Step into the world of NYC Angels

Looking out over Central Park, the Angel Mendez Children’s Hospital, affectionately known as Angel’s, is famed throughout America for being at the forefront of paediatric medicine, with talented staff who always go that extra mile for their little patients. Their lives are full of highs, lows, drama and emotion.

In the city that never sleeps, the life-saving docs at Angel’s Hospital work hard, play hard and love even harder. There’s always time for some sizzling after-hours romance …

And striding the halls of the hospital, leaving a sea of fluttering hearts behind him, is the dangerously charismatic new head of neurosurgery Alejandro Rodriguez. But there’s one woman, paediatrician Layla Woods, who’s left an indelible mark on his no-go-area heart. Expect their reunion to be explosive!

NYC Angels

Children’s doctors who work hard and love even harder … in the city that never sleeps!

About the Author

LAURA IDING loved reading as a child, and when she ran out of books she readily made up her own, completing a little detective mini-series when she was twelve. But, despite her aspirations for being an author, her parents insisted she look into a ‘real’ career. So the summer after she turned thirteen she volunteered as a Candy Striper, and fell in love with nursing. Now, after twenty years of experience in trauma/critical care, she’s thrilled to combine her career and her hobby into one—writing Medical Romances™ for Mills & Boon. Laura lives in the northern part of the United States, and spends all her spare time with her two teenage kids (help!)—a daughter and a son—and her husband. Enjoy!

Recent titles by Laura Iding:

Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™

HER LITTLE SPANISH SECRET

DATING DR DELICIOUS

A KNIGHT FOR NURSE HART

THE NURSE’S BROODING BOSS

THE SURGEON’S NEW YEAR WEDDING WISH

EXPECTING A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

These books are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

NYC Angels: Unmasking Dr. Serious

Laura Iding

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To the Thursday Morning Breakfast Club. I value your support more than I can ever say.

Dear Reader

I need one of those T-shirts that say ‘I love New York’! Visiting the Big Apple is fun as there are so many things to do and to see. I especially like seeing Broadway plays, the Statue of Liberty and jogging in Central Park (just to name a few).

So I was thrilled and honoured when I was asked to participate in the NYC Angels series by writing the third book.

Dan Morris is a top-notch paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon who meets his match in physical therapist Molly Shriver. Molly makes it clear she is the one running the show when it comes to helping Dan’s son Josh to walk again.

Both Dan and Molly have been burned by relationships in the past, but as they work together for Josh’s sake is it possible they’ll get a second chance at love and family?

I hope you enjoy Dan and Molly’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Don’t hesitate to visit my website or find me on Facebook—I love to hear from my readers.

Sincerely

Laura Iding

www.lauraiding.com

CHAPTER ONE

“No-o-o-o!” JOSH WAILED, throwing his arms around the nanny’s neck when Dan tried to lift the boy off the sofa. “I want Gemma to take me!”

Dan Morris gnashed his teeth, his gut burning with guilt as Josh showed him once again how much he preferred the company of Gemma, the middle-aged woman who’d been caring for him the past six months, over that of his father. But with the ease of long practice he buried his true feelings and kept his tone soft as he gently prised Josh away from Gemma, lifting his small frame into his arms.

“It’s okay, Josh. Remember how I told you I’m going to be home with you for the next few weeks? We’re going to attend physical therapy together. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m going to be with you the whole time.”

Josh didn’t look too impressed with his vow but thankfully stopped struggling, leaning against his father’s chest as if willing to accept his fate. He’d stopped crying too, but the occasional loud sniffle was just as difficult to bear.

Dan tucked Josh into his booster seat in the backseat of the black BMW, buckling him securely into the harness before he himself slid into the driver’s seat, trying to think of a way to breach the chasm between them. He wanted Josh to know he was loved. Cherished. But how? Words alone hadn’t worked so far.

“Daddy, is therapy going to hurt?”

Helpless fury and guilt nearly choked him at his son’s innocent question. How many times had Josh asked him that same thing in the hospital? How many times had he been forced to answer yes? He cleared his throat and smiled at Josh, using the rearview mirror. “No, Josh, therapy isn’t going to hurt. The therapist will exercise your legs. There won’t be any needles, I promise.”

Josh settled back, seemingly reassured. Dan drove carefully through the busy Manhattan streets to the physiotherapy clinic located within the brick walls of Manhattan’s Angel Mendez Children’s Hospital, affectionately known as Angel’s, where his pediatric cardiothoracic surgery practice was located. He hoped physical therapist Molly Shriver was everything she’d been reported to be.

He’d wanted the best, demanded the best for his son. He couldn’t bear to think about the grim possibility that Josh might never walk again. If this Molly Shriver was half as good as her reputation heralded her to be, he was convinced she was the one who could make that happen.

He and Josh arrived ten minutes early because he despised being late. They’d barely settled into their seats in the waiting room when a young woman with bright green eyes and reddish-gold hair pulled back in a perky ponytail came out to greet them.

“Good morning,” she said, smiling brightly, her attention focused, rightly so, on Josh. Dan had stood when she’d entered the room, but Josh was obviously still seated in the waiting-room chair, wearing shorts and a T-shirt as requested. She knelt beside Josh so that her eyes were level with his. “You must be Josh Morris, although you look much older than seven. Are you sure you’re not eight or nine?” she asked, her voice full of doubt.

Josh giggled, and shook his head. “Nope. I’m seven but my birthday is in three weeks.”

“Oh, goody! I love birthdays! We’ll have a party to celebrate!” she exclaimed, making Josh giggle again. “And that must be why you look so much older. My name is Molly and I’m so happy you came in to see me today.”

Dan tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and watched, reluctantly impressed with how she’d immediately established a connection with his son. She seemed to know a lot about kids.

No doubt, far more than he did.

“We’re going to have lots of fun today, Josh,” Molly confided. She held out her hand to his son. “Are you ready to play some games with me?”

All evidence of his former tears gone, Josh nodded eagerly as he reached for her hand. Fearing that she didn’t realize his son couldn’t walk, Dan quickly swooped down to swing Josh into his arms. “We’re ready,” he said gruffly, sending her a dark look.

For a moment her gaze narrowed and her smile dimmed. “Did you leave Josh’s wheelchair out in the car?” she asked with feigned sweetness.

Just the thought of seeing his son confined to a wheelchair made him break out in a cold sweat. He could spend twelve hours in surgery, meticulously reconnecting coronary arteries and veins to repair tiny damaged hearts, but those hours he’d sat at his son’s hospital bedside after the car crash had been the longest, darkest hours of his life. “No,” he said bluntly. “Josh won’t need a wheelchair. He has me. And now he has you, to help him learn how to walk again.”

