Aaron Read online

  He nickered sorrowfully at her side.

  At the point where the path turned and headed toward her house, she gave him one last gentle pet and then walked to the house.

  “Dad, you home?”

  Silence. The inside of the house felt cool, as though nobody had been home all day. Chances were, he hadn’t been home at all. He was worse than she was. He’d eat anywhere anytime but only if put in front of him. He no longer cared about meals—he just cared about people and animals.

  There were worse things in life. She opened the fridge, spotting the container of leftover stew from several days ago. She brought out a pot and warmed it up. If nothing else, she would eat a hot meal at home tonight. It was beautiful outside, but the last few days had been very stressful. The work was just too much. She needed to hire an extra person but wasn’t sure they could afford that.

  She reached for her cell phone and called her father. When he answered, she said, “There’s a hot bowl of stew here, if you’re ready to eat.”

  He mumbled something about staying and playing cards with somebody downstairs, and he’d eat later. Typical. She dished up some for herself and then went to the table and sat down. The food was delicious, and she was ravenous, but she still couldn’t relax. Aaron kept invading her mind. She’d seen a lot of patients come and go at the center. Some stayed a long time, some quickly dealt with what they needed to.

  They’d only ever had two cases where they couldn’t help. One had ended up with cancer that had metastasized so quickly there’d been nothing they, or anybody, could do for him. The other had refused all help. Dani was bound by the law, and if the patient refused to receive care, Dani could do nothing.

  It had broken her heart, but her hands were tied, and she couldn’t change the situation. They’d brought in extra specialists and his family members, but nobody could dent the barricade he had around his soul. He’d asked to be shipped home, and that’s what they’d done. He’d taken his own life less than three months later.

  She hated to think of Aaron heading in either of those directions, but his was a case that defied logic. Sometimes the soul just needed more than what anybody could do for the physical body. Regardless, she was determined Aaron wouldn’t become another statistic. Besides, she owed Levi that much. He was counting on her to turn the tide for his brother’s sake.

  After she finished eating, she stood and washed her bowl. She wished she had brought Aaron’s file home with her. It often helped her deal with the residents if she went through their medical histories carefully enough to understand who they were and what made them tick. Sometimes it made for very disturbing bedtime reading, given the injuries that many of them had sustained.

  She considered returning to her office and dealing with all that paperwork and then reconsidered. She was just too tired. On the other hand, going to the veterinary section and spending some time with the animals could well brighten her soul instead. Making a quick decision, she grabbed her sweater and almost ran down the hill. Several people were in the common area, and George had been right. Helga was having a hell of a time in the middle of the room. Everybody had a hand or a toy or something for her.

  When Helga saw Dani, she barked. Dani walked over, bent down and gave her a big hug. As always, the animals helped restore her good humor. That great big face didn’t hurt either. Laughing, she backed away and walked to the other cages where she systematically spent a few minutes with every animal. It was so important for everybody to know somebody cared.

  It was the least she could do. So many people had said she couldn’t combine humans and animals in the same center, but in her mind, they were a natural pairing. People healed better when they had animals around, and animals healed better when they had people around. To her, that was what a marriage should be all about—a natural pairing. When she finished her tour of the room and was in front of Helga again, she bent down to scratch the big dog and then turned and walked out.

  Maybe she would go grab Aaron’s file. Take it home with her. She walked upstairs and down the hall, suddenly aware that she would pass Aaron’s bedroom. Of course she needed to check in, make sure he was okay. He was the brother of her friend. He had been an old friend of hers too. She wouldn’t ignore him.

  If her heart whispered that she was caring a little too much, she was well-known for that. She put her heart and soul into this place, and that also meant into every person who walked through the door. His door was open, which she was glad to see, but he was alone, lying in his bed in the dark. She checked her watch. Only seven forty-five. She gave a short knock on the open door, but he didn’t move.

  “Aaron, it’s Dani.”

