Max’s hand lands on my shoulder. “Love you, bro. We’re here for you.”
“Mom’s expecting you for dinner on Friday. We’re all off for once, so she’s moving family dinner from Sunday,” Beckett chimes in. “I can come and get you around six.” His tone makes it clear there’s no getting out of it, so I just nod.
“Okay, let’s go.” Sawyer claps his hands, and the others say their goodbyes as I climb into his truck.
After stopping for coffee as promised, even though I did make Sawyer go in so I could stay in the truck, we pull into the parking lot for the clinic. My eyes immediately go to a bright yellow Volkswagen parked in one of the spaces. “Jesus that’s quite the paint job.”
Sawyer glances over after putting his truck in park. “Oh yeah, that’s Lily’s car. She got it a few years ago. It kinda fits her style, doesn’t it?”
“Lily, as in, Kat’s friend?”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Yeah, dude. Lily, as in, the girl who basically grew up at our house. Remember that time she and Kat glitter bombed Max? She’s wild.” He chuckles.
Memories of Kat’s friend coming over all the time flash through my head, too fast for me to register each of them. But a recent one does stand out. On one of my trips home last season, I ran into Kat and Lily. And let’s just say Lily Chapman is not a glitter-bombing little girl anymore. She’s a beautiful woman who exudes the kind of upbeat, positive energy most guys would be immediately drawn to.
Most guys. Maybe even me, a couple of months ago.
But right now, the last thing I need is someone spewing rainbows and sunshine all around me.
“She’s the receptionist?” I ask, hoping it sounds casual.
Sawyer shakes his head. “Nope, she’s a physical therapist. Damn good one, according to my buddy from the station, who went to her after a rotator cuff tear.” He gently shoves my shoulder. “Dude, that would be weird if she wasyourtherapist.”
Weird is one way to put it. Fucking annoying is another.
“Conflict of interest,” I grumble. “I’d ask for someone else.”
I keep my eyes trained forward, but I can feel the weight of Sawyer’s stare. After a minute, he shrugs. “Whatever. I’ll be here to pick you up in an hour.”
I clumsily maneuver my way out of his truck. “Thanks.”
Standing in front of the clinic, I take a second to gather myself. No matter what, I will give physical therapy everything I can.
Doc said I needed a miracle; well, I don’t believe in those. But hard work, perseverance, and determination — that, I can do. Especially since it might be my only chance.
Chapter three
Lily
When Jude Donnelly walks — well, crutches — into the clinic, I just about trip over my feet. I can’t remember the last time I saw the second oldest Donnelly brother, and I’m positive Kat never mentioned he was coming to town. Rallying quickly, my mind reaches the obvious conclusion that he’s here for his recovery. Makes sense to come home and be surrounded by his family who can help him heal.
His eyes zero in on me immediately, recognition giving a very brief and very faint lift to his scowl.
“Hey, Jude.” I give him a giant smile and a wink as I say those two words with a faint musical lilt. He’s used to the constant teasing over his name and the fact that his mother openly admits she was in a huge John Lennon phase when she named him.
Thick brows that cover his brown eyes furrow even deeper, which, of course, only makes me smirk. The man is sinfully gorgeous, even with a lot more scruff covering his strong jaw than I’m used to seeing. And his dark hair is long enough to curl under his ball cap, implying he’s overdue for a cut. Heck, even the deep frown covering his features doesn’t take away from the fact that Jude Donnelly is one hunky man.
“Lily.”
Oh, Lord. One man’s voice should not be that powerful.
“You’ve got an appointment for your knee, I assume?” I ask, forcing even more upbeat energy than normal into my voice. Jude just nods.
“I see all the media training you must have had didn’t help expand your vocabulary much. Does the press like your grunts and nods?” I’m teasing and he knows it, judging by the way he cocks his head to the side and stares at me impassively. But I realize too late how it might sound to other people. Me teasing a hockey superstar.
“Lily. Stop bothering our VIP,” Gianni, the clinic supervisor, and technically my boss, hisses at me. I hadn’t even noticed him approaching.Crap.
“It’s fine,” Jude interjects, to my surprise. “We’ve known each other for years.”
