Comet's Tale of Love Read online

  Besides, she had to acknowledge she felt something— an unexplainable attraction to William Holliday. As ridiculous as it was, her heart had a mind of its own and leapt into a full-tilt sprint when he smiled. The number one rule in physical therapy was DO NOT fall for the patient. Their helplessness and vulnerability stirred empathy and when they overcame through such adverse struggles, it was hard not to feel a sense of companionship with them. But it would be short lived once they left to live their new lives.

  “You gonna call him or what?” Emily flopped down on the chair beside Anya. She had a coffee in her hands and sipped from the little hole in the lid.

  Anya lifted her eyes to her friend. “Yeah. I-I just don’t know what I’m going to say.”

  Emily rolled her eyes. “Oh my gawd. It’s just for a few months! And think of all the benefits you’ll have from that time! It’s like winning the lottery! What’s there to even think about? Do it!” Emily sipped her coffee. “Have you even packed? Don’t you want your own things with you? Come on, girl. Pull yourself together. This is such an easy decision!”

  Anya sighed. “Is it?”

  Emily yanked the card out of Anya’s hands. She lifted Anya’s phone and began to dial the number. Anya grabbed for her phone, but it was too late. It was ringing. Emily blocked Anya’s grab, and put the phone to her ear. “Hello? I’m calling for Anya Stepanov. She is ready to return.” Emily listened. “Yes. Of course. Thank you.” She disconnected and handed Anya her phone. “He’ll be here in a few hours. Go get packed!”

  Anya stared at Emily in horror! “How could you do that! I wasn’t ready!”

  “Well, you better get that way.” Emily took her coffee and left the breakroom. She stuck her head back around the door facing. “Want me to help you pack?”

  “I-I, yes, of course!”

  “Come on, I’ll drive.” Emily walked to the locker room and led Anya to the parking lot. “What do you want us to do with your car while you’re gone?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that?”

  “Well…” Emily set her jaw. “Look, don’t worry about it. My parents have a barn. I’ll take it there and store it for you ’til you get back. Is there anything you need out of it?”

  Anya stared at her Honda Accord. “No.”

  “Okay then, let’s go to your apartment and get you packed.”

  “Emily, I don’t even know if I’m going to accept this man’s offer. How do you?”

  Emily smiled. “Because you’d be stupid not to, and you’re not stupid.”

  Anya let that settle into her brain as Emily drove the four blocks to her home. She followed Emily into her bedroom and watched her pull out clothes. She folded them as they were handed to her and put them in a suitcase. Emily pulled out boots and a parka overcoat. Scarves and gloves. All of which she certainly would need to get through December. Next were the cosmetics, hair care, moisturizers, and jewelry. She emptied out Anya’s medicine cabinet and under-the-sink cabinet which held vitamins, Tylenol, and the more personal products. Three suitcases filled to the brim sat by her front door.

  Anya looked around. She didn’t need cookware or wall decor. “I guess I can keep my apartment?”

  “Of course, it’s only three months.” Emily bent her knees to pick up two of the the suitcases. Anya lifted the third. “I’ll call your landlord tomorrow and explain. Then all you have to do is to remember to pay your rent each month. You want me to send you a reminder text?”

  “No. I’ll remember to pay my rent.”

  Emily lifted her phone and set a reminder anyway. “Okay. Just in case. Besides, I don’t want you to think I’m not thinking about you, ‘cause, believe me, I will be!” She chuckled. “Come on we need to get back to the clinic. Your helicopter will be arriving soon.”

  Anya stumbled. “This is so unreal! Emily, I’m scared.”

  Emily put the suitcase down and pulled Anya into a hug. “I know, honey. But it’ll be alright. You’re gonna have the experience of a lifetime in the next three months, and I hope you’ll tell me all about it when you get back.”

  “I’ll text you daily!” Anya fought tears.

  “Don’t make promises you know you cannot keep. Just say you’ll text me often and leave it at that.”

  “Alright.” She stepped back and took the suitcase in hand. “Let’s go.”

  

  William sat in his athletic wheelchair in the common room outside of the living quarters, rolling back and forth. It had become his version of pacing. Ever since that physical therapist berated him for wearing his ironman suit most of the day, he’d limited himself to the chair and spent more time alone in the private living area upstairs. Outside of the public eye, he didn’t mind the chair so much.

  Basketball and tennis players, athlete’s in general who were paraplegic used these chairs, because without the arm rests, and narrower width between the wheels, they had easier maneuverability and control. Upper body strength was needed to maintain this chair and it served to exercise those muscles just by moving around. He had a basketball hoop installed at the far end of the common area and had played an imaginary opponent for the past four days, for exercise.

  Anya Stepanov was right. Spending so much time in the exoskeleton was exhausting. And the way it forced his body into certain positions, it wasn’t actually exercising his lower extremities like he knew he should be doing. If she accepted his dad’s offer, William wanted to discuss a daily regimen, building his muscles to support him regardless of the nothingness he actually felt. Then he could make appearances in the gym while wearing the exoskeleton and not cause himself —Her words echoed in his mind— “more harm than good.”

