Working It Out (A Romantic Comedy)

by Rachael Anderson

  “Grace? Hey, how are you?” Lanna’s voice sounded loud in the quiet of the room, and dozens of eyes glanced her way.

  Feeling conspicuous, Grace offered a little wave as she made her way toward Lanna, who worked with a couple of kids at a table. Another woman Grace recognized as Milly from the auction sat with a small group near the windows.

  But no Seth.

  Grace’s heart deflated a little. She hadn’t really expected to find him here, since tutoring wasn’t his thing and coaching soccer kept him on the field, not inside. But it didn’t keep her from hoping that renovations were still underway and there was a chance he could be here. Now that Seth was down to weekly therapy sessions, Grace missed him, especially since their time together wasn’t the same as it was before the kiss. He continued to be the ideal patient, and Grace—well, she no longer wanted the ideal. She wanted the god of chaos.

  As Grace approached Lanna, she smiled. “I got off work a little early, so I thought I’d drop by to see if you needed any help. This place looks incredible, by the way.”

  With obvious pride, Lanna glanced around the room. “I know, right? When Seth sets his mind to something, he goes all out.”

  “I can see that.”

  Lanna told the children at her table that she’d be right back then stood to give Grace a hug. “It’s so great to see you again. Thanks for coming.”

  “No problem.” Normally, Grace didn’t feel comfortable hugging just anyone, especially not someone she barely knew, but Lanna had a way of making it feel like they’d known each other for ages. She probably made everyone feel that way. “Feel free to put me to work.”

  Lanna pulled back and scanned the room, pointing to a table where a few young girls sat reading. “That group over there has fifteen more minutes before they can play in the game room.” She lowered her voice. “The girl in pink is new to our group. Her name is Mia, and she’s way below the average reading level for her age group. Bella is helping her with the words she doesn’t know, but I’m sure she’d love a break so she can get her own reading done. Do you mind?”

  “Of course not.” Grace walked to the group of girls and pulled up a chair. For the next fifteen minutes, she worked with Mia, who turned out to be a doll. With jet black, wildly curly hair, and dark skin and eyes to match, one look was all it took for Grace’s heart to melt. She happily took the little girl under her wing, and in what seemed like minutes, a bell chimed. The girls at the table all squealed and jumped up, running toward the game room. Grace trailed behind, wanting a glimpse of the other side.

  As Grace peeked through the door, the sight made her smile. Several IPads were affixed to one wall so the kids could stand in front of them to play various games. A few kids danced to a tune from “Just Dance” in front of a large flat-screen TV. An air hockey table and a ping-pong table took up the space in the middle of the room. Large beanbag chairs were scattered around the room, and a bookcase containing dozens of board games and puzzles stood against the far wall. The final touch was the framed motivational posters resting against freshly painted steel-blue walls.

  The room felt homey and fun, yet challenging at the same time. It felt like Seth.

  A wonderful sensation nestled its way into Grace’s heart as she looked around and saw touches of Seth everywhere. With kids running, laughing, and chatting, the room was the epitome of chaos, but it was a good chaos—like Seth. Why had she been fighting her feelings toward him so much? It made absolutely no sense now that she saw firsthand the product of his kindness and imagination.

  “Okay, boys, your time’s up,” Lanna’s voice called out behind her.

  “Just one more game!” one kid said.

  “Sure,” Lanna said. “Just as soon as you finish the rest of your math homework.”

  Groans sounded as the boys reluctantly left the game room behind and returned to the work room. Lanna smiled indulgently as they passed before turning to Grace. “As much as Seth’s ideas have made this a fun place for the kids to be, sometimes I worry it’s too fun.”

  Too fun? No. It was perfect. “From what I can see, you’re keeping them out of trouble by giving them a place where they can work and play hard. I think it’s wonderful.” A lump formed in Grace’s throat as she met Lanna’s gaze. “Does Seth drop by much?” She tried to keep her tone nonchalant, but there was still an underlying Any chance he’ll be here today? hopefulness she couldn’t do away with completely.

