Page 3 of Tethered Hearts
Brie
“Good morning, Brie,” Vicky Lundberg chirped from behind the reception desk of the Sports and Spinal Clinic early the following morning. The white slatted blinds were partly open, bathing the empty waiting room in golden sunlight. A fresh vase of colourful blooms sat on top of the counter, and classical music played quietly from a speaker behind the desk. All too soon the room would be full of clients and Vicky would switch the television on. For now, Brie was content to bask in the quiet half hour before the clinic opened.
“Morning, Vicky.” She sipped her latte and sighed as the smooth elixir slid down her throat.
“That good, huh?”
“There is nothing better than the first cup of coffee in the morning,” Brie said, stepping into the staff room to place her bag in her locker.
“Late night?” Vicky called.
“Yes, unfortunately.” Brie returned to the foyer and rested her hip on the desk. “We had a rescue at Mt Pullman, but thankfully, it ended well.”
After arriving home just before midnight, she’d showered to wash away the dirt and grime caking her skin from hours combing the mountainside. Her nightly routine of prayer and journaling usually helped calm her thoughts, but for some reason, her brain hadn’t slowed down. Too wired to sleep, and frustrated from her interaction with Brett, she’d spent hours ruminating over why she’d made so many bad choices in her past relationships. Why did she fall for any guy who paid her attention? Why was she still letting the pain of rejection from her childhood affect her adult decisions? Thanks to absent parents who prioritised their careers over their two children, the deep-seated need to feel loved and accepted was something she’d always wrestled with. And now she had to live with the consequences of her misdirected affections and giving away her heart too many times. After over-analysing her life’s choices, she’d finally fallen asleep just before two, only to wake at dawn to prepare for work.
“I might need a few more cups of these as the day progresses.” She held up her keep-cup before taking another sip.
“I’ll do my usual coffee run from the Green Tree Grocers, so just let me know if you need some extra shots of espresso in your latte.”
“I might take you up on that. I’m getting too old for late nights and early mornings,” Brie groaned. Years ago, she’d thought nothing of pulling all-nighters and showing up early for work the next day, fuelled by a diet of caffeine and chocolate. Unfortunately, she wasn’t so young anymore and didn’t bounce back like she used to. Taking another sip of her skinny latte, she scanned the appointment book open on the desk.
“Oh, Martin’s had a family emergency, so we’ve switched some of the appointments around.” Vicky paused from typing on the keyboard.
“I hope everything’s okay.”
“Something to do with his father, I think.” The shrill of the telephone interrupted their conversation, and Vicky held up a finger to excuse herself as she answered the call.
Brie knew Martin’s father had been battling some health issues, and she hoped he was okay. Her gaze drifted over the schedule for the day and landed on one particular name in her client list. She inhaled sharply, spluttering as her coffee went down the wrong way.Matt Dallimore.Seriously? Why was he on her list?
The champion sprinter had been attending the clinic ever since a motor vehicle accident left him with horrific leg injuries and unable to walk. She’d glimpsed him around the clinic but hadn’t spoken to him personally. Just a brief smile or nod his way, a polite greeting here and there as she would with any other client. But even the brief glimpses had been enough to leave her giddy with excitement, as though she were an enraptured schoolgirl. Some of the other therapists had struck up a conversation with him, but they were far braver than she was. He wastheMatt Dallimore, and she simply didn’t know how to react to someone she’d admired for years. Someone whose career she’d followed from day one. And now with Martin away, she was to be his treating physiotherapist? Heaven help her.
Smoothing over her shirt, Brie drew a deep breath in an attempt to quell the knot of apprehension unraveling in her stomach as every second ticked by. She wanted to lock herself in a room where no one would be able to witness her impending panic attack. She’d been a huge fan of Matt’s during his athletics career. Huge was probably an understatement. She wasn’t obsessed as such, but he had certainly been her celebrity crush. While other women her age had fawned over actors or rock stars, she’d been eyeing the form of Matt Dallimore. He was the pin-up boy,man,for the Australian athletics team. With his boy-next-door good looks, his easy smile, and humble personality, what was not to like? And his hair! Curling at his nape, the sandy brown strands were so thick and full and never out of place – as though he had his hair professionally styled before each race. It was incredible, and unfair, how a guy could have such luscious locks. She used to drool over the way his hair would bounce so effortlessly when he ran, and she’d secretly wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through the thick strands.
And now she was supposed to be treating him? That meant touching him. Getting up close and personal. Talking to him. Oh, man. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she’d come face to face with her sporting idol.
After spending the morning with her usual clients, Brie downed a quick bite to eat and made her way to the waiting room, uttering a silent plea for God to calm her nerves now that she was about to come face to face with her celebrity crush. The situation was so ridiculous, she could almost cry. She was a mature woman, not an infatuated teenager.
“Matt,” she called as her gaze scanned the waiting room. He was easy to spot among the other clients in his sporty-looking wheelchair. And he was way better looking in person, even though his hair was tousled and longer than he usually wore it. A flicker of surprise darted across his chiseled features before he offered a tight smile and manoeuvered his chair toward her.
I feel exactly the same way, buddy. I don’t want to be in this situation any more than you probably want me to replace Martin.
“Hi, Matt.” Brie smiled warmly, telling her inner fan to calm down. This wasn’t the Commonwealth Games where she’d waved the Australian flag and screamed encouragement from the stands as he’d sprinted toward the finish line. This was her workplace, and she needed to be professional. “I’m Brie. Martin had a family emergency to attend to, so I’m standing in for him.” The words escaped before Brie realised what she’d said.Standing in… Seriously, Brie, can you be any more insensitive?It was an innocent remark, a slip of the tongue, but insensitive just the same. Should she apologise? Or just pretend that she hadn’t made a comment that highlighted his injuries? She opted for the latter and turned on her heel, leading the way to the large treatment area segmented into six cubicles that were each separated by privacy curtains.
“How are you going?” Her gaze drifted toward his legs, covered by loose-fitting sweatpants, as he wheeled into the room.
“Good.” His voice was flat and devoid of any emotion.
“That’s good to hear.” Stepping over to her desk, she took a sip of coffee and drew a fortifying breath to calm down.Treat him like any other patient. Don’t think about his celebrity status, or how good-looking he is. He’s here for treatment, not to be ogled at. Forget about all those years you admired him.
“So, I’ve read through Martin’s notes. You’re progressing well.”
Matt scoffed. “If you think so.”
“Well, from Martin’s records, you are. And given the extent of your injuries, I’d say you’re doing very well. Besides, these things take time.”
Matt’s gaze remained fixed out the window, while his hands held a death grip on the wheels of his chair as though he was getting ready to spin around and hightail it out of the room. “So everyone keeps saying.”
Right. And she was just feeding into the pile of inane remarks that he’d probably heard non-stop since his accident.Not helping, Brie!