Michael's Discovery

by Sherryl Woods

  He frowned at that. “I’m only three years older than you.”

  She grinned. “I notice you didn’t try to argue with the ill-tempered part.”

  He shrugged. “Didn’t see much point in it. When you’re right, you’re right. I’ll try to stop taking my bad moods out on you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So, if you weren’t suggesting a date, what were you suggesting?”

  “Just getting out in the world. It’ll give me a chance to evaluate your motor skills in a more realistic setting, and you can ask me whatever questions are on your mind.”

  He regarded her doubtfully. “And you think that will build trust?”

  “Couldn’t hurt,” she said.

  “What do you think your brother will have to say about you and me going out?”

  “Bryan doesn’t interfere in my work. For that matter, though, he’s welcome to come along.” Maybe her brother could smooth things over between them, keep her from saying the wrong thing, or at the very least, keep Michael from misinterpreting what she said and taking offense. “Is it a deal?”

  He seemed to be struggling with the offer, weighing it from every angle to see if he could find a catch. Kelly could almost see the wheels in his head turning. She realized then that this whole trust business was a far larger issue than she’d first assumed. Obviously it had to do with his family background. How on earth could she be expected to overcome that kind of distrust in a few short therapy sessions?

  She looked him in the eye. “Or would you prefer to start over with another therapist.”

  “No,” he said at once.

  She might have found the quick response flattering if she didn’t suspect it had more to do with his dread of wasting time searching for someone new than it did with her.

  “Okay, then,” she said. “Pick a day and we’ll get together.”

  “Friday,” he suggested finally. “I promised my sister-in-law today that I’d go to the pub Friday evening. Why don’t you and Bryan come along?”

  Kelly nodded. “Sounds good. Want us to pick you up? You’re on our way.”

  “Sure,” he said eventually, as if he’d wrestled with that decision, too.

  She grinned at him. “You’re not sacrificing your independence, you know. You really are on our way.”

  He gave her a self-deprecating grin that made Kelly’s heart flip over.

  “I know,” he admitted. “That’s why I finally gave in. I’m stubborn. I’m not an idiot.”

  She laughed then. “A distinction I’ll try to remember.”

  His expression sobered. “So will I. I really am sorry for giving you such a rough time. It’s just that all this is so blasted frustrating.”

  She patted his hand. “Compared to some people I’ve worked with, you’re downright sweet-natured.”

  Michael winced at the description, just as she’d expected him to.

  “Don’t worry,” she reassured him. “I won’t let it get around. I imagine you big, tough SEALs pride yourselves on being as cantankerous as they come.”

  “You’d better believe it,” he agreed, his fierce expression belied by the twinkle in his eyes. After an instant, the sparkle dimmed. “Of course, ex-SEALs are another breed entirely.”

  There was no mistaking the return of bitterness and despair in his tone. Kelly desperately wanted to make things better, but she wasn’t sure if she could find the right words. She made herself try, though.

  “You know, Michael, it seems to me that in some ways it takes as much bravery to face a future all alone without the SEALs as it does to take on some dangerous, covert mission surrounded by an entire team of highly trained experts,” she told him.

  “In other words, if I don’t get over myself and face this whole therapy thing head-on, I’m a coward?” he asked.

  “Your words, not mine,” she said.

  He sighed heavily. “Then maybe that’s exactly what I am,” he conceded, his expression bleak. “Because if I’m no longer a SEAL, then I don’t know who the hell I am.”

  Kelly could have offered a whole string of platitudes that would have meant nothing at all to him, but she didn’t. Instead, she merely touched his shoulder. “But you’ll figure it out,” she said quietly.

  “I wish I were as sure of that as you seem to be.”

  “You’re a smart man, you’ll find your way,” she insisted. “Trust me.”

  His gaze captured hers and held. “Which brings us full circle.”

  She gathered up her things and headed for the door. “I’ll see you Friday night and we’ll work on it,” she said, because suddenly there was nothing on earth more important to her than gaining Michael Devaney’s trust…unless it was giving him back his faith in himself.

