Arizona Cowboy (7 page)

Chapter 11

H
olden limped into the Miller Physical Therapy Clinic building. Even held the crutches under his armpits for added support. His ankle still smarted, no doubt about that, but normally, he’d just wrap it up good and tight and keep right on working. This wasn’t normal circumstances. The only way he’d be able to see Ava was if she was forced to see him.

After opening the front door, he looked around. Nice lobby. Contemporary brown leather chairs. Bright, desert-themed artwork on the walls. He’d heard good things about the Millers. Knew they ran a Christian office. Noting the picture quoting a Psalm above the receptionist’s desk, he read, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.”

The young, dark-haired girl looked up at him, then turned back toward the picture. “Oh, yeah. Dad had that made.”

“Quite fitting for a physical therapy office.”

She pointed to the sign-in sheet. “Sure is.”

He signed his name. “So, you’re Rick and Mary Miller’s daughter?”

“Yep.” She handed him a clipboard containing information forms, then turned to the computer. “I’ll just need to see your insurance card, and I’ll get you set up here. Ava will be with you in just a few minutes.”

He gave her the card and took the clipboard. After taking a seat, he frowned at the stack of pages he had to fill out. He was not a fan of going to the doctor, and especially didn’t like divulging every tidbit of personal information they all seemed determined to know. He turned up his lip.
Now, why do they want to know if anyone in my family’s had cancer? I’m just here for a sprained ankle.

He sighed and finished the pages. People were there for more reasons than just sprained ankles, he knew. The Millers probably had their reasons for asking. Once finished, he took the clipboard back to the receptionist, then sat back down.

God, give me the right words to say. Nothing heavy. Just help me let her work on my ankle, and not do anything to make her uncomfortable.

Ava stood in the doorway leading back to the rehabilitation rooms. She saw him and her eyes widened in surprise. She reached for the clipboard he’d just given to the dark-haired girl. “He’s my next patient?”

The girl nodded. “Holden Whitaker.”

Ava swallowed as she looked back at him. Her hands shook just a tad as she motioned for him to follow her. He limped back to the room, and she shut the door behind them. He hadn’t thought about being alone with her. How he wished he could just scoop her up in his arms and smother her with kisses.

He settled in one of the chairs, and she sat on a stool. “Aunt Irene mentioned you’d sprained your ankle a few days ago.”

Holden nodded. “Yep. Getting off the tractor. My left leg snagged on the corner of the seat, and before I could catch myself my right foot twisted and my ankle popped.”

She read through his charts. “Looks like your doctor said physical therapy was an option.”

He clasped his hands together. “And I’m opting to take it.”

A knowing grin spread over her lips. “With me?”

“Gotta have the best.”

“And I’m the best?”

“To me, you are.”

Ava glanced back down at the chart, and Holden inwardly berated himself. He needed to keep their time together easy. Wanted her to feel comfortable with him again.

She placed the clipboard on a small table. “Okay. Well, the first thing you’re going to have to do is take off your cowboy boot and sock.”

“Are you kidding?”

Ava chuckled. “How else are we going to strengthen the ankle?”

He reached down and pulled them off. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Ava wrinkled her nose, and Holden felt heat wash down his neck and back. She tapped his leg. “I’m just kidding.”

She unrolled the wrapping, then studied both sides of the bruised ankle. “You sprained it pretty good.”

“Told ya.”

“I’m surprised you’re not just trying to walk it off.”

He pointed to the paper. “You read it. Doc said I might need therapy two or three times a week.”

“I did, and I’m glad you’re doing this right. No need in having trouble with your ankle years down the road because you didn’t allow it to heal properly now.”

“I agree.”

She placed his foot on the floor. “Okay. The first thing I want you to do is trace the alphabet with your toes. This allows the ankle to move in every direction.”

Holden did as she said. By the time he’d gotten halfway through, his ankle throbbed, but he kept going. “You like working here?”

“I love it. The Millers are wonderful people.”

