Page 19 of Tethered Hearts

“You’re in pain.” Brie didn’t need a degree in anything to figure that out. She stood, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, I’ll help you back to the car and take you home.”

Pushing to his feet, he sucked in a breath and tucked the crutches under his arms. “I’ll be okay.”

“Seriously, Matt. Enough with the tough-guy talk. You’re not okay, and it’s okay to admit that. There are no medals for trying to outlast the pain. I’m here to help, whether you like it or not.” Gosh, he was stubborn. But she wasn’t going to stand by and watch him suffer. She wanted him to know she was there to help, however he might need her. Placing a hand on the small of his back, she slowly guided him back to the car. Once he was settled, she handed him a bottle of water and returned to the park for Winston and Rocky.

“Sorry to cut your playtime short,” she said, clipping the leads on Rocky’s and Winston’s collars before leading them back to the car. “But your master is not feeling well.” She handed Winston to Matt before opening the back door for Rocky to jump in. “Now to get you home,” she said, sliding in behind the steering wheel and starting the ignition.

Matt’s face was a mirror of pain as she drove the few streets back to his house. A muscle ticked in his jaw. His hands were clenched into fists on his knees. His nostrils flared as he stared out the window in silence. Guilt ate away at Brie as she did her best to stick to the speed limit. Perhaps it hadn’t been such a great idea to take him out after all. Perhaps the wheelchair would have been a better option than the crutches.

She pulled to a stop in the driveway and rounded the car to help him out. With Winston restrained on his lead, she stood by as Matt lowered his crutches onto the ground.

“How was it?” Helen called, stepping onto the front porch. Brie startled. Had she been peering out the window, waiting for their arrival? Now she really felt like a teenager returning from a date. Was Helen expecting a full report?

Brie slid a glance toward Matt as he slowly made his way up the path; each step deepened the furrow between his brows. “The dogs loved it,” she said as Matt brushed past his aunt and into the house.

“Matt not so much?” Helen asked, her head turning after him as the door slammed shut.

“No, I’m sorry.” Brie’s shoulders slumped, regret eating her up. “He was good for a while, but then the pain got the better of him.”

“Well, it’s a start. At least he got out of the house and got to enjoy your company. A change of scenery probably did him good, as well.”

“I really hope so. I just hope he didn’t overdo it,” Brie said, ignoring Helen’s comment about Matt enjoying her company. The sole purpose of their outing had been to get him out of the house in order to lift his spirits. The physiotherapist in her knew it had been the right thing for him. Any bit of movement would aid his recovery. But knowing Helen’s previous concerns, she was also worried that he would make sub-par choices to ease his pain, and she didn’t want to be responsible for that.

“Thank you, Brie.” Helen reached out and clasped her hand. “He might not have said as much. I know he can be quite moody at times. But I’m sure he appreciated your efforts.”

“Even if he didn’t, I’m pretty sure Winston did.” She chuckled, trying to make light of the moment and hide her disappointment that she’d somehow failed Matt and Helen. When she’d offered to take Matt for the afternoon, she hadn’t really known what to expect. Perhaps she’d held grandiose notions that they’d while away the afternoon, getting to know one another better and laughing as they shared an easy banter and silly stories. Returning home after only a short visit hadn’t even crossed her mind.

“Well, I’m grateful, nonetheless. Hopefully, it encouraged him to want to leave the house for more than just his treatment.”

“I hope so, too,” Brie said before turning to leave. Hopefully it was only a small hiccup and she hadn’t ruined things for him. Hopefully his pain would subside soon enough.

“Oh, Brie,” Helen called after her. She turned halfway along the path, holding a hand up to shush Rocky who had started barking through the car window. “If you’re free next Wednesday afternoon, would you like to come over for a coffee?”

“Oh, I …” She blinked at the unexpected invitation.

“There’s no pressure, and I don’t want to make you feel awkward. I just enjoyed chatting with you the other week at church, and I want to say thank you for today.” The older woman looked hopeful standing on the porch next to the potted rose bushes.

Brie considered her request, a strange one given that they barely knew each other and ran in different circles, but one she appreciated just the same. Matt’s aunt was endearing, and Brie realised it might be nice to get to know the older woman a little better. She wouldn’t mind the company, either. “I would love to, Helen. Thank you.”

As Brie drove home with Rocky’s head resting on her shoulder and his hot breath in her ear, she wondered how on earth she’d gone from admiring a champion athlete from afar to planning a coffee date with his aunt. Life sure was strange.

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