  He shuffled and rolled to his back.

  She took a hesitant step forward, always aware of people’s privacy. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine.”

  His voice was riddled with pain. She walked over to the bed. “Did you see the doctors today?”

  He nodded. “Yes. And, yes, I had food. And, yes, everybody’s been to see me. And, yes, I’m okay.”

  “Yet you’re not,” she said bluntly. “I can hear the pain in your voice. I can see it in your body language. Do you need a doctor to see you?”

  “No.” His voice was cold, hard, with no give in it. She’d seen this before, time and time again. She perched herself on the edge of his bed without asking. Then she reached over and picked up his hand, feeling the scars on his fingers. She didn’t remember seeing anything about scar tissue on his fingertips. She’d have to talk to the doctor about it. Maybe they could do something to better heal his fingers.

  “Pain comes and goes,” she said. “Whether you like drugs or not, there’s no healing if you’re so twisted up with pain that your body can’t function and take care of its own needs.”

  Even in the shadows of the night, she could see the stiffness of his body, as if he were willing the pain away. She gently stroked his fingers, his palm and the back of his hand. “Even a little bit of pain relief helps the muscles to relax. You’ve been in a lot of different positions today, and your body wasn’t accustomed to all that movement. A muscle relaxant is not a painkiller, but it will have a huge effect on the tension riddling your body right now.”

  He didn’t say anything, and she watched his face until he finally gave a short nod. She patted his hand and stood. “I’ll be right back.”

  Dani went down to the medical room, pulled out her keys and let herself in. She walked to the far wall, where they kept the medications, and she dumped two muscle relaxants into a small cup for Aaron. She walked back to his room, refilled his water flask and then helped him take the two pills. She’d have to remember to add the medication to his file chart and see that he was offered more through the night.

  “Thank you,” he said, his voice easier.

  “No problem. You have a Call button here if you ever need it. You know that, right?”

  He nodded.

  Of course he knew that, but it would take a hell of a lot more for him to let go of that hard shell of his and ask for help. She walked toward the bedroom door, then said, “Remember, we can all be strong sometimes, but we can’t all be strong all the time. I’m glad you accepted this little bit of help because it’ll make your healing that much faster.”

  At the doorway, she paused to say, “Have a good evening.”

  “How’s the dog?”

  She dismissed the interruption and stepped back into the room, a warm smile on her face. She kept her tone light and bubbly. “Helga is just lovely. She’s getting thoroughly spoiled downstairs.”

  “Good, and so she should. Every dog should have somebody to love them.”

  “The same goes for every human being.”

  “Maybe not those who don’t deserve it.”

  “I don’t believe that. Just because you might not think someone deserves it doesn’t mean that’s true. So often people come here, and they hate themselves for something they either have or haven’t done. Or that they’re al
ive, and all their friends are dead. This isn’t a case of being deserving. It’s a case of you’re here, and you need to grow, and you need to heal. If there’s anything we can do to help you make that happen, then we’ll do it.”

  He turned his head to face her. “Anything?”

  She nodded, a little hesitant, because she’d heard a lot of sexual innuendos in her time, but, willing to give it a shot and see what he was asking, she said, “Within reason of course.”

  He struggled, grunting, as if asking would be hard.

  “What is it you think we can help with?” she asked gently.

  “Any chance I can see the dog?”

  Her smile bloomed. “Absolutely. How about now?” He stared at her for a moment, his gaze on the wheelchair. He bit down hard on his jaw, but he nodded. He sat up slowly, as if his body would still cry in pain from the day’s travels, but then he seemed to relax, as if it wasn’t as bad as he’d expected. She brought the wheelchair to him and said, “Do you know how to get into this on your own?”

  He looked at her and said, “I think so.”

  “Well, give it a try.”

