Learning to Breathe Again (3 page)

The man glanced down at the paper as he took
it from her. “Hmm. Who’s your brother?”

“
Jason Morrow, he’s a
doctor.” His head snapped back up and she frowned. “Do you know
him?”

“
Yeah. I was in the wedding
a few months ago when he and Nicole got married. I thought I
recognized you. He flashes pictures of you and that band around all
the time.” He held the map back out to her. “They’ve got you going
down Old County Road 29, which doesn’t connect to Jason’s and
Nicole’s property. You need FM 29, not that that information will
do you any good. Jason’s not there.”

“
Oh, is he at the hospital,
or do you know where I could find Nicole, then? I’d like to meet
her.”

“
He and Nicole headed up to
Dallas for a long weekend. His wife would be my partner who isn’t
here to save her blessed computer from certain doom.” He leaned
back against the receptionist’s desk and stretched his long legs
out in front of himself, and she noticed he could recognize her
tension as he moved by the way he stilled.

“
I think half the town is
convinced Jason is lying about having a half-sister. I’m Jack
Williams, by the way.” The man offered his hand in greeting,
leaning forward to shorten the distance between them, causing
Bayleigh’s muscles to grow even tighter.

“
Jack Williams?” She bit
down on the inside of her lip before she forced herself to reach
out and accepted his handshake. His hand was calloused, as if he
were used to doing hard labor. All the lawyers she’d ever met had
smooth hands and soft skin that had never seen a hard day of manual
labor. But this man had rough skin, and a deep, natural tan, even
in winter, that spoke of hours spent outdoors.

The significance of his name hit her. “You’re
one of Jason’s best friends! I knew there was something familiar
about the names on the door but I was too tired to place it.” And
then what he was saying sunk in. “Jason and Nicole aren’t
here?”

“
No, they left yesterday
evening. Hey, are you ok?” Jack straightened as her eyes filled
with tears.

Bayleigh sniffed, looking around and grabbing
a tissue from the box on the receptionist’s desk. “I’m fine,
honest. Like I said, it’s just been a long day. Sorry,” she dabbed
at her eyes.

What was wrong with her? She hadn’t cried,
not once, since this whole ordeal started. The stress of the last
few days must be getting to her. Or she was just more tired than
she realized.

“
Not a problem.” Jack’s
intent gaze never left her face. He should have recognized her from
a couple of pictures Jason had but who expected long lost sisters
to show up out of nowhere? Plus, in his own defense, Jason’s
pictures did not do this woman justice. This woman was
hot.

Whoa, that kind of thinking needs to stop.
Remember this is Jason’s sister. He and Nicole will kill me for
sure.

Jack cleared his throat, forcing his focus
back to the lady standing in front of him. “So, when did you get
back to the States? I’m sure Jason and Nicole would have delayed
their trip if they’d known you were planning on coming here.”

“
I landed in New York late
last night and caught a flight to Austin this morning and drove
straight here. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing.” She
shifted, trying to take some of the stress off of her knee. She was
pushing the limits again.

“
What’s wrong with the
leg?”

“
Who says anything is?”
Bayleigh stopped looking at the door and focused her attention on
the man a mere few feet away. Had he stepped closer? Her hand
closed around the doorknob, ready to make a run for it if needed,
damage to her leg be damned.

“
You’re favoring your left
leg.” He glanced between her hand on the doorknob and her leg
before meeting her eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest, daring
her to deny it.

“
I am not. I’m fine.” She
forced herself to put more weight on her leg. Her leg started to
buckle and the room spun. Christ, now she was fainting on top of
crying? Awesome first impression.

No, wait, the room had spun because he had
swung her up in his arms. She stiffened at the realization that he
was carrying her. She could feel his arms like bands of steel
supporting her upper back and under her thighs.

“
Please, put me down. I’m
ok. Please, just let me go!” Bayleigh struggled in his arms, trying
to get away. She could feel her chest tightening again as his arms
tightened against her struggles.
Fight!

