“But what if plans change?” Seth asked innocently. ”How will you know if I’m not allowed to text you again?”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. I only want to be texted about basketball, and that’s it. No saying things like your lips need a workout or anything like that. Got it?”
Seth suppressed a smile, or at least tried to. “Fine. Basketball talk and that’s it. Promise.”
She hesitated a moment longer before handing over her number. Seth examined her tiny scrawl, thinking that he might have to frame it and put it on display as a sort of hard-earned trophy. Then he stuffed it into the pocket of his hoodie and grinned. “Do you typically give your number out to patients, or am I just special?”
Her eyes narrowed, and her gaze dropped to where his hand was clamped over the pocket.
Seth laughed. “Don’t worry. I always keep my promises. Basketball talk only.” Little did she know that basketball could be applied to pretty much everything.
“Somehow, I’m not feeling very reassured.”
Seth laughed again. How well she knew him already.
GRACE WALTZED INTO her brother’s home office and set a takeout box containing his favorite fast-food hamburger and fries beside him. She was on a mission, and she refused to leave before that mission was accomplished.
Alec eyed the food warily. “Listen, Grace, I was serious when I said—”
“Eat,” she said. “Then we’re going out.”
He let out a frustrated sigh and opened his mouth to say something—probably a protest—but Grace planted her hand on the table with a sharp rap. “After being such a royal pain all these years, you can do one more thing for me. C’mon. One night. That’s all I ask.”
Alec rolled his eyes, but at least he didn’t protest. He took the takeout box and pried the lid open. “What do you have in mind?”
“It’s a surprise.” One he might disown her for, but hopefully he would come around in the end. If not, Grace would finally take her parents advice and leave him be—not that she’d have any choice, because Alec would likely never speak to her again.
“I don’t like surprises,” Alec said as he shoved a fry into his mouth. “For all I know, you’ll take me to a cliff and shove me off.”
Grace smiled, happy he was cracking jokes instead of resisting. “Tempting, but no. It’ll be much more painful than that.”
Alec groaned. “You’re taking me back to your clinic, aren’t you?”
“No. And that’s all you’re getting out of me, so finish eating and c’mon.” With that, Grace left him alone and retreated to the kitchen, where she unloaded a few groceries—mostly produce—then loaded a few dishes into the dishwasher, washed off the counters, and waited, fingers tapping, for Alec to finish his dinner.
When he finally emerged from his office, Grace insisted on driving. She waited as he scooted into her passenger seat, and then she quickly pulled the wheels off his wheelchair and shoved everything into her trunk. There. Alec was now at her mercy and couldn’t leave even if he wanted to.
Grace tried to appear calm as she headed down the road, but a sliver of doubt crept in, making her wonder if she was doing the right thing by giving Seth carte blanche to wreak chaos on her brother’s life as well. But if she didn’t, would things ever change? Probably not.
A flurry of butterflies raged in her stomach as she drove. It felt like a Hail Mary—her last desperate attempt to get Alec to see that there really was life outside his dreary apartment and wheelchair. By the time Grace pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the junior high, her palms were sweaty from gripping the wheel so hard.
Alec stared at the building in front of them, making no move to open the car door. “What are we doing here?”
“I told you, it’s a surprise,” said Grace, her voice a little shaky. What would happen when they went inside and Alec heard the sound of a basketball hitting the gym floor? Would he balk? Yell? Clamp his hands around his wheels and refuse to let her push him into the gym? Would she be forced to take Alec home before Seth and his friends even saw that they were there? She hadn’t really thought beyond getting him here.
Grace drew in a breath and climbed from the car then pulled Alec’s wheelchair from the trunk and quickly assembled it. With a wary look, he swung himself onto the chair and brushed off Grace’s efforts to push him. “I can do it on my own, thanks.”
“You’re acting like a two-year-old.”
“And you’re acting like a helicopter mom, so it works.”