  She stayed at his side, just in case, but knew, if he could succeed at this, it would give him some self-confidence and would help him save face, which mattered to him. His upper torso was strong, even if his back was still showing some damage. His injury limited his range of movement as he struggled into the wheelchair on his own. When he did, he turned to her, his face flushed with success.

  “Excellent,” she said. “Now let’s head in this direction.”

  She led the way, not offering to push him, but knowing it would be a fine line between him doing this on his own and overdoing it, considering he had had to take a muscle relaxant. When the double doors to the elevator opened wide, they waited for several people to get off, and then she stepped in first, letting him maneuver his way in afterward. She hit the button for the vet clinic downstairs and studied him. He looked better already. Still something was so wrong about seeing reasonably healthy adult males confined to bed. They always looked so much more vibrant when they were up and moving around. She knew, for herself, that it felt that way too.

  Helga was special. He was glad he’d made the effort to see her. The relationship between a man and a dog was something unique. Especially when they were both in need. However, he didn’t want to be in this position. This dog could break his heart. He should leave well enough alone and ignore her. In fact, maybe he shouldn’t have come here in the first place. He’d been showing off.

  Dani still didn’t recognize him. It bothered him, and at the same time, it pissed him off. Sure, it had taken him a few hours but then bam. He knew her, but she didn’t know him.

  How the hell had that happened? To someone like him? Here he was, an invalid, and here she was, running a center, and a massive center at that. Their lives had crossed and changed and parted, apparently to be forgotten forever. He would never have thought such a thing was possible. Back then she consumed his thoughts all the time. The high school, hormonal, teenage-rage years. Tough days. He also had a love-hate relationship with his brother. In truth, he hadn’t thought about her since those high school days. Not really. Not often. Not like an obsession or anything. Back then she’d always been Levi’s friend. Not one who Levi went to bed with. Supposedly … No, those were his party girls. Back then, Dani had been in a category all her own—his special friend. Somebody who Levi had always confided in and talked with for hours over coffee. He was always at the end of the phone if she called. He’d go running whenever she needed him.

  It had never mattered that Aaron had always been in the wings, watching and hurting, because he was not welcome to join in that special relationship. In fact, he’d have done anything back then to take his brother’s place. Who knew how time would switch their positions and put them in this spot? True, he hadn’t recognized her at the beginning. That was most likely from being inundated by so much else. Then, as he’d been lying here this morning, it hit him. It was her.

  Fate was a bitch. He was finally in a place where she might see him separate from his brother, but he wasn’t whole anymore. He’d cut out everything in his life that had to do with Levi, and in a way, she was a big part of that too. Except that, by the time Aaron had cut Levi out of his life, Levi hadn’t had anything to do with her for years either. He’d moved on.

  At least Aaron thought Levi had. Aaron had a sense of doors opening since coming to her center. How that could be, he wasn’t sure. If Levi was opening doors to her, was Levi also opening doors to his brother? To the things Aaron had walked away from?

  Aaron wasn’t sure he was ready for that. Besides, he hadn’t asked to come here. Sure, he’d signed papers to authorize the move. It wasn’t like he’d been kidnapped, but … he’d had no idea she was here. He hadn’t known what this place was. How could he? He left all that up to his insurance and his VA benefits. That just brought him back to why the hell he was here. How had someone known to put his name on the list? Because Aaron had heard about the long waiting list from the medical team. Maybe he’d been bumped up the line because of someone. He’d be pissed if that was because of Levi and all the people he knew. That was the one connection between Levi, Aaron and Dani aka the Hathaway House. Or it would be the one connection between the three of them, except that she didn’t seem to know who the hell Aaron was.

  Why the hell was it that the one woman in the world he’d always been interested in would now see him as he truly was—broken?