  Lanna gave her a look of sympathy, as though she knew exactly what Grace was asking. “Occasionally, but not very often. He’s pretty busy with work and soccer practices right now.” She paused. “Would you like me to tell him that you dropped by?”

  Would Seth even care if she did? Grace finally shrugged. “It really doesn’t matter.”

  Lanna nodded. Then she clasped her hands together and rocked back and forth on her heels in a nervous gesture. “So I met your brother the other day,” she blurted. “He’s doing a great job coaching some of these kids.”

  “Yeah, he seems to really like it. I’m glad he agreed to do it.”

  “He’s really nice,” Lanna hedged. “And cute.”

  Grace raised an eyebrow and forced herself not to smile. Lanna was interested in Alec? No way. Although now that Grace thought about it, they might be a really good fit. “He’s also incredibly stubborn and way too smart for his own good.”

  “He’s sure been great with the kids on his team. Patient, funny, and kind—the best combination. He even showed up here a time or two to help out.”

  “Really?”

  Lanna nodded.

  The news surprised Grace. Actually, a lot of things about Alec surprised her lately. But what really motivated his visits to the center? Was he drawn to the kids—or to their beautiful and petite advocate? Maybe some of both?

  From the corner of her eye, Grace watched as Lanna continued to rock back and forth on her heels, looking around at nothing in particular. When she caught Grace studying her, she chewed on her lower lip for a moment before saying, “Do you happen to know if he’s seeing anyone?”

  Grace laughed, mostly because if Lanna really knew her brother, she’d never have to ask. “Honestly, I don’t think he’s ‘seen’ any girl for a really long time.”

  “Why not?”

  Grace shrugged. “Can’t say for sure, but reading between the lines, I’d say that he doesn’t think he’s got much to offer. After his accident, he broke up with his girlfriend because he was afraid she’d dump him eventually, and he really hasn’t gotten back on the saddle since. At least not that I know of.”

  Amidst the chaos of kids running around, talking, and laughing, Lanna’s expression turned contemplative, as though she had no problem tuning everything out. Finally, her eyes met Grace’s once again. “Well, I’m not usually the type to ask a guy out, but I may have to get over that.”

  Although Grace hadn’t known Lanna long, she liked her. A lot. Lanna was the type of girl who could be really good for her brother. “If you want to date Alec, then yeah, you probably will.” Grace paused. “And I hope you do.”

  Lanna cocked her head to the side. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all,” Grace said, thinking about the last girl who’d fallen for her brother. “Just don’t take it personally if he turns you down.”

  A grin spread across Lanna’s face, and a glint appeared in her eyes. “Oh, I won’t. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Seth over the years, it’s how to wear someone down until they eventually give in. I’ll get Alec to go out with me if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Grace smiled, but at the same time, a worry that had nothing to do with Alec and everything to do with Seth settled like an uncomfortable pit in her stomach. If Seth wasn’t the type to give up, why had he stopped calling or flirting? Why was he acting like a regular patient whose only agenda was to get his knee strong enough to run and mountain bike again?

  “Hey, you okay?” Lanna asked. “I didn’t offend you or anything, d
id I? I was only joking. I mean, if Alec’s not interested in me, I promise not to keep bugging him.”

  Grace blinked in an effort to clear her thoughts. Then she waved Lanna’s concern away. “Oh, I didn’t think you were. I was just, uh . . .” She paused, not sure how to explain. Normally, Grace didn’t blab about her worries to just anyone, but something about Lanna made it easy—as though Grace was talking to an old and trusted friend.

  “To be honest, I was thinking about Seth,” Grace finally said.

  A question appeared in Lanna’s eyes, but she said nothing. Just waited for Grace to continue.

  Grace fidgeted, not sure how to explain or if she really wanted to explain. But one look around the room—Seth’s room—was enough to convince her that the only thing she had to lose was Seth. Maybe Lanna could help prevent that from happening.