He had a point. Why was Grace here anyway? Was she really doing this for Alec? Or was it for her—a last-ditch effort to appease the guilt she still carried? Maybe a little of both. She didn’t know anymore.
Grace walked ahead silently, toward the door at the far side of the building that Seth had texted her about. He’d actually texted her about a lot of things during the past few days, and as promised, they always related to basketball in one way or the other.
Don’t forget to keep your eye on the ball at work today.
Just nailed a 3-pointer. (That’s code for landed a new client.)
And her personal favorite, though she’d never admit it: My Gatorade just dribbled down my chin—I mean “double-dribbled,” because it happened twice. How embarrassing.
Biting back a smile at the memory, Grace pulled the door open and waited for Alec to wheel himself through. Sure enough, the moment they entered the building, voices and laughter echoed down the hall, followed by a ball bouncing off a backboard.
Alec immediately froze. “What are we doing here, Grace?” he said, making it clear that “It’s a surprise” wouldn’t cut it anymore.
Grace hesitated, not sure what to do. Should she tell him the truth and insist he go in and give it a try? Should she send an “SOS” text to Seth? Or should she duct tape his hands together and his mouth shut then wheel him in like a prisoner?
“Grace.” It sounded like a warning.
The last option suddenly seemed like a really good idea. If only she’d brought duct tape. “I, uh—”
The door opened down the hall, magnifying the sounds of the basketball game. Something clanked a few times against the door, followed by muttering, and a guy in a wheelchair appeared. Grace hated how her heart raced at the sight of Seth, as though he were some handsome hero coming to her rescue, but she’d never been happier to see him.
“Hey, you made it. Good.” Seth wheeled himself toward them. “I was getting worried you weren’t going to show, which would be a bad thing since we’re one player short.”
Grace didn’t dare look at Alec. She could only imagine the thoughts going through his mind. “Sorry we’re late,” she said. “It took a little longer to get here than I thought.”
Alec remained silent, probably working through various scenarios involving the best way to murder his sister.
Seth stopped in front of them and extended his hand to Grace’s brother. “You must be Alec.”
Alec hesitated then took his hand, giving it a quick shake. “Sorry, but I have no idea who you are. Grace . . . surprised me.”
Seth’s grin widened. “She didn’t tell you where she was taking you?”
“No.”
“And you actually trusted her?” Seth chuckled. “You’re braver than I would have been.”
“Or just stupid.”
Seth laughed. “Well, there is that.”
Alec’s lips twitched, and Grace felt the first stirrings of hope. If Seth could break through Alec’s defenses after only a few sentences, maybe there was hope that he could convince her brother to stay.
“This is Seth,” said Grace, introducing him. “He’s one of my patients.”
“Her best and favorite patient.”
Grace wasn’t about to argue, not when she so obviously needed Seth’s help. “Let’s just say he knows how to leave a lasting impression.”
“Lasting . . . I like that.” Even in the dim light of the hallway Seth’s eyes twinkled, making Grace roll hers.
Alec continued to stare at Seth, taking in his wheelchair. “You’re a paraplegic?”
“No, just an idiot who tore his ACL. Hence the reason for this.” Seth tapped the wheels on his chair. “It’s the only way your sister will let me play ball.”
Alec nodded, his jaw working back and forth. His hands found the wheels, as if ready to push himself away. “Well, good to meet you. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Seth cocked his head to the side. “Oh c’mon, you’re not really taking off, are you? We need you. It might sound like we know what we’re doing, but we’re all clueless, even after watching a YouTube video of a Paralympic game. It’s not nearly as easy to maneuver these things as it looks.”
“It would probably be easier if you had the right kind of chairs,” Alec said dryly.
“Yeah, probably.” Seth chuckled. “But beggars can’t be choosers, and considering I had to go to three different places just to get these, I had to take what I could get.” Seth paused, jerking his head toward the gym. “So, you in?”
