A Family For The Soldier

“It’s my stepsister who has all the charm,” Chloe returned. Ever since yesterday when Vanessa had shown up with her arm hooked in Grady’s, grinning that smug Cheshire smile, Chloe had struggled with envy and frustration. So often in the years after Vanessa’s mother had married Chloe’s widowed and grieving father, Chloe had wished she and Vanessa could be close. As an only child she had looked forward to having a sister.

Instead, Vanessa had been difficult and contrary, trying at every opportunity to either discredit Chloe or treat her with contempt.

“Vanessa definitely has a certain appeal.” Dr. Schuster’s smile deepened. “She’s been the talk of the town since she descended on the party last month claiming to be Cody’s mother. But I doubt she has as much staying power as you.”

“Words to make a girl’s heart go pitty-pat,” Chloe said in a dry tone and held her hand out for the file. “Who is the reluctant patient?”

“Another Stillwater. Grady.”

And now Chloe’s heart did, in fact, go pitty-pat. And then some. She took the folder from Dr. Schuster and opened it, scanning the contents, trying to maintain her distance.

“This patient will need quite a bit of time spent with him.” Chloe flipped through the file, shifting into professional mode. “He’ll need to get started sooner, rather than later, if he wants to regain full mobility.”

“He only arrived Friday, last week,” Dr. Schuster said. “He came to see me yesterday on the recommendation of his surgeon in the army.”

“Okay. I’ll contact Mr. Stillwater. See what I can do.”

“Good. Great. Make sure you let Salma know, as well. I suspect once you get Grady cooperating, as senior therapist she’ll be doing most of the work.”

Chloe understood this, but worried that Dr. Schuster thought she wasn’t as competent as Salma. He looked as if he wanted to say more, then left, his lab coat flaring out behind him as he hurried off.

Clearly in a rush, Chloe thought, setting the file aside.

She had hoped to talk to him. Tell him about her personal situation. Guess it would have to be another time.

There were no other visitors in Ben’s room when she got there, and the only sound was the faint hissing of his oxygen, the steady beeps of the monitors. “I suppose you’ve heard about all the happenings in and around the county,” she said to him while she got him ready for his exercises. Talking to patients while she worked was part of the therapy. “Thefts and unexpected gifts and all sorts of stuff. Kind of crazy. So far, though, nothing from your place, so that’s good, I guess. And now your brother is back.” Chloe’s smile faded as she did a series of hip flexions and abductions, thinking of Grady.

“You know everyone says you look the same. I can see some minor differences,” she continued. “Grady’s eyelashes are thicker. Hope that doesn’t bother you, though I can’t imagine either of you could care about that. And his one eyebrow slants off to one side. I think he’s a bit taller. Maybe because of his army training. Makes him stand up straighter.”

A cough behind her caught her attention and she flushed, suddenly self-conscious about her chatter as Mamie Stillwater entered the room holding a sleeping Cody, a large quilted diaper bag hooked over her narrow shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Mamie said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“I’m just doing Ben’s exercises,” Chloe murmured, thankful she hadn’t said anything more.

“Do you mind if Cody and I watch?”

“Not at all.” Chloe felt a stirring in her soul at the sight of the little boy, so innocent, his rosy cheeks begging to be touched. Vanessa and Grady’s son. The thought hurt her more than it should.

At least this child has two parents. As opposed to mine.

She tried to fight the thought down. I’ll do the best I can, she reminded herself, thinking of the child she carried. At four and a half months, she thankfully wasn’t showing yet, so she hadn’t told anyone. Not even her close friend Lucy. She was too ashamed. Sooner or later, however, she would have to tell the hospital administration, and then everyone else.

Mamie dropped the diaper bag on an empty chair by the window, shifted the sleeping baby in her arms and stood on the opposite side of Ben, her free hand resting on his head while Chloe did some hamstring stretches.

“You’ve been doing this awhile?” Mamie asked, fingering Ben’s hair away from his face.

“About two years. It took me six to get my degree.”

“And you came back here...”

“I was offered this job.” Part-time and only temporary, she’d been told, but she’d wanted to come back to Little Horn badly enough that she took the chance it might turn into full-time work.

“I was sorry to hear about your father,” Mamie said.

“So was I.” Chloe had made a visit seven months ago for her father’s funeral, then returned to Fort Worth and Jeremy.

How much had changed since then, she thought.

Her father’s ranch had been sold, barely paying off the debts incurred against it from his accident, and Jeremy had started divorce proceedings once he’d found out she was pregnant.

She had felt rootless and lost. Taking this job had become her way of finding her footing.

Chloe moved to work on Ben’s arm when the rhythmic thump of a crutch on the floor gave her another start. Grady had arrived.

She pressed her lips together, sent up a prayer for strength and continued working.

“Good morning, Chloe,” he said, his deep voice creating an unwelcome shiver of awareness. She gave him a nod, her cheeks warming as he made his way around the bed. He wavered, catching the rail of the bed to steady himself. He wasn’t wearing his brace today, she noticed.

“Are you okay?” his grandmother asked.

“I’m fine.” His curt voice and the clench of his jaw told Chloe he wasn’t fine at all. She guessed his hip was causing him trouble, as was his knee. From what she’d read in his file, he’d been shot in the thigh, damaging many muscle groups and compromising the ligaments of his knee. “Do you want me to hold Cody?” Grady asked.

“He’s okay. And Chloe said we could stay while she does therapy with Ben,” Mamie said in a falsely bright voice. “It’s interesting to watch her work. She’s very capable.”

“I understand from Dr. Schuster that you’ll be coming to visit me in the physical therapy department,” Chloe said, piggybacking on what Mamie was saying.

“I doubt it,” Grady muttered, the tightness around his mouth another indication of the pain he dealt with. “I don’t have time with everything at the ranch falling on my shoulders now. And this little guy.” He glanced down at Cody, touched his chubby cheek with one finger, and Chloe’s heart hitched at the warmth of his smile. This man would make a good father.

Was a good father, she corrected herself.

“Plus I’ve got Ben and the Future Ranchers program he started at the ranch to keep me busy,” he continued. I don’t have time to run around for appointments that won’t make a difference.”

“But if you don’t take care of the low mobility in your knee and hip, you could be facing chronic pain later on,” Chloe suggested.

Grady shot her a frown, as if he didn’t appreciate what she had to say.

“As a physical therapist, I feel I must warn you the pain you are dealing with now will only worsen with lack of treatment.” Chloe manipulated Ben’s fingers, half her attention on helping the one brother while she tried to convince the other to accept what she could do for him.

“The pain isn’t that bad.” He dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. “I know my dad managed through his. Your dad, as well. Just have to cowboy up.”

Chloe kept her comment about that to herself. She didn’t know everything about his father and care. However, she still maintained that, in the case of her own father, if he had received proper care and treatment, he would have been better able to do his work. “Being tough only gets you so far,” she carried on. “Your injuries will, however, only cause you more problems with lack of immediate care.”

She stopped then, sensing she was selling herself too hard. Grady looked as though he didn’t believe her. Didn’t or wouldn’t—she wasn’t sure which was uppermost.

“Are you working here full-time?” Mamie asked, stroking a strand of hair back from Ben’s forehead, shifting to another topic.

“I am here as a part-time, temporary worker.” Speaking the words aloud made her even more aware of her tenuous situation.