  Chapter Four

  Bryan was staring at Kelly as if she’d suddenly grown two heads. “Tell me again how this came about?” he demanded, when she invited him to join her and Michael at Ryan’s Place on Friday night. “You asked Michael—your patient—out on a date? How many rules does that break?”

  “None precisely,” Kelly retorted defensively. “And it’s not a date. Michael admits he has issues with trust. I find it’s impossible to do my job if my client doesn’t trust my judgment. I thought it might help if he got to know me better as someone other than your baby sister. Apparently he agrees, because he suggested going to Ryan’s Place on Friday night. Now do you want to come along or not?”

  “Oh, I’m coming,” Bryan said, his expression grim. “If only to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. You seem to forget that I can read you like a book. It may be an issue of trust for Michael, but it’s a whole lot more for you.”

  Kelly found her brother’s attitude extremely annoying, to say nothing of patronizing. “I am not going to try to seduce him, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said heatedly.

  “What if he tries to seduce you? Will you take him up on it?” Bryan asked with the sort of bluntness he normally reserved for the patients he counseled in his psychology practice.

  Much as she wanted to believe that Michael attempting to seduce her was a possibility, Kelly was a realist where Michael Devaney was concerned. He was not going to try to get her into bed, not Friday night, most likely not ever. More’s the pity.

  She regarded her brother with a sour look. “I’ll let you know if the issue arises. Then, again, maybe I won’t. It’s not really any of your business.”

  “How can you say that? Of course it is. I’m your brother, and I’m the one who talked you into taking this job.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Bryan, you didn’t talk me into anything. You mentioned it. I spoke with Ryan and then consulted with Michael. He and I were the ones who agreed to give it a try. At best, you gave me a lead on a job. You’ve done it a hundred times before without working yourself into a frenzy over the outcome.”

  “But this was different.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we’re talking about Michael,” he replied with evident impatience. “I knew you’d jump at the chance to help him because you always had a thing for him.”

  She kissed her brother’s cheek. “Too late for regrets now, worrywart. I’m a big girl. I can handle this.”

  “You can handle Michael’s therapy,” he corrected. “I don’t have a doubt in the world about that. But this? This is social. Michael’s not thinking straight these days, and neither, apparently, are you. You’ll end up getting your heart broken.”

  She frowned at him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “You know what I mean. I thought for sure you’d be over your crush by now, but you aren’t, are you?”

  “I was barely a teenager when you first brought Michael home. He was gorgeous. Naturally I was intrigued by him,” she said, ignoring the fact that none of those feelings had gone away. She was still very much attracted to Michael, something her big brother definitely didn’t need to have confirmed. Maybe it was time to turn the tables, put him on the hot seat.
“Now let’s talk about your love life—or should I say your lack of one.”

  His scowl deepened. “Nothing to discuss,” he said tightly.

  “Oh, really? Then that fling with what’s-her-name is really over?” she pressed, in part because she knew of someone else who was ready and willing to take on Bryan, if he’d finally wised up.

  “It wasn’t a fling,” he said defensively. “And you know her name. It’s Debra.”

  “Short for dim-witted,” Kelly muttered. “You know, for an intelligent man who has a degree in psychology, you have exceptionally lousy taste in women.”

  “Thank you for sharing your opinion,” her brother retorted. “Next time you feel so inclined, bite your tongue.”

  She grinned at him. “Advice you should consider following when it comes to Friday night.”

  Bryan sighed heavily, picked up his jacket and headed out without saying another word.

  Now it was Kelly’s turn to sigh. She should have kept her mouth shut about Friday, because if she knew her brother at all—and she did—he was on his way straight to Michael’s, probably to warn him to behave or get his teeth knocked down his throat.

  Kelly considered calling Michael to warn him, but why bother? Bryan was a great guy, but he definitely leaned more toward intellectual pursuits than physical prowess. Michael could probably use a good laugh. He might be in a wheelchair, but she had a feeling he could still take her brother in a fight. Maybe it would do both of them good for Michael to remember that.