He traced the
Z
and leaned back in the chair, the soreness more than he’d anticipated. “I’ve heard good things about them.”

She patted his knee. “I want you to do it again.”

Ignoring the discomfort, he obeyed her every command, and talked to her about everything he could think of. He shared news about the ranch and about Betty constantly trying to find ways of escape. He told Ava about catching Dad and Irene doing some kind of moves in the living room. She shared about finding a big, yellow wig in her aunt’s room.

“Do you think they’re going to dress up like Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers?” Holden asked.

Ava giggled. “I think so.”

She wrapped both hands around his foot, and Holden’s heartbeat raced. She moved it forward and back with strength and confidence, then placed it back on the ground and instructed him on another exercise.

“You really do a great job, Ava.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You think so, huh?”

He pointed to his throbbing ankle. “I can feel it.”

Ava laughed, an unrestrained sound that he hadn’t heard in almost eight years. She gave him a few sheets of paper. “These are exercises you need to do at home.”

He folded and stuck them in his back pocket. If those exercises helped heal his ankle he wouldn’t do a single one.

Ava walked out of the room, and he limped behind her. Once back in the lobby, he said, “I’ll see you in a couple days.”

She grinned. “Okay. It was good talking with you, Holden.”

He made his way back to the truck, hopped into the cab, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His ankle throbbed, but he didn’t mind a bit. “Thank you, Lord, for a sprained ankle.”

* * *

Ava grabbed her purse out of the cabinet. Aunt Irene had another date with Jerry, so Ava planned to grab a salad and head over to the White Tanks. She hadn’t expected to see Holden, even though they’d had a good session and a nice time talking, too. Now she needed to walk, spend some time with God in nature, and think. Actually, sometimes she wondered if she did a bit too much thinking.

“That Holden guy was cute with a capital
C.
” Katie bit down on the top of her pen.

Ava dug through her purse in search of her keys. “He’s handsome.”

“I got a feeling you already knew the guy.”

“I did.”

“And unless I’m blind, and I’m not, I think the guy might be a little interested in you.”

Ava looked up and narrowed her gaze.

Katie lifted her hand and squeezed her thumb and finger together. “Just a little bit.”

Ava couldn’t help but smile. “He’s the guy I told you about.”

The teen pressed her palms against the desk and sat forward, eyes wide with interest. “The one you ran away from?”

She nodded.

Katie motioned to the door. “Well, go after him. I’m telling you, the guy’s still got a thing for you.” She leaned back in her chair and lifted her face toward the ceiling. “And he’s so cute.”

“And you’re so dramatic.” Ava tapped the edge of the desk. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Suit yourself, but someone’s gonna snatch up that guy.”

Ava picked up some dinner, then drove to the mountains. The weather was definitely starting to get hot. Ninety degrees, but she didn’t care. She needed to walk, to be alone. After parking the car, she sat at a nearby picnic table and ate her dinner. Once finished, she tied her hair in a ponytail and grabbed a bottle of water out of the backseat.

She walked her favorite trail, drinking in the colorful wildflowers, with the mountains reaching to the heavens in the background. She quickened her pace until her chest burned from the exertion. Still she kept going.

The air was hot, and strands of hair clung to her face as she started to perspire. Her muscles tightened and her heart pounded, and soon her shirt was wet with sweat. Spying a large rock a little ways ahead, she started to run, to sprint until she reached it. Flopping onto the rock, she opened the water bottle and chugged a long drink.

Gasping to catch her breath, she leaned back on the rock and released a low howl. “Whew. That felt good.”

She leaned forward again, placed her elbows on her knees and dipped her chin. She blew down her shirt to cool herself, then took another drink of water.

Katie’s words,
someone’s gonna snatch up that guy
, raced through her mind. Ava didn’t want that to happen. In only a thirty-minute session, she’d realized just how much she did not want it to. They’d talked about everything and nothing, and the conversation had felt right. She remembered afresh why she’d fallen in love with Holden as a young woman. Not only was he gorgeous, but she genuinely enjoyed his company.