  Chapter 4

  Downstairs was only a shade less noisy than it had been a few minutes ago. The upstairs was wheelchair-friendly, but the downstairs was slightly less so. She opened several doors and waited for him to pass through, making a mental note that they must get powered openers put on these core doors. Once they reached the common room, she could see still a good dozen people sitting with Helga. Dani stood beside Aaron in his wheelchair and said, “Helga, somebody else is here to see you.” The Newfoundland lolled on her back, twisting to look at her. She gave a small snuffling bark, seeming to say, “Good. You come here then.”

  Dani laughed. She’d seen the same behavior in animals and humans alike. They could do whatever the hell they wanted to when nobody was looking, but the minute somebody was there, it was all about getting more attention. She crouched down and clapped her hands lightly. “Come on, Helga. Not everybody has to come to you. You need to get up and work that leg a little bit.”

  Helga woofed quietly, her big bushy tail wagging in a full sweep across the floor. But Dani refused to move. Instead she sat cross-legged on the cement floor and called Helga again. Then, in a surprise move, Aaron snapped his fingers beside her and said, “Helga, come.”

  Helga looked over at him and gave a deep woof. She got slowly to her feet. She was quite able to walk, but now, without the prosthetic leg on, her gait was rather awkward as she made her way to him.

  “Nice touch,” Dani murmured to Aaron. “Why did you think that would work?”

  “Big dogs are usually well-trained. They have to be, otherwise they’d hurt somebody,” he said. “But often, when the animal gets injured like that …” He shrugged. “They get lazy.”

  Exactly the same for people, Dani thought to herself. But, by then, Helga had already laid her great big head in Aaron’s lap, accepting his strokes of attention.

  Dani let the two of them enjoy meeting each other, and before long, it was a full-blown cuddle session. Helga crawled into the wheelchair alongside Aaron. He laughed as Helga’s big head snuggled up against his face. In another move that half-surprised Dani—she’d seen so many miracles between animals and humans before—she watched as Aaron wrapped his arms around Helga’s great big chest and hugged her tight.

  Helga didn’t mind in the least. She didn’t make any move to get away, and indeed, she looked like she was just cuddling closer. She was a big weight to support though. Dani gave them a few minutes, and then she worried it would be too much for Aaron, an
d he wouldn’t know when to stop. She stood and went to grab Helga’s collar to pull her back, but Aaron said, “Don’t.”

  At the choked emotion in Aaron’s voice, she let her hand drop. If he needed a few minutes longer, then she would give him a few minutes longer. She let her gaze drift to the others in the room, but nobody was interested in what was happening with Helga. In fact, several card games were going on at the far side of the room. She laughed. So this was where her father was. Judging by the stack of busted toothpicks used as betting chips in front of him, he was taking his friends to the cleaners again. “Hey, Dad, how you doing?”

  He glanced over at her and smiled. “Doing well. King of the toothpicks.”

  Her grin widened as the others grumbled. She wasn’t sure if they were having a friendly game or if somebody was cheating, but with the particular men involved, she wouldn’t be at all surprised either way. At one point, they’d deliberately played games where they would cheat to see how far they could go before the others noticed. All in good fun.

  She dropped her gaze to the big man and the big dog next to her. Amazing how Helga wasn’t even moving. She was tucked right up against Aaron’s chest, all settled in. Dani stroked her silky ears. Finally Aaron straightened and released his hold on the large animal. Helga slipped back slightly, at least enough so she could wash his face with a great big lick. With a chuckle, Dani walked over to the sink and grabbed some paper towels. She dampened them and brought them back for him. “Here. This will help clean up some of that slobber.”

  “It doesn’t matter. She’s a beautiful dog.”

  In fact, she was more than a beautiful dog. She’d make an awesome therapy dog. But Dani’d have to think that concept over. A dog like Helga required a lot of space. Here she would certainly have room for Helga, but Dani couldn’t keep taking on every injured animal out there. There were months when she couldn’t cover the bills as it were. Still, it was something to consider if Helga had the same effect on patients as she just had on Aaron. With a gentle woof, Helga got down and then sprawled to the floor, stretching out at their feet.