Grace held her breath as Alec hesitated. Was he actually considering it, or trying to figure out the best way to let Seth down and get out of there? Please let it be option one.
Alec finally shrugged. “Sure, why not? I used to love basketball.”
“Awesome.” Seth grinned. “Let’s go introduce you to everyone. You can give us all a few tips before someone breaks one of these chairs.”
Grace’s heart pounded as she followed them down the hall. Did what just happened really happen? Had Seth really convinced her brother to stay? She suddenly felt like pulling him out of his chair and giving him a giant hug. Once again, her eyes followed his movements as Seth continued to wheel himself forward. What would it feel like to put her arms around him? Probably good—too good—which is exactly why she should never do it, no matter how much he deserved it or how tempted she might be.
The sound of the gym door clanking against Seth’s wheelchair brought Grace back to her senses. She grabbed it and held it open for them.
Seth flashed her a meaningful look as he passed. “What? You’re not going to make me get through it on my own?”
“Maybe next time,” she said, making him chuckle.
Inside the gym, Seth introduced everyone then quickly formed two teams. With Alec, there were six altogether, and Grace suddenly felt like a misfit. Should she stay on the sidelines like Alec’s babysitter or wait in the foyer?
Seth glanced at Grace and nodded toward the corner of the room. “There’s an extra chair over there if you’d like to join in on the fun.”
Sure enough, another wheelchair leaned against the wall. But the last thing Grace wanted to do was get in the way. She’d rather be a spectator. “I’ll pass, but thanks anyway.”
“Oh c’mon, Grace,” Alec taunted. “You can be on our team. Now that they have me, we could really use a handicap to even things out.”
Grace’s eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to retort when one of Seth’s friends—a guy named Owen—started chortling and slapping his knee. “Did the handicapped guy just say he needed a handicap? Because that’s just funny.” Owen must have realized how his comment might have sounded, because the laughter died as quickly as it came. He shot Alec an apologetic look. “No offense, man.”
Alec laughed, rich and deep. “None taken.”
Grace’s heart nearly stopped at the sound. How long had it been since she’d heard Alec laugh? It sounded almost foreign to her, like a distant memory—one she didn’t realize how much she missed until now.
A lump lodged in her throat, and her eyes met Seth’s in wonder. How did you do that? she silently asked. How? In only a matter of minutes, he and his friends had accomplished what she’d been trying to do for years. She felt both grateful and jealous at the same time.
Who was Seth, exactly? What had prompted him to invite Alec tonight? What had made him show up at that auction weeks before? Why were all these guys willing to show up and play basketball in wheelchairs for him? While Grace wanted to keep believing that he was an ego-driven wreaker of havoc, evidently there was more to him than that—a deeper, more complicated side that Grace wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
Shoving her thoughts aside, Grace walked a few steps to the side of the court and retrieved the ball from the floor. “How about making me the ball girl? Something tells me you’re going to need one.”
All of the guys chuckled, even Alec. A cozy warmth ribboned around Grace’s heart, filling her soul with something that went beyond joy. For the first time in years, Alec had laughed at something she said. It felt like Grace had been given a tiny miracle—a glimpse of the old Alec she used to love and idolize.
And she had Seth to thank for it.
“ONLY TWENTY MORE seconds,” Grace said.
Twenty seconds had never felt so long. Seth’s face practically exploded from the exertion it took to do a simple wall sit. His injured leg screamed at him to let up, but he wasn’t about to do that—not with Grace standing next to him and counting down the seconds. His pride wouldn’t let him.
“Five, four, three, two, one.”
Seth’s knee buckled as he slumped to the ground, extending his injured knee forward while his elbow rested on his uninjured bent knee. He shook his head as he caught his breath. “This is crazy. A month ago, that would have been no big deal.”
Grace sank to the floor beside him and rested her head against the wall. Five minutes before, Cameron had waved a goodbye, saying, “Grace, you work too hard,” then walked out the door, leaving them alone in the room.