Her mind wandered to eight years ago, and she shook her head and lifted her face to the sky. “No thinking about the past.” With the statement came the urge to scream at the top of her lungs. She opened her arms wide. “No thinking about the past. I can’t change it, anyway.”

She looked down the trail, and her stomach tightened when she saw an older couple walking toward her. When they passed, the woman winked. “You’re absolutely right, honey. Need to just keep looking ahead.”

Ava waved despite the embarrassment that washed through her. Trekking back to the car, she drove home with the windows down, allowing the hot wind to whip through her hair. Throughout the night, any time her mind tried to wander, she envisioned the woman telling her to look ahead.

The next morning she headed into work and stopped at the bouquet of wildflowers sitting on Katie’s desk—lupines and poppies, with a big purple ribbon tied around the vase. Ava’s favorite flowers. Her favorite color. Her heart pounded against her chest. “Corey buy you flowers?”

Katie shook her head. “Nope. They’re for you.”

Ava opened the card and read, “Thanks for being a great physical therapist. Holden.”

“From Mr. Good-looking yesterday?” asked Katie.

She grinned. “Maybe.”

The teen waved a pen back and forth. “I’m telling you, Ava. He’s entirely too cute, and you said he was a Christian to boot.”

She lifted her hand to stop Katie from saying more. “I’m not going to let anything happen to him.”

Katie leaned forward. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

Ava looked at the clock on the desk and tilted her head. “If you think it means it’s time to get to work, then you’re right.”

Katie swatted the air. “Fine. Don’t tell me anything.”

Ava laughed as she put her purse in the cabinet, then looked over her schedule. Today would be a good day.

Chapter 12

T
hree weeks had passed since Holden started going to physical therapy. Ava had lightened up, and they’d enjoyed many conversations. She’d shared some of the interesting experiences she’d had during college and training, and he told her things he’d learned on the ranch.

Today she’d opened up about her dream to go on a mission trip to help people who might never have the chance to have therapy. Her words had resonated in his heart. “It’s funny, Holden. I don’t even know where I’d go.” She’d touched her chest. “I just feel like I’m supposed to.”

He leaned against the wall in the church classroom now.
She’s finally opening up to me again.
He wanted to ask her out, but had to make sure she was ready.

“You ready, man?”

Jake tapped his arm, and Holden stood up straight. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Five minutes past time to start, and all the regular boys had already made their way into the room. He scratched his jaw. “Guess I better start paying closer attention.”

Holden sat down beside the old felt storyboard his teachers had used when he was a kid growing up in the church. He picked up the package containing the felt pieces for the Jonah tale. “Hey, guys, who remembers what story we’re going to talk about today?”

Zack jumped up. “You know I’m seven now.”

Holden nodded as he motioned for the boy to sit back down. “Yes. I was at your party, remember?”

Zack jutted out his chin. “I’m older than John.”

John crossed his arms in front of his chest and let out a huff.

“Zack, I asked about the story. What story from the Bible are we going to talk about today?” asked Holden.

Zack shrugged as he plopped back in his chair.

Vince raised his hand. “We’re going to talk about Jonah.”

Jake patted Vince’s shoulder then lifted his chin. Holden grinned at the pride his friend felt for Megan’s son.

“That’s right,” said Holden. He pulled out the Jonah felt piece and stuck it onto the board. “Jonah was a man of God during his time. He was a prophet.” Holden furrowed his brows and scratched his chin. “What is a prophet?”

Zack hopped back up. “It’s when you make more money than you spend.”

Holden shook his head. “No...well, actually, yes. That is the definition of profit, but I’m talking about when a prophet is a person.”

While Jake nudged Zack to sit down again, Sean raised his hand. “It’s someone who tells what God is about to do.”

Holden nodded. “That’s exactly right, and I love the way you described him.” He pointed to the board. “God told Jonah to tell the Ninevites to stop being bad and follow God’s ways.”

He stuck up a felt piece showing a group of people with angry faces. “But Jonah had a problem. Does anyone know what that was?”

