Michael's Discovery - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,65

deadly dull up until now. I’d hate for him to get the idea he’s saving me from total boredom.”

“Sweetie, you travel. You have a successful business. You have friends. I’d hardly call that boring,” Kelly chided.

“But your brother has done all sorts of fascinating things,” Moira protested.

Kelly shrugged off Bryan’s activities. “He’s only told you the highlights. Believe me, he spends most of his time with his head buried in these stuffy tomes about dead psychoanalysts or locked away in his office with people who think their lives are a mess.”

Moira grinned. “I’m sure he’d love to know how deeply you respect his work.”

“I do. He’s very good at what he does. It’s just not very exciting. He’s hardly in a position to cast stones at your life. That’s why you’re going to be so good for each other. You can spur each other to take some chances, have a few adventures.” She winked at her. “Or you can cuddle up together and read all those boring medical and psychology journals side by side in bed, then toss them aside and do far more interesting things.”

“Trust me, we have not been sharing the bed with any journals,” Moira said, then blushed furiously.

“Told you that you didn’t need to worry about being boring,” Kelly taunted. “I’ve got to go. Jennifer’s due any second for her therapy and I want a few minutes with her mom first.”

Suddenly all business, Moira asked, “How’s Jennifer’s progress?”

“She’s doing great, but her insurance is about to run out. I want to work something out so we can continue with her treatment.”

“Let me know if I can help,” Moira said. “I’m good at yelling at insurance bureaucrats.”

“I may do that.” Kelly glanced out the window in the office door and felt her heart skip a beat. Michael was here an hour early and already at work on the parallel bars with no one to spot him. “Gotta run. Michael’s out there.”

Moira came to stand beside her. “Looks to me as if he’s developed a renewed determination to get back on his feet.” She gave Kelly a knowing look. “Wonder what—or who—inspired that?”

“I’ll let you know if I find out,” Kelly said as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

She forced herself to take slow, measured steps across the therapy room, even though she wanted to race over and plant herself in front of Michael to prevent a fall. When she reached him, he’d made his way to the midpoint of the bars. There were white lines of tension around his mouth and furrows of concentration on his brow. She had to resist the urge to yell at him. Instead, she stepped between the bars blocking his path.

“You’re ambitious this morning.”

A fleeting grin tugged at his lips. “I’m motivated.”

“You’re overdoing it,” she countered.

He regarded her with surprise and a hint of anger. “Don’t you think it’s about time? I’ve wasted weeks.”

His words cut through her as if they’d been an accusation. “Are you suggesting I haven’t worked you hard enough?”

Dismay spread across his face. “No, of course not. I’m the one who’s been balking. I haven’t gotten with the program, not really. Believe me, I know what tough, rigorous training is like. I can take it and from now on out, I intend to do just that.”

Kelly bit back a protest that he might reinjure his leg. She didn’t totally understand this sudden need to push himself, but it was obviously important to him. And what were the chances that he might really harm himself?

“I’ll make you a deal,” she said.

He frowned at that. “Who gave you bargaining rights in this?”

“You did.”

“When? When I slept with you?”

She hadn’t realized that he had the power to hurt her so badly. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away. “No,” she said quietly, “when you hired me as your therapist.”

Forgetting about the deal she’d been about to make with him, she whirled around and walked blindly away.

“Kelly!”

She ignored his urgent call, for once glad that he couldn’t move quickly enough to stop her. Spotting Jennifer and her mother in the waiting area, she paused long enough to compose herself, plastered a smile on her face and headed their way, certain that Michael wouldn’t interrupt. She would have to deal with him again eventually, but by then she could steel herself to do it unemotionally.

And if she couldn’t, well, telling him to go to hell would feel really good about now.

Michael knew he’d made a total jackass of