  The thought of lying on a workout table and having her manipulate his legs for him felt… degrading. He really wanted a male physical therapist. A buddy. But spending all that time with her everyday had its appeal, too. He knew he had to put his pride aside. Dad said she was the best in the country, and he only hired the best. Her skills would let him reach the rehabilitation level he sought. Knowing Dad, he’d promised an incredible bonus, like a clinic of her own, if William reached those goals. Then the exoskeleton would simply enhance his ability to present himself as an accomplished body builder.

  Perhaps she was right, also, he should be more open to the public about his injuries and rehabilitation. Christopher Reeves was a huge success after his injuries. People marked him a hero, a role-model to overcome anything. Did William want to build his success on the one stupid mistake he had made?

  It was no secret William had had the car accident. Nothing he did was a secret on social media. He literally had no privacy except up here. This was his sanctuary, of sorts. But he really enjoyed the illusion that he was not a broken man. As his physical therapist, this Miss Anya Stepanov would know all his secret weaknesses. He halted the wheelchair’s motion.

  Why did that matter so much to him?

  He rolled forward. It wasn’t as if she were his girlfriend or anything. What did he care if she thought of him as a project that needed fixing? He did need fixing. He was broken. He’d done well with the physical therapy he had received at the hospital and rehab center. They got him out of bed and into a wheelchair. He maintained his upper strength by walking across the parallel bars with his hands. But it was something that he needed to work on for the rest of his life if he wanted to maintain this level of recovery.

  That was what physical therapists did— help people recover as much as was humanly possible. Perhaps once normal people reached a certain level, they went on to live their lives without a therapist. However, he was anything but a normal person. The advantage of being a Holliday was he could afford to have a personal physical therapist for the rest of his life, a whole crew of them if he wanted, and the latest robotics at his disposal.

  He had put managers he could trust to oversee the string of fitness studios across the nation he was leaving behind, at his father’s demand, but could visit whenever he wanted. He wasn’t a prisoner to t
his island. The only reason he was putting all his focused efforts on it was because of his dad, but he had the freedom to leave when he wanted. Didn’t he? Sure. Why was he thinking such paranoid thoughts?

  Things were falling into place, as Dad had wanted, for him to remain mostly at the island resort, like his brothers. Everyone was returning to the nest and Christmas was not too far away. Even Mara, the older five boys’ stepmom, was here, when she wasn’t in Paris or London. Although she spent most of her time on Donner’s island, it was the shopping extravaganza island after all, and Mara lived to shop.

  He knew Dad regretted marrying her. She turned out to be a gold-digging shopaholic, but for some reason Dad continued to give her spending money. It wasn’t any of William’s business.

  However, she was the reason Dad stayed on his yacht. It was the only place where she couldn’t sneak up on him. William laughed to himself. Divorced and yet she still taunted their dad.

  Dad had something going on that he wasn’t sharing and William feared it might be news that no one wanted to hear. The C word, but he hoped not. Maybe Dad just wanted everyone home for Christmas and this was his overbearing way of making that happen. Who knew? An investor from New York popped in the other day, Evelyn Reese. William had seen her on Dad’s yacht the day he met Anya. Which just added more mystery to the call-everyone-home. But it seemed right to follow his wishes if only for a little while, then he and his eight brothers could resume their normal, extravagant lives doing whatever they wanted to do.

  Dad had arranged for Miss Stepanov— or was it Dr.?— to work with William for three months. A trial contract. Would she sign on for more after spending such a short amount of time with him? Would he want her to stay on? She seemed cranky, standoffish, and conceited. She was unimpressed with everything his island had to offer.

  No, that wasn’t true. She said his fitness studio was a physical therapist’s dream facility. She had toured the gym and the spa, but she hadn’t walked the island. She had no idea what the other shops had to offer. Health foods, exercise equipment, workout clothes and athletic shoes from all over the globe. Mara herself had set up the clothing and shoe stores. It had everything imaginable.

  But what did Anya think of him? Not that it mattered. He rolled back and then forward, running thoughts of her through his mind. She was a beautiful woman with a well-toned physique. Obviously, she worked out, or ran, or swam. Something. Of course she did. A physical therapist had to be strong to work with limp limbs and broken bodies. He cringed at the memory of those first few weeks after his accident.

  And she’d ordered a turkey club, so she was conscientious of her calorie intake. He appreciated that about anybody. American’s were so acclimated to hamburgers and red meat in general that they sabotaged their own health by simply eating. She seemed to be like-minded where diet was concerned. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so much of an adjustment having her here full-time.

  Then again, what choice did he have? Dad hired her. Or at least offered her the job. Regardless of what William had said, Dad was in control, as always.

  He rolled forward and back, anger building with each movement of the wheels. He was a grown man, and Dad still hired and fired his caretakers. Today was day five since she was brought here to see what the offer included. Would she even accept Dad’s offer? Sure she would. Who wouldn’t? Dad had his way with people, and women in particular. He could charm an Alaskan native into buying a refrigerator if he wanted, why not a physical therapist from New York?