Her lips thinned and her smile faded even more. He thought she was going to pursue the issue, but instead she led the way through the doorway into another, much larger room. There were all kinds of exercise equipment scattered about, along with what appeared to be toys. Lots of toys, like brightly colored balls of every shape and size, jump ropes, bean bags and hula hoops. She gestured toward a padded table located on the right-hand side of the room. “Josh needs to sit right here. And why don’t you take a seat here, on his left?”

He gently set Josh on the padded table, taken aback by how she wanted him right next to Josh, since he’d planned to just sit back and watch. “I can sit over there,” he said, indicating a hard plastic chair tucked in the corner of the room.

“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Molly said cheerfully. “We’ll need you close by in order to help. Right, Josh?”

“Right,” Josh agreed enthusiastically, although Dan was sure the boy had no idea what he was agreeing to.

While it grated against his nerves to take orders from this petite woman, whose head barely reached the level of his chin, he’d vowed to do whatever was necessary for his son. And belatedly he realized she probably wanted to teach him the same exercises that she’d be doing with Josh, so he could reinforce them at home. “All right, then.” He pulled up a rolling stool to sit close to his son’s left side.

“Excellent.” Molly grabbed a red plastic ball that was slightly smaller in circumference than a basketball, and took a seat on another rolling stool, positioning herself off to Josh’s right side. “We’re going to play catch, okay, Josh?”

He nodded enthusiastically.

“Watch carefully. I need you to toss the ball high in the air, like this …” She demonstrated what she meant, throwing her arms in the air and then keeping them over her head to catch the ball again. “And then catch it again like this. Are you ready?” she asked.

When Josh nodded, she tossed the ball in a high arch, so that Josh had to lift up his arms to catch it. “Great!” she called with enthusiasm. “Now toss it back up in the air toward your dad.”

Before Dan realized what was happening, Josh did as she requested, the ball going high in the air and crookedly off to one side, so that Dan had to react quickly in order to catch it. He wanted to scowl at the obvious amusement in Molly’s gaze, but as usual kept his feelings to himself. Besides, he found her enthusiasm and laughter oddly relaxing.

“Good job, Josh. Now, Mr. Morris, toss the ball back to your son.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to correct her, Dr. Morris, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, but right now the focus needed to be on his son. He didn’t mind taking the role of a concerned father. After all, he was currently on leave of absence from the hospital, with one of his partners covering his patients. “Dan,” he said shortly, as he did as she requested, tossing the ball up in the air so his son could reach out for it. “Call me Dan.”

She didn’t answer, as if she couldn’t have cared less what his name was, and her gaze remained trained on his son. He tried to squelch a flash of annoyance. “Now, throw the ball back up in the air, toward me, Josh,” Molly said. “Up as high as you can.”

This time Josh’s aim was a little better, although the ball still veered off to the side. They repeated this game several times, and Dan couldn’t help glancing at the clock with growing annoyance. Okay, maybe he could understand her need to establish a bond with his son, but was this really what their medical insurance was paying for? What good would tossing the ball in the air do for Josh’s legs? When was she going to start with his muscle-strengthening exercises?

“Great job, Josh,” Molly said with another broad, cheerful smile. She looked and acted as if she absolutely loved her job. “Okay, now we’re going to work with a hacky sack.” She put the red ball back on the shelf and brought over a small round beanbag. “Have you ever played with a hacky sack, Josh?”

“No,” he said, a tiny frown furrowing his brow as he watched Molly. She tossed the hacky sack into the air and bounced it off her elbow, aiming up so that she could catch it again. Then she repeated the motion with the other elbow, and then with her knee.

It was on the tip of Dan’s tongue to remind her, again, that his son couldn’t walk or stand for any length of time to play the goofy game of hacky sack, but then she sat down on the rolling stool, still holding the small beanbag.

“This isn’t an easy game, so you have to concentrate very hard,” she warned. “Do you think you can do that for me?”

Josh’s big brown eyes were wide as he nodded.

“Maybe we should get your dad to play, too,” Molly said, with a mischievous glint in her eye. Without warning she tossed the hacky sack into the air and then bounced it off her elbow and then her knee, aiming toward him. She hit it hard enough to make him scramble to reach up and grab it before the beanbag could smack him in the center of his forehead.

His temper snapped as he tossed the hacky sack back in her lap. “Maybe you should quit playing games and get to work.” The moment the sharp words left his mouth he wanted to call them back, especially when Josh’s brown eyes darkened with wounded sorrow.

Slicing his heart like the sharp blade of a scalpel.

It took everything Molly had to keep her relaxed smile on her face, when in reality she wanted to sweep Josh into her arms and take him far away from his ogre of a father.

“Hmm, I think your dad got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Josh,” she murmured, picking up the hacky sack and turning in her seat so that she faced Josh. She lowered her voice and leaned forward as if he was her coconspirator. “Or maybe it’s just that he doesn’t know how to play games,” she said as if they were sharing a big secret. “You and I are going to have to help teach him, okay?”

Josh bit his lip and ducked his head, sending a worried glance at his father. “Okay,” he said in a very small voice, as if torn between siding with her and trying to protect his father.

She did her best to ignore Dr. Morris’s piercing gaze. She knew very well who he was, of course. After all, she’d seen him at the ribbon-cutting ceremony when Angel’s had opened the new neonatal wing, although he hadn’t noticed her. Plus, she’d cared for many patients who’d had surgery performed by him. Parents raved about what a great surgeon he was.

Dr. Morris had an amazing reputation within the hospital, but she couldn’t say she was nearly as impressed with the guy in person. Granted, he was devastatingly attractive—tall and broad-shouldered, with mink-colored close-cropped hair and big, melting chocolate-brown eyes. But she wasn’t easily swayed these days by a good-looking guy. Especially one who rarely, if ever, smiled.

In fact, they’d be far better off if he’d put his frowning energy into his son’s therapy instead. She was still seething with the fact that he’d denied his son the freedom of a wheelchair.

But there would be time to talk to Dr. Morris about that later. Right now she needed to concentrate on poor Josh, who deserved every bit of her attention. “Okay, here’s what I need you to do for me,” she said with a smile and a secret wink. Josh rewarded her with a tremulous smile, so heartbreakingly sweet she had to crush the urge to sweep him into her arms and promise him that she’d never let anything bad happen to him.

Ridiculous, as Josh was her patient, not part of her family. He belonged to the stern-faced surgeon sitting next to him. And she’d do well to remember that.

