After she finished wiping her hands off on a napkin, Mandy took Barry back and settled him on her lap. “And you said…”
“I reminded Wade that we’d only known each other a few months.” Raven winced. “So yeah, the fact he hasn’t called is pretty telling.” She couldn’t blame Wade, though. If roles had been reversed, she would’ve backed off herself. Truthfully, the main thing she missed about Wade was the built-in excuse of having other plans, making it much easier to avoid her parents and sister. She didn’t necessarily miss him. Guilt twisted in her stomach.
It was clear Mandy didn’t need help reaching similar conclusions. “There’s nothing wrong with telling him that.” She paused. “You should come to our church, Raven. There are several great, single guys there. At least there’s a good chance they’ll have the same morals as you do.”
Raven had been attending the same church since she was born, although the congregation contained mostly older individuals. If she tried to change churches now, she’d catch a lot of flak from her parents.
Raven gave her friend an apologetic look. Mandy, the true friend that she was, only smiled understandingly and changed the subject.
Raven enjoyed her career. She loved living in Clearwater and couldn’t imagine moving anywhere else. She had amazing friends. But sometimes, while everyone else around her was falling in love, getting married, and having babies, her life seemed to be frozen in amber.
Chapter Three
Raven blinked at Fay, waiting for her boss to say she was joking or at least add more to her statement. The last thing Raven expected when she walked into work Monday morning was for Fay to ask if she should get Heath moved to another PT assistant. Not that Raven would object. “Why do you ask?”
“Mr. Shaw suggested there was history between you, and that a different assistant might be better.” Fay watched her closely. “I wanted to check with you and see if you needed me to move things around.”
Heath had the nerve to ask for a different assistant? Raven clenched a fist as she tried to keep her face neutral. “I hadn’t seen him in over a decade. Any history we had is ancient by now.”
Fay looked relieved. “So, you’re okay with leaving the schedule as is?”
Part of Raven would be thrilled to switch and not deal with Heath. But another part of her didn’t want to let him off the hook that easily. If he hadn’t wanted to see the people he’d abandoned, maybe he should’ve gone elsewhere to recover from his injury. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“That’s great! Okay, that’s all I needed.” Fay flashed a happy smile and went on her way.
Raven had only moments before her first patient of the morning, seventeen-year-old April. The people Raven helped deserved her full attention. She shoved thoughts of Heath aside as she made final preparations to get the exam room ready. Five minutes later, she welcomed April along with her mother, Lilly, into the room. “How are you doing this week?”
April shrugged. Her unusually quiet temperament combined with the concern on April’s face made Raven frown. She helped April up onto the table, got a chair for Lilly, and then pulled her own closer before sitting.
The poor girl had been through a lot. One of April’s legs had been crushed in a car accident almost a year ago. She’d had several reconstructive surgeries and still had a long way to go in the therapy department to gain what everyone was hoping would be close to full use of her leg again. It was a lofty goal, but if anyone had the determination to make it happen, it was April.
For now, April wore a brace that stabilized her leg from the thigh down to the shin.
Raven nudged the girl’s good leg with an elbow. “Come on, April, talk to me. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”
April glanced at her mother first and finally took a deep breath. “It feels like none of this makes a difference.” Her voice broke, and Raven caught Lilly’s chin quivering as she listened to her daughter. “It was okay when I first went back to school. But now, everyone’s doing their own thing. It’s my senior year, and I can’t even keep up with my friends in the hallway much less go to my senior prom in a few weeks. No one’s asked me, and I can’t help but think it’s because of my leg.” She stared at the offending limb as though she’d pick it up and toss it away if she could. “I guess I’d hoped, when I started therapy months ago, that I’d walk on my own by now.”
Raven’s heart went out to the girl. She stood and withdrew the iPad from her pocket. “Come on, hop up.”
April tossed her a questioning look but did as asked. With her cane in hand, she stood.
“Okay, now walk to the door and back.” Raven used the iPad to record April’s movements as the teen rolled her eyes and did as she was asked. When she returned, Raven helped her back up onto the table. “Give me a minute here.” Raven went into the patient files and pulled up a second video. Once she had it, she went to sit on the table next to April. Lilly came closer. “Check this out. Do you remember when I recorded you walking across the room your first day here?”
April stared at the iPad and the frozen image of herself on the screen. “I’d forgotten about that.”
Raven pushed play, and they watched as April slowly maneuvered her way across the room in crutches, pain etched into her face with every movement. When it had finished, Raven found the video she’d taken. “Now this one.”
They watched as April used her cane to traverse the room in a fraction of the time. Not only that, but the girl stood straighter, and there was no evidence of pain in her posture.
When Raven glanced at the girl, she found tears rolling down her cheeks, mirroring that of her mother. “Honey, you have made huge progress. To go from where you were to what you’re doing now is nothing short of a miracle. If any of your friends give you trouble, I’ll be happy to tell them how much of a hero you truly are.” Raven nudged the girl’s shoulder with her own.
Even with the tears still falling, a smile transformed April’s face.
