Perfectly Matched

“It is time for a break. You worked very hard, honey. I’m so proud of you.” Shay hugged the little girl.

“Uncle Nick worked hard, too,” Maggie said. “Aren’t you going to hug him?”

“I think Uncle Nick’s too big for hugs,” Shay said, nonplussed by the child’s comment.

“Nobody’s ever too big for a hug. That’s what Grandma says.” Maggie waited.

Uncomfortable, already way too aware of Nick, Shay had little choice but to place her arms around his waist and hug him. She pulled away quickly as panic knotted her insides.

“Shortest hug in history,” Nick complained. His teasing grin made her blush.

Shay swallowed hard and admitted the hard truth to herself. It wasn’t just panic that had her pulling away from Nick so quickly. It was something else, something that made her wonder what it would be like to really hug him, not as the friend she remembered from high school, but as the devastatingly handsome man he’d become, a man who made her wish he’d hug her back.

That made her really nervous.

“Now, Maggie,” Shay said, hurrying to get her focus back on task. “I want you to rest—I’ll give you a juice box and a book. Then, after you have rested, there are a few other things we need to go through.”

“I can’t really read yet,” Maggie mumbled, her cheeks reddening.

“Oh, you’ll be able to read this.” Shay handed her a book specially designed for preschool kids. Soon the room was filled with the recorded sounds of barnyard animals telling a story. “We’ll be back in a minute. You stay there, okay, honey?”

Maggie nodded absently, already enthralled by the story. Shay motioned to Nick to follow her outside. She led the way to her office, made them each a cup of coffee and then sat down.

“So that’s the first part. What do you think?” Shay deliberately chose the chair behind her desk instead of sitting next to him, where she usually sat with most caregivers. But then again, most caregivers didn’t have the strange effect on her that Nick Green seemed to be having today. Just thinking about that hug made her take a minute to control her rapid breathing. “Okay?” she asked.

“I think I can manage. As long as I don’t hurt her.”

“She’ll tell you if you do. Go slowly. Warm up thoroughly at first with the stretches.” She leaned forward, intent on making him understand. “Don’t skip anything, Nick. Each move is designed to prepare for the one that follows.” She checked the closed-circuit monitor on her desk to ensure Maggie was still resting and reading. “She’s a great little girl. I think she’ll do well.”

“As long as I don’t mess up,” Nick muttered as he stared at his hands. His troubled gaze met hers. “She’s so—delicate.”

A rush of heat warmed Shay’s heart. Nick was always concerned about his precious family. One glance at her appointment book told her she shouldn’t make the offer she was about to make, but Nick had been there for her when she’d needed him most. She had to help him now.

“I could come to your mom’s place tomorrow morning to watch you go through your paces the first time. If you’d like,” she offered.

“Would you?” Relief flooded his handsome face. “I’d really appreciate it. That way Mom could watch, too, just in case I have to be away or something.”

Shay’s heart sank at the words, but she struggled to sound detached.

“Nick, I told you last night. This can’t be hit or miss. Maggie needs the same routine every day. Besides, I doubt your mom could manage all the manipulations Maggie needs. You have to do it, no matter how unpleasant.”

“You’re making it sound like I’m trying to get out of helping Maggie.” His face tightened with irritation.

“Are you?” she asked, keeping her voice even.

Anger lit a fire in his dark eyes. “I’m here, okay, Shay? I will be here for however long it takes. In the event something comes up, we’ll work it out together. Okay?” When she nodded he put his cup down and rose to his full height. “Let’s get on with it,” he said in a flat voice.

Nick walked out of the room. Knowing he was frustrated with her, Shay kept her distance until they reached her treatment room.

“I’m sorry if I irritated you, Nick. But Maggie has to be my first concern. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “Forget it, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed. She laid her hand on the doorknob then froze when his covered hers a millisecond later. In a flash, panic swamped her and she flinched away from his touch.

“Shay?” When she didn’t answer, Nick tipped her chin up so she had to look at him. She tried not to flinch again. “What’s wrong?”

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She tried to avert her eyes but couldn’t. “N-nothing. I’m fine.”

“That’s not true.” His brows drew together as their gazes locked. “You’re shaking,” he said in surprise.

“I’m fine, Nick.”

“Sure you are. That’s why you’re acting like I’m going to hurt you.” His eyes blazed. She could almost hear his perfect, even teeth grit together. “I am not your stalker, Shay.”

“I know that.” She tried to move away to gather her composure, but he blocked her path.

Nick’s face softened. “He sure did a number on you. Did you ever get some help?”

“I’m fine.” Shay laid her hand on the knob again, eager to get his attention off her.

“You’re not fine.” Nick reached out as if to touch her cheek, saw the way she recoiled from him and let his hand fall to his side. “Obviously,” he murmured.

“I will be.”

“Oh, Shay. You can’t make yourself be fine any more than Maggie can.” He lowered his voice. “Promise me you’ll talk to Brianna.”

“The thing is, I have to handle this myself, Nick, in my own way. And I will.” Embarrassed, she dragged open the door and pasted on her brightest smile. “Okay, Maggie. How was the book? Are you ready for some more work?”

Behind her Nick said nothing. But throughout the entire session she could feel his intense scrutiny. Shay knew she had to get a better grip on her reactions or risk Nick seeing just how out of control her panic attacks had become.

Coming home, back to Hope, was Shay’s fresh start. She would not allow the past to tarnish her life here. A nice guy like Nick—her friend—didn’t deserve the way she shrunk away from him.

Tonight she’d study her self-help book some more, see if she could discover a new technique to suppress her fear. She’d pray longer, harder. Somehow she would figure out a way to be whole again, to heal that scar her stalker had left her with.

She knew there was nothing to fear in Hope. Nothing at all.

So why was she still terrified?

Chapter Four

“A little more pressure right here, Nick. More. Good.”

Two mornings later Nick steeled himself against Maggie’s whimper of pain while Shay’s hands guided his. She’d had to cancel yesterday but had shown up bright and smiling right after breakfast this morning. As she bent to smile encouragement at him, her shimmering hair brushed his cheek. He caught his breath at the soft floral fragrance and immediately recalled that day in New York when he’d helped her untangle her hair from her sunglasses. Despite everything that had happened, Shay Parker was still the most beautiful woman he knew. His heart-thudding reaction to her was perfectly normal. Any red-blooded male would respond to Shay’s smile.

They’d been at it for an hour and Nick was more tired than he’d ever been, including after his first championship game. Would he ever get used to the feeling that he was torturing Maggie?

“Sweetie, that was fantastic.” Shay apparently had no issues with hugging his niece, though she still edged away from Nick whenever he got too close. He despised her stalker for that legacy.