Don’t get emotionally involved. You’ll only lose another piece of your heart once this adorable little boy doesn’t need you anymore.

She made a career out of helping her small patients not need her anymore. So, of course, she needed to keep a safe emotional distance from them. However, telling herself not to get emotionally involved was easier than actually doing it. Still, she gave it her best shot. “I want you to bounce the hacky sack in the air with your elbows and your knees.” She demonstrated what she wanted him to do. “Now, you try it.”

Josh did his best, which was more than she could say about his father, who watched him like a hawk. More than once he almost came out of his chair to help his son, even though she sent him a glance that clearly told him to back off.

Josh’s ability was hampered a bit by the fact that he sat on the exam table, he would have done better in a wheelchair, but soon he managed to get a decent rhythm going. She was glad that he had the ability to move his knees because that meant his hips were in good shape.

“Excellent job,” she lavishly praised him. “Now, let’s try something else. Try to kick my hands with your toes. Kick me as hard as you can.”

Josh tried to lift up his legs so that he could kick her hands, but his leg muscles were too weak. The bright angry red scars that marred his youthful skin weren’t easy to ignore. But the weakness in his legs was even worse. She hid her dismay at how little he could raise them upward. He would need a lot of work to get his strength back.

Good thing she had plenty of patience. Unlike his fat her.

“Let’s try something else,” she quickly improvised, since he couldn’t kick the palms of her hands. She reached over to lift him up and quickly set him down on the floor before Dr. Morris could jump up to take over. She grabbed the red plastic ball again and placed it between Josh’s feet. “Try and kick the ball sideways toward your other foot, but keep your leg straight like this.” She gently moved his right leg, showing him what she wanted him to do.

Josh did as she asked, shifting his right leg enough to move the ball, although it went barely a few inches before rolling to a stop far away from his left foot.

“Great, that’s wonderful, Josh.” She quickly moved the ball so that it was located near his left foot. “Now, kick it back again.”

He scrunched up his face with the effort to concentrate on doing what she’d asked. He tried a couple more times but only moved the ball scant inches. And suddenly he crumpled into tears. “I can’t,” he wailed. “I can’t kick the b-ball!”

This time she did wrap her arms around him in comfort. How could she not? “Don’t cry, please don’t cry,” she crooned softly. “You’re doing very well, Josh. Remember how I said some of the games were hard? Believe me, very soon you’ll be kicking that ball between your feet just fine. Just don’t give up on me, okay? I promise we’ll keep working on these games together. But I need you to do your part.”

He quieted against her, and eventually nodded his head against her breast. She was relieved that Josh had got over his breakdown quickly—some patients took much longer, even her teenage patients. This type of frustration wasn’t new to her by any means.

When she glanced up at Dr. Morris to reassure him that Josh’s reaction was completely normal, she caught her breath at the starkness of his gaze as he stared at his son. Pain shadowed the brown depths, mixed with what appeared to be guilt and a hint of longing.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Apparently Josh wasn’t the only one who needed help. And no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t turn her back on his father.

She could only hope and pray that she could get through this new challenge without too many emotional scars.

If it wasn’t too late already.

CHAPTER TWO

BATTLING A WAVE of helplessness, Dan clenched his hands into tight fists, wishing he could be the one to comfort his son. But Josh didn’t often turn to his father for comfort.

Because he hadn’t been there enough for him. Not because he didn’t want to be but because his career was demanding. His young patients didn’t just need open heart surgery during the day. He was on call every third evening and every third weekend. And that meant he’d often been forced to leave Josh in the care of his nanny.

At least the nannies were better to Josh than his mother had been. Although that didn’t stop Josh from asking for her, especially when he was stressed. Dan rubbed the ache at his temples. He hated knowing that his son was still suffering for the mistakes he himself had made in marrying Suzy. But despite the awful things she’d done, he couldn’t hate the woman who’d borne him a son. But he sure as hell resented her. He’d been stupid to believe she’d ever loved him.

Thankfully, Josh’s tears had stopped almost as abruptly as they’d started. Dan was glad, even though there was no possible way the ache in his heart would go away as easily.

Watching the light play across Molly’s red-gold hair as she cuddled Josh close was only a partial distraction. He knew it was his fault that Josh was suffering right now. His fault that he’d been too distracted by Josh’s mother, who’d called out of the blue after six years of absence, asking for money, to notice the car barreling through the intersection, straight toward them.

Even now, he could hear the screeching tires, the sickening thunk of metal crushing against metal. The agonizing sound of Josh’s high-pitched scream.

He wanted to put his hands up to cover his ears, but that would be useless as he knew the noise would reverberate over and over in his mind, where nobody else could hear it but him. With a herculean effort he dragged himself out of the dark past to the just-barely-lighter present.

He couldn’t ever make up for the injuries Josh had suffered that fateful night. All he could do was to try and start over. He’d taken a leave of absence from work so that he could rebuild his relationship with his son, at the same time doing whatever was necessary to ensure his son would walk again.

“Okay, Josh, we’re going to sit back on the exam table here, so that I can massage your legs a bit before we use the ultrasound machine,” Molly was saying now, lifting Josh up, despite her slim build, and setting him back on the table, as if Josh hadn’t suffered a meltdown five minutes ago. “Do you know what an ultrasound machine is?”

Slowly Josh shook his head. “Will it hurt?” he asked.

Dan’s heart squeezed in his chest. His son had suffered several surgeries to his injured legs, and every single one of them had hurt him.

He wanted to promise Josh that nothing would ever hurt him again. but obviously that wasn’t exactly realistic.

“Not one bit,” Molly assured him. “I’ll show you how it feels on your hand. And we can try it on your dad first, so that you know I’m telling you the truth.”

Dan roused himself to respond to Molly’s unspoken demand. “I don’t mind trying the ultrasound,” he managed, even though he couldn’t believe that Josh’s first therapy session was almost over. In his mind Molly hadn’t done nearly enough work with his son, and now the session was winding down. He silently vowed to get a few minutes alone with her to find out what sort of exercises he should be doing with Josh at home.

He stood, and helped Molly maneuver Josh into position so that she could massage his legs. Dan had to give her credit, Molly never once stared in horror at Josh’s numerous surgical scars.

“Try to relax, Josh,” she murmured, as she smoothed some sort of paste substance on her fingertips, before gently beginning to massage Josh’s right leg. The leg that had taken the brunt of the crash. “Now, you let me know if I’m hurting you, okay?”

Josh nodded, and he grimaced a bit when she gently massaged the knot in his calf muscle.