“That’s better.” Raven hopped down and retrieved a box of tissues. She handed one to Lilly. “You have a strong, determined daughter who I know will eventually walk without a brace or cane one day.” Then she handed a tissue to April. “And you don’t give up, you hear? Feel free to come in any time you need a little kick in the tush to keep you moving.”
April laughed then as she wiped her eyes and nose. “Thanks, Raven.”
“You’re welcome.” Raven grabbed the small wastebasket and held it out for the soiled tissues. “Now, let’s get to work, shall we?”
Forty-five minutes later, she waved goodbye to a happy but tired teenager and her mother. More than satisfied with her patient’s progress, Raven made notes in April’s file. It wasn’t until she’d hit save that she allowed thoughts of Heath to flood her mind again. The annoyance she’d felt this morning flared up again.
She sighed and reached for the small necklace she kept tucked into her shirt. Raven pulled it out now and looked at the heart with a cross etched into it. Mandy gave it to her last Christmas with a card that said she should look at it every time she needed a reminder of how much God loved her.
“I thought I’d forgiven Heath and put this all behind me,” she whispered in the empty room. “Do me a favor, God? Help me get through this with my heart intact. Oh, and if You could keep me from killing him in the process, that would be great, too.”
~*~
The moment Raven entered Heath’s room at the Clearwater Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday, it was clear from her demeanor that Dr. Bright had informed her of his failed request to switch assistants. He suppressed a sigh. It was his own dumb fault. This was a small town, after all. Word got around. Of course a conversation with Raven’s boss would filter down to Raven herself. He should have known better.
Well, if he thought she was all business last week, it was nothing compared to the determined look in her eyes today. She asked him a list of questions and then went through the exercises one by one as if they were targets at the shooting
range. No emotion. That’s what bothered Heath the most. The indifference bothered him more than her anger would have.
He winced as pain radiated up his leg. He had to quit thinking about her and focus on what he was doing.
Raven noticed immediately. “We need to push your leg to heal, but if we’re going too fast, let me know.”
A hint of compassion flashed in her eyes before it disappeared. If Heath hadn’t been looking at her then, he would’ve missed it. “No, it’s good to push. No pain, no gain, right?” He gave her the smile that used to always earn him one in return.
Instead of a smile, she nodded once. “Okay. But I’m serious, speak up if we need to back off a little. We may have a whole recovery plan drawn up here, but no one knows your body and its limits like you do. It’s important you listen to that.”
Heath knew she was only doing her job and cautioning him on the amount of strain he was putting on his injured leg. Still, his spine straightened as he pushed his shoulders back. He had to get through this rigorous plan and back on his feet. His father had reminded him that morning about all that was at stake if he didn’t get back on the field soon.
It gave Heath dual reasons to push through the pain and recover as fast as possible: as much to escape the constant reminders from his father as playing football itself.
He watched Raven as she made a few notes on her iPad. Even when she was serious, a crease between her brows as she frowned, she was beautiful.
A conversation with his father during senior year replayed itself in Heath’s head.
“Son, I know you like the girl. But she’s just another pretty face.” His father handed Heath his helmet on the sidelines of the football field. “Don’t let a schoolboy crush destroy your chances of playing for the NFL.”
Heath put the helmet on and then sought out his fiancée in the stands, a mix of pride and love on her face as her gaze connected with his. She’d waved when his father grabbed the mask of his helmet and brought Heath’s head around.
“I’m serious, son. Don’t screw up your future. Trust me, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
Pop had been wrong about one thing. Raven hadn’t been just another pretty face. His father had never taken their engagement seriously. But at the time, Heath couldn’t imagine his life without her. This woman standing in front of him now was even more beautiful than the girl he knew in high school. Combine that with the maturity he saw in her, and the skill she had as a PT assistant, and it was clear his father had underestimated her.
Heath had underestimated her.
Regret wasn’t exactly a foreign concept. He’d felt it every time he thought about Raven, his mom, or his hometown over the last dozen years. But right now, the guilt expanded in his chest with each breath, threatening to force its way out. He covered it by putting extra effort into the exercise he was supposed to be focusing on. Anything to deflect the emotion into something else, and that included pain.
“Good.” Raven’s voice brought Heath out of the mess of thoughts running wild in his head. “I think that’s about it for today. Are you ready for the gym?”
“Yep.” He appreciated that she made no move to help him. His muscles ached with the effort of the session.
She slipped her iPad into a pocket in her scrubs. The hallway was empty. Before she could walk away, Heath cleared his throat and interrupted her.
“Raven?” He waited for her to turn and face him before continuing. He tried to ignore the apprehension and curiosity in her eyes. “When I asked Dr. Bright to switch assistants, it had nothing to do with your skill as a physical therapist. You clearly know what you’re doing here. I thought it might be easier on both of us.” He cleared his throat again. “I should’ve left things alone. I hope it didn’t cause problems with your boss.”