  William rolled forward. Did he have to accept her? He rolled back. If she bought into Dad’s charms? Didn’t William have control over whether he cooperated or not? He could drive her away by making her miserable. No amount of money could keep her here if he drove her away with an attitude from hades. Right? He shook his head. Money made people do things they didn’t want to… would she be like that? Not everybody was like that. Most ordinary people were like that—

  “Well, hello.”

  He lifted his eyes. Anya Stepanov stood on the landing at the top of the stairs. His traitorous heart leapt in his chest and pounded against his rib cage. He took a deep breath. “Hi.”

  She held a suitcase in her hand and one of the guys from downstairs stood behind her with two more.

  William rolled forward. “So, you accepted Dad’s offer.”

  She shrugged. “Yeah. Everybody thought I was insane to decline. So, here I am.”

  He nodded. “Okay. Well, I’ll let you get settled in. Meet me in the free weight room in half an hour.” He shoved the wheels forward and rolled into his quarters. He’d take the private elevator to the room and be ready to start driving her away with an attitude she definitely could resist.

  But first, a cool shower.

  Chapter Five

  Anya grunted. “Nice to see you, too.” She muttered and walked toward the doors that Roger had told her were hers. She set down her suitcase and let the kid from behind the check-in counter downstairs walk past her to set the other two suitcases down. “Thank you.”

  He smiled. “Anything you need, Doctor Stepanov?”

  “Anya, please.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Definitely! Just Anya. Not ma’am. I’m not somebody’s grandmother either.”

  He blushed. “I’m sorry, Anya.”

  “That’s better. So… I’ll be seeing you, I’m sure.”

  “Yep.” He skipped sideways and jogged out the door.

  She looked around. William obviously wants to get started with exercise, but she had her own way. He’d need to figure that out first thing. She had seen a room she thought would be perfect to serve as an examination room, it had a nice padded table she could adjust to an ergonomic height. She’d take him there first. She wanted to assess his injuries, her way.

  She entered the closet and changed into the logo embroidered scrubs. Someone had embroidered her last name on the opposite side. Interesting. Soon, she was bouncing down the stairs and found William, still in a wheelchair, which was a surprise, in a free-weights room. He was alone. Interesting.

  “Well, hello, again.” She set a medical-type bag on the floor. It had been a graduation gift from her parents.

  “Hello.” He rolled himself over to the rack of weights and lifted a forty-pound dumbbell and started biceps curls. He watched his muscle bulge in the mirror.

  She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him. “I’d rather you didn’t bulk up before I examine you.”

  He stopped with the dumbbell against his shoulder and stared at her reflection in the mirror. He let the weight down and set it back on the rack. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I’ve seen your medical file, now I want to examine you. See exactly what we are dealing with. I saw a room down the hall that will serve us well.” She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb toward the door. “Care to come with me?”

  “I know what my injuries are.”

  She glared at him with fire behind her eyes. “Yes, but I do not. Shall we?” She gestured for him to go out the door.

  The muscles around his mouth fought to smile but kept dropping into a frown. “What kind of an examination are you intending to do?”

  Now, she allowed a smile. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to get naked or put on an examination gown. I can do this with your shirt off and your pants on, but in the future, I’d appreciate you wearing some sort of athletic wear, like yoga pants, sweat pants, or the like. Those jeans are too encumbered for us to do what we need to do.” She fought to keep from biting her lower lip. Seeing him half naked and liking it was unprofessional. She had to get a grip!

  “I see. Should I go change now?” His devilish smile wasn’t helping her turmoil to act professional.

  “No, no. You were insistent on us getting started right away, before I even set out my toothbrush, I can work with how you are dressed. But next time, okay?”

  “Sure.” He smirked and rolled out the door. She walked ahead of him to the room she’
d seen while on her tour and opened the door. Inside were discarded Bowflex equipment, but most importantly, a padded table wide enough for her to examine him properly. She lifted a spray bottle and wiped the table down, then lowered it to chair height. “Here we go, show me how you transfer from chair to bed.”

  He watched her cautiously, then rolled up beside the table. Using his arms, he leaned over and lifted himself over and onto the table, manipulating his legs, he positioned them on the table and laid back. He seemed very satisfied with himself.

  “Alright. So, did the rehabilitation facility give you a transfer board, or velcro straps for your legs?”

  “Yeah, but I do it my way.”

  No kidding. She nodded. “So I see. Well, after I examine you, I want you to go get the board and straps. Let’s go back to the basics and build from there, the right way.”

  “No need. I have the upper body strength needed to transfer myself.”

  “Yeah. So I noticed, but if you really want to do this right.” She drew in a long breath of calming air. “If you want to prevent arthritis at an early age, we need to start back at the beginning, and teach you and your body a less harmful way to maneuver about.”

  William sighed. “It’s not necessary, I promise.”

  “Hmm.” Stubborn old goat! She stood back and crossed her arms. Slowly she turned and walked over to the walls, looking at each one, then returned to his side. “I don’t see your credentials on the walls. So maybe we should rely on mine.”