“
It’s ok. I’m not going to
hurt you. I just didn’t want you to fall.” He soothed as he carried
her to the couch in his office, his arms tightening even more. “And
if you don’t stop that, I’m going to drop you!” he warned. He
didn’t know what this lady’s story was but something was off and
his protective streak was coming out. He laid her down on the couch
and slid his arms out from under her, ignoring the sensations
brought to life that that simple movement stirred up.

“
Now, want to rethink that
story a bit?” he raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side,
waiting.

“
I’m fine, promise, just let
me go!” she moved to push herself up but he held her in place with
a firm hand on her shoulder.
Away! Must get
away! Now!

“
Really? I don’t know too
many people who almost collapse just from trying to prove that they
can put weight on a leg,” he told her with a frown. With a heavy
sigh, she stopped trying to get up off the couch. He dropped his
hand from her shoulder and stepped back as soon as she stopped
pushing against his hold. “So?”

She squared her shoulders and sat up as much
as her position on the couch would allow. “I injured my leg and
I’ve been traveling for thirty-six hours straight to get here. I
had a five hour layover in New York, which I spent in the airport
because I didn’t want to chance missing my flight to Austin this
morning. I couldn’t take my pain killers or my muscle relaxers
because I knew I’d be driving when I got to Austin, and I didn’t
want to take a day to rest in between flights and driving. I just
pushed myself too far.”

Bayleigh refused to break eye contact with
the man standing over her. “So, if you would be so kind as to allow
me the use of your telephone, I will contact my brother and see
what he suggests I do.”

“
Of course.” He nodded and
turned to grab his cell phone off the corner of his desk, pushing a
couple of buttons before handing it to her. “I’d like to talk to
Jason, when you’re done. Just call out when you’re finished talking
to him.”

Bemused, she glanced down at the phone in her
hand, seeing he’d brought up her brother’s contact information.
With a deep breath, she hit the dial button on the phone. It was
answered on the second ring.

“
This better be important,
Jackass. We’re trying to have some alone time here.” Her brother’s
disgruntled voice sounded in her ear.

“
Hi, Jase. It’s
me.”

There was a brief pause. “Bayleigh?”

“
Yeah. I’m, uh, I’m in
Waketon.” Bayleigh didn’t even try to blink back the tears this
time. Christ, she needed sleep.

“
What the hell? I mean, when
did you get in? Why didn’t you call me?” Jason fired the questions
at her, not giving her a chance to answer. And then his voice
softened. “I would have met you anywhere, you know.”

The wave of emotion that rolled over her
almost had her sobbing. She should have called him long before now,
but she hadn’t wanted him to know how screwed up she’d let things
get in her life.

“
Slow down big brother! I
landed in the states yesterday.” Bayleigh took a deep breath and
forced herself to block out the emotions. She needed to focus on
the ‘here and now’, not the past. Soon, she would tell him
everything. But right now, she needed the time to pull herself
together and heal.

“
So, I kind of showed up at
your friend Jack’s office because I was lost and my cell phone had
died. He told me you’re out of town for the weekend.” Realizing
Jack would tell Jason that she was hurt, she decided to at least
tell him that part of her story. “I also hurt my leg a couple of
months ago. I almost fainted on him because I overdid things
today.”

“
What’d you do to your
leg?”

Should have known the
orthopedic doctor would want details
, she
thought with a grimace. “I injured my knee, tore some ligaments and
did some damage to the muscles in the thigh, nothing that can’t be
fixed with time.” She massaged her thigh as she told her brother
the story. With any luck, that big brother radar he had wouldn’t
work over the phone.

“
How the hell did you do
that?” Jason asked.

Bayleigh bit her lip. “I fell while running
but it’s fine now.” Not knowing how he’d react stopped her from
sharing the whole story. She’d lost the right to dump her problems
in his lap a long time ago.

“
And why wasn’t I called
when it happened?”

“
It wasn’t anything serious.
I spent a few weeks in a hospital and then stayed with a friend
until the doctors agreed I could travel.” She hoped he didn’t catch
the slight hesitation in her voice when she answered. Her brother
was going to lose it when he found out the truth concerning what
had happened to her. But she’d long ago learned to overcome and
adapt to whatever life threw at her.

“
Will you stay with Jack
until we get back on Monday?”