Page 17 of If We Never Met

"There must be something."

"Fine. I'll say this. He has a girlfriend."

Her mother frowned. "Well, that's disappointing."

"I don't even know him. We had a brief conversation. That's it." She refused to admit that she was also disappointed.

"What about your date last night? How was that?"

"Not worth talking about. I need to get to work."

"Can I make you some breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry." She finished her coffee, then put her mug in the sink. "I'll take a look at the listings and get in touch with Mr. Langley today. I assume you have his number."

"Yes, I'll text it to you. I know he's working at the rehab center today. He's setting up his office and getting up to speed on his job, but I'm sure he'll make time for you."

"Okay."

"And you can call him Mark."

"Mark," she repeated, even though his name still left a bad taste in her mouth. She couldn't say her gut was always right, but sometimes it was. She would have to figure out if Mark was after more than friendship with her mother. Her mom had already bought whatever he was selling, so she would have to protect her mom without her knowing. "I'll see you later."

She was almost at the kitchen door when her mother called her name.

"Keira?"

"What?" she asked, seeing a thoughtful look in her mom's eyes.

"As much as I love it being the two of us against the world, I wouldn't mind if you found a man to share your life with. I don't want you to miss out on anything because of me."

"I'm not missing out."

"I hope not. Maybe you should find out how serious Dante is about his girlfriend."

"I'm not going there. So, get that idea out of your head." She left the kitchen, knowing she needed to take the advice she'd just given her mom.

Dante spent time Saturday morning with the two therapists who would be overseeing his treatment plan. When they'd finished with their initial assessment at noon, he felt both tired and frustrated. He'd believed he was doing better than he actually was, and the simple exercises that he could not accomplish pushed a dark reality in front of him, one that he couldn't ignore. The therapists had assured him that improvement could come quickly, so he needed to focus on the positive, not the negative.

On his way out of the building, he decided to stop at the smoothie bar in the lobby, which was located in a wide-open and spacious atrium, with skylights and large windows overlooking the lake and the mountains. In addition to the smoothie bar, there was also a café and a lounge area with tables, sofas, and couches. There were only a few people around today, as the rehab center was not yet fully open. In another month, it would probably be packed.

His phone vibrated as he took his acai and strawberry smoothie to a nearby table. The Denver number was familiar—it belonged to his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Grayson Cole. They were only a few years apart in age and over the past seven weeks, they'd become more than doctor/patient; they'd also become friends. Grayson had played baseball through college and understood his love of the sport and how much he needed to get back to doing what he did best.

"Checking up on me?" he asked. "Or did Rita and Marian call you to tell you that I'm their worst patient?"

"I haven't spoken to your therapists yet. I wanted to hear from you first," Grayson replied. "How was the assessment?"

"I thought it would be easier than it was. I don't have pain anymore doing normal things, but I guess I haven't been pressing my arm that much. It was a bit of a shock to realize how far I still have to go."

"You'll make good progress. You're in excellent physical shape, and you have a work ethic and a determination that will take you a long way."

"My dad used to say I was a stubborn ass, so maybe that will help me now."

"It will. What do you think of Whisper Lake?"

"It's charming. It feels like everyone is on vacation. And your sister has been very welcoming."

"That's Lizzie. Every one of her guests is treated like family."

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