“Howie, you’re crazy,” Hollie announced deliberately, glancing up from braiding Lucy’s soft hair to admire Howie’s courage with her playful taunting. Nicola had been gone for almost a full day and Howie hadn’t even stopped to miss her. He had been quite mournful on the ride back from the airport, cuddling Lucy close to his chest for relief. But, once he was home, everything immediately shifted. Instead of mourning like a lost lover, he simply started to plan for her joyous return from the conference. Currently, he had invited Kevin and Hollie to spend the evening with Lucy and himself. He knew that he would still have a bit of trouble handling Lucy on his own, but Hollie assured that she would help with the messier issues. And once they were settled into the guest room for the evening, Howie asked Kevin into the weight room. He gave Kevin no explanation to his desires, just asking for a spot while he worked on the special bar system that Nicola had installed to help him start walking again. Hollie seemed less than amused with the test of testosterone, however, shifting her gaze between Lucy playing with Barbies and the men to make sure there wasn’t a need for 9-1-1.
“Why am I crazy?” Howie retorted in surprise, glancing to Kevin with question. Only, his older friend shrugged in bewilderment. Howie smirked ruefully for the moment, knowing Kevin could never be held responsible for his girlfriend’s mouth. It was all too clear that he had no control over her erratic behavior. She controlled the relationship with a whirl of unpredictability, practically shattering Kevin’s elderly stance on hating irregularities.
“Because, Nicola should be here while you—”
“I’m fine,” Howie interrupted, stumbling slightly within the bar system because of Hollie’s nugget of doubtfulness. Kevin jerked in fear, reaching to help before Howie could hurt himself. But, Howie shook his head to dismiss Kevin’s helpfulness. Howie knew that he had to do this for himself. He had to do this so he could feel worthy of Nicola’s undying love and adoration. He had to feel like he could fully support Nicola when he asked for her hand in marriage, because he wanted to provide for her always. He wanted to make sure that she didn’t ever have to wish for things that she couldn’t possibly possess. He knew that with just a few steps by himself, he could satisfy his needs for complete fulfillment.
“You’re sure?” Kevin murmured, still hunched in a ready stance.
“Yeah—”
“Daddy’s strong! He can do it!” Lucy interrupted with faith. She briefly glanced up from her dolls to catch Howie’s gaze. She was quite the intelligent child, always listening to everything happening around her imaginative play. She noticed that her father hung limply from the bars, but her beautiful teal eyes expressed her belief that he was Superman despite his weak posture. “Right, Daddy?”
“Right, Sweet-Pea,” Howie grunted, pulling his sweaty body upward. His muscles contracted with weariness as if to tell him not to overwork his abilities, but he continued despite the aggravation. He moved to the edge of the protective system, staring down at the haunting tiles of the gym floor. He released just a soft breath of uncertainty, trying to focus on the hope and adoration in Lucy’s eyes. She believed in his abilities. If only he could believe in himself.
“C’mon, D,” Kevin beckoned, quickly realizing Howie’s intentions. He felt his body stiffen with excitement, alerting Hollie to the possibility of a miracle. Kevin beckoned Hollie quickly to his side with a motion of his hands. He took a deep breath, knowing Howie could do it if he kept his mind focused on what he wanted in life.
“Hold on,” Howie hesitated, unable to release his hands from the bars. Once he stepped down, he was completely venerable to anything that God had to offer. Initially, he thought this was a wonderful idea, but not having Nicola’s encouragement caused his spirits to slightly dampen with fear. Her soothing tones always made Howie feel absolutely invincible against the entire world. But, Howie couldn’t focus on the pleasures of optimism as he tightened his grips on the bars. There was a good chance that he could tumble and hurt himself worse. And, if he fell, he truly failed Nicola and could never ask for her hand in marriage. Howie sighed, it just seemed so much easier with her there.
“No holding on, D,” Kevin contradicted, knowing he needed to nudge Howie off the bar system like a mother bird nudged her chick out of the nest to fly. “Just let go. It’ll be okay.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t push him,” Hollie hesitated, slipping her hand into Kevin’s with a flitter of nervousness. “I don’t think we have enough for the whole ‘you break it, you buy it’ scenario.”