  Grace sighed. “When I first met Seth, he didn’t come across as the serious type. I sort of felt like an item on his bucket list—something to cross off before moving on to the next item. But now that I’ve gotten to know him a little better and realize that’s probably not the case, he’s different around me. He doesn’t flirt or try to get me to go out with him anymore. I guess I’m just worried that I’ve missed my window of opportunity.”

  “I seriously doubt that,” Lanna said. The contemplative look reappeared on her face as she tapped her finger against her lips. “Want to know what I think?”

  Coming from someone who wasn’t afraid to be blunt, the question made Grace squirm a little. Did she really want to know what Lanna thought? “What?”

  Lanna met Grace’s gaze and smiled. “I think that maybe it’s time that we both got over our pride.”

  If only that wasn’t easier said than done.

  THE MOMENT SETH showed up for his appointment, Grace presented him with a cupcake covered in dyed green coconut that looked like grass. As a topper, she’d printed off a small picture of a runner and taped it to a toothpick.

  “Ta da,” she said. “You’ve officially made it twelve weeks post-surgery today.”

  Seth glanced at the cupcake but made no move to take it. “Are you trying to rub in the fact that I’m not allowed to go jogging yet? Because that’s not funny.”

  “No.” Grace picked up his hand and set the cupcake on his palm. “I’m trying to tell you that today we’re going jogging. Outside.”

  A dark eyebrow lifted. “Jogging . . . as in faster than a walk?”

  “You’re pretty smart for a guy who tore his ACL attempting a 360 in deep powder.”

  The corners of Seth’s mouth tugged up. “I never would have met you if I hadn’t.” Almost immediately, his mouth straightened, and he looked away as though he hadn’t meant to voice that thought. But the words had already been spoken, and Grace wasn’t about to let the moment pass. She’d been waiting for an opportunity like this for weeks.

  “So kissing me at the auction didn’t count?” she said, attempting to goad him into flirting with her—or at the very least remind him of another, far more memorable kiss.

  His eyes met hers, looking hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. Which was a first. “You know what I meant.”

  Not exactly the flirtatious response Grace had wanted, but if he thought that meeting her was a positive aspect of tearing his ACL, she’d take it.

  “Well, I’m glad you did then.” Grace bit down hard on her lower lip, immediately wishing the words back. Did she really just say she was glad he’d torn his ACL? What kind of person said that? “I mean,” Grace quickly revised. “I’m glad I got to know you better, too—not that you tore your ACL.” Oh geez, this wasn’t going nearly as well as she’d hoped.

  For a moment Seth’s mouth formed a smile, and his eyes took on a teasing quality. But then he ducked his head and glanced once again at the cupcake Grace had made for him. He held it up. “We’re really going jogging?”

  Grace nodded. Maybe she should do as Lanna had suggested and just ask him out. But what if he wasn’t interested any longer? The way he’d dodged her awkward flirting attempts and quickly found a way to change the subject made her nervous. Had Seth decided she wasn’t worth it?

  No. She tossed the worry aside. That kiss they’d shared was much more than a mild flirtation. She could still remember the heat, the power, the jolt of something extra that went beyond mere attraction. Seth had to have felt it, too. Grace just needed to figure out why he was now backing off. There had to be another reason.

  She sighed. “Before we go, I need you to lie down on that table so I can apply some Kinesio tape to your leg.”

  Seth grimaced. “Do you have to? That stuff rips my hair out.”

  “Baby.”

  Seth’s lips twitched, but he dropped down on the table, obediently lifting his leg for her to apply the tape. Grace did so with slow precision, first cutting the wide tape into thin strips then smoothing it slowly across his leg muscles, deliberately taking her time. She’d grasp any excuse to touch him.

  Once she’d finished taping, Grace held out her hand to help him up. He eyed her for a moment before taking it, then pulled himself up to a sitting position.

  Grace reluctantly let go and mustered a perky expression. “Ready for your first post-surgery jog?” She smiled. “Well, first approved one, anyway.”

