. Her lips parted. Those lips. They were very kissable lips as far as he was concerned. Full and rose colored. On impulse he leaned in until their mouths were only separated by a hair’s breath. His head tilted and lowered.
Bam! He felt himself being pushed away by two strong arms. “Ouch,” he cried out, raising a hand to his chest. Kaitlyn had jumped to her feet. She stood there glaring at him with flushed cheeks and her fists clenched at her side.
“What in the world did you think you were do
ing?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Nothing! Everything! Hasn’t anyone tried to kiss you before?” Why in the world was she acting as if he’d committed a crime? Kissing an attractive woman was as natural to him as taking his next breath. Had he been out of the dating game so long that he’d mistaken the signals?
“Of course I’ve been kissed before, Wyatt. But never by a client. Not ever!” Her tone bristled with outrage.
“There’s a first time for everything,” he teased. Kaitlyn managed to look adorable even when steam was coming out her ears.
Kaitlyn didn’t seem amused judging by her stiff posture and the lip she was frantically chewing.
“I can’t cross those lines with you. It would be inappropriate and unprofessional. I’ve worked incredibly hard to be taken seriously in my profession…and I’m not going to jeopardize that.” Her tone was crisp and somber. “Not even for you Wyatt.”
Did he detect a hint of regret in her voice?
He had to admit it. This was a first. He couldn’t ever remember being rejected by a woman before. Women usually threw themselves at him, which had always been a major turn off. Shame on him for assuming she’d wanted to kiss him. A deep sense of embarrassment flooded him. It hadn’t even registered to him that Kaitlyn would have something to lose if they became involved. He’d been fighting the pull in her direction ever since she’d been his tutor back in high school. Back in the day he’d never mustered the courage to kiss her, even though he’d wanted to. Even back then he’d worried about being the type of guy who broke girls’ hearts. Kaitlyn had meant way too much to him to jeopardize their friendship that way. She’d been a pretty girl back then, but far from the knockout she was in the here and now.
And it wasn’t as if he wanted anything serious to develop between them in the present. He wasn’t good at relationships. And the thought of hurting Kaitlyn gutted him. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t get to know each other better and go out on a few dates. Things didn’t have to get serious.
“I’m sorry about trying to kiss you. I didn’t even consider whether you have a boyfriend or not,” Wyatt apologized. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was make you uncomfortable. I hope this doesn’t change anything between us.”
“I’m single, Wyatt. And you didn’t offend me as a woman. I’m actually flattered. You have to know that I had a huge crush on you back in the day,” Kaitlyn said in a matter of fact tone.
Pleasure rushed through him at her admission. “My family had their suspicions,” he admitted. “And honestly, I had a little crush on you too.”
Kaitlyn’s mouth gaped. She began to sputter. “N-no way, Wyatt. You did not.”
“Scout’s honor,” he said, holding up his hand. “I had the hots for you.”
“Why? I was the geekiest thing on two legs!” she said in a high-pitched voice.
Surprised flooded him at her negative perception of herself. “Hey, knock it off. You were pretty. And smart. And kind. Glasses and shyness can’t hide true beauty. I’d have been pretty shallow not to notice you were a rose on its way to full bloom.”
Kaitlyn wrapped her arms around her middle. “Thanks for saying that. I didn’t think anyone ever noticed me back then. I felt invisible for the most part, except for the moments we spent together. You always made me smile…and laugh out loud. It was a powerful feeling to know that the golden boy of Breeze Point High was sort of my friend. At least during our tutoring sessions.”
“I must admit I was caught up in the whole jock thing. And if I’m being totally honest, I probably would have asked you out if you’d hung with a certain in-crowd.” He ran a hand over his face. “I know that sounds terrible, but I’m being honest. That meant something to me back then. When you come out of the foster care system there’s still this little niggling need inside you to prove you’re good enough.”
“You have nothing to feel badly about, Wyatt.” She let out a hollow laugh. “I think I was hoping your popularity and looks would rub off on me when I tutored you. I’m not going to lie. I would have loved to have been the It girl back in high school.”
“Well, the tide has turned. You’re way better looking than I am,” Wyatt said, giving Kaitlyn his best smile.
“Not even,” she said in a soft voice, her cheeks flushing to a pretty pink shade. “But thanks for the compliment. It took a long time to feel good about myself after so many rejections in high school.”
“Hey, I was popular, but a lot of the hangers-on didn’t care about me one bit. It was about the flash and the cool crowd and the jocks. The girl I went to senior prom with only went with me because she wanted to be Prom Queen. Cindy Lovett. She campaigned for weeks saying she and I would make the most photogenic King and Queen.” Wyatt rolled his eyes. “Proms are overrated.”