She studied him for a moment. “No, it didn’t cause any problems. I get it.” Her gaze flickered from his face to the end of the hall and back. “This isn’t what either of us would’ve chosen. But we’ve got a common goal—to get you back to Cleveland. If we focus on that…”
“…then hopefully we can leave the rest in the past.” Heath acknowledged the look of approval in her eyes, surprised by the mix of emotions that brought to him. Relief that she seemed more comfortable with their current situation. Yet sadness that him leaving town had so thoroughly ended all facets of their once-close relationship. He had no one to blame but himself, though. “You reap what you sow,” as Mom would’ve said. Or, he thought wryly, his father would tell him, “You can’t expect anyone else to handle the crap you’ve dealt.”
Well, between trying to renew a relationship with his mom and getting through seeing Raven twice a week, he’d certainly created a quicksand of his own making. Now to get out of Clearwater before he sank completely.
Chapter Four
Raven adjusted the baseball cap on her head to shield her eyes from the setting Texas sun. The surrounding crowd roared as the Clearwater Raptors scored a touchdown. Raven balanced the hot dog she was eating on her lap and clapped along with them.
She hated football, but today it served its purpose as a distraction. She’d been working with Heath at the CRC for the past two weeks. They’d managed to keep the sessions completely professional, and that was the way Raven wanted it.
Unfortunately, it also looked like Heath would be in town longer than she’d first expected. He planned to stay until he was free of the boot. It made sense. If recovery continued at its current pace, she hoped that meant he’d be on his way back to Cleveland by the end of October. She tried to remind herself that was only a drop in the bucket compared to the last twelve years. Surely she could handle another four to six weeks.
Cheers brought Raven’s focus back to the game.
Her twin sister, Rosie, leaned into Raven’s shoulder and shouted, “Carl’s done an amazing job with this team. Everyone’s talking about how much of a difference his coaching has made.” There was no missing the pride in her voice. In fact, no one in the general vicinity missed it.
Raven resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she smiled, nodded, and took another bite of her hot dog. She was happy for Rosie and Carl. The couple had been married a little over a year and expected their first baby—a girl—in two months. Rosie had the perfect life. Not that Raven was jealous. It just seemed like everything was handed to Rosie on a silver platter.
Rosie was born first—a whole whopping two minutes before Raven—but it’d been held over Raven’s head all her life. Rosie was blessed with blonde hair that had later turned to a gorgeous dark blonde, while Raven had dark hair that was nearly black. According to her parents, that had been the deciding factor when it came to naming the twins. But the differences didn’t stop there. Raven was the type of person who spoke her mind and got in trouble because of it. Rosie, on the other hand, always knew the right words to say. In other words, Rosie was the poster child her parents constantly compared Raven to.
If Raven had a dollar for every time her parents asked why she couldn’t be more like her sister, she’d have a nice nest egg in the bank right now. Throw in that Rosie was married to a successful high school football coach and expecting their parents’ first grandchild, and she could do no wrong.
Cue Raven. It didn’t matter that she had a successful job as a PT assistant. In fact, her parents only saw her as someone who “fixed up” the local football heroes so they could return to a more important job.
Football. It was practically a religion in Texas, and Clearwater was no exception. Raven’s family lived and breathed the sport.
Raven couldn’t have cared less about football until she met Heath. The last thing she’d expected in high school was to fall in love with a running back. It wasn’t until after he’d asked her out that she’d gone to her first high school football game.
Once they were dating, she never missed a game. A fact that had more than thrilled her parents. For once, their daughter, who preferred to stay home and read, was going to the games e
very Friday night.
Most families would be shocked if their eighteen-year-old daughter came home and announced she was engaged. But Raven’s parents hadn’t lectured her about being too young. Instead, they’d practically thrown a party, they were so excited.
When Heath first ended things between them, it was difficult for outsiders to know who was more upset: Raven or her parents.
Raven quit going to football games, and her parents found all kinds of ways to blame her for losing the love of her life. She was hoping she’d never have to set foot on a football field again, which worked for a while.
Then Rosie had to go and marry a high school football coach. Suddenly, Raven was a horrible person if she didn’t go and support her brother-in-law at least a couple times a month.
At least there were hot dogs. She took another bite.
Her mom, Linda Weber, leaned in from the next row back and blocked the space between Raven and Rosie with her head. “You know your sister can’t eat hot dogs while she’s pregnant. Don’t you think it’s inconsiderate for you to do so while you’re sitting right next to her?”
Raven’s jaw would’ve dropped if she weren’t such a lady and intent on chewing her food with her mouth closed. She knew Rosie was avoiding processed foods while pregnant and had nothing but respect for that decision. But she’d had no impressions that Rosie was even remotely bothered by Raven herself eating a hot dog. Good grief.
Raven swallowed her bite. “I just got off work, and a girl cannot live on nachos alone. It was this or go home and eat first. Then I’d miss half the game.”
Throwing in football logic made it hard for her parents to argue. “Next time, we’ll have you sit back here so it doesn’t bother your sister.”
The sister who had her hands clasped on her large belly as she watched her husband with a smile on her face. Yeah, she looked real bothered.
But Raven had learned long ago not to argue. “Sounds like a plan.”
Marrying Raven (Brides of Clearwater Book 2) Page 3