“It’s his decision,” Kevin murmured, placing a kiss to her knuckles. He had to quickly silence Hollie’s doubts, knowing that she would make Howie shrink back into his shell of fear. Kevin couldn’t allow that devastation to happen, either. It had been such a long haul for the close batch of friends. He couldn’t deny Howie the opportunity to try to walk again, because he wanted it just as badly. He wanted Howie to have the confidence and faith again. He wanted him to walk.
“But—”
“Daddy, what’cha doing?” Lucy piped, scurrying over to where Kevin and Hollie stood. Her teal eyes shimmered with curiousness as she bounced on the balls of her feet, obviously drawn to the adults’ conversation. She stepped closer to the bar system than the couple, glancing up at the man she adored. “Need your wheelie-chair?”
Howie glanced down to Lucy, smiling softly at her genuine concern for his well being. She was a younger version of her mother with the same heart of gold. She gave his a surge of confidence, causing his chest to puff slightly with pride. Immediately, he started to focus on the child and her mother. Howie’s life had started when he first met Nicola for Physical Therapy. He believed his life had truly ended with that horrific accident, but Nicola had shown him a better way. She had taught him to love in such a romantic and sensual way that caused his entire body to flame with hope. And Lucy had been such a sweet surprise. He never expected to be a father-figure so soon in his life, but welcomed it just the same. He lived every day just for them. They deserved the world. They deserved him at his very best.
“No, I don’t need the chair, Sweet-Pea. And I don’t need the crutches,” Howie whispered, finally stepping down from the bar system with his mind focused on the child. First one foot and then the other were placed upon the smooth tiles. His knees buckled slightly, but he made sure his friends stayed away. Slowly, he straightened his posture, shuffling one foot forward upon the cool tiles. He closed his eyes and shifted, taking his first true step since the horrifying accident. Hollie gasped in joy as Howie choked on a happy sob. His entire body exploded with exhilaration as he took yet another step. After so many months of being confined to the aching chair, walking held such a sweet taste of utter freedom. He felt like he could take on the world and anything dark that life had to offer. “Take my hand, Sweet-Pea.”
“Where we going, Daddy?” Lucy bubbled with surprise.
“To get Mommy a very special present.”
Nicola released an exhausted yawn as she stepped off the elevator onto the hotel floor, rubbing the back of her aching neck with one hand as she freed the key to her hotel with the other. The first day of the Physical Therapist Convention had been packed with seminars before Nicola could even start to man her station for her new establishment. Several Orthopedic Surgeons had sought out her specifically over the course of a few hours, looking to refer their clients after finding that she was responsible for Howie Dorough’s quick recovery from a crippling accident. So, as weary as Nicola seemed, she still felt the triumph of sweet success. She couldn’t wait to call Howie about her day, knowing he would be pleased with her adventurous side.
Though, as excited as she was about her day, she truly desired just to hear his voice on the opposite end of the line. She had only been gone for a day and already missed Howie and Lucy terribly. True to the meaning of the phrase, they indeed held the entirety of her heart. Not a minute passed that she didn’t think of them and Howie’s faithfulness. Howie had finally mended the tear in the small family and Nicola was forever grateful. Lucy finally had a father and Nicola was falling harder and harder into the ecstasy of love. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the loneliness of not having Howie within her life. Every kiss, touch, and caress drove her insane with delight, throwing her further into the passions of love. It was a new emotion for her, because she hadn’t even felt that type of freedom with her late husband, Trevor.
“I’d know that body from any angle,” an oily voice announced with a delighted whistle, quickly shattering Nicola’s dreamy trance. She could pick out that disgusting voice from any dingy biker bar in the county. Immediately, Nicola fumbled to unlock her hotel room in attempts of an escape, but a powerful hand yanked her back as another reached to slam her door shut. “When those Screwy Surgeons started raving about the hot new PT in town, I could only imagine your sexy self. Then I glanced at the list of attending PT’s and, surprise, surprise, I came across a Nicola A. Tilley, PT.”
“Hello, Eric,” Nicola murmured with a disheartened tone, slowly bringing her gaze up to catch his disgusting smirk. The overpowering cologne that he seemed to bathe in caused nausea to coil around her stomach like barbed wire. She felt her stomach clench with worry as he started to back her into a lonely corner. She glanced down both sides of the hallway for anyone that could be of assistance, but he quickly draped her in darkness, trapping her like a frightened animal.