“You have a very tense muscle right here,” she said, using her thumb to smooth over the area. “I know it’s a little sore, but you’ll feel much better afterward if I work on it now.”

“I know,” Josh said bravely, and once again Dan’s heart squeezed in his chest for what his young son was going through. If he could have taken the pain for Josh, he would have. But of course he’d walked away from the crash virtually unscathed.

And felt guilty about that part, too.

He tuned out a bit as Molly and Josh chatted about his school, as she asked him what his favorite subjects and teachers were. Since the crash, he’d hired a tutor to work with Josh so that he could keep up with his classes while he attended therapy every day.

But his ears pricked up when he heard his son talking about Mr. Iverson, the tutor he’d hired. “I don’t like him. He’s mean.”

“What did you say?” he demanded, before Molly could respond. “What did Mr. Iverson do that was mean?”

Josh’s lower lip trembled. “He yells at me. He makes me do adding and subtracting over and over again, even though I don’t understand it. But he doesn’t explain anything, just keeps making me fill out the worksheets and yelling at me when they’re not right.”

Dan frowned darkly. How was it that he hadn’t known about the problems Josh was having with his teacher before now? “Well, I’ll get rid of Mr. Iverson. You should have told me sooner, Josh.”

Instantly Josh’s eyes brightened. “Really? No more math?”

“Now, Josh,” Molly admonished gently, inserting herself into the conversation, “do you really think you can pass first grade to go on to second grade without learning to add and subtract?”

Josh gave a very adultlike sigh. “No, I suppose not.”

“Sometimes school is hard, just like therapy,” Molly said, moving over to massage Josh’s other leg. “But there are things we can do to make them both fun.”

Was he imagining it, or was that last comment directed squarely at him? He tried not to scowl but since when was school supposed to be fun? Kids had to learn, but tests, writing essays, memorizing history and practicing your sums wasn’t exactly fun.

Was it?

“The muscles in your left leg aren’t nearly as tied up in knots as those in your right leg,” Molly said, turning the conversation back to the issue of therapy. “Do you feel the difference?”

Josh nodded vigorously. “Yep. Doesn’t ache very much at all.”

“I’m glad. Now we’re going to use the ultrasound machine. Here’s the wand, feel how smooth it is?” She picked up what looked like a stout hammer, except that the base of it was much wider and very smooth to the touch.

Josh tentatively put his hand over the end of the wand. “Yeah, it’s very smooth.”

“I’m going to move it in small circles over your skin, like this.” Molly demonstrated again, on the palm of his hand. “Now, when I turn the machine on, it’s going to make some noise and you’ll feel a very faint vibration but it won’t hurt. Do you want me to show you on your dad first?”

Josh nodded again, and watched with wide eyes as Dan extended his arm so that Molly could use the ultrasound machine on him.

She squirted cool gel on his arm, and then flipped the switch on the machine and moved the ball of the wand over his skin in a circular motion. He frowned. “I can barely feel the vibration. Are you sure it’s turned on?”

“I’m sure. I told you this wouldn’t hurt a bit.” She glanced over at Josh with a bright smile. “Are you ready to try it?”

“I’m ready.” Josh braced himself, and Dan couldn’t help moving closer to his son, putting his arms around Josh’s thin shoulders. When she squirted the ultrasound gel on his skin, Josh jumped. “It’s cold!”

“I know. And that’s the worst of it, I promise.” Molly pressed the ball of the ultrasound wand against Josh’s leg and moved it in small circles.

Instantly Josh relaxed. “It really doesn’t hurt!” he exclaimed in surprise.

“Josh, I will never lie to you,” Molly said solemnly as she continued with the ultrasound therapy. “Remember when I told you the exercises were going to be hard to do? And they were, right? I will always be honest about what we’re going to do, okay?”

Josh grinned. “Okay.”

Dan waited patiently, as Molly finished up the ultrasound treatments, doing eight minutes on Josh’s right leg and four minutes on his left. He didn’t understand what good the treatments would be, though, as he honestly hadn’t felt a thing when she’d practiced on his arm.

So far all they’d done had been to play several games, get a massage and then this weird, painless ultrasound therapy. Not that he wanted his son to be in pain, but surely there had to be more to therapy than what he’d seen today?

Was this Molly Shriver really the best in the business?

If so, maybe he needed to consider other alternatives.

Molly could tell that Dr. Morris wasn’t thrilled with how Josh’s therapy had gone today, and while she wished he’d trust in her knowledge and judgment, she figured that allowing anyone else to be in control went against the grain of a top-notch cardiothoracic surgeon.

And she still needed to talk to him about Josh’s wheelchair.

“We’re all finished, Josh,” she said, scooting her chair back and putting the ultrasound machine away. She took out a towel to wipe the ultrasound goop from Josh’s legs. “Now, I’m going to have you sit here for a few minutes while I talk to your dad, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Heavens, I almost forgot!” She whirled round and picked up a candy jar full of lollipops. “Here, what’s your favorite flavor? You get to pick any one you like for working so hard today.”

She thought she heard a faint snort from Josh’s father, an indication perhaps that he didn’t think Josh had worked hard at all, but she ignored him. Josh debated the multitude of flavors. He took his time, as if this was the most important decision he’d make in his life, so she waited patiently until his fingers delved into the jar. “Grape,” he announced, pulling out the lollipop with the purple wrapper. “I like grape.”

“Grape is one of my favorite flavors, too,” she confided, putting the lid back on the candy jar and setting it aside. “Now, wait here for a minute, okay?”

He was too busy sucking on his lollipop to answer. She gestured for Josh’s dad to follow her out into her private office.

Once they were alone, she didn’t beat around the bush. “I want you to get Josh a wheelchair.” Dan, er—Dr. Morris—towered over her, topping her in height by a good eight inches. But she refused to be intimidated even though he was clearly angry.

“Josh isn’t permanently handicapped,” he said tersely. “He doesn’t need a wheelchair. He’s going to learn how to walk again. At least, he would if you were doing more than playing silly games.”

The cutting edge of his tongue only made her square her shoulders to face him with renewed determination. “This isn’t about what you want or need, Dr. Morris, it’s about your son. It’s about giving him the freedom to move around without waiting for you or someone else to carry him. It’s about giving him independence. And lastly it’s about strengthening his core muscles, his torso.” She was growing angrier by the second.

“Don’t you understand how important core body strength is when it comes to walking? You stand there and mock what I’ve done today, but those games I played with Josh were core-strengthening games. And therapy doesn’t have to hurt in order to achieve results!”

He actually stared in shocked surprise at her outburst. A tiny voice in the back of her mind warned her to stop while she was ahead, but she was on a roll.

