She shot a glance at
the half-dozen kids already in the room and stood, moving closer. “What are you
doing here?”
“We’re here to volunteer,” Seth said.
Grace waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. She shot
him a look. Really? After all this time, that’s all he had to say? Ignoring her
silent plea, Seth simply stood there, waiting for Lanna to fill in the awkward
silence that was getting worse by the second.
Grace shook her head. Men .
“Ok-ay,” Lanna finally said. Her eyes flickered to
Grace’s, crinkling slightly in confusion. “I’m sorry,” she said, extending her
hand. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Lanna. Are you here with Seth? You look
familiar.”
Grace nodded and shook Lanna’s hand. “I’m Grace,” she
said. “I’m his therapist.” She left the “physical” part out on purpose.
“Therapist?” Lanna’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
Grace molded her expression into one of sympathy and
nodded. “After a lot—and I mean a lot —of therapy, Seth realizes he has
some unresolved issues, so he invited me along to make sure that you understood
how sorry he is for how things went down at the auction. Since he can’t bring
himself to say that out loud”—Grace shot Seth a meaningful look—“he’s here to volunteer
for however many hours it takes to earn your forgiveness.”
Lanna still looked confused, but a tentative smile played
on her lips. “Wow, you must be a really good therapist to finally get him to
see that.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Grace is my physical therapist, not my psychologist. But she’s right about two things: I am sorry, and I’m here to volunteer. But only for today ,” he said,
emphasizing the last word.
Lanna nodded. “Understood. And for what it’s worth, I’m
sorry too.” She opened her arms. “Truce?”
Seth accepted her hug with a small smile and an
expression of relief mixed with happiness—one that tugged on Grace’s
heartstrings. “Truce,” he said.
A young boy, probably about ten, tapped Lanna on the
shoulder, breaking them apart. “Miss Lanna, I can’t figure this out.” He held
up what appeared to be his math homework.
Lanna bent to his level. “Hey, Chad. See this guy right
here?” She pointed to Seth. “He’s going to help you with your homework today.
Will that be okay?”
The boy shot a tentative look at Seth then nodded
solemnly. Taking his cue, Seth reached for the homework page. “I happen to be a
pro at math, so you’re in good hands. Let’s go have a seat and see if we can figure
these out.” He winked at Grace before following the boy back to his seat.
Lanna watched him walk away, smiling, then turned back to
Grace. “Are you really his physical therapist?”
Grace nodded.
“Is there a reason he’s seeing you?” She paused, then
rushed on to say, “I mean not seeing , seeing, but seeing like—” She
winced, and her brow crinkled. “Oh geez, I’m making a mess of this, aren’t I?”
Grace laughed and shook her head. “About a month ago,
Seth tore his ACL during a heli-skiing trip. I just happened to be the
therapist his doctor referred him to.”
“He did what ?” Lanna’s voice rose to attract the
attention of a few kids nearby. She looked so distressed that Grace reached out
to touch her arm in a comforting gesture. “Nothing to worry about. As you can
see, he’s going to be fine.”
Lanna blinked, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I
didn’t know that. I feel like the worst kind of friend right now.”
Grace smiled. “Well, considering Seth feels like the
worst kind of friend for what happened at the auction, I’d say you’re about
even. Really, though, he’s fine.”
Lanna cocked her head to the side, studying Grace with a
quizzical expression. “I’m surprised Seth told you about that. He’s not
normally that open with people.”
For whatever reason, Grace liked thinking that Seth had opened
up to her—something he wouldn’t do with just
the half-dozen kids already in the room and stood, moving closer. “What are you
doing here?”
“We’re here to volunteer,” Seth said.
Grace waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. She shot
him a look. Really? After all this time, that’s all he had to say? Ignoring her
silent plea, Seth simply stood there, waiting for Lanna to fill in the awkward
silence that was getting worse by the second.
Grace shook her head. Men .
“Ok-ay,” Lanna finally said. Her eyes flickered to
Grace’s, crinkling slightly in confusion. “I’m sorry,” she said, extending her
hand. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Lanna. Are you here with Seth? You look
familiar.”
Grace nodded and shook Lanna’s hand. “I’m Grace,” she
said. “I’m his therapist.” She left the “physical” part out on purpose.
“Therapist?” Lanna’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
Grace molded her expression into one of sympathy and
nodded. “After a lot—and I mean a lot —of therapy, Seth realizes he has
some unresolved issues, so he invited me along to make sure that you understood
how sorry he is for how things went down at the auction. Since he can’t bring
himself to say that out loud”—Grace shot Seth a meaningful look—“he’s here to volunteer
for however many hours it takes to earn your forgiveness.”
Lanna still looked confused, but a tentative smile played
on her lips. “Wow, you must be a really good therapist to finally get him to
see that.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Grace is my physical therapist, not my psychologist. But she’s right about two things: I am sorry, and I’m here to volunteer. But only for today ,” he said,
emphasizing the last word.
Lanna nodded. “Understood. And for what it’s worth, I’m
sorry too.” She opened her arms. “Truce?”
Seth accepted her hug with a small smile and an
expression of relief mixed with happiness—one that tugged on Grace’s
heartstrings. “Truce,” he said.
A young boy, probably about ten, tapped Lanna on the
shoulder, breaking them apart. “Miss Lanna, I can’t figure this out.” He held
up what appeared to be his math homework.
Lanna bent to his level. “Hey, Chad. See this guy right
here?” She pointed to Seth. “He’s going to help you with your homework today.
Will that be okay?”
The boy shot a tentative look at Seth then nodded
solemnly. Taking his cue, Seth reached for the homework page. “I happen to be a
pro at math, so you’re in good hands. Let’s go have a seat and see if we can figure
these out.” He winked at Grace before following the boy back to his seat.
Lanna watched him walk away, smiling, then turned back to
Grace. “Are you really his physical therapist?”
Grace nodded.
“Is there a reason he’s seeing you?” She paused, then
rushed on to say, “I mean not seeing , seeing, but seeing like—” She
winced, and her brow crinkled. “Oh geez, I’m making a mess of this, aren’t I?”
Grace laughed and shook her head. “About a month ago,
Seth tore his ACL during a heli-skiing trip. I just happened to be the
therapist his doctor referred him to.”
“He did what ?” Lanna’s voice rose to attract the
attention of a few kids nearby. She looked so distressed that Grace reached out
to touch her arm in a comforting gesture. “Nothing to worry about. As you can
see, he’s going to be fine.”
Lanna blinked, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I
didn’t know that. I feel like the worst kind of friend right now.”
Grace smiled. “Well, considering Seth feels like the
worst kind of friend for what happened at the auction, I’d say you’re about
even. Really, though, he’s fine.”
Lanna cocked her head to the side, studying Grace with a
quizzical expression. “I’m surprised Seth told you about that. He’s not
normally that open with people.”
For whatever reason, Grace liked thinking that Seth had opened
up to her—something he wouldn’t do with just
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