  Michael was watching the Celtics game on TV and cursing the fact that there wasn’t a beer in the place, when the doorbell rang. Since he’d all but banished his brothers from stopping by uninvited, he figured he shouldn’t just tell his visitor that the door was unlocked. He wheeled across the room and found Bryan on his doorstep, a scowl firmly in place and a six-pack in his hand.

  “Talk about your mixed messages,” Michael said, moving aside to let his friend in.

  Bryan stared at him blankly. “What?”

  “Hey, you’re the psychologist,” Michael reminded him. “Shouldn’t you understand that arriving with a frown on your face and a peace offering in your hand could be a bit confusing?”

  “Was I frowning? Sorry,” Bryan said, though the apology sounded halfhearted.

  Michael studied him curiously. The Bryan he’d once known had always been upbeat, always able to put a positive spin on things. He could spot the silver linings on the cloudiest days. It was a trait that probably contributed to his skill as a psychologist. Clearly, something had to be weighing mighty heavily on him to put this scowl on his face.

  “Something on your mind?” Michael probed cautiously.

  “You could say that.”

  “Why don’t you pour a couple of those beers and tell me all about it?” Michael suggested. Listening to somebody else’s problems for a change would be good for him, he decided. It might make him forget his own.

  While Bryan headed for the kitchen, Michael went back in the living room and muted the sound on the TV. He didn’t have to listen to the game, but he wasn’t going to skip it. Basketball was the one thing he’d missed when he was off in various godforsaken locations. Of course, he’d also missed playing it, but for now he’d have to settle for the vicarious thrills of watching a good game on TV.

  Bryan returned, handed Michael his beer, then sank down on the sofa, still looking worried.

  “Woman problems?” Michael asked.

  “Not the way you mean. It’s Kelly.”

  Now it was Michael’s turn to frown. “Has something happened to your sister? She was here this afternoon, and she seemed perfectly fine.”

  “Yeah, well, since then, she’s apparently lost her mind.”

  Michael stared at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “This whole cockamamy scheme that the two of you should spend time together,” Bryan explained. “Whose idea was it?”

  “Hers,” Michael said at once, still not seeing why Bryan was making such a big deal out of it. “What’s wrong? It’s not as if we’re dating—though, frankly, it would be none of your business if we were.”

  Bryan snorted. “Yeah, that’s what she said, too.”

  “Well, then, what’s the problem?”

  “I don’t like it, that’s the problem,” Bryan said, regarding him defiantly. “Therapy’s one thing. This—whatever this is—is something else entirely. Kelly’s no match for you. She’s been in Boston her whole life. She’s dated some, but the men were nothing like you.”

  “Which makes her what? Naive? Stupid?”

  Bryan’s scowl deepened. “Of course not.”

  “Glad to know you’re smart enough to see that. But if Kelly’s not the problem, then I must be,” Michael concluded. “Do you figure I’m some sort of macho, sex-starved male who can’t keep his hormones in check?”

  His friend flushed a dull red. “No, but you are experienced.”

  Michael couldn’t deny that. “Maybe so, but I would never take advantage of your sister,” he said flatly. “After all the time we spent together, you ought to know me better than that.”

  “I suppose, but it’s been a lot of years since you and I hung out, Michael. You could have changed,” Bryan said defensively.

  “I haven’t,” Michael said, meeting his gaze evenly.

  Bryan nodded slowly. “I’ll take your word, then, that you won’t take advantage of her.”

  “Thank you.” He slanted a look at Bryan. “So, does she have any idea you’re over here warning me off?”

  “Probably,” Bryan said.

  Michael regarded him with amusement. “And you got out of the house in one piece? Amazing. You must be quicker than I remembered.”

  “Very funny.”

  “Look, I admire the fact that you care about what happens to your sister, but I swear to you that I’m not a threat. I’ll say it one more time—this whole pub visit is strictly professional. She thinks it will help the therapy if I can put my trust in her.”