“Furthermore, how dare you question my methods? I have good outcomes, the best in the region. Do I stand over your shoulder and tell you how to operate on a damaged heart? This is my job, my career, and I’m damn good at it.”

Her temper flared easily, she didn’t have red hair for nothing, but it dissolved as quickly as it ignited. She took several deep breaths, immediately feeling bad at how she’d lost control. Was she crazy? A powerful surgeon like Dr. Dan Morris could make or break her career.

Well, he probably couldn’t totally break her career, as she really did have excellent outcomes that spoke for themselves. But he could make her life miserable.

And what if he stopped referring patients to her? The very idea made her gut clench and roll.

Why, oh, why hadn’t she bitten her tongue?

The silence stretched interminably between them, until she decided he was waiting for an apology.

One he honestly deserved.

But before she could take her foot out of her mouth to formulate the words, he totally surprised her. “Where can I get a pediatric wheelchair?” he demanded.

“Um, right here. I can get you one from the storage room.” She didn’t move, though, afraid that he’d capitulated too easily. She licked her lips nervously. “Look, I’m—”

“If you wouldn’t mind getting it now, I’d be happy to reimburse you for it,” he interrupted, as if impatient to get the wheelchair now that he’d decided Josh really did, in fact, need one.

She nodded and quickly left the office to rummage around in the back storeroom. She found a perfect-sized wheelchair for Josh, and brought it back to his father.

He stared at it for a long moment, before dragging his gaze up to meet hers. “I never meant to take away Josh’s independence,” he murmured, his gaze full of stark agony. “That’s the last thing I would ever want to do.”

She felt her eyes prick with tears, hardly able to bear to see the lines of tortured self-reproach grooved in his cheeks. “I know. You were seeing the wheelchair as a sign of giving up. But encouraging Josh to use an assistive device isn’t giving up at all. Trust me, this is just the first step on the road to Josh walking again.”

His jaw tensed and his intense gaze seemed to drill all the way down to her soul. “Do you really believe that?” he asked hoarsely. “Do you really believe he’ll walk again?”

“Yes.” She couldn’t stop herself from stepping closer and placing a reassuring hand on his forearm. The warmth of his skin shot tingles of awareness dancing along her nerves. But she kept her gaze centered on his, ignoring her inappropriate reaction. “I believe he will. I won’t lie to you, though. Josh’s leg muscles are weak, so this isn’t going to happen overnight. He has a long way to go. But I know he’ll be able to walk again.”

He covered her hand with his, surrounding her with even more heat. “I’m going to hold you to that,” he said wearily.

She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, and then subtly pulled out of his grip. “No more than I’m holding myself accountable,” she assured him. They’d gotten past the first hurdle, but there would be more. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re going to have to help,” she added. “Because Josh can’t do this on his own. He’ll need your support.”

To her surprise, he nodded in agreement. “I know and that’s perfectly fine with me. Obviously, he’s not going to be able to walk with just one hour of therapy a day. I expect you to give me a list of leg-strengthening exercises to do with him at home.”

She wanted to roll her eyes heavenward at his determination to direct the physiotherapy of his son. She supposed this tendency of his was part of being a surgeon but, really, hadn’t they already gone through all this? She was the one in charge, here, not him.

The sooner he recognized that fact, the further along they’d be.

“Now that you mention it, I do have a list for you,” she agreed as she headed over to her desk. She picked up the bright blue folder, and then came back over to hand it to him. “Inside you’ll find everything you’ll need. And, of course, I’ll be seeing Josh five days a week. You’ve asked for early morning appointments, so he’s scheduled every day at 9:00 a.m.”

“No problem,” he agreed readily, as he opened the folder to peek inside. He scanned the printed pages she’d tucked in the pockets, and then looked up at her with a deep frown. “These aren’t exercises,” he accused. “They’re games.” He emphasized the last word as if it was a curse.

She tried not to smile, but her mouth quirked up at the corners despite her best effort. “Yes, I’m aware of that, Dr. Morris. Your son is seven years old. Surely you know how to play games with him?”

She could have sworn there was a momentarily blank look in his eyes, before he snapped the folder shut with a flash of annoyance. “Of course I do.”

This time she couldn’t stop the smile from blossoming on her face. “Don’t worry,” she said, patting his arm as if he were one of her small patients, rather than a big, broad-shouldered heart surgeon. “You’ll get better with practice.”

CHAPTER THREE

MOLLY WAS PHYSICALLY exhausted by the time she finished her day, and while she’d cared for many patients during her nine-hour shift, it was young Josh and his enigmatic father who lingered in her mind as she took the subway home.

She tried to scan the newspaper she’d purchased at the hospital, as she normally did, but her mind kept wandering. She couldn’t help wondering about how Josh was handling his new wheelchair, and whether or not Dr. Morris had unwound enough to play a few games with his son.

And she found herself hoping that the uptight surgeon wouldn’t overdo things with Josh in his eagerness to get the boy walking again. If he pushed Josh too hard, the poor kid would be too sore to participate in her games tomorrow. Moderation was an important aspect of physical therapy and she realized now that she should have made a point of reinforcing that fact before they’d left.

She doubted Dr. Morris knew anything about moderation. The way he’d watched her, with his incredibly intense gaze, had made her feel extremely self-conscious. And far too aware of him.

Her cheeks burned as she remembered the way she’d let him have it in her office. Normally she didn’t find it at all difficult to keep her temper under control, at least within a professional setting. But somehow Josh’s father had pushed her buttons in a big way. The memory of her tirade made her wince. She’d have to make sure she kept her cool during their session tomorrow.

Would Dr. Morris bring his son in again? Or would he send Josh to someone else? Everyone knew that Dan Morris was single—there was a lot of talk about him being one of Angel’s most eligible bachelors, especially now that Dr. Tyler Donaldson had been snagged by Dr. Eleanor Aston.

But whereas Tyler was a flirt, Dan was an enigma. Composed. Aloof. She didn’t doubt for a moment that he had a nanny to help care for his son. The thought that she might not see Dr. Morris in the morning left her feeling curiously disappointed. That was crazy, because it wasn’t as if she had any interest in the guy, other than how he needed to learn how to unbend enough to help his son.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly missed her subway stop. At the last moment she grabbed her backpack and her newspaper and elbowed her way through the crowd to dash out the door seconds before they closed. Thankfully, the weather was mild for spring, so it was no hardship to walk the few blocks home to her tiny apartment.

Inside, she quickly heated up some leftovers and forced herself to finish reading the newspaper. She liked being up to date on current events, especially as the length of her commute didn’t provide any time to watch the news.

