a stretch band to one of the support posts on your back railing and do three sets of fifteen extensions per side.” She demonstrated the fly motion she wanted him to do.
“That’s wimpy stuff, Cadence.”
“Yeah, well, until I have a more complete assessment of where you are, I’m not giving you more. Your swimming today demonstrated an acceptable range of motion for your right arm versus your left. But you’re still walking with a heck of a limp.”
He made a face.
God, how awesome would it be to kiss off that—That nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. “And meet me here tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. In the afternoon, we’ll meet at the Evolve gym. Plan for a month of two-session days. As long as you’re serious that you don’t have a problem working with me.”
“This is fine. We’ll be fine. I’m excited to work with you.” Jamming his crutches under his arms and slinging his towel over his shoulders, he smiled at her.
The false tilt to his lips made the emptiness spread from her chest to her stomach. She watched him as he disappeared into the locker room, wishing to the bottom of her heart that he was telling the truth. And knowing he wasn’t.
His health demanded she persist, though. She couldn’t watch him suffer anymore. But in helping him heal, she had to make sure she didn’t irreparably harm their friendship. She wouldn’t have made it through the last year and a half without him. And the year and a half to come, and the one after that... She needed him to be her rock then, too.
* * *
After showering off the chlorine, Zach made his way back to his truck and hoisted himself in. Proof of some progress, at least. A few weeks back he’d been stuck trading vehicles with Cadie because he couldn’t get into his pickup. She’d done him that favor, even though she didn’t owe him anything. And he’d switch to her care if it would make a difference for her career.
Gripping the wheel, he filled the cab with a string of profanity. Filthy enough that he half expected his Colombian-born, Catholic father to reach across the thirteen-hundred kilometer distance separating them to cuff the backside of the head. Didn’t matter that Zach was a grown-ass man of thirty-two—his dad was the best of fathers but hadn’t lost his strict standards for his children.
And it wasn’t like blue language was going to extract Zach from the tangle he’d agreed to.
Backing his truck out of the parking spot, he took a centering breath. Suck it up. No complaining. He’d follow through with the rehab. And with keeping his feelings to himself.
As he wended his vehicle through the streets of Sutter Creek—an attractive mix of the ski-town architecture Zach had grown up with in Whistler, along with some western elements for flavor—he gripped the steering wheel and hardened his jaw. He’d promised Sam he’d watch over Cadie and the baby for as long as they needed.
And for your own sake. He winced as his conscience prodded him with the truth. Yeah, selfish motivations painted a lot of what he did for Cadence Grigg. Because even though he wasn’t ever going to be able to tell her he loved her, he could sure as hell show her without words. Without hands, too. Cadie would have to touch him for rehab purposes. But he’d still keep his hands off.
If he ventured beyond their usual hugs, actually took the opportunity to savor her smooth skin under his palms... His groin tightened and he groaned. Time for a new train of thought. Maybe he could sneak into the lodge office and throw some paperwork around. His doctor had limited his hours and activities at work, but he did what he could to stay in the loop. Not nearly enough. The entire summer season would be burned by the time he was ready to return in full capacity.
A few minutes later he crutched toward his office in the bowels of the Sutter Mountain base lodge. He scowled at the smiling marmots painted on the ski-school side of the hallway. He did not need that level of saccharine cheer this afternoon. Those stupid animals could shove their joy straight up their cartoon asses. Must be nice, being a wall decoration and not having to worry about physio that wasn’t progressing fast enough or promises to your dead friend.
Choking on the thought, he gulped and tried to swallow the pain. Yeah, his left leg was bugging him and his right side had seized up like an overzealous boa constrictor, but at least he was alive. He had no right to gripe, not when Sam wasn’t able to gripe at all. And even if both his doctor and Cadie didn’t think he’d be ready, he’d figure out a way to get up that mountain to finish Sam’s project.
He shoved the office door with a little too much force. It banged into the wall with a metallic crash as the attached venetian blind reverberated with the impact.
The two occupants of the room startled.
Tavish Fitzgerald, Cadie’s brother-in-law-to-be, raised his tawny head from where he sat at Zach’s desk and shot Zach a questioning look.
At the closer desk, Andrew Dawson, Cadie’s older brother and Zach’s boss, spun in his chair. His reading glasses failed to hide the purple smudges under his eyes. His dark brown hair looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in a day or two. The classic parent-of-a-newborn look. Zach had seen it on his own face a few times after helping Cadie in the months after Ben’s birth.
“One of these days you’re going to owe me a door, Cardenas,” Andrew griped.
“I’m good for it.” Zach hobbled into the room and leaned against the edge of the long wooden top of the retro entertainment center they’d converted into a food-prep station. Better than easing into a chair and showing off his lack of grace and the degree to which his leg was pissing him off. He took in Andrew’s empty cup and the fresh pot brewing in the coffeemaker. “I take it the kid hasn’t figured out that ‘sunup’ means awake and ‘sundown’ means asleep?”
Andrew slid his glasses off and scrubbed his face with both hands. “Nope. He likes to tell us all of his woes from about two to five in the morning.”
“Brutal.” Zach propped his crutches against a nearby shelf and then reached across the narrow space between the desk and the wall to grab Andrew’s mug. Filling it from the carafe, he stirred in a heaping spoonful of sugar. “Here. Caffeinate.”
“Thanks.” Andrew grabbed the drink, took a long swig then coughed. “Right. Hot.”
Tavish snorted. “Sleep deprivation have you forgetting the basics of temperature, genius?”
“In about seven months this’ll be you.” Andrew pointed a finger at Tavish. “Just wait.” He eyed Zach. “What’s got you so cheerful today?”
“I—Physio problems. Thought I’d come in to get some work done—distract myself—but I see my desk is taken.” Zach tilted his chin at the mess of photographs and draft promotional materials scattered across his desk. “I’ll grab my laptop and go work in the staff lounge.”
“No, you’ll go home and rest,” Andrew instructed. “Doctor’s orders. And mine.”
Zach scowled at Andrew, who was well practiced at flipping between buddy mode and boss mode. “How the hell is sitting and editing the policy-and-procedure manual not resting?”
“Anyone can do office work. Only you can get you better. And I need you sparky for opening day.”
“Oh, I’ll be on skis in plenty of time for a December