  Bryan rolled his eyes. “And you bought that hogwash?”

  Something in his reaction sent a little chill of apprehension down Michael’s back. He regarded Bryan with a narrowed gaze. “You think she has another agenda?”

  “She might not even be aware of it herself, but, yes, I think she has another agenda.” He leveled a warning look at Michael. “And so help me, if you take her up on it and break her heart, I’ll make you regret it.”

  “Whoa!” Michael protested, reeling from the possibility that Bryan viewed his own sister as the one who couldn’t be entirely trusted to exercise good judgment. “It’s a long way from spending one evening in a pub with family to breaking your sister’s heart. Trust me, that is not a road I intend to go down.”

  “As long as you’re clear on the consequences,” Bryan said flatly.

  “Very clear. Are you clear on the fact that I’m not the least bit interested in getting involved with anyone these days? Fixing my own life is pretty much an all-consuming task.”

  “Okay, then,” Bryan said, clearly relieved. “Now turn the sound up on the game, while I get us another beer.”

  Michael stared after him as he left the room. Bryan’s little wake-up call hadn’t exactly scared him. He could handle an irate Bryan. But the memory of the way he’d felt when Kelly had her hands all over him gave him pause. He was suddenly far less confident about whether he could handle Kelly, if she really did have something other than therapy on her mind.

  Michael was still feeling a little leery about Kelly’s intentions when they got to Ryan’s Place on Friday night. Fortunately, with nearly a dozen members of his own family and the O’Briens around, it was easy enough to put some distance between himself and Kelly.

  When the boisterous crowd got to be too much for him, he made his way to the bar where Ryan was trying to keep up with the orders. Michael couldn’t hide his grin at how natural his big brother looked pouring ales and Irish whisky and joking with the custo
mers.

  “This place suits you,” he told Ryan, when his brother finally turned his attention to him.

  “You like it, then?” Ryan asked.

  “There’s a warm, comfortable feel to it I haven’t run across since a vacation in Ireland a few years back.”

  “Then I’ve done it right,” Ryan said, obviously pleased. “And having you and Sean in here couldn’t make me happier. For a long time, I thought I could be content just to have this place with its crowd of regulars. Then Maggie came along and made me see what I was missing.” He nodded toward the crowd across the room. “The O’Briens are special. I didn’t trust all that love they shower on everyone at first, but it’s the real thing.”

  Michael nodded. “I can see that. Not five seconds after we met, Nell O’Brien fussed over me as if I were one of her own brood.”

  “You are now,” Ryan said simply. His expression turned thoughtful. “You know, if you wanted to invite your foster family here sometime, it would be fine with me. I’d like to get to know them. I never stayed with any of mine long enough to get attached. Sean had better luck, but he doesn’t see them much anymore. Of all of us, I think you’re the one who came closest to finding a real home.”

  Michael tried to imagine the Havilceks here and, surprisingly, found that he could. “Maybe I will,” he said. “One of these days. I haven’t told them I’m back in Boston.”

  Ryan regarded him with shock. “Why not?”

  Michael tried out the same explanation he’d used on Kelly to see if it sounded any better now. “I wanted to sort things out for myself. My foster mom is great, but she’d take over and try to fix things.” He grinned. “The girls are no better. I had measles when I was maybe eight or nine and they just about nursed me into a mental institution with all their hovering. I couldn’t think straight. Even a cold was enough to bring out all their Florence Nightingale tendencies.” He tapped his still-useless leg. “Just imagine the frenzy they’d go into over this.”

  “Would that be so awful?” Ryan asked, an unmistakable trace of envy in his voice.

  Michael sighed. He’d learned only a little of what his big brother had gone through in foster care, but he knew their experiences were vastly different. He could understand why Ryan might not get how Michael would chafe under all that attention. “Trust me, it’s better this way. They’d be hurt if I refused to move in with one of them.”