  “More than ready.” He jumped off the table and led the way to the side door.

  They walked outside and headed toward the park at the end of the block. When they arrived, Grace had him do a few warm-up exercises before giving him the go ahead to jog. Then she trailed behind, studying his gait to make sure he showed no signs of limping or favoring his injured knee in any way. Once she ascertained that everything looked fine, she increased her speed and caught up.

  Normally, with other patients, Grace would fall back and keep an eye on them as they jogged the lengthy trail that circled the park. But with Seth, she had no desire to watch and wait—not when she’d rather jog next to him. After today, her appointments with him would drop to twice monthly. The thought made her feel as though he was slipping away, that it was only a matter of time before he was out of her life completely.

  Grace felt antsy all of a sudden, as though she needed to do something to stop that from happening. Without really thinking it through, she blurted, “Hey, want to meet up Monday morning for a jog?” It was as close as she could come to taking Lanna’s advice about asking him out.

  Seth shot her a sideways glance before returning his attention to the path ahead. “But my appointment isn’t for another week.”

  “Two, actually,” Grace corrected. “You’re now at the point where we really only need to meet about twice a month.”

  Seth adjusted his gait, slowing his speed slightly. “So what’s Monday?”

  Did she really have to explain? Wasn’t it obvious? Or was she just really that bad at this? “Two friends going jogging together.”

  Another sideways glance. “But I thought you didn’t like to mix personal with business.”

  Grace rolled her eyes. Was he making it difficult on purpose? Grace should have expected this, and would have, if she’d taken the time to think her offer through a little more before blurting it out. “It’s just jogging,” she said. “Do you want to go or not?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Will you treat me like a patient if I do?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Are you going to tell me to slow down if I go too fast? Make me warm up? Or are you going to leave the therapist title at home and just jog with me?”

  Grace rounded a corner and continued to move smoothly along beside him. Not too fast and not too slow, the pace he set was right on. “If you stay about the speed we’re going now and do a warm up on your own, then no, I won’t say anything.”

  He chuckled. “And if I don’t?”

  “I’m a therapist—it’s who I am. I can’t turn it on and off like a light switch.”

  “Fair enough.”

  After another long p
ause, Grace shot him a sideways glance. So? she wanted to ask. Are we on for Monday or not? But she held her tongue, not wanting to sound too desperate. She’d already asked him twice anyway. The offer would stay as-is on the table, and if he wanted to pick it up, great. If not, it would stay there untouched.

  “What time?” he said after a moment.

  Grace bit back a smile of triumph. “Is 6:00 too early?”

  “No.” Seth continued to look ahead with an impassive expression, giving Grace no indication about what he thought or if the prospect of spending time with her outside of the physical therapy arena excited him. “Where?” he asked.

  “Here?”

  He nodded. “6:00 on Monday it is.”

  The spare key turned easily in Alec’s lock, and Grace pushed the door open with her hip while carrying several grocery sacks. She kicked the door shut and stumbled toward the kitchen. “Alec? You here? I brought stuff for dinner.”

  Alec appeared from his bedroom at the end of the hall, wearing a green- and blue-striped button-down shirt and dark slacks. He looked good, really good—too good for a casual evening in.

  Grace arched an eyebrow. “Going somewhere?”

  “Didn’t you get my text?”

  Grace shook her head. “I accidentally left my phone at the clinic today. Why?”

  He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, as if weighing his words. “Sorry to bail on you, but I’ve got other plans tonight.”

  Trying not to show her surprise, Grace walked into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. “What kind of plans?”

  “I’m just . . . going out with a friend is all.”

  Apparently whatever plans Alec had weren’t ones he wanted to share with Grace, which made her all the more curious. She began unloading the groceries. “A friend—as in just one?”

  “Just one,” was all he said.

  “Do I know this friend?”

  Alec leveled her a look. “You’re nosy.”

  Grace shrugged. “Someone has to answer all of Mom’s questions the next time she calls, and we both know it won’t be you.”