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“I need to start living again, and I can’t do that if I’m constantly trying to recreate what my life used to be,” she’d told me. “I need to look forward, not back.”

In a lot of ways, it was the same reason she’d wanted to forgive Joey.

It was remarkable, though, some of the things doctors were doing now, including the use of virtual reality to trick the brain. A patient observed movement—and it seemed so real that it could actually stimulate motor pathways.

Charlene Terry smiled at me on the screen, a glint in her eye. “You should come and see for yourself.”

I chuckled. “You’re not trying to recruit me again, are you?”

“I sure as heck am!”

“I’m happy where I am,” I said. “I enjoy consulting, but…” I shook my head. “I couldn’t do it all the time.”

Her face softened. “It’s not the easiest line of work sometimes, and with your personal experience with your sister, I completely understand.”

I glanced at the time on the bottom right corner of my computer screen and winced. The consult had taken longer than I intended. I told Dr. Terry goodbye and signed off.

I stepped out of my home office and started down the hallway, pausing at the edge of the living room. Joey was lying on the sofa, his head propped on its arm. He held his phone in one hand, a big smile overtaking his face.

I watched him silently, not sure I’d ever seen him so unguarded and relaxed around me. Not even that first night we met. We’d both been trying too hard to impress each other.

He’d kicked his shoes off, and his socked feet were crossed at the ankles, elevated by the other arm of the sofa.

“You look comfortable,” I said.

His gaze jerked up, and he scrambled upright. “Hey, uh, sorry.”

I sat down in the space he made as he swung his legs toward the floor. “Relax. I’m the one who’s sorry.” I dropped a hand onto his knee and squeezed. “That meeting took longer than I expected.”

“It’s fine. Your work is important.”

“Still, I’d rather be spending time with you.”

He flicked me an unsure glance. Damn. Maybe Hollywood was onto something if it was that difficult for Joey to believe I liked his company.

“What were you smiling about?” I asked.

“What?”

“When I came out, you were grinning at your phone.” I slipped my hand from his knee to his thigh. “I don’t need to be jealous, do I? You weren’t flirting with someone else?”

He stared at me like I had two heads. I clearly had some work to do. “No, I, uh— I was just talking to the guys.”

“The guys?”

“The other guys in my work program. Hollywood is one of them. He’s coupled up with Tex. They’re taking care of Ruby while Carrie recovers.”

“Right. I’ve seen Hollywood and Ruby at the rehab center.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Then there’s Knight. He’s kind of our daddy.”

I choked on a laugh. “Wh-what?”

“I don’t mean it in a kinky way,” Joey said, chuckling. “Just…he’s looking out for us, you know? He wants to know his guys are okay. He wants to see us succeed with the program. Matteo is the program director, but Knight is kind of our…”

“Daddy,” I said with a smirk.

“Tex calls him a mother hen. I think Daddy is more respectful.”