When she opened the entertainment section, she stared in shock when she recognized her sister, Sally, and boyfriend, Mike, smiling together in a huge photo announcing their engagement.

Sally and Mike were engaged? Since when? And why hadn’t anyone called her?

She couldn’t seem to drag her gaze away from the beautiful, happy couple. Her sister was as dark as she herself was fair, making it even more noticeable that they weren’t bonded by blood. Molly had been adopted by the Shrivers when she’d been four years old, but shortly thereafter her adoptive mother had discovered she was pregnant.

When Sally was born, Molly had been thrilled to have a younger sister to play with, but as they’d grown older, it had become clear that Sally, as the biological daughter, had been the favorite and she herself had too often been simply an afterthought.

Nothing had changed in the years since they’d both grown up. No matter how hard she tried to belong, when it came to her family, she remained the outsider, looking in.

Seeing her sister’s engagement photo soured her appetite, so she shoved the newspaper aside and carried her dishes to the sink. She shouldn’t be so upset at how Sally had gotten engaged without telling her, but she was. She knew her family hadn’t done this to her on purpose, they weren’t mean-spirited, it was more that they often forgot about her.

If she called her mother now to ask about Sally’s engagement, Jenny would profusely apologize and offer some weak excuse to try to cover the fact that Molly hadn’t been included.

For a moment, a deep sense of loneliness weighed down her shoulders like a heavy blanket. All she’d ever wanted was to be a part of a family. She’d thought her prayers had been answered when the Shrivers had adopted her, but over time she’d become less and less a true member of the family.

And since she’d graduated from college her one attempt to have a family of her own had backfired. James had been several years older than she was, a divorced father with two young boys. She’d met him when one of his boys had been injured playing soccer and she’d performed his therapy. They’d dated for five years, and she’d been sure he’d propose marriage, but instead he’d called off their relationship, claiming he’d fallen in love with someone else.

He’d broken her heart, although now, a year later, she could admit she’d loved his two young sons more than she’d loved him.

Not seeing James’s boys anymore had left a huge, aching hole in her life. In her soul.

Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. She didn’t belong, not with the Shrivers and certainly not with James. On a professional level she belonged at Angel’s, and working there had been the best decision of her life.

It was too bad that on a personal level it seemed she was destined to live her life alone.

Dan swallowed a curse as he wrestled to get Josh’s wheelchair back into the trunk of his car. Josh didn’t seem to like the stupid chair, despite Molly’s insistence that having it would give him more independence. And Dan hadn’t appreciated the sympathetic stares aimed at his son when they’d ridden down in the elevator together. One of the reasons he had balked at using the chair had been to save Josh from being teased about it.

Although maybe if he’d used the wheelchair with Josh from the very beginning, his son would be that much further along with his therapy.

More to feel guilty about. As if everything Josh had been through, the prolonged hospital stay and multiple surgeries, hadn’t been enough. With an effort he shoved his dark thoughts aside.

“Ready, Josh?” he asked, as he slid behind the wheel.

“Yep.” One good thing was that Josh hadn’t been upset about going to therapy this morning. And he hadn’t clung to Gemma, his nanny, begging her to take him. Dan knew part of the reason was that Josh was looking forward to seeing Molly again. However, he hoped there were also tentative bonds forming between him and his son.

Yesterday, when they’d gotten home, he’d fired the tutor who’d been mean to Josh and had called the school to arrange for a replacement. This time a young college freshman by the name of Mitch came to the house and Josh seemed to flourish under the kid’s fun and somewhat laid-back approach.

As he’d watched them together, he couldn’t help thinking Molly would approve.

After Josh’s lessons they’d played the ball game again and the entire time Molly’s parting words had played over and over in his mind. Don’t worry, you’ll get better with practice.

His gut still burned with the memory. He hadn’t felt that inadequate since his internship year.

Despite being seriously annoyed with her, he had to admit to feeling some grudging admiration for Molly. No one had ever dared to stand up to him the way she had. And what was that she’d said? Something about how she wouldn’t stand over his shoulder and tell him how to do heart surgery? Earlier in the session she’d called him Mr. Morris, but she’d obviously known who he was the whole time.

He supposed it was possible that she’d only figured it out after spending more time together. While he often referred patients to her, based on her reputation for being the best, it wasn’t as if they’d worked together side by side. He simply wrote the order and then asked his patients and their parents how things were going when they came in for their routine follow-up visits. They’d always given him rave reviews about her care.

As far as his own opinion of her went, the jury was still out. She might be a pretty woman, with a bright, sunny attitude, but he wasn’t going to be happy until Josh was walking again. And despite what she claimed, he had trouble believing these games of hers would really work.

The traffic was heavier this morning, and he drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as they waited for yet another red light. This time, when they arrived at Angel’s physical therapy clinic, they only had five minutes to spare.

Five minutes that was taken up by wrestling once again with the stubborn wheelchair. Once he got the thing unfolded and the footrests put back together, he lifted Josh out of the car and placed him in the seat.

This time Molly was waiting for them when they arrived. “Wow, you look awesome in that wheelchair, Josh.”

His son brightened under her admiration. “Really? You think so?”

“Absolutely. And today we’re going to practice getting in and out of it, okay?”

“Okay.”

“This way,” Molly said, gesturing for them to follow her into the large therapy room. Dan pushed Josh’s wheelchair forward. “If you wouldn’t mind stopping right there,” she said, when he reached the center of the room, “I’d like to see what Josh can do on his own.”

Letting go of the chair and backing off to watch his son struggle to move the large wheels forward was difficult. Josh’s small arms seemed far too skinny to be of much use, although he did manage to wheel the chair all the way over to Molly.

“Excellent.” Once again she knelt before Josh so they were at the same eye level. “I need you to practice wheeling yourself around, Josh. I know your arms will get tired, but you still need to practice. It’s the only way to get your arms stronger, all right?”

“All right.”

“Good.” Molly’s smile was bright enough to light up the whole room. For the first time Dan wondered just what her life was like to make her so happy all the time. He’d noticed that she wasn’t wearing a wedding or engagement ring, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t seeing someone. He couldn’t imagine a woman like Molly being without a man, so he had to assume she was involved. Why that thought made him feel depressed, he had no clue. The last thing he needed was a woman to further complicate his life.

After Suzy had upped and left six years ago, he’d vowed to never let a woman get close to him again. Josh needed stability in his life more than he himself needed female companionship. He’d willingly thrown himself into his career. Maybe a little too enthusiastically, now that he thought about it.