Once again, Seth had scheduled the last appointment on purpose, hoping for some more alone-time with her. Since Grace’s appointment times seemed to start earlier and go later than all the other therapists’, he figured it was a possibility. No wonder Dr. Ross had to pull a few strings to get Seth an appointment with her. She really was a popular therapist, and now that Seth had gotten to know her better, he understood why.
Cameron was right, though. She did work too hard. Seth could see it in her eyes—the exhaustion, stress, and worry. Or maybe she just didn’t allow herself any stress relief. Did she even know how to have fun? To set work aside and enjoy life? Somehow, Seth didn’t think so, and it was something he wanted to change.
Grace offered him a look of sympathy. “Don’t worry, your strength will come back. I know progress seems slow right now, but you’ve come so far already. Just promise me you won’t slack off. This is about the time when a lot of patients start cutting back on their workouts, partly because they’re sick of it and partly because their knee starts to feel stronger and they think they don’t need it anymore. Those are the patients who end up re-injuring themselves or who never fully recover.” She twisted her head and met his gaze. “Don’t be one of those patients.”
“Would you really care if I was?” Seth probably shouldn’t have voiced the question, but every minute spent with Grace made him like her even more. Seth wanted to know if she thought of him as just another patient, or if she might care just a little bit more.
“Yes, I would.”
Seth’s mouth pulled into a smile. He liked that answer. “Why?”
“Because I care about all my patients.”
Seth’s smile melted away. He should have expected that, but it didn’t keep him from hoping that he’d made more of an impression than that.
Grace patted his knee and stood, offering her hand to help him up. “And it’s because I care that I’m going to make you ride the bike now.”
Seth groaned. He wanted to throw the stationary bike out the window, strap his top-of-the-line mountain bike to the roof of his car, drive it to his favorite trail, and go for a real ride. He wanted to see trees and bushes fly past, feel the wind on his face, and breathe in the intoxicating, earthy smell that made mountain biking so addicting.
Seth was sick of pedaling for all he was worth and going nowhere.
“Isn’t there anything else I can do instead?” Seth
said. “I’m begging you. Please don’t make me ride that bike today.”
Grace drew her lower lip into her mouth the same way she did every time she mulled something over. Seth found it adorable.
“How about the rower?” she suggested. “I was planning to wait until next time, but I think you’re ready.”
Seth wasn’t sure what he expected, but a rowing machine didn’t hold much appeal either. Still, it wasn’t the bike, so he nodded in agreement and finally accepted her hand. Although he didn’t need the help up, Seth never missed an opportunity to touch Grace. Her hands always felt soft and cool, making him want to hold on for longer than necessary.
“Speaking of progress,” Grace said, relinquishing his hand, “how do you feel about swimming?”
“If it gets me off that bike, I’ll take it.”
She smiled—something she’d started to do more often around him. “Sorry, but it’s more for recovery, which means you’ll still have to work out on the bike.”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that.”
Grace gestured for him to sit on the rower and made some slight adjustments then nodded for him to start. Seth did, trying to picture himself on Lake Union in a kayak, cutting smoothly through the water. But there was no breeze, no fresh air, and no smell of lake water. Unfortunately the rowing machine just wasn’t the same, and before long he started to feel the stirrings of boredom.
Grace looked up from making notes on her clipboard. “Hey, I, uh, want to thank you again for what you did for Alec. I’m still not sure how you convinced him to keep playing, but he’s looking forward to tomorrow. So really—thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me.”
Seth nodded, glad he could be of help. “No problem. Alec’s a cool guy.” Seth actually found it hard to reconcile the guy Grace had described with the one who’d played ball the other night. Alec was funny, knew his way around a wheelchair, and could throw a great shot. He was the kind of guy Seth would choose to hang out with.
Grace tapped the pen against her lower lip, watching Seth closely. “Mind if I ask you a question?”
Working It Out (A Romantic Comedy) Page 7