“He didn’t like the Ninevites,” said John. Then he stuck out his tongue at Zack. Zack stuck out his tongue as well, and Jake plopped a chair between them and sat down.

“Yep,” Jake said. “He didn’t like the Ninevites, so he got on a boat and tried to run away.”

Holden placed a boat on the board and stuck Jonah on top of it. “But you know what?”

“You can’t run from God,” said Zack. “It’s like trying to run from the cops. They’re gonna catch up with you eventually. My uncle, he found that out the hard way.”

Holden almost laughed out loud. His dad would have called that curly haired redhead a little whippersnapper, and Holden wouldn’t have been able to argue. The child never failed to say something completely unexpected.

Deciding not to respond to Zack’s comment, he continued, “While Jonah was on the ship, God sent a terrible storm. It was so bad the crew was afraid the ship would rip in two. Jonah knew the storm was his fault, so you know what he did?”

“Told them to throw him overboard,” said Vince.

“Yep.” Holden moved Jonah out of the boat.

Zack scrunched up his face. “That’s the craziest thing I ever heard. Just ’cause I do something bad doesn’t mean I’m gonna tell my mom to throw me out the window.”

Holden said, “But the Bible tells us that Jonah did tell the sailors to throw him overboard. Do you know what happened after that?”

“God sent a great big fish to swallow Jonah,” said Sean.

Holden placed a fish on the board and then put Jonah on top of it. “That’s right, and Jonah stayed in the belly of the fish for three days, praying to God.”

“Then the fish spit Jonah onto the shore,” said John.

Holden nodded, and Zack jumped up again. “Now wait a minute. Let’s think about this.” The boy scratched his head. “Jonah would have been covered in fish slime and guts and blood.” His face brightened. “That is so cool.” Then he scrunched up his nose and waved his hand in front of it. “Except the smell. Fish smell disgusting.”

Trying to stay on track, Holden motioned for Zack to sit down again. “But you know what Jonah did? He obeyed God, and he went and told the Ninevites they needed to stop being bad and follow God’s ways. And what do you think happened?”

“They did what Jonah said,” replied Vince.

Holden switched the piece with angry people to one of a group of happy people. “So when Jonah stopped running from God, and did what he was supposed to do, a whole lot of people started following God.”

“What does this story teach us?” asked Jake.

“That you better not get in a boat if you’re gonna run from God, ’cause you don’t want to get all covered in guts and smell like fish!” Zack declared.

“Or,” Jake said with emphasis, “you should just do what God says to begin with.”

The boy shrugged, as if that option would be all right, as well.

While Holden got their snack ready, Jake took out the box of puppets and the boys reenacted the story with each other. When class ended, Megan joined them in picking up the trash and putting the puppets away.

Watching his best friend interact with his fiancée and soon-to-be stepson, Holden realized he wanted that with Ava. Everyone around him seemed to be finding their spouses. Even his dad had fallen for someone. Holden wanted what they had, but just as Jonah ran from God, the woman he loved still ran from him.

* * *

Ava stood beside Clyde as he held the back of the chair and bent his knees. “Great job. Let’s count to five.”

“One, two, three, four, five,” he muttered, before he straightened his legs. “You’re killing me, Ava.”

His words tugged at her heartstrings. She could tell he didn’t feel well today, and not from the usual grumpiness. He’d been sick with bronchitis the last week and hadn’t been able to move around as much as he needed to. As a result, his joints were stiffer than usual. “One more time.”

He groaned.

“For me.” She grabbed the other chair and placed it beside his. “I’ll do it with you.”

The corner of Clyde’s mouth lifted just a bit as he nodded. They bent together, counted to five and then straightened their knees again.

She picked up his chart off the counter, then walked him back to the lobby. “Clyde, be sure to do your exercises this week. I know they’re going to hurt, but you need to keep trying.”

He growled as he waited for Katie to arrange his next appointment. “You young people think you can tell me what to do.”

“You’re right about that,” the teen piped, before she handed him an appointment card. “And what would you do without us?”