“So, the news on the street is that you’re renting yourself out to your clients,” Dr. Jacobs sneered, pressing his lips close to her ear. Slowly, he ran his hand from her shoulder down an intimate length of her body that Howie had only known. “A little PT in the bedroom in exchange for the start of your very own business? What a smart girl.”
“It’s not like that and you know it,” Nicola scowled, squirming from his touch. “Now get off me.”
“What I don’t understand is why you stalked out on my offer and ran for his,” Dr. Jacobs continued arrogantly, licking her earlobe as he squeezed his hand between her thighs. “I’m a better lover than some half-baked paraplegic that couldn’t even get his dick to rise in the Playboy Mansion during mud wrestling night—”
“You bastard!” Nicola seethed in sheer disgust, kneeing him sharply in the groin to free herself.
“You bitch!” Dr. Jacobs heaved, falling to his knees at the crack against the delicate region below his waist. He held his privates with one hand, managing to grab her ankle despite the extreme discomfort. And she fell hard against the floor as he straddled her hips, smacking her sharply across the cheek for the pain radiating down his legs. The sound of a palm against flesh echoed in the deserted hallway, causing hot tears of pain to streak down Nicola’s face. “To think I wasted—”
“GET OFF ME!”
“SHUT UP!” Dr. Jacobs roared, slapping his hand sharply across her mouth. He clamped down hard to prevent her from screaming, causing her to gasp for breath. He looked completely tired of her antics, wanting to get his point across without any trouble. His dark eyes sparked with anger, causing Nicola to shrink in size. “Now you listen to me! And listen good! I’m tired of dicking around with you and you’re fucking attitude. I give you the best offer and you piss on my leather shoes like the bitch you are. So, now it’s crashing hard. You got me?”
Nicola muffled a thick sob beneath his hand, furiously blinking back her tears. She hadn’t even thought of running into this man at the Convention. Usually, he was far too busy within his hotel room to even stop down to the seminars or search out others. But, there she was, trapped without any hopes of recovering from the pain. Dr. Jacobs’ heavy weight crushed her body as his words crushed her soul.
“If word gets out that you’re dating a high profile client, your reputation will be completely trashed. Not to mention the fact that you’re responsible for your late-husband’s suicide,” Dr. Jacobs started, watching Nicola wince. “You didn’t think I knew about that, huh? Oh, how sweet. Facts are facts though, Sweetheart. You killed him because you refused to give him physical therapy when he obviously needed it, right, Honey? And you knew he was going down hill and did nothing to stop it. So, not only will no one want you in their office, you run the risk of losing your license. But, I’m okay with making you one last offer. Break if off for good with the cripple and your problems will go away.”
Nicola attempted to protest, but he clamped his hand tight to cut her oxygen supply. She struggled beneath him, only delighting him further as their bodies rubbed. His dark eyes flashed with excitement, causing her to calm considerably. She held extremely still, closing her eyes to pray for some kind of salvation.
“You’re not in the position to disagree, Baby. Dump the bastard or I ruin your entire life starting at the very top and working my way down. I’ll have social services take away Lucy and the only job you’ll be able to have is hooking corners like the whore you are. You know I have connections, Nicola. I have no fucking qualms about getting rid of your little angel and getting rid of you. So, just get rid of him first. Got it?”
Nicola attempted to nod, but a pair of bright red heels stepped onto her luscious curls. Her head was sharply pinned to the ground with a fresh bout of pain. She winced as her eyes shot upward to see Darcy. Immediately, everything seemed to connect just as sharply as Darcy’s heels from previous events. Darcy’s flirtatious behavior with Dr. Jacobs had not been unheeded. She had connected with the man to form a disgusting relationship, vowing to bring Nicola to justice for trampling her good standing in the Dorough Family. Nicola’s heart dropped as Darcy scowled with displeasure at Dr. Jacobs straddling. “You found her.”
“Obviously,” Dr. Jacobs snorted, glaring down to Nicola with sheer pleasure. He planted a forceful kiss to her lips as a promise of his sinful desires. The then pressed sharply on her chest to boost himself up into Darcy’s groping hands. “Darcy’s going to make sure you complete the job on Monday morning. So, get rid of the bastard before you get hurt.”