“I’m going to help you stand up, okay? First we have to set the brakes.” She put her hands over his smaller ones to show him how to move the levers forward. “Now, I’m going to put my arms underneath yours, but I need you to push up on the arms of your wheelchair at the same time.”

He watched Josh struggle to stand, noticing that Molly took a good portion of his weight in order for him to accomplish the task. Although once he was standing, she made him balance there for a few seconds.

“I’m going to fall,” Josh whined. “Don’t let me go or I’ll fall!”

“I won’t let you go, Josh, I promise,” Molly assured him. “Just try and stand here for a little bit.”

After another ten seconds she let him sit back down in the chair. Dan watched intently so that he could practice this at home with Josh.

“Good job,” she praised his son. “Did you play any games with your dad last night?”

Josh nodded. “Yep, we played the ball game before dinner. It was fun. And I have a new tutor, too. His name is Mitch. I like him way better than Mr. Iverson.” Josh screwed up his face in an apparent attempt to mimic the stern tutor.

Molly’s lips twitched as she fought a smile, but when she lifted her gaze over Josh’s head to meet his, Dan could see frank approval reflected in her gaze. And despite the fact he shouldn’t care what she thought of him, he was secretly glad to have earned her favor.

The session went on, with more games that she dragged him into playing, and he was thrilled to notice that Josh was able to move his legs a little better today when Molly instructed him to kick the ball between his feet.

When she ended Josh’s session with another massage and the ultrasound treatment, he couldn’t help voicing his concern. “What exactly is the purpose of doing the ultrasound on his legs for eight minutes? I don’t see what good it can possibly do for him.”

She arched a brow, as she continued providing the treatment. “These are very intense ultrasound waves that are focused directly on the injured muscles. They help increase blood flow, which in turn helps to reduce pain and swelling,” she said patiently, as if speaking to a first-year medical student.

“Really?” He frowned, trying to work through the pathophysiology of what she described. “And ultrasound waves are safe and harmless?”

“Definitely safe and harmless,” she agreed. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t have helpful properties, as well. I also wanted to mention that you shouldn’t let Josh overdo the games at home. What you did yesterday was perfect. An hour in the evening is enough so that Josh doesn’t overwork his injured muscles. We wouldn’t want him to suffer from muscle spasms.”

He nodded, unwilling to admit how much he’d wanted to push Josh into playing her therapy games for longer than he had. Not because he wanted Josh to overwork his injured muscles but because he desperately wanted to see his son walk again.

Patience was a virtue, he reminded himself. Although having patience while performing heart surgery was far easier than having patience with his son struggling to learn how to stand and walk.

When she’d finished the ultrasound therapy, she handed Josh the candy jar, and this time it didn’t take him long to choose a cherry-flavored lollipop. Dan figured that by the time they’d completed the initial twelve weeks of therapy, his son would have tried every flavor several times over.

“Okay, Josh, I’m going to talk to your dad again for a few minutes,” Molly said as she put the candy jar away. “Wait here and I’ll help you get into your wheelchair when I return.”

Josh nodded, the skin around his lips already stained red from the cherry sucker.

Dan followed Molly’s petite frame back to her office, trying not to imagine what her figure looked like beneath the baggy scrubs.

“Dr. Morris—” she began, but he quickly interrupted her.

“I asked you to call me Dan,” he reminded. “I’ll be attending therapy with Josh because I’m his father, not because I’m a surgeon here at Angel’s.”

“Ah, okay, Dan, then,” she murmured. She paused, as if she’d lost her train of thought, and he took a moment to savor the way she’d said his name. For the first time in six years he preferred hearing his first name to his formal title.

“I want you to consider getting a wheelchair, too,” she said.

He blinked, and tried to gather his scattered thoughts. “You mean one for Josh to use here as well as the one he’ll use at home?”

“No, I mean one for you to use specially while we’re working together with Josh.” She tilted her chin in a gesture he already knew meant that this was a topic she felt strongly about. “Josh needs you to be a role model for him. And he needs to learn how to get in and out of it by himself. I think he would find that easier to do if you were learning alongside him.”

Was she crazy? He’d never heard anything more ridiculous. What good would it do for him to be in a wheelchair, too? “I appreciate your advice but I don’t see the need to get myself a wheelchair.”

“Dr. Morris—Dan,” she corrected swiftly, “You don’t have the option to refuse. You have to stop questioning everything I do or suggest. Like the ultrasound treatments, and now getting a wheelchair of your own. For years you referred your pediatric patients to me, but now suddenly you’re acting as if I have no clue what I’m doing. Why can’t you believe I only have your son’s best interests at heart?”

“I do believe that,” he said slowly. He forced himself to meet her emerald-green gaze. “It’s just …” He trailed off, unable to find the words to express how he felt. Because she was right. He was acting as if she didn’t have a clue what she was doing. Just because he wasn’t an expert in physical therapy, it didn’t mean she wasn’t. He had to trust her expertise and knowledge.

But getting a wheelchair of his own seemed over the top. He wasn’t the one who’d been injured.

Yet it was his fault that Josh had been.

He swallowed against the hard lump of the bitter truth. Did it matter if he felt stupid using a wheelchair? Wasn’t Josh’s recovery worth it?

“Look, we need to settle this now, before we go any further in treating Josh because if you can’t or won’t trust me, there’s no point in us continuing.”

Her last sentence made him scowl. “Are you threatening me?”

“It’s not a threat. I’m only telling you that you either heed my advice and do what I say as it relates to Josh’s therapy, or you find someone else to work with.” She shrugged, as if she didn’t care what he would decide to do. “I’m not the only therapist here, there are many others equally qualified.”

He clenched his jaw, unable to believe she was actually handing him an ultimatum. He couldn’t help it that it was his nature to question things. To make sure he understood what was going on.

“A good therapist-patient relationship is the key to success. Maybe I’m not the best fit for you,” she said, when he didn’t respond.

“But you are the best fit for my son.” The moment he’d uttered the words, he knew they were true. Molly had a way with children, and it was obvious that Josh was already anxious to please her. Not to mention none of the other therapists had her amazing outcomes.

He’d tolerate whatever she decreed in order to help Josh. “I’ll accept your terms,” he said, roughly shoving his ego aside. “I’ll get a wheelchair so Josh and I can learn how to use them together. And I promise not to question your methods from this point forward. I’ll place my son’s care in your capable hands.”

She stared at him for a few seconds, as if struggling to see inside his mind, to believe he actually meant what he’d said. He didn’t know what else to say, to help her understand how he’d meant every word seriously. Nothing was going to get in the way of Josh’s ability to learn how to walk again.