He curled his lip, but not before Ava noted the quick glimmer of amusement in his eyes. She waved to him. “Take care, Clyde.”

He grumbled as he and his wife walked out the door. Ava saw Holden and motioned for him to come on back.

“He seemed happy,” said Holden.

“Don’t let him fool you. He’s a total sweetheart.”

Holden sat in the chair, then took off his boots and socks. His ankle was no longer swollen or bruised, and he walked on it with ease. Even though he didn’t need to keep coming, she knew he would for the full six weeks. And really, she didn’t want to stop seeing him. She’d enjoyed getting to know him again.

During his last visit he’d told her about some of the dates he’d gone on since she’d left Surprise. Though the fact that he’d dumped a plate of spaghetti on a girl’s lap was funny, Ava had still felt a niggling of jealousy. She’d been able to share the story of only one foiled date of her own when his body language had made it clear he didn’t want to think about her dating other people. She liked that he was jealous.

“How does your ankle feel?” she asked.

“Still a little tender.”

“Hmm.” She lifted his foot and massaged around the joint. No swelling. No tension that she could feel. “Okay, go ahead and start with the alphabet.”

While Holden completed his exercises, he told her about the crazy antics of the little redheaded boy who’d gone to lunch with them. The kid was quite a character, and Holden’s feelings for the boy were evident, but she wished he’d talk about something else.

A knock sounded, then Rick opened the door. “Hope I’m not disturbing you.” He nodded toward Holden.

Ava shook her head. “That’s okay. Do you need me?”

He stepped inside the room, then pulled two baseball tickets out of his jacket pocket. “I have these Arizona Diamondbacks tickets for tomorrow night’s game against the Chicago White Sox, and none of us are able to go. I wondered if you might want them.”

Ava furrowed her brow. “That’s really nice of you, but I don’t watch baseball, and I’d hate for you not to give them to someone...”

Rick leaned against the counter. “You don’t have to be a big fan of the game. Everyone should go at least once, just for the experience.”

“Well, I...”

“I can even let you off an hour early.” He flipped the tickets. “I just hate to see them go to waste.”

Ava blinked. “I...I’m not sure who I would take. I guess...”

“I’ll go with you.” Holden grinned wider than the Cheshire cat from
Alice in Wonderland.
Then he pursed his lips. “I mean, I can if you need someone, at the last minute like this.”

Ava narrowed her gaze. “Since when do
you
like baseball?”

Holden lifted his palms. “It’s like your boss said. I can go just for the experience.”

Ava took the tickets from Rick. “I guess it’s settled. Thanks for thinking of me.”

Her boss opened the door. “Just glad they’re not going to waste.”

They finished the session, then she guided Holden back to the lobby. “I guess I’ll pick you up tomorrow after I get off work.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said. “I can drive. Just call me when you’re ready.”

She crossed her arms and cocked her head. “I’m kinda wondering if you set this up.”

Holden lifted his hands. “That’s the first time I’ve seen your boss. I promise.”

“Okay.” Ava chuckled at his pleading expression. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

He walked out the door. Once it closed, Katie burst out laughing beside her. Ava turned toward her young friend and gasped. “It was you. You set that up.”

Katie smacked the arm of the chair. “It was miserable, watching the two of you make goo-goo eyes every time he came in, yet neither of you asked the other out.”

Ava swatted her. “Katie!”

“Are you saying you don’t want to go with him?”

Ava lifted her right shoulder. “I didn’t say that.”

Katie pointed at her. “See? You do want to go out with him. Just let the past go and move on. You two are adorable together.”

Ava pulled the tickets out of her pocket and tapped them against her palm. She was putting the past behind her. Each session with Holden had proved more enjoyable than the one before.

Katie had taken her advice, and all had gone well for her and Corey. Ava would take Katie’s advice in turn. Forget the past and move on.

Your past had an effect on Holden, and he doesn’t even know it.

Ava pushed the thought away. She’d go out with him and have a terrific time. He wouldn’t want to know everything, anyway.