Kaitlyn took a deep swig of her water. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been.”
Wyatt knew he was gawking at Kaitlyn but he couldn’t help himself. “Seriously?”
“I’m quite serious. Girls don’t joke about prom.” He could tell that she was trying to make her voice sound light and airy. There was a sadness in her tone that broke his heart a little.
“It seems like a lifetime ago, but I wanted to go so badly. I had this whole fantasy of wearing a beautiful peach dress with little shimmery rhinestones on it.” She scoffed. “Stupid, huh?”
Wyatt reached out and squeezed her hand. “Not stupid at all. The heart wants what the hearts wants. And from what I understand, most girls dream of going to the prom. Right?”
“Right,” she said with a nod. She began to gather up her stuff. “I’m off to my next client, Wyatt. Make sure you keep up with these exercises. I won’t see you until Friday.” She handed him a piece of paper with diagrams and descriptions of the proposed regimen. “Time to get back to basics.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Wyatt drawled, feeling his spirits sink a little at the realization that he wouldn’t see Kaitlyn again for two days.
She snapped her fingers. “Oops, I almost forgot. I’ve hired a masseuse to come by the house and massage your leg. They’ll be here tomorrow at eleven. It works wonders as a pain management treatment.”
Before he could fight her on it, she sailed out the door, leaving him with his mouth open. He pushed the door closed behind her. A masseuse? He hadn’t even considered hiring one. Nor had his agent. What good was he anyway? He was beginning to realize that his relationship with Artie Samuels was based on nothing more than his commission and Wyatt’s viability as a player. Now that his career was questionable, Artie had shifted his attention to greener, younger pastures.
Well, who needed fair-weather phonies? He had a mind to pick up the telephone and fire him for not having his back. He took slow breaths, reminding himself that everything in his life was clearer these days. Little by little the fog was lifting. Back when he’d been the number one short-stop in the league he hadn’t had time to focus on the people in his midst. He’d taken them at face value. He’d been so caught up in his star being on the rise that he hadn’t given any thought to what might happen if he tumbled off his pedestal. These days he was seeing everything in his life with more focused vision.
He’d been blind for far too long. So many of his so-called friends had dropped off his radar during his hiatus from sports. It was rare that any of them called him up just to see how he was doing. Although his Bay State Bomber teammates were the exceptions to the rule. They’d stood by him every step of the way. His heart was now telling him to cut off the ones who’d turned their backs on him during his darkest hours.
“Let them alone for they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.” The Bible verse from Matthew came to mind. It described perfectly his association with certain “friends” who’d let him down and attempted to lead him away from his moral compass. He was done with allowing people into his life who only sought to use him for baseball tickets, celebrity parties and access to his fame and money.
It
had been a long time since he’d called upon the Bible for wisdom. Matter of fact, it had been ages since he’d attended church on a regular basis. He talked to God each and every day, but he didn’t gather together in His house. When had that fallen by the wayside? Boston had some of the most beautiful churches and Christian worship communities in the country. He had no excuses. In the beginning he’d attended service, but he’d soon become distracted by all the pressures of his fast-paced lifestyle. Practice. Conditioning. Travel. Press conferences. Award shows. Famous supermodels.
All those things had become more important than his faith. He let out a ragged sigh. It wasn’t as if he’d ever lost sight of God, but he’d short-changed his faith in many ways. It wasn’t enough to donate a big fat check to St. Mary’s at Christmas then not return until Easter Sunday. Somehow he’d lost his way a little and strayed from the principles he’d learned in the Donahue household.
Back to basics. Wasn’t that what Kaitlyn had said about the state of his leg and getting it back in working order? Little did she know, but it applied to many aspects of his life.
Although his leg was a little bit achy, he felt better and more grounded than he had in months. He wasn’t sure how much the change in his mental attitude had to do with Kaitlyn, but his heart soared with optimism. His life might never be exactly as it had been before, but for the first time since the accident he was beginning to visualize himself back at Brimley Park. Back in the game.
**
Whew! That had been a close call. Being so near to Wyatt had been a heady experience. He’d almost kissed her. And Lord help her. She’d almost let him. The truth was she’d yearned for Wyatt’s kiss since she was sixteen years old. All these years later and she still wanted him to place his lips on hers and kiss her like nobody’s business. Stop it! You’re not sixteen years old anymore. Your chance to be romanced by Wyatt Donahue is over. He’s your client now and it would be career suicide to cross those lines.
In a town as small as Breeze Point, nothing ever stayed secret for very long. If she became involved with Wyatt, the whole town would be gossiping about them. Her peers wouldn’t understand why she’d crossed those lines with a client. And Wyatt would return to his high-flying lifestyle at some point, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
Baby It's You (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Book 6) Page 6