Nothing!

If Molly Shriver had been hoping to get rid of him, she would be sorely disappointed. He was in this for the long haul. For Josh’s sake.

No matter what.

CHAPTER FOUR

MOLLY WAS SECRETLY relieved that Josh’s father hadn’t decided to move his son’s care to another therapist. Remembering how she’d issued her ultimatum made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. Once again she’d allowed her redhead temper to get the better of her. Why on earth did Dan Morris bring out the worst in her?

She took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself for their upcoming appointment. If she was smart, she would have insisted Josh be assigned to someone else. Emotionally, it would be better for her, as the young boy was already wiggling his way into her heart. And once he didn’t need her anymore, he’d take a piece of her with him, leaving a tiny hole behind.

But somehow her instinct for self-preservation seemed to have abandoned her. Because it wasn’t just Josh she was beginning to care about.

His stern-faced father was even more intriguing.

Watching the two of them navigating their wheelchairs in the gym had given her a deep sense of satisfaction. The proud and hopeful expression on Dan’s face when Josh successfully transferred himself from the wheelchair to the therapy table and back again had been heartbreaking. It was clear how much he cared for his son. And she had to give Dan credit for keeping his promise. He hadn’t questioned her or interfered in her treatment plan in the past two days.

Today was Friday, their last session before the weekend. She had a surprise for Josh, and hoped his father wouldn’t revert back to his old ways. She’d learned as the week had progressed that Dan did better with structure rather than impulsiveness. Maybe that’s what made him such a good cardiothoracic surgeon.

That was too bad. She worked better by following her instincts. And today her instinct was to get outside and have some fun. Especially on this unseasonably warm day in early March. Why stay inside when the temperature was in the fifties and the sun was shining?

When she was paged by the front desk to let her know that Josh and his father had arrived, she picked up her jacket and the red plastic ball before heading out to the waiting room to greet them.

“Good morning, Josh, Dan.” Calling Josh’s father by his first name was getting easier. In fact, he was looking less and less like the strait-laced cardiothoracic surgeon who’d shown up here four days ago. Especially dressed in his well-worn jeans and Yankee sweatshirt that only enhanced his broad shoulders.

“Hi, Molly,” Josh greeted her enthusiastically from his wheelchair. “We’re ready for therapy, right, Dad?”

“Right,” Dan agreed with a rare smile. He looked surprisingly comfortable seated in the adult wheelchair alongside his son.

“I’m glad, especially as I have a surprise for both of you.” She fought a smile as Dan immediately tensed up. Heaven forbid she plan a surprise. “We’re going on a little field trip to Central Park!”

“We are?” Dan said with a frown. “That seems too far out of the way for an hour of therapy.”

“The patient who was scheduled to see me after Josh cancelled so we have two hours free. Most of the snow has melted and as it’s a beautiful day, we may as well enjoy the sunshine.” She could tell he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. “Come on, we’ll have fun.”

Dan opened his mouth as if to argue, but then closed it again without saying a word.

“Yippee!” Josh said with exuberance. “I love field trips!”

She grinned, relieved to see her patient was happy with the idea. And because Dan had promised not to question her motives, he couldn’t very well disagree.

She walked alongside Josh as he wheeled his chair back down the hall toward the elevator. Dan followed in his own wheelchair right behind them, and while he didn’t utter a single word of complaint, she could feel his displeasure radiating off him.

She sighed, hoping he wasn’t regretting their bargain, because if he switched therapists now, Josh would certainly suffer.

Thankfully, Josh kept up a steady stream of chatter as they made their way outside. The sun was warm, but the air still held a hint of coolness as winter slowly gave way to spring, perfect weather for Josh and Dan, who’d be exerting themselves in order to use their wheelchairs.

The park was just a couple of blocks down from the hospital so it didn’t take long to get there. The hardest part of the trip was navigating around the people crowding the sidewalks. Good ole New Yorkers, couldn’t move over to give two people in wheelchairs room to maneuver.

They reached the south end of the park and followed the sidewalk inside. “Okay, Josh, you have to find us a good place to play ball,” she instructed him.

“How about right over there?” he suggested a few minutes later, pointing to a relatively isolated grassy area.

“Perfect,” she murmured. “Do you need help going over the grass?”

“I can do it,” Josh said, his face intent as he exerted extra pressure to wheel himself over the bumpy terrain. Dan followed his son’s example, even though he remained unusually quiet.

She plopped down on a park bench and tossed the ball up in the air, enjoying the sun on her face as she caught it again. “Remember the game we played that first day you came into the office?” she asked, directing her question to Josh.

“Yeah,” Josh said, stopping his wheelchair not far from where she was seated. “Are we going to play catch again?”

“We are. But I want you and your dad to spread out a bit, so we’re like the three points of a triangle.”

Josh obediently moved his wheelchair back a foot. When she glanced over at Dan, he was doing the same thing.

“Excellent. Now, remember how we did it before, okay?” She tossed the ball high in the air toward Josh, who caught it easily.

“Good job, Josh,” Dan said, breaking his silence.

Josh flushed with pleasure and turned his chair so that he was facing his father, before he tossed the ball up in the air. Dan had to lean over the side of the chair a bit to catch the ball, but he managed just fine. He tossed it back up in the air toward Josh.

“Molly!” Josh called, mere seconds before the ball landed on her head and then bounced off erratically. She laughed and jumped up to race after the ball.

“Caught you napping, didn’t he?” Dan drawled, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

She grinned and nodded. “I can’t tell a lie, he certainly did.”

“Good thing you have a hard head,” he teased.

“Good thing.” Her smile widened. She could hardly believe he’d made a joke. “I bet yours is harder,” she goaded as she quickly tossed the ball at him.

She’d used a little too much force, though, and the ball caught the wind, veering off to the left, out of his reach. But that didn’t stop him from stretching up and over the side of the chair in a valiant attempt to reach it.

And suddenly the wheelchair tipped sideways, dumping him onto the ground.

“Dan!” she said.

At the same time Josh yelled, “Daddy!”

She rushed over to his side. “Oh, my gosh, are you all right?” she asked anxiously.

“Fine,” he muttered, his cheeks stained red with embarrassment.

“Tell me where it hurts,” she murmured, pulling the chair out of the way.

He groaned and rolled onto his back, staring up at her. “Mostly hit my shoulder, but I’m fine.”

“Let me see.” She leaned over him, running her fingers up his muscled arm to his shoulder. Thankfully there was no bump or obvious injury that she could feel. But when she looked down at him, their faces were so close she shivered from the intensity of his gaze.

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